Beautiful Deception
Page 23
“Ms. Hamilton? This is...”
I turned around and covered my ear to block the rushing sound from the waterfall a dozen feet behind me, drowning out the caller’s voice. “I’m sorry. Could you speak up a bit?”
“My name is Paul Jeffries, and I’m calling from Jeffries and Son Law Firm.”
I rolled my eyes. It was probably regarding some jerk trying to pass my work off as a copy to discredit me. “I apologize, Mr. Jeffries, but all of my work is licensed. I can direct you to my agent to clarify the mix-up.”
“Ah, no.” It sounded like he cleared his throat. “I’m calling in regards to your father.”
I almost laughed. Considering I hadn’t seen him in almost two years, he was the last person I expected to hear about. From what I’d heard Hamilton Construction was doing well, so I couldn’t imagine it had anything to do with his business—unless he was being sued. Dad had reached out to me several times over the past year, but I’d ignored him each time. He’d begged me during our last dinner to forgive and forget. But I wasn’t ready—I might never be ready.
I sighed. “What does he want now?”
“I...” He paused for a moment, and my irritation level ratcheted up.
“Did he ask you to reach out to me?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’d like to speak with you regarding the reading of his will.”
“I’m sorry?” A cold shiver of apprehension snaked down my spine, turning my blood to ice, and the dread I’d felt earlier returned full force. Surely I hadn’t heard him correctly? “Can you repeat that?”
There was no mistaking the sympathy in the man’s voice. “I’m sorry, miss. I thought you were aware. Your father passed away last week.”
I TIPPED THE GLASS of wine up and drained the remainder of the sweet liquid, my eyes trained on the photo I’d taken behind the waterfall—the exact spot where I’d learned of my father’s death. It didn’t surprise me in the least that my stepmother Janine hadn’t reached out to me. We weren’t friendly on the best of days. I’d heard that my father had lived separately from the woman for the last year or so, but he hadn’t actually gotten around to filing for divorce.
It was a surprise, however, when my phone rang and Brent’s name lit up the screen. Janine’s only son, my stepbrother, Brent, was a good guy, smart and successful, and I never could figure out why he hadn’t married. Average height with more than passable looks, he had a heart of gold, and any girl would be lucky to catch him. On top of that, his job as an investment banker earned him a hefty salary. Not that I would ever condone marrying for money, but he had more than enough to live comfortably.
I slid a finger over the screen. “Hey, Brent. What’s up?”
“Hey, just calling to make sure you got in okay.”
“Yep.” I resituated myself, tucking my feet beneath me as I curled into the corner of the couch. “Got in yesterday morning. You hear the news?”
“Yeah.” He paused for a moment. “Have you been drinking?”
I glanced at the nearly empty bottle and smiled, wondering if I was slurring my words already. “Is it that obvious?”
“I’ve never known you to drink, that’s all.”
“Don’t you think the occasion calls for it?”
He sighed on the other end of the line. “Touché. I’m sorry about your dad, by the way.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
We remained quiet for a moment before Brent spoke up. “I know you two weren’t close, but how are you doing?”
I lifted a shoulder as I contemplated how to answer. To say things with my father were complicated would be an understatement—but that was nothing new. My mother passed away from cancer when I was barely three, so my father had been forced to act as both father and mother while trying to run a large construction company. We stumbled along together for a few years, but construction sites were no place for a little girl. Frazzled and frustrated, he finally realized how out of his depth he was at trying to do it all. His business was growing by leaps and bounds, and he couldn’t handle raising a little girl.
Oh, my father had loved me well enough—in his own way. Larger than life, Dad had been a man’s man. But he’d known nothing of a little girl’s likes and dislikes. As a child, I’d loved spending time with him at various construction sites, learning the ropes. I remembered sitting in his lap in one of the machines as he guided my hands, helping me operate the controls. The older I’d gotten, though, the more he’d distanced himself from me. He thought it was best for me to have a female influence, someone to bestow on me ladylike manners and comportment. My gaze dropped to my stained sweats, and the corner of my mouth lifted. I wasn’t sure his plan worked.
By the time I turned six, he’d hired a full-time nanny to look after me. A smile quirked my lips at the thought of the tiny but dynamic woman I spent so many years with. Five-foot-nothing, Fatima was sweet and grandmotherly with a backbone of steel. She’d raised four children of her own, and she ran a tight ship. I still spoke with Fatima from time to time and we exchanged Christmas and birthday cards. But, like every other relationship of mine, this one had diminished as well. We spoke less frequently now, though I knew I was mostly at fault. Because I traveled so often, many of my friendships had fallen by the wayside. I could blame it on work, but the real problem was that I didn’t put in the time. It wasn’t that hard to make a single phone call—I chose not to. If I were really honest with myself, I feared the rejection I might one day receive from another person I loved. First my ex-husband Jack, then my father. I couldn’t bear to lose another person close to me.
“I’m fine.”
“Really.” The single word wasn’t so much a question as it was a demand to tell him the truth, and I rolled my eyes.
“You know how it was, Brent. We really hadn’t talked recently. I guess... I don’t know.”
“Do you want some company?”
By pure chance, both of us ended up in Seattle. Needing to distance myself from my hometown of Spokane, I’d settled here after taking a job with a magazine, and he worked in finance at a large firm downtown. He’d developed an algorithm a few years ago that had changed the way people invested, and the success it brought catapulted him to a partnership. Brent had always been good to me, and it was nice to know there was a familiar face around if I ever needed one.
I started to say no, then changed my mind mid-thought. “Where?”
He chuckled. “It doesn’t sound like you’re in any condition to drive, so I’ll come to your place. Should I bring another bottle of wine?”
“Are you drinking?”
“Might as well join you, lush.” I sensed the teasing smile in his voice and an answering grin lifted the corners of my lips.
“Then you’d better bring two.”
BOOK ONE, UNREQUITED Love, is FREE on all platforms. Grab it here!
Also by Morgan James
Quentin Security Series
The Devil You Know – Blake and Victoria
Devil in the Details – Xander and Lydia
Devil in Disguise – Gavin and Kate
*Each book is a standalone within the series
Frozen in Time Trilogy
Unrequited Love
Undeniable Love
Unbreakable Love
Bad Billionaires
(Novella Series)
Depraved
Ravished
Consumed
*Each book is a standalone within the series
Deception Duet
Pretty Little Lies
Beautiful Deception
Standalones
Death Do Us Part
Escape
About the Author
Morgan James is the bestselling author of contemporary and romantic suspense novels. She spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book, and she loves all things romantic, dark, and dirty.
She met her own husband when he crashed a friend's wedding (Just kidding. Kind of...) and they've been together ever since. They
currently live in Ohio with their two kids and an adopted mutt that sheds like crazy.
Here are a few fun facts: She can swear like a sailor. She loves to bake but hates to cook. She loves a man in uniform. She pulls inspiration for her stories from real life. Her husband is the absolute best, supplying her with infinite one-liners. Like her characters’ dialogue? There’s a good chance that those conversations have really happened!
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