Claiming Amelia

by Jessica Blake

  Her brows drew together. “Impossible.”

  “Then it was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Dexter,” I said as I rolled up the aerial map.

  “Dr. LaViere, you’re talking about building a considerable structure, going into winter and you want to move in three months from now?”

  “Yes.”

  She looked at me and could see I was not only serious but not without the money and clout to get it accomplished elsewhere. “It’s going to cost you,” she pointed out quietly. “Special equipment, crews, overtime, working 24/7.”

  “Are you the firm for me?” I asked simply. I was immune to the feminine calling card she normally played.

  “Yes, Dr. LaViere. I will have plans at your office in forty-eight hours. You’ll need to give me authority unless you plan to sleep in the pasture while it’s built. I don’t have time to wait for an appointment.”

  She knew when to slide off her stockings and put on a suit. I liked that. “Done,” I agreed, then added, “But remember one thing.”

  I left the temporarily stymied Ms. Dexter on the side of the road and headed to Joe’s. The normal crowd was there, including McLean. I sat down next to him and offered to buy him a drink.

  “Nothing doing, LaViere. Tonight is on me,” he said. “You should have seen the bitch’s face when I made her sign over the title. It was worth every penny.”

  “When is the divorce final?” I asked.

  “My man says about three months. Hers is going to put up a fight, but there’s not much he can do. He’s just padding her bill.”

  “McLean, how would you like to be roommates for a few months?” I put to him.

  “How do you mean?”

  “I’ll have her out of there by tomorrow, luggage and perfume included and I’ll move in and take over the west wing and have kitchen privileges. I’ll have my own house in three months, at which time, I lease the original house over to you. What do you say?”

  “I say I’ll leave the light on.” McLean grinned and held his drink up as toast. We clinked glasses, I upended mine and left. I had one more stop to make.

  I pulled into the parking lot at the office and saw, to my delight, that Jervis was still there. Without ceremony, I walked into his office.

  He was sitting at his desk, his back to the door and his head thrown back, breathing heavily. I knew in an instant he was jerking off. “Put it away, Jervis, we’re going to talk business.” His shoulders jerked upright. He’d been so consumed with his own hand that he hadn’t heard me come in. I heard a zipper and then he cleared his voice and turned, saying, “I was retrieving my phone. I dropped it.”

  “It’s on the corner of your desk, Jervis,” I said, nodding to the cell in plain sight.

  “So it is… my mistake. Must have been something else I heard hit the carpet.”

  I had to force myself not to grin at the vision that created and took the seat opposite his desk.

  “I’m buying you out. You’re announcing tomorrow that you’re retiring. I’ll pay you fairly and you can gather up your women and head for the islands. I want you out by the weekend.”

  His eyes widened and he began to stutter. “You-you’ll do… no-no such thing!”

  “Name your price,” I said curtly. I pictured that crooked, pathetic dick of his that undoubtedly had the appearance of a cactus leaf at the moment and could see his eyes were full of terror as his predicament sunk in. He’d lost before he was even aware he was under attack.

  “This is highly unethical,” he began.

  “My offer is dropping by the second. Name your price.”

  He threw out a ridiculous number and I countered with half the amount. He nodded, defeated and I left the office, fairly sure it would be some time before he found the need to jack off again.

  I went to my office, dialed Jeremy and said simply, “Be here Monday morning with your crew. Do what you did to my office, but this time to the entire building. Questions?”

  Jeremy loved me when I was at my most decisive. “None.”

  I hung up and realized the power of money, connections, and blackmail — in that order.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Worth

  As the machinery I’d put into motion began to produce results, my world became chaos. Auggie texted and I responded lovingly, but in a detached mode. She realized something was up, but I threw her off the scent for the moment by urging her to conclude her business with Knotts in getting the foundation established. She took this as my personal interest in her welfare, and while it was true that I wanted her to succeed, for the moment I needed her to simply be out of my way.

  I could accommodate all the projects I had going, but I couldn’t afford Auggie’s interference. I’d leave her enough decisions to keep her happy, but she was better placed to exercise her whim with the foundation rather than overseeing the initiation of the house and the construction needed at the clinic. This was my way of taking charge and drawing lines in the sand. I knew she would resent it. I hoped I could live with it.

  I knew eventually, especially once we had children, she’d have her hands full with the things she loved to do. I just needed to make those possible and to do it in a way that I could still control what happened. I saw myself as the toll booth on her highway to Auggie’s World.

  I was staying at Father’s farm and leaving early enough to avoid him as his hangovers wore off. This morning, however, he anticipated this and must have suffered the shakes all night in order to be sober enough to confront me.

  “Worth, I want to talk to you.” It was a royal order, not a request.

  “Good morning, Father. You’re up early.”

  He ignored my bait and took a deep sip of strong coffee as his hand shook somewhat. “I’ve been hearing things about you and I’m not entirely happy,” he began.

  “I’m sorry, Father, but I earned the title of black sheep a long time ago and thought that had taken some of the pressure off your expectations.”

  “Worth…” he warned, his voice growling.

