Rocky Mountain Baby (Roberts of Silver Springs Book 9)

by Nadia S. Lee

  Maybe she should just sneak into the kitchen at Bri and Bekah’s bed and breakfast and get a quick meal to go. That way she wouldn’t have to talk to her inquisitive cousins much—or run into anybody else in her extended family. Bet none of them had ever gotten served.

  Sighing, Molly rolled onto her stomach. Maybe it would be better to just nuke one of the frozen meals she had in the fridge. Quick, nutritious enough and it would fill her up…

  She hated being indecisive, but the whole lawsuit thing had thrown her off. Her dad and Sam hadn’t called yet to say Eddie changed his mind. Could they settle? It was infuriating to think that she might have to, but a lawsuit would be expensive and painful, not to mention damaging to her company.

  A couple of knocks came from the door. “Molly! It’s me, Charlie.”

  She jackknifed up, almost bumping her knee against the worktable. The clock on the wall read six.

  Already?

  She opened the door and stared. Charlie stood there with Emilia strapped to his chest, a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and a huge box of pizza balanced on one palm.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.”

  “Oh.” Maybe what she’d said hadn’t registered with him. She gestured vaguely toward her messy living room. “Well…come on in.”

  As Charlie stepped inside, she wished she’d had a chance to clean the place. Her sketches were everywhere, and the floor was littered with pens and equipment…

  “Did you see your dad?” Charlie asked, seemingly unfazed by the clutter.

  “Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Have a seat.”

  He placed the pizza on the dining room table, which, thankfully, was clean. Emilia seemed content to be pressed against Charlie’s chest. Molly brought out two plates and a couple of sodas to drink. It was that or water.

  “You look so down.” Charlie separated a slice of cheese pizza and pushed it her way. “Eat.”

  She nibbled, watching him take a huge bite out of his piece.

  “No good news yet?” he finally asked.

  “No, but it’s not only that. It’s just… It’s everything. The thing with Eddie is bad, but I’m sure my dad and Sam can take care of it.” She winced inwardly at how listless she sounded. “But I had to run into Beatrice before I saw them, and it just totally ruined my mood.”

  “Don’t let that horrible woman get to you. She’s jealous because you’re pretty and talented.”

  Molly snorted a small laugh in spite of herself. “Maybe. But she was needling me about the lawsuit, and it really went down the wrong way, you know?”

  He squinted. “She was baiting you? About getting sued?”

  She nodded.

  “How did she know about the lawsuit?”

  “Said she’d heard.”

  “From who? You just got served today. Wayne’s not the type to gossip about things like this, especially not with Beatrice. And the woman has zero friends.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Just seems suspicious that she knows so much.”

  “Maybe she pays someone for inside info. I don’t know. I don’t want to think about her right now, Charlie.”

  “Then maybe we should talk about why you weren’t planning to come over.”

  “I told you.”

  “About you being bad company. But you can’t avoid me every time you have a bad day.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because…” He considered. “Let’s say ten percent of the time, you have a bad day. That means you only want to share ninety percent of yourself, which means I don’t have all of you. And I don’t like that.”

  She flushed, half with embarrassment and half with pleasure. She wanted all of him too, and it’d drive her nuts if she thought he was holding back.

  “Besides, it’s unfair you only want to be perfect around me,” he added. “I already showed you my frazzled, bumbling side.”

  “When?”

  “When I found Emilia, in addition to about a million other times. You didn’t think any less of me, did you?”

  “No.” How could she when she adored him so much?

  “So why do you think I’ll feel any different?”

  She started to reply, but then thought better of it. Put that way, it did seem silly that she’d decided to not see him. What had she been thinking earlier in the day, before she got served? She’d decided she’d spend even more time with him and Emilia. “I don’t know. This just feels so…new.” She winced at the lame excuse. “I don’t want to do anything to ruin it.”

