“How was school?” Zoe asked as she eased her car into the flow of traffic leaving the school.
“Same as always. I did great on my science test today and got an A on my English paper.” Lilah tore open the envelope and scanned the small card inside.
“What’s that?” Zoe glanced over but couldn’t make out anything before she had to focus on the road again.
“An invitation,” Lilah said, sounding distracted.
“To what? I saw T.J. give it to you.”
Lilah turned in her seat. “Spying on me?” she said in a teasing tone.
“You’re mine, aren’t you? That gives me the right to meddle in your life as much as I want,” Zoe replied, matching her daughter’s tone.
Lilah rolled her eyes but laughed. “He’s having a pool party for his birthday. He said he wants me to come.”
Pool party? Teenagers hopped up on hormones they were still learning how to deal with and bathing suits. As soon as the thought crossed her mind Zoe chastised herself. Lilah and her group of friends were responsible. All of Zoe’s internet sleuthing and undercover monitoring of Lilah’s cell phone proved that much. She wanted Zoe to go out, make friends and have fun. She wasn’t quite ready for an at-home pool party with the boy Lilah was hung up on.
“What did you tell him?”
Lilah raised a shoulder. “I told him I’d think about it, and that I have to see if we have anything planned for that weekend.”
Zoe’s hands loosened the death grip on the steering wheel. “Let him sweat a little.”
“Exactly. T.J. is the cutest guy in school, but I don’t want him to think I’m pressed to be his girlfriend or anything.”
Yes, yes, thank the Lord, yes! “Well, let me know when you make up your mind.” Zoe kept her inner celebration hidden and replied in an even, disinterested tone. Every time her daughter listened to her advice instead of succumbing to the pick me attitude toward boys Zoe used to have, was reason to celebrate. Parenting was hard, getting her kid to grow stronger where she’d been weak was harder and Zoe was going to rejoice after every damn win.
Lilah chatted about school and the latest drama with her friends on the rest of the ride home. When they pulled into the garage, Lilah jumped out of the car and rushed into the house to change for archery practice. The previous fall Zoe and Lilah had attended an outdoor women’s retreat where they’d tried out a variety of new things like camping, fishing, outdoor cooking and archery. Lilah had fallen in love with the sport, and after begging Zoe for a bow and arrow for Christmas, Zoe decided that lessons would come first before committing to purchasing all the equipment. Six months later and her daughter’s enthusiasm hadn’t faltered.
Zoe followed Lilah up the stairs. After practice Lilah would have homework before going to bed. If she didn’t talk to her about Byron’s visit and his request now, she’d keep putting it off.
“Hey, Lilah, you got a second? I need to talk to you about something.”
Lilah was rummaging through one of the drawers probably looking for something to change into for practice. She glanced over her shoulder. “Sure. Can we talk while I change, or is this a talk talk?”
Zoe sat on the edge of Lilah’s bed. “It’s about your father.”
Lilah hesitated for a beat before going back to pulling things out of the drawer. “My real dad or the guy who agreed to say he was my dad?” Lilah asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Zoe had hoped that by telling the truth and revealing her own mistakes her daughter would avoid similar situations. Lilah had asked a dozen questions. Mostly about Byron, although she hadn’t given Lilah his name. A smart decision in hindsight since Lilah wanted to meet him, and a quick Google search could have given Lilah everything she needed to contact him.
As for her real dad, thankfully, Lilah wanted nothing to do with the man who’d hurt her mom.
“Both, actually,” Zoe answered. She paused for a heartbeat. Once she gave Zoe his name and what he wanted, there was no going back. “Byron...the man who said he was your father. He was here earlier today.”
Lilah spun around. “He was here? Like, in this house?” Her eyes were wide. Her voice high pitched with excitement and disbelief.
“Yes.”
“Where is he now?” Lilah looked over Zoe’s shoulder toward the hall as if Byron would magically appear.
“He’s gone back to his home in North Carolina.”
