“You’re . . . a good . . . ssssson,” Gideon said, squeezing Garret’s hand.
But are you a good father?
The thought generated a stab of guilt and Garret forced a lightness he didn’t feel as he returned the gentle pressure and asked his father about his day.
He stayed for an hour and was just pulling into the garage back at the ranch when his phone pinged with an email. He was relieved to see it was from Frank Nestor, an old family friend and someone he trusted implicitly. He’d asked Frank earlier if he could recommend a good forensic accountant, someone discreet and effective. Tate Transport had both internal and external accountants already, but given the anomalies within the organization, Garret figured it was smart to engage an outside firm, someone without a horse in the race. Someone with expertise at tracking down hidden payments. And it looked like Frank had come through for Garret.
I made a few discreet inquiries, and the same name came up a few times: Mae Barringer. She’s based in Helena but works all over the country and has a great rep. I’m sorry you’re in a place where you need this kind of help. Let me know if there’s any other assistance I can provide.
Garret stared at the email. Why did everything in his goddamned life have to be so complicated right now?
Because he knew Mae Barringer. He’d gone to school with her at Marietta High. She’d been a few years ahead of him, but he’d spent a bit of time with her because she’d been going out with Jed Carmody, and Garret had been close friends with Jesse Carmody at the time.
Pre-accident, of course. Sometimes it seemed that all the good things in his life had been pre-accident.
He wasn’t thrilled with the idea of using a Marietta local for such a potentially sensitive project. He was pretty sure Mae’s mom still lived in town, and even if she was based in Helena now, Mae probably had other connections locally. Even though he was sure that any forensic accountant worth their salt would take discretion and privacy very seriously, it felt unnecessary to use someone he knew personally.
And yet Frank had said her name kept coming up when he asked around. What was the point of asking for a recommendation if he didn’t use it?
“Screw it.”
Garret opened up a blank email before he could talk himself out of it. In his normal business life back in Seattle, he hadn’t spent half his time second-guessing himself. He, Jay, and Marco had built their knowledge base as the business grew, and there had always been someone else to bounce ideas off and dig deep when research was required. It was freaking exhausting feeling so paralyzed and out of his depth all the time.
He tapped out a quick message to Mae, then fired it off. For better or worse, it was done, and he could move on to the next thing on his list.
You’re going to need a shit snorkel.
The memory of Sierra’s words made him snort out a reluctant laugh. Goddamn it, she was right—he was definitely going to need something to get him through the next few months.
Or someone.
He batted the thought away. He’d spent half his life determined to be better than his father. Now was not the time to start compromising on that commitment.
Weary to the bone, he went to find something to eat.
*
“Morning,” Sierra said.
“Morning.”
Garret’s eyes were hidden behind sunglasses today, despite the fact the sky was overcast and the sun barely up.
Good. The less opportunity for eye contact, the better. That was how she’d gotten into trouble with him yesterday.
She moved ahead of him to open the passenger door, holding it as he stepped into the passenger cabin. She closed it after him, then climbed into the cockpit.
The Bell fired up beautifully, and she checked the mirror to make sure Garret had secured his seat belt. He had, and she switched the headset on.
“Weather is clear to Helena, apart from a little low-lying cloud. Should be landing on schedule,” she told him.
“Thanks.” He was busy opening his laptop, ready to disappear into his work again, and she told herself that was also a good thing.
Lots of good things happening this morning. Good, professional things.
She engaged the clutch, lifted the collective a little, and the Bell rose smoothly into a hover. She did a quick instrument check, making sure everything was in the green or sitting within operational range. Then she opened up the throttle a little more and the Bell glided up and forward.
It was a fifty-minute flight to Helena, but she limited herself to just three mirror checks in that time, a triumph of self-discipline. Before they landed, she allowed herself one quick glance before she disturbed him with an announcement.
“We’re five minutes out,” she said. “And I wanted to let you know the Bell is due for a full maintenance inspection soon. We can wait till Jack is back on board, or I can get it out of the way now.”
Garret started packing away his laptop. “Go ahead and schedule it. Is there anything you need from me to make that happen?”
“I’m pretty sure the aviation mechanic will have your billing details on file, but if they don’t, I’ll hassle Mandy for them.”
“Great. I appreciate that.” There was a warm note to his voice, as though he wasn’t just being polite but genuinely valued her effort to make his life easier.
She concentrated on landing then, communicating with the control tower to make sure she was clear to approach. Minutes later the skids touched down gently in a landing that would have earned her a smile and a thumbs-up from Jack. She flicked switches to their off positions on the overhead console, then pulled off her headset and slid from the cockpit. The handle to the passenger cabin was warm from the morning sun as she disengaged it and opened the door.
Garret was ready to go and stepped out onto the tarmac. She noticed he was becoming more comfortable with the overhead rotor now, not ducking or crouching like a lot of people instinctively did as he paused to pocket his phone.
“Have a good day,” she said, turning to secure the door behind him.
“You too.”