  “Well, you’ll ruin it for sure if you hold back and make me wonder.” He scowled. “Women avoid you when they’re mad. Or try to make you jump through hoops.”

  She gaped with horror. “I would never! Charlie!”

  “I didn’t think so either, but what am I to assume if you don’t tell me? I’m a man, not a mind reader.”

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  “Don’t be. I just wanted to lay things down so we know where we stand. And trust me, I’m going to fix all this for you.”

  “But how? Sam and Dad are doing what they can…waiting is about all the rest of us can do.”

  “We can do more than wait.”

  “Like what?”

  “There are too many variables and inconsistencies. And when there are too many, you have to pull back and ask yourself, what each one is responsible for?”

  She gave him a look. “You lost me.”

  “First, Eddie’s lawyer went to the same law school as Beatrice’s new lawyers in Denver.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Looked him up on Google, just like any curious citizen. Same class, too. Second, Beatrice knew about your lawsuit way sooner than anybody else. I went by Tony’s to get the pizza, and he had no idea because if he’d heard, he would’ve mentioned to me. You know how he is…and he hears everything from his customers. Meanwhile, mean ol’ Beatrice isn’t exactly someone people run to with the latest gossip. You gotta be on good terms with folks to hear things.”

  Molly tilted her head. Now that Charlie mentioned it, it did seem strange.

  “Third, it’s very odd that this customer of yours is claiming it had to be your website. How is it even possible for him to know for certain? Like, certain enough to pursue a lawsuit that’s going to be outlandishly expensive? It just smells fishy.”

  “What are you saying? Who has the time and energy to go this far if there wasn’t really a crime?”

  “I’m saying there may be more to this than we think, and I’m going to find what.”

  She lowered her voice. “Are you going to hack into stuff?”

  “That’s probably the quickest way. Rats run when they’re discovered.” Charlie cradled her face in his hands. “I want you to know this—really get it in your head. I meant what I said when I kissed you. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to fix it because I adore you and I think you’re a wonderful woman. So can you please just not hide when you’re down and come to me if you have a problem?”

  “What if it’s something you can’t fix?”

  “Then I’ll kiss you until you feel better.” He sealed his lips over her mouth in a tender promise, and she forgot about everything except him.

  * * *

  Charlie worked on his computer while Molly fell asleep on the couch with Emilia cradled against her. They looked so naturally right together that it made his chest feel tight.

  He should probably see Sam ASAP and talk to him about dating Molly. Not that he needed Sam’s blessing, but it would be better if Sam didn’t object. Some brothers could be super protective, and Charlie had seen how dating someone’s sister had destroyed a long and fruitful friendship.

  But first, he needed to fix Molly’s problem. His gut told him Eddie’s claim was bogus, specifically aimed at destroying Molly’s dream. He just couldn’t understand why would anybody do such a thing.

  Charlie fi
nished another can of Coke and sighed. Molly needed to have better drink options. Energy drinks were an absolute requirement for working la—

  Ah. There.

  Bingo.

  Eddie’s assets. Hmm. For a guy who’d claimed to have a few hundred thousand dollars in his bank account, his investment portfolio was pretty lame. Only ten thousand or so. And Eddie only had one bank account. The transaction history showed he’d never had more than three thousand bucks in the last six months. So where had the supposed thieves stolen the supposed fortune from?

  Oh wait. What was that?

  Charlie looked at the pending transactions section of the account. Twenty-five thousand bucks. He whistled. Where was this coming from? He tapped his index finger on the side of his laptop and considered.

  I’m not going to be able to figure it out by just staring at the amount…

  What the heck. He was already in the bank’s system. Might as well go all the way.

  He traced the wire to another account at a different bank, and there it was.

  Beatrice Bodin.

  Charlie shook his head. The woman was so arrogant and foolish, she’d sent the money to Eddie herself. It was patently obvious Beatrice had hired Eddie to fake everything to destroy Molly’s reputation.