  “Father, let’s dispense with the subterfuge, shall we? I know I’m the eldest and your namesake, but Linc was always your favorite. He was athletic, smart, went by the rules. He did everything you wanted him to. He made you proud. I don’t. It’s that simple. I know there isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t wish it had been me under that car and not him.”

  It took him a second too long to meet my eyes. “Not true, Worth. I’m proud of you.”

  “Father, the time for bullshit has passed. Don’t pander to me. I’m a man on my own now and like it or not, this is who I’ve turned out to be. It might be better for both of us, not to mention Mother, if you just accept that and leave me alone. I won’t embarrass you, but I have my own way of doing things.”

  “Just because you’ve finally gotten access to your grandfather’s trust doesn’t give you any call to speak to me that way.” I looked at him and imagined that I would look like him some day. Perhaps I would have. Perhaps I would have been shaking in the glare of morning sunlight, my eyes bloodshot and my voice a fraction of the volume it once generated. He was aging and I was seeing myself as I would be in thirty years. I didn’t like it, not one bit. Auggie would change all that for me. I was certain of it.

  “No, sir, it does not. But what it does do is take me out from beneath your heavy thumb and all the judgment that comes with it.”

  He sat back in his chair, sizing me up. He had finally arrived at the realization that he’d lost control and he was mentally maneuvering for his best advantage. I let him, it kept him busy.

  “What’s this I hear you’re seeing the Langford girl?” he began.

  Jesus, as if I didn’t know where that had come from. I had it figured out the moment Auggie had told me of the picture. “Father, do you seriously want to go there? Old secrets? Indiscretions? You want it public that you shared her with Jervis, for Christ’s sake?”

  I thought he was having a heart attack. His face grew red and mottled and hi
s breathing became staggered. Fury set in on his features. He was not a man who was often called to task. I knew I had him exactly where I wanted him.

  “You keep your nose out of what doesn’t concern you, young man,” he threatened.

  “Or what? You’ll disinherit me? I don’t need your money. You’ll tell Mother? I dare say the revelations will be more devastating for your team, than mine. You’ll keep me from Auggie? I’m over twenty-one, Father, and so is she. If you do anything at all, you’ll force my hand. Your time is done, old man. I’m running my own show now.” I could hardly believe the words that came spilling out of my mouth. I had never dared to speak to him that way, and he was reeling from the impact.

  “Oh, by the way…” I said as I turned to leave the house, perhaps for the last time. “I’m moving out. Someone will come to collect my things, so you needn’t lock me out like you did when I was twelve and ran away from home to keep you from horsewhipping me. Oh, and Jervis…he’s out. He’ll be announcing his retirement today and I’m taking over the clinic.”

  “You won’t get away with this high-handedness, Worth,” he threatened again.

  “I already have. I learned from the best.”

  ***

  Right on cue, Jervis called a meeting of the staff and announced he’d be retiring, effective immediately and that I would be buying the practice. Worried faces looked toward me, but I nodded in reassurance. “You’ll all be staying on,” I said and then my face went back into business mode. I knew the staff was used to getting away with more with Jervis as captain. They knew I was no-nonsense and I fully expected several resignation letters on my desk by the end of the day. That would be fine. I was going to remake this practice into something that had never been done before. As a matter of fact, I’d gotten the idea from Auggie.

  Jeremy checked in and we closeted ourselves in my office to draw up the plans. Aside from relocating some internal walls, and then the complete updating of the décor, there was little for him to do. I would handle the rest.

  I called a sign company and arranged for the clinic to now be called “LaViere Clinic.” It was yet another tribute to the new concept I was putting in place.

  Finally, the architect showed up and we went over the plans for the property. I told her I would have ultimate approval over everything but that in the meantime, she should contact Auggie for details. She nodded, a bit confused. “Let me spell it out for you, Ms. Dexter. Let her pick out the carpet and wall colors and such frippery but when it comes to any major decisions, you are to confer with me directly. Is that understood?” She nodded and when she left, I phoned Auggie.

  “Hello, baby,” I began, and I knew this instantly put her on alert as I wasn’t exactly given to using terms of endearment.

  “What’s going on? I’ve hardly heard from you.”

  “Actually, quite a bit, really. I’m on my way over to pick you up because I have so much to tell you. You available?”

  “Please… rescue me, yes. Mother is on a rampage over something and I can hear her shrieking your name throughout the house. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I think I’d better go. I’ll be watching for you from the window. Don’t bother coming to the door, just wait at the end of the drive. The mood Mother is in, she’s liable to shoot you.”

  I chuckled as I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. No one asked where I was going or when I would be back. I knew to let the dust settle and then come in and clean up. Everything I’d been planning was now coming about.

  True to her word, Auggie met me at the end of the drive. We drove back to town and found a quiet little coffee house where no one was likely to know us. Settled at the table with coffee and cake, I began to open the door to her new world and let her look inside.

  “So, what on earth have you been up to?” she asked.

  “Well, first, let me ask how it’s going with the foundation?” I pre-empted her.

  She cocked her head and looked at me oddly. She knew my tactics well enough by now but decided to let me do it my way. “It’s fine,” she began. “Actually, it’s moving quite quickly. Brandon has the paperwork filed and we’ve already been granted tax-exempt status.”

