by Casey Dawes
But there still remained the problem of access to the financial systems. There might be another bomb out there waiting to explode. Now that she had been reassigned and no longer had access, would they still blame her? Or would everything remain quiet, emphasizing the point that she no longer had access?
She had to get into those systems. Who could help? Maybe Reese could get access. Although, given his lack of programming knowledge, it might rouse the suspicions of whoever was actually sabotaging the company.
In spite of all the lectures about security, several programmers, especially older ones, kept lists of passwords. Maybe . . .
“What are you up to, girlfriend?” Li leaned against her cubicle a few hours later. “There’s all kinds of rumors floating around. Dish.”
Findlay looked at her watch. “Lunch?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
A few minutes later they were seated at a local salad shop.
“So?” Li asked.
“What have you heard?” Findlay countered.
“You’re dating Reese.” Li counted that off on her fingers. “You’re about to be fired, you’ve changed departments, you’re a serial murderer hired to take out Brian Moore. Well, maybe not the last one.”
“Two out of four are true,” Findlay said.
“Which two?”
”Serial murderer and dating Reese.”
“What?”
“Gotcha!” Findlay chuckled. “It’s really dating Reese, kinda, and being transferred to a new department. Supposed to be a temporary thing, but?” She put her arms out, palms up. “Who knows?” She leaned forward. “I’m actually on a mission. You’re sworn to secrecy. I’m doing some detecting. Got to find out who took the money and framed my father. The same person who is trying to frame me now. Reese is my sidekick.”
“I thought I was your sidekick,” Li said.
“You’re too busy chasing men.”
“True. Besides, Reese will be better at it. He’s the boss.”
For now. When his father came back, that all could change.
Findlay stuffed down several bites of greenery.
“So what’s your approach?” Li asked.
“I’ve got to go back through the programs again to take another look at the code.” If she could find a way to get access. “Reese is supposed to tackle his mother again. He thinks she’s hiding something.”
“What would she know?” Li took a gulp of the double something sweetened coffee she’d ordered.
“Someday those are going to catch up with you,” Findlay said. Pregnancy had reduced her ability to shed weight quickly. Even looking at the drink was probably adding pounds as they spoke.
Li shrugged.
“Reese’s mother was part of the company when it began,” Findlay said. “In fact, my dad was in love with her. It was in the journals.”
“And he lost out to Brian?”
“Shh.” Findlay looked around. Although she recognized a few people from the company, they weren’t close enough to overhear.
“He must have been a better looking dude than he is now,” Li said.
“He used to be. I haven’t seen him since Reese and I broke up. I take it he changed.”
“Majorly,” Li said. “Looks like a walking heart attack. Oh, yeah, he is a walking heart attack. So how come Mrs. Moore threw over your dad?”
“Brian was the high school jock but with brains. He had a great physique and lots of charm. You know the smooth talk that good salespeople seem to have from birth?”
“Uh-huh.”
“That’s how my dad described it. To me, he was just Reese’s father. You know how parents are when you’re a kid. I never really looked at him, if you know what I mean.”
Li nodded.
“So,” Findlay said, “My mom worked at the company for the first bunch of years. She was their part-time bookkeeper until Sam insisted they hire a professional.”
“Sam?”
“Silent partner.”
“Sheesh, this is complicated.” Li finished off her salad.
“And . . . ” Findlay pushed aside her empty bowl. “My dad said the bookkeeper was dating someone in the company, apparently a pretty nice guy. He was surprised by the match-up.”
“Who?”
“He never said.”
“That could be your embezzler,” Li said as they dove into dessert.
She was going to have to take Reese up on his offer of running for real. They’d made a few plans, but heavy rains had forced cancellations.
“Depends on if he’s still at Gravitz Technologies. There are only three men who were: Sam, my team lead John, and Roger from the operations systems. There are a bunch more in Missoula Metals, but they wouldn’t have access to computer systems.”
“Not Wayne? I thought he’d been here forever. And he’s on his second wife. He mentioned it when they celebrated their fifth anniversary.”
“That’s what we thought. We both had vague memories of him at picnics, but Reese got a list of everyone who’d been with the company from the beginning, and Wayne wasn’t on it,” she said.
“Well, it doesn’t have to be someone who was here. What if it was a friend, or a new girlfriend, or something?”
That would expand the possibilities enormously. Findlay’s spirits sank.
“I hope not. I’m having enough trouble sorting through these.”
“And Reese?” Li asked. “Where does he fit into your picture?”
“I don’t know. I like him.”
“You like him? It was always more than that with Reese.”
Warmth flooded her body, no doubt reddening her cheeks.
“I’m being cautious. He dumped me, remember?”
“He was sixteen,” Li said, scraping every last bit of huckleberry cobbler from her bowl.
“I should take Kelly Anne skiing when the Snowbowl opens,” Findlay said. Maybe they could talk about something other than her feelings for Reese.
“You’re dodging the question.”
Guess not.
