Without Apology (Without Series Book 1)

by Aubrey Bondurant

  I showered and dressed quickly for the office, ready to put this week and the purchase behind me so we could get to the weekend and time alone with Peyton.

  Close to noon, Tom came strutting into the office.

  “What’s the latest with the accounting issue?” I asked him.

  He frowned. Not a good sign. “Lyle is continuing to go through the spreadsheets. Jeff is uncooperative now that he hasn’t gotten the position of CFO.”

  “In that case, perhaps you should remind him his current job rests on his cooperation. Actually, never mind. I’ll walk down there myself and ensure he gets the message.”

  “Lyle is flying in later today. Figured it would be easier for him to go through everything here on site.”

  It made me annoyed all over again to think of the bad luck that Lyle had been sick, causing us to use another auditor who didn’t know as much. “Fine. Have him sit with Jeff and ask his questions.”

  If that tosser, Jeff, held up the sale, he certainly wouldn’t have a job by the end of the week.

  As soon as Tom left, Emma came into my office with lunch. She looked concerned. “You all right?”

  I tried to rein in my agitation. “Yes. Fine.”

  She closed my door and took a seat in my visitor’s chair with her food. We often had working lunches this way. “Liar. You’re stressed. I don’t see it often, but it’s written all over your face. We’ve had deals delay before.”

  “Yes, but I have plans I can’t afford to miss come Friday.” Hadn’t I just reaffirmed to Peyton last night that I could balance both work and personal? That I’d wanted more in the relationship?

  “Ah. Dinner with the family?”

  I nodded, taking a bite of my sandwich but barely tasting it. “Yes. And since I already messed it up the first time, there’s no way I want to take a chance on missing it again.”

  “We have a few days. We’ll be sure you get out on time Friday.”

  I wished I had her confidence.

  ***

  Thankfully, Lyle came to my rescue the next day, letting me know Jeff had walked him through the spreadsheets, and the numbers made more sense now. The question was why they’d ever looked strange, but I’d leave that as an after-action item.

  At least the paperwork was due to be signed on Friday, and the stress about missing Peyton’s family dinner had abated. I’d already called and reserved a dog-friendly hotel room in Austin for Peyton and me, with the plan to leave on Sunday and spend a few days there. Phillip had been surprised by my request to take time off but had agreed without any argument.

  By Friday, I couldn’t wait to have her to myself for seven days. Only getting together during the nights after work wasn’t nearly enough. In fact, we’d only been able to see each other twice this week since we’d been so busy.

  When I pulled up in front of the large mansion in a small gated community a few miles from Peyton’s house on Friday night, I realized I was nervous about spending time with her loved ones. I tended to be introverted in purely social situations. On top of that, I hadn’t grown up with a healthy family dynamic, so I had no reference for what to expect. It didn’t help that my first impression hadn’t been great since I hadn’t shown up the last time. Clearly, Peyton’s sister wasn’t one to take that lightly.

  But the moment Peyton stepped out of the front door, looking radiant in a navy, jersey knit dress with her hair down, my nerves dissipated. Left in their place was my heart beating overtime. Stuck in my throat were words starting with I, ending with you, and with a love in the middle. It wasn’t the time. However, I knew without a doubt, I was head over heels.

  I smiled as I watched her walk towards me, her whiskey eyes bright. She leaned in for a kiss which I happily gave her.

  “You’re on time.”

  Although she might not have vocalized her doubts about my making tonight a priority, I could tell she was relieved. That made two of us.

  “I am.”

  “Not saying I was worried, but with the sale finalizing today…”

  I put my finger to her lips. “No more work talk. The purchase is with the attorneys, and starting now, I’m officially on holiday.”

  “Ooh, I’m digging this new side of you.”

  She took the bottle of wine and bouquet of flowers from my hands and led me inside, where three exuberant girls and Cooper all greeted me. This might be out of my element, but it wasn’t long before I felt right at home.

