Chapter Nine
Linc washed his hands, splashing cold water on his face. He couldn’t imagine why Douglas Bergman had a reason to see him after all these years.
Valerie’s father hadn’t hidden his disapproval of their marriage. He’d never wanted a military man for his only daughter, preferring a doctor, lawyer, or businessman to someone who served their country. As a successful banker, Bergman ruled his home with as much intensity as he did his business. Deep down, Linc always believed Bergman’s wishes worked to break down his daughter’s determination, creating doubt, leading to the annulment. No matter. The broken marriage had minimal effect on Linc. Within weeks, he’d returned to his old self, feeling no resentment over her decision.
He stopped outside the visitor room, bracing himself for whatever announcement Doug made. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open, coming to a stop when the man he remembered as tall and robust with a dominating personality raised himself from the chair. Gone were the signs of a man in control of his and other’s lives. Instead, Linc’s gaze wandered over a man of slim build with dull gray hair and slumped shoulders.
“You don’t need to stare at me as if I were a skeleton.” Douglas extended his hand, wincing at the grip Linc returned.
“Have a seat and tell me why you’re here.” Linc grimaced at his abrupt words.
“As cocky as ever, I see. Valerie always did say you had more self-confidence than common sense.” A pained expression crossed Douglas’s face before he controlled his features and settled back into the chair.
“I take it she didn’t accompany you today.” Linc took a seat across from him and leaned forward, his arms resting on the table.
Douglas studied him a moment, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “I guess you haven’t heard. Valerie is dead.”
Linc’s eyes widened, his lips parting as he blinked back the surprise. “I’m sorry, Douglas. I had no idea. What happened?”
He brushed Linc off with a wave of his hand. “A car crash. The doctors said she didn’t suffer.” Douglas cleared his throat. “It’s been years. We’ve honored her wishes for a long time. Believe me, if circumstances didn’t demand I be here, I’d be home in my easy chair, a big fire heating the room.”
Linc studied him, his brows knitting in confusion. “Her wishes? Circumstances? I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to spell this all out for me.”
“All right. As I’m certain you suspect, the annulment was my idea, not my daughter’s. She was beautiful and compassionate, but too weak for a man like you.”
“You mean a man dedicated to his job in the military.”
“No, I mean too weak for someone as forceful and competitive as you. I knew it would never work. It took a few weeks until my concerns succeeded in changing her mind and she agreed to end the marriage. I helped her file the papers.” Douglas glanced up, his bushy eyebrows doing nothing to hide the intensity in his stare. “Unfortunately, I miscalculated.”
“What do you mean?”
“A few weeks later, we learned she was pregnant.”
Pregnant. The blood drained from Linc’s face, his jaw going slack.
“She made the decision to keep the fact from you. I agreed, believing your job precluded you from being a fit father.”
“She had an abortion…” Linc’s voice trailed off as pain rippled through him, wrenching his heart. An anger stronger than he’d ever known began to build, wrapping its tentacles around him and squeezing.
“Hell no. She never would’ve agreed to that. Valerie had a baby boy.”
For the first time, Linc noticed the sheen in Douglas’s eyes as he swiped at the unwanted dampness. “She had two years with him before she died four years ago.”
Linc moved his hands to the arms of his chair, gripping so tight his knuckles grew white.
“Where. Is. He?” Linc tried to rein in his anger as he stood, bracing his hands on the table and leaning toward Douglas.
Glaring back at Linc, Douglas felt a sense of relief at getting the response he’d wanted. “You’ll see him once I finish. Now, sit down.”
Instead, Linc straightened, pacing a few feet away, then turned toward Bergman, his arms crossed. “Go on.”
“Upon her death, we were named the legal guardians. Valerie’s mother and I have been raising him for four years, even though my wife had already begun the initial stages of Alzheimer’s. She now requires an attendant twenty-four hours a day. I’ve continued as best I can, but the doctors tell me I have to make a change. That’s the only reason I’m here.”
“A change?” Linc prodded.
“I have cancer. Damn thing is terminal,” he growled. “I’ll be gone within months.”
Linc’s face softened marginally, his anger at being excluded from his son’s life still raging within him. He wanted to pull the old man from his chair, express his fury in a more physical way, but he managed to control his emotions.
“How did you find me?”
“I’ve always known where you were. I’ve tracked you from the time you married Valerie until now. I may be a cold-hearted S.O.B, but I’m not stupid. I figured you’d need to know about your son one day and didn’t want to waste time finding you. Your trail is pretty hard to miss. A decorated SEAL turned successful businessman. You’ve done well for yourself.” Douglas bent over, covering his mouth as a coughing fit shook his failing body.
Linc started toward him, then stopped when the man held up a hand. “Gets worse each day.”
Pouring a glass of water, he held it out to Douglas. “I want to see him.”
“But do you want him?”
Linc’s jaw tightened, stopping a sharp and quite inappropriate response. “Yes. I want him. Now, where is he?”
******
Linc paced back and forth in the small meeting room, his stomach churning as Douglas arranged for his driver to return to TSR.
“What’s his name?”
“Caiden Bergman Caldwell. Valerie had the good sense to acknowledge you as the father, which will simplify the legal issues.”