He strode off, and she refused to allow herself to watch him go.
Maybe talking to Eva hadn’t been as dangerous as she’d thought last night. Maybe having her choices laid out so starkly had given her the clarity and self-discipline she’d needed.
She was just completing a postflight visual inspection when her phone buzzed with a call. When she pulled it out, she saw it was Jed.
“Hey, what’s up?” she asked.
“You got any idea where the replacement seals are for the water pump? Casey and I have practically torn the barn apart looking for them,” Jed said, frustration rich in his voice.
“You tried the tool kit under the sink in the laundry room?”
“Shit. No.”
“Well, that’d be why you can’t find them.”
“Goddamn. Why didn’t I just call you straight away? You always know where everything is.”
“That’s because I’m the organized one.” She leaned against the side of the Bell. “I didn’t get a chance to ask last night—how’s Davey working out?”
“He’s a good kid. A little green, but a hard worker. Once he gets the hang of everything, he’ll be great.”
“Awesome. Glad he’s working out,” she said, even though there was an odd feeling in her chest.
She’d worked alongside her brothers all her life. They’d sweated together, cursed together, laughed together. She knew she could rely on any of them, utterly and completely, with the certainty of long experience.
“What’s wrong?” Jed asked.
“Why does anything have to be wrong?” she countered.
“Because you went quiet for more than five seconds.”
Her brother knew her too well.
“It just hit me that I’m going to miss you guys,” she said, her throat suddenly tight with emotion. “I mean, this is my dream job, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a big change.”
“Jesus, Sierra, it’s only six weeks, and we’re not going anywhere. And if you think you’re getting out of helping on the ranch in your downtime, you’re smoking something you shouldn’t be smoking.”
“You’re supposed to say you’ll miss me too,” Sierra said.
“You know I will,” Jed said, his voice low and serious. “But you said it yourself—you guys have all got your own lives to live. Casey’s going to be a rock star. Jesse’s going to be a rodeo star, if he doesn’t get beaten to the punch by CJ. And you’re living your dream right now.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’ve got the ranch. That’ll keep me plenty busy.” He paused briefly. “And maybe we can talk about you setting me up with one of your friends someday.”
Sierra blinked, sure she must have just misheard. “Ex-squeeze me? What did you just say?”
“You heard.”
She let out a whoop of surprise and triumph. “Are you fucking with me right now or are you serious?”
“Keep your pants on. I said we’d talk, that’s all. Don’t go setting anything up yet.”
She was tempted to tease Jed some more but she could hear the discomfort in his voice.
“Okay. I won’t put out the alert just yet. But I’m not letting you off the hook on this,” she warned him. “I’m going to recruit CJ and Eva, and the three of us are going to find you the perfect woman.”
“Awesome. Something to look forward to,” Jed said dryly. “All the women in my life trying to fix me up on a date. What could possibly go wrong?”
Sierra ended the call with a smile on her face. Jed was finally going to let her interfere in his private life. Like he said, what could possibly go wrong?
*
Garret checked his watch for the third time in as many minutes. Then he shot his cuffs and moved his water glass a whole inch to the right.
He was nervous. Big surprise. Talking to Mae Barringer about delving into Tate Transport’s financials was the first step in a journey to places he really didn’t want to go. But what choice did he have? He’d studied business law as part of his Bachelor of Business Management at UPenn. He had a fiduciary duty as acting CEO of the business to ensure the company was compliant with state and federal laws. And the only way to do that was to find out what the scope of the problem was so he could find a way to fix it, ideally without destroying the business in the process.
He’d chosen an out-of-the-way restaurant for the meeting, wanting to avoid scaring the horses by having Mae come to the office, and he kept his eye on the door, hoping he’d recognize her when she arrived.
Left to its own devices, his mind drifted back to his favorite distraction of late—Sierra Carmody.
She’d looked good this morning, her cheeks slightly flushed, the ends of her ponytail still damp from the shower. She’d been briskly professional the whole flight, as had he, both of them on their best behavior.
Hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her, though. Remembering how her hair had looked the other night, the dark wavy mass loose down her back, and the way her eyes lit up when she laughed.
Stop being a sleazy douche.
What the hell was wrong with him that he couldn’t stop thinking about her? Very deliberately, he pictured the two women his father had had affairs with over the years, one Gideon’s secretary, the other his office manager.
As a passion-killer, it was pretty effective.
Movement drew his focus to the entrance as a short, curvy woman with sleek dark auburn hair arrived. Her gaze scanned the restaurant before finding him and she smiled in recognition. He stood, trying to hide his surprise as she made her way to his table.
Because the face and body of the woman walking toward him belonged to the Mae Barringer he remembered, but the hair and clothes belonged to someone else entirely. Back in Marietta, Mae had lived in jeans and her long, curly hair was almost always confined in a thick plait that hung between her shoulder blades. Today’s Mae wore killer heels and a severe, precisely tailored suit, her hair brushing her jawline in a sleek, sophisticated bob.
It was quite the transformation and not what he’d been expecting at all.