  Turned out Kevin, Peyton’s brother-in-law, was a nice guy. Easy to talk to and clearly enamored with his family despite the fact he was completely outnumbered by the women in his house. It also became clear that Peyton’s nieces adored her. As for her sister, despite a few uncomfortable questions, she provided a fountain of information about the woman I loved.

  We were about to sit down to dinner when my phone started buzzing. Thankfully, the noise from the three girls was enough to cover, allowing me to excuse myself to the loo once I realized the buzzing wouldn’t stop.

  I steeled myself when I saw Phillip’s missed call. Then came the last two from Emma. I dialed her first, dread building in my stomach.

  Emma answered on the first ring. “Oh, thank God you answered. I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a crisis, and I wanted to let you know before you spoke with Philip.”

  “What is it?”

  “Lyle was doing some comparisons of the spreadsheets he received yesterday to the ones originally provided to Russ. He thinks someone recently changed the numbers as if they’re covering something up. That someone is or was potentially stealing. Tom is on a witch hunt and is unfortunately pointing the finger at someone on Peyton’s staff.”

  “Fuck. They don’t think it’s her, though, right?”

  She sighed, causing me to curse again. There was absolutely no way Peyton would steal anything.

  “They’re not ruling it out. But Tom is here now with Lyle at the office, putting a case together. He’s already called Phillip and gotten him riled up about the possibility of the new CFO embezzling.”

  “What about Jeff?” Considering he was the one who’d provided the spreadsheets, my bet would be on him.

  “He’s suspected, too, but nobody understands the financial system better than Peyton. And Tom says she has a sizable sum of money in the bank.”

  “What does that have to do with anything? I have money in the bank, too. Does that mean I stole it? Where is he coming by his information?” If she did have money, it most likely came from her parents’ estate. Knowing Peyton, she was also probably good at saving.

  “Some bullshit about having a friend with the FBI who looked into it.”

  “Bollocks.” If Tom was on a witch hunt—especially if he was tossing Peyton’s name around—then I needed to get there fast. But what the hell would I say to her about having to leave? I couldn’t tell her the truth, could I? Emma answered my unspoken question for me.

  “Ethically, you can’t tell her. I know you want to. Believe me, so do I. But this is bigger than you or her. She’s now an officer of the company we’re auditing and buying, which puts her on the other side. We’re talking about someone possibly going to prison for stealing. With any hope, it’s all a mistake, in which case we don’t want to accuse them.”

  “I know.” Even if I wanted to tell Peyton the truth, there was no way I could. I knew this with one hundred percent certainty. Although I absolutely loathed it, I’d have to lie to her. Then I’d have to leave.

  “I can maybe cover for another half hour or so.”

  It would take at least that amount of time to drive the distance to the office. I pinched the bridge of my nose. On the one hand, I wanted to protect her. On the other hand, I’d be leaving her family’s dinner and ruining the chance she’d believe I could ever prioritize her above my work. My options sucked because there was no option. “This is a bloody disaster.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  I looked skyward and thought of the irony that Emma could say the very words I wou
ldn’t be able to say to Peyton, though I certainly should. “Couldn’t be helped. I’ll be there shortly and ring Phillip on the way.”

  “Okay.”

  I stepped out of the restroom with dread tying up my stomach in knots.

  Peyton was standing in the hall as if waiting on me. “Hey.”

  “Hi.” Maybe I’d been fooling myself to think I deserved this woman. That I could manage both a career and relationship.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to leave.” The words were like acid on my tongue.

  Her face didn’t reflect as much surprise as it probably should have. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “It’s a potential hiccup with the sale. Something unavoidable. I have to get to the office to deal with it.” Technically, I wasn’t lying, but she could read between the lines. I couldn’t give her details about the company she was working for when I was on the other side of the transaction.

  She bit her lip and looked as if she might cry, which made me feel like the biggest arse in the world. “Okay. Did you at least want to say goodbye to everyone?”