“Then why wasn’t I notified upon her death?”
“Connections, Caldwell. I lived my life building and developing them. A couple phone calls and Caiden was placed under my control.” Bergman pulled out his phone and punched a number. “Yes, bring him in. I’ll meet you in the lobby.” He walked up to Linc, holding up his hand. “He knows I had to meet someone and that he may be moving to a new home. He does not know you’re his father. Give me a few minutes with him.” He searched Linc’s face. “Please.”
Linc nodded, his body humming in anticipation sprinkled with a dose of fear. He snorted at the realization. He’d felt fear a few times as a SEAL. Not once had anything in his civilian life triggered the same sense of alarm.
“I’ll wait in my office. Have the receptionist call me when you’re ready.” Linc opened the door. “Be warned. I’ll wait five minutes, then I’m coming for my son.”
******
Grabbing a glass, Selena poured until the wine came to within an inch of the top. She took a sip, glancing again at the time. Seven o’clock, and still no word from Linc. If he hadn’t been so consistent since their first night, his silence wouldn’t concern her. Her own instincts telling her something bothered him also ratcheted up her anxiety. Selena mentally slapped herself, refusing to be one of those clingy, drama queen females who acted out whenever her man didn’t act the way she expected.
Her man. Was he? Did he see himself as an important part of her life the way she did, or was this just another of his casual relationships? He seemed to excel at those.
She’d never said a word to him about the women who’d approached her over the last few weeks, giving her friendly advice, warning her not to get too comfortable. Seems the man had left a trail of broken hearts during his time in Peregrine Bay. Even her sister, Caly, had warned her to go slow. Although a gentleman and quite generous, he’d never shown the least bit of interest in extending any of his relationships beyond
a few weeks. Selena wondered if she fell into the same category and he just hadn’t gotten around to telling her.
Perhaps she could find out. Picking up her phone, she typed a short text, hovering over the message a few seconds before swallowing her fear and pressing SEND. Nothing to do now except wait.
******
“They’re ready for you, Linc.”
He wiped his sweaty hands down his pants at the receptionist’s announcement and took a slow breath. “I’ll be right there.”
Standing, he shoved his fingers through his hair, not bothering to check the mirror behind one of the cabinet doors. As he headed toward the lobby, his phone vibrated. Retrieving it, he saw Selena’s name and winced. Stopping abruptly, he debated on whether to text her back now or wait. He didn’t want to leave her hanging.
Still at work. I’ll call tomorrow.
Ever since leaving her bed, Linc had thought of her often, wishing he could do nothing more than slide under the covers and pull her into his arms. He felt a sense of relief at sending the message. At least she knew he was thinking about her.
Opening the door to the lobby, his gaze locked on a small boy playing on the floor. Several plastic figures were spread out around him, his hands moving from one to another.
Douglas turned toward him, nodding for Linc to go ahead.
Taking a deep breath, he walked toward his son, then crouched low, sitting on the floor a couple feet away. When Caiden looked up at him, his heart stopped. He had dark brown hair and striking blue eyes that seemed to miss nothing. His gaze darted to his grandfather, then back to Linc before focusing once more on the figures before him.
“I used to play with a set almost like this when I was your age. May I?” Linc indicated a soldier decked out in combat gear.
“Okay. That one is Buster.”
“Buster, huh?” Linc picked up the figure, moving toward a tank a few inches away. “Which one do you have?”
“Linc. He’s my favorite.”
His throat tightened.
“My name is Caiden, but Grandpa says I can shorten it to Caid if I want. I like Caid better.” He held up the camo-clad soldier. “This is the first one I got. Grandpa told me my mama had a friend named Linc, so that’s his name.” He set the soldier back on the floor, his gaze darting back to Linc. “What’s your name?”
“I, uh…” He shot a look at Douglas.
“You know, I think I’ll get some fresh air, Caiden. Perhaps you can stay in here and keep him company.” Douglas indicated Linc with a nod. “I won’t be gone long.”
“Okay, Grandpa.”
For ten minutes, neither said anything as they played with the figures, automatically becoming comrades against an unseen evil across the room.
“Grandpa says I have to live with someone else. That’s why we came here.” Caid didn’t look up as he spoke, his voice signaling no emotion, as if changing homes was an everyday occurrence. He lifted a figure into the air, his gaze following it until his eyes locked on Linc. “Am I going to live with you?”
In all his years, Linc had never felt so out of his element. Leading a SEAL team battling insurgents? No problem. Running a multi-million dollar corporation with clients around the world? Piece of cake. Knowing the right words to say to his six-year-old son had him tied in knots.
“I’d very much like you to live with me, if that’s what you want to do.”
“Can we play with my men?” Caid nodded at the figures on the floor.
“Of course.”
“Are there other kids?”
“No, but I’m sure we can find friends for you.” He’d somehow find playmates for his son.
Minutes passed, neither saying anything. Linc watched his son make up his mind.
“Will you be my dad?” Caid slowly lifted his head, staring into Linc’s eyes.
Linc felt his throat tighten. “Yes. I’ll be your dad.”