“Garret, good to see you,” she said as she reached his table, her blue eyes smiling into his as she offered him her hand.
“Mae. Hey,” he said, registering the firmness of her grip. Her freckles were gone, he noticed, hidden beneath a layer of expertly applied makeup.
Her gaze swept over him briefly, assessing him in the same way he was assessing her.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” she said.
“You have,” he said, and she laughed.
“Apparently you can take Marietta out of the girl,” she said. “Shall we?”
She pulled out the chair opposite him and sat as he resumed his seat.
“How long have you been back in Montana?” she asked.
He’d forgotten how clear and direct her gaze was. A good characteristic for a forensic accountant, he imagined.
“Only a couple of weeks. Ever since Dad’s stroke, essentially,” he said.
“I was so sorry to hear about that. How is your mom coping?”
“She’s taken it on like it’s a personal challenge. Dad’s going to be doing rehab at home once the hospital is done with him, and she’s determined to claw back every scrap of quality of life she can for him.”
“People can do amazing things when they’re motivated by love,” Mae said.
A phone beeped with a notification and Mae rolled her eyes.
“Sorry. Let me switch that off.” She pulled her phone from the side pocket of her expensive-looking handbag and toggled her phone to silent. Then she sat back in her chair and raised her eyebrows. “You said on the phone that you’ve come across a few anomalies at your father’s business that you’d like me to take a look at?”
Apparently the chit-chat part of their meeting was over.
“That’s right.” Garret took a deep breath. This was it, the moment of no return. The moment his father’s possibly illegal business dealings shifted from the realm of the theoretical to the real.
“My father and his general manager have set up an ‘executive account’ that’s ostensibly part of the sales budget. Nearly half a million carved out of the budget, but no transactional details on record.”
Mae’s eyes narrowed briefly, as though she was committing the information to memory. “Okay. I assume you’ve quizzed the general manager and asked for the missing details?”
“He tried to stall me initially. When I pushed for more information he threw a temper tantrum and stormed out. Which was when I dug deep enough to uncover the five-hundred-thousand-dollar hole. Unfortunately, he took his laptop and any data pertaining to the account with him when he left the business.”
“Is he usually the temper-tantrum type?” she asked, head cocked.
Garret thought about it for a moment. “If you’d asked me a week ago, I’d say no. He always struck me as being pretty easygoing. Then again, as far as I know, he and my father always saw eye to eye, so there was no need for fireworks.”
“I’m just wondering if the dramatic storm out was an excuse for leaving the company without having to hang around to answer difficult questions. If what you suspect is correct, that laptop hard drive has been destroyed by now.”
“Yeah, I figured that was probably the case.”
“That’s not going to stop us from getting your lawyer to draft a letter demanding its return, however,” Mae said with a quick smile. “We’re going to want to start creating a paper trail so that you can prove you made all the right moves if any of this blows up.”
Garret’s instinctive flinch must have shown on his face because Mae quickly shook her head.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. There’s no reason for this to blow up or go public. Even if something unethical or illegal has been going on, your general manager is going to want to sort things out quietly,” Mae said. “And I can give you guidance
on how to rectify any unpaid taxes if something like that comes up. There’s always a deal to be made.”
There was an unassailable, confident calm beneath her words and Garret felt some of the tension leave his shoulders and neck. This was not going to be fun, and the results were probably going to give him a headache, but he was confident he had found the right person to start unpicking the mystery for him.
“When can you get started?” he asked.
She gave a small laugh. “That was fast. You don’t want to know my fees first?”
“I’m sure you’re worth whatever you charge. I need to know what I’m dealing with, and I’d like it to be sooner rather than later.”
She reached for her phone again. He watched as she tapped through to her calendar, her lips pursing as she reviewed her obligations.
“Technically I’m not free to look at anything new until the end of the month. But this feels like the sort of situation where we’re going to want to at least define the scope of what we’re dealing with as quickly as possible. If you can get me whatever you have ASAP, I’ll get someone from my team to start looking through things tomorrow. We’re going to need a lot of access. Bank records, reports, people on your staff.”
“Whatever you need, just let me know and it’s yours.”
Chapter Eight
They talked for an hour, and by the time Garret handed over his credit card to pay for lunch he felt as though he had shed a minor burden. Only temporarily, of course, and it was likely to become a major one, but for now he could sit back and allow Mae to do her thing and get on with getting a grip on the day-to-day running of the business.
Organizing the access and data Mae required for her team chewed up a chunk of his afternoon and by four he had so many things left on his to-do list he realized he’d once again be missing the departure window to fly back to Marietta before nightfall. He texted Sierra, letting her know she should make herself comfortable at the lake house, then dove back into work.
He didn’t think about her again until he was driving along the lake road, the setting sun a glare in his eyes. He needed to be smarter about the way he interacted with her tonight. No sharing takeout meals and exchanging banter in the kitchen. No more flirting and sharing.
More Than a Cowboy (The Carmody Brothers Book 3) Page 9