  “Yes. Of course.” I wasn’t that much of a shit to sneak out the door.

  It might as well have been an execution and I was a dead man walking. Everyone was seated at the table waiting for me, with the girls fighting over who would get to sit next to me and Peyton.

  “I regret I need to leave. Unfortunately, there’s an emergency at work.”

  Kevin was the only one to give me a look of sympathy while his wife glared daggers, and Peyton wouldn’t even meet my eyes.

  She walked me silently to the door, her arms wrapped around her waist in a vulnerable pose.

  “Please understand this was never my intention,” I said. “This is an unavoidable crisis.”

  Her gaze lifted to mine. “I do understand.”

  “You do?” I was skeptical, but hopeful at the same time.

  “Yeah. Go.”

  Although her words conveyed an understanding of my unavoidable dilemma, I started to have second thoughts once I was in my car, driving way. Forcing my unease out of my head, I reasoned she knew I didn’t have a choice.

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  Peyton

  I said I understood. But I’d been lying. Not only to him but to myself. Instead of simple disappointment, I was overwhelmed with sorrow. If ever there was proof he would always pick his job over me, this was it. On a silver fucking platter. Served up for me to eat cold the way my dinner was by the time I composed myself and returned to the table with my family.

  Since I didn’t want my nieces to see me sad, I left as soon as I could, driving the five miles back to my house. I told my sister I’d take a raincheck on spilling my guts, not yet able to voice my feelings. On the way home, I did stop at the grocery store to pick up the heartbreak essentials. Ice cream, port wine cheese spread, and Ritz crackers. Not to mention a big ole bottle of wine.

  Halfway expecting a knock sometime in the middle of the night, I felt disappointed when none came. There wasn’t even a text message. The first time my phone did ring the next morning, it was George’s name, surprisingly, that popped up on caller ID.

  “Hi, George.”

  “Hi, Peyton. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday.”

  “No, no it’s fine. Everything okay?”

  “Yes and no. I’m hoping you might be able to come down to the office. We have a few things to clear up and could use an expert on the system. No one understands it better than you.”

  “Of course. I’ll be there within the hour.”

  “Thank you. Please come directly to the eighth floor. I’ll meet you there.”

  I hung up the phone. Obviously, I was already aware there was an issue with the sale, given last night and having Simon leave. I was curious to find out what could’ve been so important for him to make it his priority.

  After showering quickly, I donned jeans, a sweater, and boots. If I was getting called in on a weekend, I was dressing comfortably. I let Cooper out one last time, grabbed my laptop in case I’d need it, and then drove the distance to the office.

  The first person I saw when I got off the elevator was Emma. She looked both tired and shocked to see me there. “Peyton. Hi. Uh, what are you doing here?”

  George’s voice came from the doorway of the conference room. “I called her in.”

  My eyes met his through the doorway, and he then gestured for me to join them in the conference room. As I walked in, I immediately noticed Simon. He’d changed from the clothes he’d been wearing last night, which meant somehow he’d had time to go home but not to call me. I shoved the thought to the side, my gaze landing on Tom, who appeared annoyed, and then moving on to a man I didn’t recognize.

  “What is she doing here?” Tom asked. For his rudeness, he received a glare from Simon and a retort from George.

  “She’s here because she’s an expert in the system, and I’m tired of wasting time. Considering she’s my officer of the company and knows the financials inside and out, not to mention can help Lyle here find what you’re looking for, I don’t expect to hear any arguments. Especially with her being gracious enough to come in on a Saturday.”

  “It could be a conflict—”

  I had no idea what Tom was talking about until George lost his temper. “We’ve been through this, and you have no evidence. I’d stake my entire company on the fact Peyton didn’t steal a penny.”

  I sucked in a harsh breath. This is what they’d thought? More specifically, this is what Simon had thought? This is why he hadn’t told me what was happening? He believed I could be a thief.