“Okay. We’re seeing each other. He wants more. I can’t give it to him.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. What if . . . what if I’m wrong and Dad really was guilty? What if I can’t prove I’m innocent? What if Chris wins, and I have to move back to Seattle to be near my daughter?”
“That would suck. You’re just getting settled here.”
“Sure would. My attorney is still positive, but the judge ruled I have to take Kelly Anne to see Chris right after Thanksgiving. Well, the ruling actually said to send her by herself, but that’s not happening.”
“That’s ridiculous. Who sends a five-year-old flying by herself?”
“Apparently, lots of people to hear the judge tell it.”
“That’s going to get expensive.”
“Don’t I know it. Chris has to pay for Kelly Anne’s ticket, but I’d have to pay for mine. Fortunately, Reese is paying for both of ours.” She clapped her big mouth shut. Why had she let that slip out?
“Oh? I thought you were playing it cool. Now you’re spending a weekend alone with the man.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter. We’ll have separate rooms. And Kelly Anne will be there to supervise.”
“Uh-huh. I think you’re making excuses because you’re scared,” Li said as they dumped bills on the check. “Unless you are willing to trust again, no man is going to make you feel secure.”
“You get security from yourself.” No man could provide that. Her father and Chris had proved it in spades. “Why don’t you sound happy?”
“I’m lonely.” Li’s shoulders slumped. “Guys are always telling me I need to relax, give it a rest, and let them take care of things sometimes. It’s really hard to turn off that switch. I mean, none of them ever does things the right way.”
Findlay burst out laughing.
“What?” Li asked.
“You mean they don’t do things your way.”
“You mean put my heart in Reese’s hands. Again.”
“Something like that.”
“Uh-huh.” Findlay rose from the table and walked toward the door, Li following suit.
Would she ever be able to take that big a risk?
• • •
“I don’t want scammi,” Kelly Anne wrinkled her nose. “Smells icky.”
“You don’t have to have any, sweetie. Grandma’s making hot dogs and beans for you,” Findlay said.
“Oh, goodie! Why aren’t you having hot dogs? They’re better than scammi.”
“It’s scampi, sweetheart. Grownups like it. It’s special.”
“Is that cuz Reese is coming over?” she asked.
Findlay didn’t answer. Whatever she said had a danger of getting back to Chris. It was okay for him to date, apparently, but not her.
“You can’t marry Reese.” Kelly Anne made the pronouncement as she tugged on Findlay’s jeans. “You have to marry Daddy again.”
“Oh, honey.” She did not want to have this conversation now. The shrimp was marinating. The rest of the ingredients were chopped, diced, and sliced. Reese would be here any moment.
“You can’t, Mommy.”
But now was apparently when she was going to have it.
She crouched down. “You know Mommy and Daddy are divorced, right?”
Her daughter nodded.
“That means we didn’t like living together.”
“Daddy liked living with me. He told me so.”
Damn Chris.
“But Daddy’s got a new girlfriend.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Kelly Anne shook her head vigorously. “He said I’d always be his special girl.”
“And you will, honey. Just like you’ll be my special girl.” Findlay’s knees were killing her. Ignoring the sticky garlic pieces clinging to her fingers, she scooped up her daughter and sat in a kitchen chair. “I know it’s hard, sweetie, but Daddy and Mommy aren’t getting married again. Ever.”
The little girl’s lip trembled. “But Daddy said . . . ”
“I think he meant he’d hoped we could make it work—both of us did. But it’s not possible. Daddy’s found someone. And I will, too, someday.”
“It’s not fair!”
“Knock, knock. Your mother let me in. Man, it smells good in here.” Reese stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a brown bag in one hand, a stuffed plush turkey in the other.
“Go away!” Kelly Anne launched herself from Findlay’s knees and shoved at Reese’s thighs. “You’re not my daddy! I don’t want you here. I hate you!”
Tears flowed freely as she shoved past Reese. Thumps of pounding feet thudded down the hallway.
“Kelly Anne!” Mom’s voice echoed through the house.
“Excuse me.” Findlay slipped by Reese as well, trying not to think of the heat he generated in her just by entering the same room she was in.
Her mother was on her feet in the living room.
“I’ll handle it,” Findlay said, putting her palm up in a stop signal.
“She’ll probably need to calm down first.”
“Yeah, Mom. I got this.” She took several steadying breaths as she walked down the hallway. It was a normal reaction.
“Kelly Anne?”
“Go ‘way.” Her daughter was lying down on the bed, face in the pillow, thin arm wrapped around her favorite stuffed toy—an elephant her dad had sent her last month.
“I understand you’re upset.” The mattress sank with her weight.
Kelly Anne scooted away.
This was not going to be easy.
“We can’t always get what we want, no matter how much we want it.”
“Cinderella did.”
There were times she could wring Walt Disney’s neck for setting unrealistic expectations. Only problem, the man was already dead.
“That’s a fairy tale, sweetie.”
“But if you believe . . . ” The muffled voice was hard to understand.
She knew the frustration of wanting to believe. If wishes really worked, her father would be sitting with his granddaughter right now.