Although Byron had agreed to give her to the end of the week, she could tell he’d hoped for an immediate answer. She appreciated his not pushing her into making a quick decision. She wanted to help Byron, and she damn sure wanted to keep her secret. She just couldn’t move forward without thinking about all of the consequences. Not considering consequences when she was younger had been part of her problem.
“What? Why? Mom, did you send him away?” Lilah accused.
“No, I didn’t send him away.” Zoe didn’t want to think about how much a part of her wanted him to stay longer, catch up, talk the way they used to. “He came here because he needs something from us.”
“Something like what?” For the first time suspicion entered Lilah’s tone. Another thing Zoe had taught her. Always wonder what someone wants when they approach you for help.
“He’s running for Senate, and apparently his connection with me, and you, is coming up.” She waved Lilah over to sit on the edge of the bed next to her and gave her the quick rundown. Leaving out the part about threatening emails and the possibility her real father may be looking for her. Until they found out who’d hired the other private investigator Zoe didn’t want to scare Lilah. She’d left that out with Byron, too. She still wasn’t sure if the emails were anything to worry about or not.
“He wanted me to give him an answer today, but I asked him to give me until the end of the week.” Before he’d left, Byron mentioned if she wanted to she could come to his home in Jackson Falls, North Carolina, that weekend to talk things out.
Lilah shook her head and grabbed Zoe’s arm. “No, Mom, you need to do this. Call him. Go up there.”
Zoe immediately regretted mentioning Byron’s parting words in her recap to Lilah. She understood his reasoning. Getting ahead of the lie was best for both of them, but that didn’t mean she was ready to face that reality right now. “If I go, it’ll put a damper on our weekend. I promised you we’d go to Atlanta.”
“Mom, who cares about Atlanta,” Lilah said with an eye roll. “You have to go.”
That was not the answer she’d expected. “Did you not hear the part about a political campaign for a national office? Lilah, if I go and agree to anything then people will dig into our life.”
Lilah did not look impressed or concerned with the idea of people looking into their past. “They’ll dig and find what? You’re a safety person at some plastics plant, and I’m a thirteen-year-old who spends more time with my recurve bow than anyone else. There’s nothing to find.”
Nothing except Zoe’s terrible relationship with Lilah’s father, her parents’ own rocky marriage and subsequent not quite legal separation. Other than those things Zoe’s life was pretty basic and routine. She liked the mundane quality of her life. Mundane equaled structure and security. Being a part of a campaign would be far from mundane, and she’d have to relive all of the mistakes of her past.
“There’s the matter of your real father,” Zoe said. “If he sees us, he may try to come back.”
“Who cares. You already said that your friend Byron wants to say he’s my dad. He’ll be able to protect me the way he protected you.”
Zoe held up a hand and shook her head. “Hold up, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This isn’t going to make Byron your real dad or turn him into a knight in shining armor. He’s engaged to someone else. He has his own life.”
“But as soon as you were in trouble he dropped everything to come here and warn you. I bet
he doesn’t love her.” Lilah jumped up from the bed and went back to the clothes search.
Zoe’s mouth opened and closed before her thoughts came together. “Lilah, this isn’t something to make assumptions about. If I do this it will only be to help him for the campaign. We’ll make it as quick and painless and possible before we go back to our normal lives. Whether or not Byron loves or doesn’t love his fiancée doesn’t matter. He has one, which means we’ll also have to figure out how to get along with her.” She stood and went over to Lilah. She placed her hands on her daughter’s slim shoulders and made her face her. “This isn’t a game or something we can jump into with unrealistic expectations. Doing this changes everything. It’ll be several months, maybe even until the end of the campaign, before things go back to normal.”
Lilah sighed but nodded. “I understand all of that. I know this doesn’t make him my real dad. But Mom, let’s be honest. It would be easier for him to just tell the truth and be done with us. He didn’t want to do that, and if he wins, he can’t just ignore his ‘daughter.’” She made air quotes with the word daughter. “He’ll be in our life.”