Without warning, Caid dropped the toy and launched himself at Linc, wrapping his small arms around his neck, holding tight. Burying his face in his son’s hair, Linc fought back tears. He couldn’t remember ever crying. Not over his short, failed marriage or the deaths of comrades. He’d held strong, keeping his emotions in check, showing no weakness. It stunned him how this one small child, his son, brought him to his knees.
Chapter Ten
Julia studied the documents before her. At Tom Harten’s request, the meeting to decide who would provide security services for the arts center had been changed twice. She and the mayor had refused the councilman’s third request, saying they could wait no longer.
“I’m sorry, Tom, but I simply do not see the significance of what you’re telling us. You’ve provided anonymous reports of security failures at TSR client sites, yet you aren’t able to confirm the breaches with any of their clients. Maybe if you could provide some validation, it would be easier to take these seriously.” Julia couldn’t take much more of Tom Harten’s attempts to discredit Linc’s firm. He needed to either give them solid evidence of TSR failing to provide agreed upon services, or get off his soapbox.
Tom opened his mouth to reply, but the mayor cut him off.
“I must agree with Julia. I’m glad you’re working hard to find the best solution for security at the arts center. So far, I see nothing except conjecture and accusation. Have you spoken with the clients?” Mayor Timmons almost never saw issues the same way as Tom. Being the consummate politician, he always felt it right to give someone a gracious way out.
“Plus, I’d like to see similar reports on the other companies. Why are we just seeing those incidences on TSR and not on the other submitting company?” Herman Jost, the owner of the local jewelry store and member of the committee, sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. “This is a good idea, Tom. I think we need to expand the search to include Simondson Security. If I’m correct, the other two have both withdrawn.”
“Yes, they have, Herman,” Tom huffed out. He’d thought the data Ephraim Simondson had given him would be sufficient to shift Herman’s view and, with any luck, the mayor’s. Although a fixture in Peregrine Bay, winning every election over the last fifteen years, Timmons still kept his pulse on the voters and could be swayed if given enough contrary information to change his mind. Ephraim would need to dig deeper.
“I have another question for you, Tom. Simondson sent one of his employees, his stepson, Chad Donovan, to Peregrine Bay. I met with the young man this week. He mentioned you and he were friends in college.” Timmons watched as Harten’s jaw twitched. “Will this be a conflict for you?”
Tom stared at the mayor. Sitting back in his chair, he crossed his arms, focusing his attention on Julia. “No more of a conflict than Julia’s sister dating Linc Caldwell. I believe that’s much more of a conflict than my connection to Chad Donovan.”
Julia didn’t let her anger show. “I can assure you and the rest of this committee that my sister’s personal life has no bearing on my recommendation and vote. Can you say the same, Tom?”
“Absolutely. It’s been years since I’ve seen Chad. And to be accurate, my brother and Donovan were close friends. I met Chad through him.”
Mayor Timmons glanced at the other committee members. “There are five of us on the committee. Recusing two might be unwise at this point. If you both can assure us your votes will be based solely on the merits of each company, I suggest we continue as we’ve been doing. Agreed?”
“I have no issue with it, Mayor,” Herman Jost answered as the others nodded.
“Excellent. When do you think you can obtain what we need, Tom?” Julia hid the contempt she felt, although she had to concede that if he presented substantiated claims about either company, the findings would need to be considered–but only after significant vetting.
“Give me two weeks.”
“We can’t go any longer than that. The general contractor says once the foundation is poured, he needs to start working with the security firm. That is exactly two weeks away.” The mayor gathered
his papers and stood. “Unless there’s other business, we’re done.”
Julia left the meeting, closing the conference door behind her, then taking the steps down to the sidewalk, glancing up at the darkening sky. She walked the short distance to her office, wondering if Selena had decided to work late. Julia knew she needed to speak with her about Chad, give her a heads-up about her college acquaintance being connected to Simondson, as well as Tom Harten.
She knew Selena held no animosity toward Chad, blaming herself for a lack of judgment in attending the party. Still, Julia didn’t want her blindsided if Chad’s company won the award or he attended a local function with Tom. As Jonathon said, you could never be too careful.
******
“I can’t do anymore until you give me some solid proof TSR failed to live up to client agreements.” Tom balanced the phone against his ear as he sorted through the data Ephraim had sent to him.
“The fact there have been significant attempts to breach their system isn’t enough?” Ephraim barked. He wasn’t used to losing business, especially not to a firm still getting their feet wet in the security business. No amount of digging had uncovered how TSR had won so many awards and grown so much in such a short time. Ephraim felt certain their success had more to do with connections and kickbacks than competence and experience, yet he’d found nothing to confirm his suspicions.
“No, it’s not. In fact, they want me to prepare a similar report on Simondson Security.” Tom cringed at the expletives coming from the other end of the line. “You can’t expect anything else, Ephraim. You and TSR are the final two bidders. They want all the data on each firm, not just accusations directed at Caldwell’s company.”
“I’m paying you significant money to help us on this, Tom.” Ephraim let the implied threat settle between them. “Reelection is tricky for a politician suspected of taking bribes.”
Our Kind of Love Page 9