  “He does work fast,” I commented and she looked at me to decide how I meant that. I let her wonder.

  “We’ve taken the liberty of checking out the adjoining property and Brandon is making inquiries if the owners are interested in selling. We have to raise funds, of course, before we can begin making offers.”

  I reached into my pocket and pulled out my checkbook. While she looked on, I wrote a check for one hundred thousand dollars and handed it to her. She looked at me, puzzled.

  “Let me be the first to contribute, I pushed the check toward her.

  “Okay,” she said, tears glistening. “What have you gone and done? That’s guilt money if I’ve ever seen it.”

  “Nothing. I’ve done nothing but make plans for our future,” I assured her. “Take it. It’s yours and you have my blessing to begin collecting all you can and getting your dream launched.”

  She just stared at me.

  “You don’t trust me,” I summed it up.

  “Nope.”

  I pretended to be hurt, but couldn’t authentically claim it because I acknowledged that maybe I had been just the slightest bit progressive in my plans without consulting her.

  I knew how to handle this.

  “Okay, now here’s what I’ve been up to.” The order in which I presented things was critical to her not being angry. “I went back to the office the other night and caught Jervis doing something that does not belong in a professional environment.”

  “Really? What?” I had her full attention.

  “Well, I’m more or less bound to keep it quiet, but let’s just say a gentleman usually does not engage in such things without a lady present.” Her eyes were huge and I knew I had her in my corner already. “We had a bit of a quarrel and I told him it was him or me. I offered to buy him out on the spot and he went for it. I guess his petting zoo was more important, shall we say?”

  Auggie’s eyes were huge and her mouth open in an ‘o.’ “Then you can’t afford to give me this,” she said, pushing the check back across the table.

  “Of course I can. I’m hardly a pauper, my dear. I’ve also come into my trust and now that Jervis is out of the way, I’m going to convert the clinic, which is another way I need your help.”

  “I’m all ears,” she said, smiling.

  “Well, sip your coffee and listen. I realized that Jervis’ way of doing things was old school and as you and I discussed, many people leave just as broken, or in some cases, even more so than when they walked in the door. Some things you said and have been planning for Sunset Village got me to thinking. I want to augment my practice with additional means of healing.”

  “Go on,” she said, her eyes alight. She took the fact that I’d listened to her as flattery, and yes, it was meant as such, but it was also good business.

  “Well, in addition to psychological therapy, I want to include some more holistic services such as acupuncture, a few of the more helpful exercise therapies, a room lined with pink salt from Himalaya, saunas, hot tubs, massage, aromatherapy, activities for children including daycare while their parent is taking part in a therapy. I also want couples’ counseling and from time to time, sex therapy.” I wiggled my eyebrows at the last one.

  She didn’t wiggle hers back. “Sex therapy?”

  “Yes, I know you don’t like the way that sounds, but there’s a great deal of diagnostic data to prove that when a person’s sex life is healthy and rewarding, many of their mental health issues improve as well. It’s all very scientific so you needn’t worry, but I’ve studied this and it will be handled very clinically.”

  “Worth, I don’t know what to say… it sounds fascinating!”

  Her green eyes were like sparkling waves and the deep green sweater she wore only emphasized this. I felt my groin ache and knew I’d been without he
r too long. But my revelations were not yet complete and now that I had her excited, she would take the remaining news in a more positive fashion.

  “Well, there’s more,” I began and her brows raised in question. “I’ve moved out of my Father’s farm, and McLean and I are going to share the current house at our place for three months.”

  “What happens in three months?” She was curious, as was to be expected.

  “McLean’s divorce will be concluded and I will be leasing that house back to him for a dollar a month. In return, he’s going to look after the place and help you with the horses as you acquire them.”

  Auggie leaned forward, shuffling in her seat. “But, Worth… I don’t have the horses yet… only Carlos. There’s nowhere to keep them. Why would I need his help?”

  “That’s the next part of my surprise,” I said and kept going lest she let questions begin to sink in. “I’ve hired an architectural firm and they’ve presented me with a preliminary set of plans. I’ve told them you’re in charge of the details and they’re to have the entire house and barns constructed and ready to move in within three months. I figure that should put you at the Keeneland sales next spring to begin your choosing.” I sat back to await the explosion.

  Her head bobbed forward at the same time her shoulders jerked backwards. “Wow. That’s a lot to take in, Worth. Why didn’t you tell me all this was going on?”

  I was ready for this one. “I knew you had your hands full getting the foundation launched and I’ve only laid the groundwork. I will need you to handle it from here. I’ll be busy with the remodel and marketing for the clinic. I’ll have to hire new staff and buy equipment. I was hoping I could leave the house and barns up to you.”

  She took the bait and I felt relief in the pit of my stomach. “Who’s the firm?”

  “Dexter Architectural Associates” I handed her their card. “You can deal with Beverly Dexter. I thought you might prefer to deal with the CEO.” I made the fact that she was an attractive woman completely incidental and the fact that I was giving her access to the head of the firm the more important fact to absorb.