The idea should have made Zoe panic. She was nervous, unsure and wary, but she wasn’t panicked. If the emails were a threat, and if Kendell did consider trying to come back in their life, then having Byron on their side, even if it was superficial, might be enough to keep Kendell away. As much as she hated to have to depend on his help again, she would take whatever options were available to keep Lilah safe.
“He’ll be on the edges of our life,” Zoe said. “Not all the way in it.”
Lilah shifted until Zoe dropped her hands. “Fine. But you need to go up there. Don’t just say no and use Atlanta as the excuse. You always complain about Atlanta traffic anyway. At least go and find out what he really wants. Okay? I’m fine with going to the aquarium another weekend.”
Zoe watched her daughter closely. She hadn’t expected Lilah to be so excited about this situation with Byron. Her daughter was just as private as she was. She’d kind of hoped Lilah would say no way and then Zoe could go back to Byron with a valid reason not to agree with another larger-than-life secret. There was always telling the truth, but the truth came with another set of concerns she never wanted to touch Lilah.
She could go and find out what he had to say. If they agreed that keeping the lie going was the best step, then she’d just have to try and limit the time Lilah and Byron spent together. Her daughter wanted a father, but Zoe didn’t want Lilah too attached to a man who was promised to another woman. The last thing she needed on top of all this drama was for Lilah to think something would happen between her and Byron.
Not like that would be such a bad thing.
No way. She was not going there. Today’s attraction was a mixture of nostalgia and too long since her last relationship. Byron was handsome and she could appreciate that without losing her mind.
“Fine, I’ll go, but I’m making no promises.”
CHAPTER FIVE
BYRON DROVE THE three hours back home after leaving Zoe’s place instead of going to his family’s estate in Jackson Falls, North Carolina. The Robidoux Estate was the place where his grandfather had built the tobacco empire that they all benefited from today and was his unofficial campaign headquarters. He was sure his family’s home was buzzing with activity. Roy and his dad strategizing over the latest developments. Dominic updating the family and providing recommendations on the best way to deal with Carlton’s blackmail threats. Elaina would be wound tighter than a rusted spring after hearing about India and Travis eloping, and was probably driving the household staff to the brink of revolt with her excessive demands.
Byron didn’t want to deal with any of that. He’d called Roy on the drive back home and gotten an update on their thoughts on revealing India and Travis’s marriage. Luckily, the family had already prepared for the announcement; they just had to move up the timeline a bit. He’d let Roy know Zoe wanted to help with her part in the story. He left out the part about Zoe needing to think things over before agreeing to go along with the plan. He just hoped she’d take up his offer and come to Jackson Falls that weekend. All he wanted now was to get home, shower and get in his bed. His shoulders ached from the hours of driving, his eyes were tired and he’d sat for so long his back was stiff.
Yet, anticipation buzzed beneath his exhaustion. Something he knew would prevent him from focusing on work or allowing him to shut down his brain and fall asleep. Thirteen years had passed, and he still felt as if he’d been hit with an electric charge after spending time with Zoe.
He pulled onto his street. He lived in a modest townhome closer to downtown. He wanted to be out of the prying eyes of his family and close to the actual campaign headquarters. The energy in downtown was more his speed than the relaxed atmosphere at the estate. When he’d been younger everything in town closed at nine during the week and six on Sundays. Even though it was after ten there were people on the street coming and going from the downtown restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Jackson Falls was growing, and he liked being in the middle of the changes.
A silver Volvo was parked right outside his garage, and the lights glowed behind the closed custom blinds of his windows. Byron’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He took a long, deep breath as he pulled in behind the car. Rolling his head back he counted to ten and prepared himself.
He’d given Yolanda a key to his place right after proposing to her. They’d decided not to move in together before the wedding but agreed giving each other free access made their relationship more believable. They hadn’t exchanged keys with the expectation of the other person popping in, unannounced, whenever they wanted.