“Even if you believe really hard, some things don’t work out the way you want. Right now Reese is our guest, and you didn’t treat him very well. He’s always been nice to you, hasn’t he?”
“Yes. I like Reese. He’s nice.”
“Then don’t you think you should say you’re sorry and have dinner?”
“No! I hate him! He’s not my daddy! Go away!”
Poor kid. She was going to have to work it out in her own way. Demanding would only push her away.
“Okay, I’m going. When you’re ready, you can come out, and Grandma will make your dinner.”
“I’m going to stay in my room forever!”
Findlay stood and shook her head. Tough lessons took a while.
“I love you.”
No answer.
She left the room, the door slightly ajar.
“Sorry about that,” she said to Reese when she returned to the kitchen.
He was seated at the kitchen table, a bottle of beer in his hand. The stuffed turkey served as a centerpiece.
“No problem. Adjustment can be hard,” he said.
“Reese was telling me about some of his exploits in Paris,” her mother said. She looked between the two. “Do you need any help with dinner?”
“No, I got it covered. It’ll only take fifteen, twenty minutes.”
“Kelly Anne okay?”
“Yeah. She’ll come out when she’s ready—no point in forcing it. She doesn’t do change well when it’s the little stuff, so this whole concept of divorce and marrying someone else has thrown her. And it’s all happening so quickly.” Findlay glanced at Reese.
His gaze on her was steady.
“Okay. I’ll be in the living room if you do decide you want anything,” Mom said.
Findlay nodded.
“If you point me in the direction of the wineglasses, I’ll pour you one of something I got—it’s in the fridge,” Reese said.
“I’ll get it.” She was too restless to sit.
The label was French, and as far as she was concerned, indecipherable.
“I got it at the wine shop on Higgins. Something I drank a lot in Paris. I think you’ll like it, and it will tame the garlic in the scampi a bit.”
“I’m not sure going out with a foodie is a good idea.” She chuckled. “What if you don’t like my scampi?”
“I will always like what you do for me.”
The undercurrent in his voice brought her attention sharply around to him.
Her heart melted a little more. Damn it. She should live on her own for a while. Make sure her daughter was stable before bringing someone else in.
But when he looked at her like this, she couldn’t think rationally.
“Sounds like the oil is ready,” he said, pointing toward the stove.
“Oh!” She turned to the stove. Oil slicked the bottom of the sauté pan, and the air was pungent with its smell. Quickly, she tossed in the marinated shrimp, constantly stirring to make sure it didn’t burn.
“Tough with an electric stove.” He was next to her. Too close.
The wooden spoon clattered to the floor.
“Crap.”
“I’ll get it.” His hand was gentle on her arm. He scooped up the spoon and rinsed it before handing it back. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“I know I don’t do this the way you do. I’m not a trained chef, after all.” This had been a really bad idea. Yeah, shrimp scampi was her signature dish, but to compete against a French-trained chef was ridiculous.
He moved the pan to another burner, leaving her standing there holding the utensil.
“Look,” he sai
d. “This isn’t a competition. I’m not here to criticize you. It’s simply you doing something nice for me. I like it. Relax.” He kissed her mouth gently. “You are perfect just the way you are.” After placing the pan back on the hot burner, he sat back down.
“What have you got planned for Kelly Anne for the holidays?” he asked.
“My aunt and uncle are coming in from Omaha,” she said. “I haven’t seen them in ages. He had some health issues a while back but seems to be over them now.”
“Mom or Dad’s side?”
“Mom.”
“Is he your mom’s only relative?”
“No.” She babbled on about the others in her mom’s family. First and second cousins, summer ventures to Nebraska she’d forgotten about. Somehow, the meal was cooked during her reminiscences.
“Smells good in here,” her mother said as she entered the kitchen.
“I’m about done. Any sign of my daughter?”
“She’s out cold. May as well let her sleep. I’ll make sure she has food when she wakes.”
“Can I get you anything?” Reese asked.
“I’m fine. I’ll just get some water and set the table.”
The chair scraped.
“Sit,” her mother said. “It’s too small a kitchen to do anything else.”
Once the food was ladled out, Findlay picked up her fork and waited, her gaze on Reese. Would he like it?
He looked at her and chuckled.
“It’ll be fine. Unless you slipped in poison, we should enjoy it.”
“I wouldn’t put it past my daughter,” her mother said. “She doesn’t have a good opinion of men these days.”
“Mother!”
“Just kidding.”
With a kernel of truth, unfortunately. It wasn’t only Reese she didn’t trust—it was anyone with one Y chromosome.
“I’ll be the taster,” he said. He slipped a forkful of shrimp and sauce into his mouth and chewed slowly, his gaze never leaving hers.
Once he finished, he grinned for a second then clutched his chest. “Oh no! She did it!”
“What happened?” Kelly Anne rushed into the kitchen, eyes blousy with sleep, and threw her arms around Reese. “Be okay. I’m sorry. Don’t be sick. I don’t hate you.”
He immediately stopped and slid her into his arms.