  “No one in this room would argue with you, George.” Simon held my gaze as if trying to convey a message.

  “Good. Lyle, show her the spreadsheets.”

  I took a seat, needing to focus on why I was here. The man I hadn’t recognized, Lyle, passed me some papers as I set up my laptop next to his. For the next hour, we pored over the numbers. I brought up the database to allow him to cross-reference the transactions in the spreadsheet to what had actually been recorded in the system.

  I had to turn off my emotions and keep myself from looking at Simon. So many thoughts were running through my brain, but if I were to assist here in the conference room, I had to concentrate.

  “The totals are the same on each sheet, but the individual employee amounts have changed, almost like someone redistributed the amounts,” I said after comparing to the two spreadsheets Lyle handed me regarding compensation and then cross-referencing them to the system.

  “We knew that last night. Jesus, how is this helping?” This from Tom.

  I was instantly annoyed by his accusation and tone. “Well, maybe if someone had told me there was a problem last night, I wouldn’t be behind what you already know. But as it is, I’m catching up. Now then, if you have an issue with me, Tom, we can spend some time clearing the air, or I can get back to work while you sit there and watch me do it. Which will it be?”

  Before he could answer, Simon did it for him. “Take a walk, Tom. Come back in an hour.”

  Both men stared each other down for a minute before Tom opened his mouth. “Fine, I’ll work on our trip next week to London. Let’s hope we can still leave by Wednesday.” With that, he turned on his heel and left.

  Once again, I kept myself from looking at Simon, but I couldn’t help thinking about what Tom had just revealed. They were leaving on Wednesday for London—apparently, all of them, including Simon? The hurt sliced through me, but I simply had to shove those thoughts to the side.

  Meanwhile, I had to ask the obvious question. “If these are employee compensation sheets, why would you think I could’ve been a suspect?” Payroll wasn’t even my domain; it was Jeff’s. Frankly speaking, I could think of much better ways to steal if I was so inclined. That was why I reviewed everything meticulously.

  Lyle glanced at Simon, who gave him a nod. What the hell? They were exchanging silent signals as if we were in some inte
rrogation room.

  “Because you sign off on the spreadsheets,” Lyle explained, “and your team would’ve input the numbers into the financial system. The question is why would they have changed between the time you signed off on them and now.”

  “There would be no changes once I sign off. I retain a copy of what I sign off on in a directory if we want to do a comparison.”

  Simon and Lyle exchanged a glance.

  “Can you show us?” Simon asked.

  I was happy to do so, especially if it would shed light. Nothing I signed off on wasn’t filed somewhere electronically. I could say I did this in case of an audit, but it was more about covering my ass. This was appropriate, given the issue at hand. After I pulled up the spreadsheet with the last date in question, we compared it to the others.

  “It matches what is in the system, but not what Jeff gave you. What I need is to go through the actual employee payroll register.”

  Lyle nodded appreciatively. “That was going to be our next step this morning.”

  “What doesn’t make sense is the cumulative amount remains the same despite the details no longer matching. Why would someone shift the numbers from one account to another unless—” A thought occurred to me. Something I’d learned in an article on fraud. It was the classic payroll embezzlement scheme.

  “Unless what?” George asked.

  “Unless we’re paying someone we shouldn’t be. It’s guaranteed such an unauthorized person wouldn’t be in the spreadsheet, but they would show up in the system. That’s why someone had to alter the numbers—to hide the difference. If they’d listed non-employees, then you’d have seen it when you did the audit. Luckily, I received access to the payroll system on Thursday.” Jeff had fought it, but since I was his new boss, he hadn’t had a choice.

  I pulled up the last payroll cycle and sighed. We had over a thousand employees in the file.

  “Sort by those who don’t have any deductions. Normal employees have 401K or medical, fictitious typically wouldn’t.” This came from Lyle, who appeared to be very adept at looking for fraud.