  Rage burned within Charlie, a kind he’d never experienced before. This was so deliberate, so cruel, that he couldn’t let it go. Both Eddie and Beatrice needed to pay.

  Charlie’s gaze slid toward Molly, who frowned in her sleep. He reached over and brushed his fingertips over the lines on her forehead, and her brow smoothed. He pressed a kiss there, love and protectiveness surging inside him.

  Nobody hurts my girl and gets away with it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Molly opened her eyes, it took a moment to reorient herself. She wasn’t in bed. She was in her living room…with Emilia snuggled against her. She turned her head and saw Charlie slumped over the coffee table, his folded arms cradling his head and tilting his glasses oddly. His laptop was closed and lay an inch away.

  Quietly, Molly got up, cradling Emilia. The baby kept snoozing. It couldn’t be comfortable for Charlie to sleep like that, but he was too heavy for her to carry to someplace more suitable. She placed Emilia on the couch with care, still wrapped in her baby blankets, then carefully tilted him back until he was lying on the carpeted floor. She removed his glasses and placed them on the table, then tucked the throw she’d used before around him. That should do it.

  Strapping Emilia to her chest, Molly went to the kitchen for coffee. It was already eight forty-five, but neither her dad nor Sam had called her to update her. Probably the other lawyer was dragging his feet, not even showing up at work until nine.

  Patience. Things take longer when you have lawyers involved.

  Didn’t she know better? All the i’s needed to be dotted, all the t’s crossed. Or else things could come back to bite her in the butt when she least expected.

  As she poured her first cup, her phone pinged. She grabbed it, praying for good news.

  Instead it was Bekah. Have you seen the town website?

  What?

  You need to take a look. Now. I can’t believe it.

  Another text—this time from Bri—came in. Molly, check the Silver Springs site. You have to look!

  OK, Molly replied, then went to the site.

  The nice, friendly homepage that highlighted the history and charms of Silver Springs was gone. In its place were Beatrice Bodin’s emails with bankers in the Cayman Islands. Oh boy. Wait, wha—? Four million dollars?

  Molly’s eyes almost bugged out. She texted both of her cousins. Wow. She’s loaded.

  I know, right? But I wonder who put the info up there, Bri texted.

  You think? Why would anybody do this unless it was shady? Bekah wrote. Otherwise they’re just outing how much money she has, and it’s not like that would shame her. She loves to brag about how rich and awesome she is.

  You need to read further down, Bri wrote. She asked specifically about hiding her money from the IRS. That’s totally not kosher.

  She’s a tax evader? Molly texted.

  Trying to be, anyway. She better hope Uncle Sam doesn’t see this. He doesn’t mess around when it comes to his share, Bri wrote. Dad said it over and over again. You never rip off Uncle Sam.

  That sounded just like Uncle Ralph. He was a banker and took that kind of thing seriously.

  Think she’s going to jail? Bri asked.

  I don’t know. Isn’t she a little old?

  Molly pursed her lips. Poor Josh.

  Yeah. Poor Josh. But if this really is what Beatrice wrote to her banker, I don’t feel sorry for her. She knew what she was doing.

  Molly sighed. That was true enough, but she could still feel bad for Josh. He really didn’t deserve to be humiliated because of his mother’s crime.

  Her phone rang. The caller ID flashed it was from her dad. Gotta go, she texted. “Dad,” she answered quietly. She went upstairs with her coffee.

  “Why are you whispering?” he asked. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. What’s going on?” She closed the door to her bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. Emilia started to stir, and she patted the little back gently. The baby yawned, then sucked her thumb.

  “Good news. Eddie Rand decided to drop the suit. Did you know he faked the whole thing because Beatrice Bodin paid him to?”

  “What?”

  “We, along with the Denver DA’s office, got CC’d on an anonymous email that was sent to Eddie’s lawyer. It had screenshots and information about the money Beatrice gave him.”

  “Oh my goodness. That woman!”