“Which means she’s pissed,” he grumbled to himself as he cut the engine.
He got out of the car and entered his place through the garage. The house was quiet except for the sounds of the television in the den. Byron slipped off his shoes and set them on the shoe rack by the door next to Yolanda’s beige pumps. He dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and went into the connected den.
Yolanda sat on the corner of his couch and flipped channels on the television. She didn’t look at him as he entered. She sat stiffly, her shoulders rigid and her finger pressing hard as she changed channels.
“What’s wrong, Yolanda?” Byron asked. He rubbed his eyes and fought not to sigh. He wasn’t in the mood to figure out what bothered her. Might as well get straight to the point.
“I don’t know, Byron. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?” She didn’t look at him. She jabbed the buttons on the remote so hard he’d be surprised if they didn’t get stuck.
“I’ve had a long day. Something came up with the campaign, and I’m trying to fix it.”
Yolanda tossed the remote onto the coffee table and stood. “What’s her name?”
“Whose name?” he asked, keeping his cool. He didn’t think Roy would have told Yolanda about the blackmail or the problem with Zoe. Byron hadn’t mentioned anything to Yolanda because he’d wanted to know exactly what they were dealing with before bringing her in.
Yolanda crossed her arms. “The woman you’re seeing.”
Byron rubbed his beard and looked to the ceiling. “I’m not seeing anyone,” he said slowly.
“We promised we wouldn’t start anything like that. Especially during this campaign,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Now you’re disappearing for a day, your campaign manager doesn’t know where you are and you return at—” she checked her watch “—after ten and you expect me to believe you aren’t seeing anyone else.”
He held up his hands in a “hold up” gesture. “Come on, Yolanda—”
“No, you come on!” She pointed a finger at him. “We are in this to win. We made a deal to do everything necessary to get you to the Senate. If you mess this up because you can’t keep your dick in your pants—”
“I’m not s
leeping with her.” He cut in before she got going.
Yolanda was used to arguing her case and winning. It was one of the reasons he’d originally been attracted to her. They’d debated the outcome of a recent legal case on their first date and with every articulated cut she’d made to his argument, he’d wanted her even more. He still couldn’t believe what started out as a no-strings-attached fling had turned into an engagement. That he was following in his grandfather’s footsteps and marrying for convenience and political ties.
It’s not as if you’d rather marry for love.
Yolanda’s chin lifted. “Who is she?” she asked in a cool, detached voice.
Yolanda was angry, but she didn’t look hurt. Her voice didn’t waver. Her shoulders didn’t slump in defeat. He’d seen that same look on her when she deliberated a case and was faced with an unwanted problem she had to solve.
Byron pointed toward the chair. “You’re going to want to sit down for this one.”
She eyed him coolly for several long seconds. Her eyes narrowed when he didn’t back down under her glare. She finally lowered to the edge of the couch. Byron sat next to her on the chair.
“I was in Greenville, South Carolina, today. I went there to see an old college friend. Her name is Zoe Hammond.”
“Why did you go see an old college friend?” Yolanda’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Did you have to plan your next reunion?”
“I went there because thirteen years ago she told her abusive boyfriend I was the father of her child, and in order to protect her, I went along with it.”
Yolanda slid back. Her jaw slowly fell open as if she needed time to process the words. She closed her mouth, pointed at him and parted her lips to say something, then closed her mouth again. She took a long breath and tilted her head to the side. “Come again?”
He understood her confusion and disbelief. The story was outrageous, but Yolanda knew him well enough to realize he wouldn’t joke about something like this. She listened as Byron told her the truth. Starting from the day Zoe ran to him for help and ending with asking Zoe to come to Jackson Falls to reveal Lilah as his daughter. She only interrupted him to ask a few clarification questions. By the time he finished, Yolanda had leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and her forehead in her hand.
Scandalous Secrets Page 5