  “Yeah, that woman.” He sighed. “I thought she got over it after her…talk with Josh, but apparently she was holding the grudge all along. I’m sorry I got you involved in my mess with her. I should’ve kept an eye on her and made sure she didn’t go after you.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. You couldn’t have known. Does this mean Eddie’s going to be prosecuted?”

  “I don’t know. It’s up to the DA’s office…but they have the info if they want to pursue things. Regardless, he’ll never come after you again or say anything against your business. That’s part of our deal. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it otherwise.”

  She cleared her throat. “Have you seen the Silver Springs website?”

  “Yep.” Steve sighed. “Beatrice has made too many enemies, and I’m sure it’s coming back to haunt her. She shouldn’t have been such a b—so ungracious.”

  “The allegations may not even be true.”

  “We’ll see. She’ll be thoroughly audited by the IRS now.”

  “You think so?”

  “Whoever did this didn’t do it just to embarrass her, Molly. They want her to pay for what she’s done. The IRS might forgive you if you make an honest mistake, but this is a deliberate attempt to hide taxable assets.” He tsked. “In any case, don’t worry. It’s not your problem. She has lawyers, and it’ll be their job to figure out how to keep her out of prison. I’m just glad your business is going to be okay, sweetie.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I couldn’t have gotten through all this without you.”

  “Well, it would have taken a lot longer if it weren’t for that anonymous email. So maybe that’s who you should be thanking.” He hung up.

  Molly put her phone down and sat back. It had to be Charlie. No wonder he looked so tired.

  Although what he’d done wasn’t technically kosher—his hacking was probably still a crime, even if his motives had been pure—she couldn’t really be upset with him. If Beatrice hadn’t hired Eddie or cheated on her taxes, none of this would’ve happened. Charlie was trying to fix the problem the best way he knew how, and gratitude flowed through her. She kissed Emilia on the soft forehead.

  “Thank you, baby girl. Without you bringing us together, we would’ve never told each other how we felt.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You know I’m in lo
ve with Charlie, don’t you?”

  Emilia squirmed and looked at Molly over the thumb.

  “It’ll be our little secret, okay? Now, are you hungry? Give me a second, and I’ll make you some formula.” She hugged Emilia. “Love you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Charlie typed away on his laptop, a triple-caffeine energy drink by his side. Molly had invited him to dinner at her parents’ two night ago, but he’d turned her down. Thanksgiving was coming up soon, and he wanted to wrap up all his projects so he could enjoy the holiday without anything hanging over his head. He hadn’t been able to give them the attention they deserved over the last few days, what with helping Molly solve her Eddie-slash-Beatrice problem. She understood, and thankfully didn’t get upset, which made him love her a little bit more.

  Once he was done with the day’s work, he needed to call Steve and Sam and see them in person before the big holiday meal brought in all the cousins and siblings and their dates and whatnot to get in the way.

  After he hit compile on the latest patch for his client, he stretched and checked the time. It was only four, so both Steve and Sam should be in the office.

  With Emilia securely fastened in her infant seat, Charlie drove to Roberts & Son. Emilia loved the soft purr of the engine and the motion of the car, and she made her joy clear with a big belly laugh every time he made a turn.

  It took less than fifteen minutes to reach the office, and Emilia blew a raspberry. He laughed. “We’ll do a longer one later, but not right now. Let’s go, girl.”

  Lina greeted him as he walked in with Emilia strapped to his chest. The New York blonde was always so cheery. “Charlie! I didn’t know you were coming in. Are you here to see Sam?”

  “Yeah. And Steve.”

  “Neither one has an appointment at the moment, so you can go in and find whoever you’d like to see first.”

  “Actually, I’d prefer to talk to both of them at the same time.”

  “Let me ask Sam to meet you in Steve’s office, then.”

  “Thanks, Lina.”

  Emilia made some happy ga-ga noise at Lina, and she beamed and waved. Charlie caressed his baby’s head…