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“Coming from church?” she asked, gesturing to his spotless Ralph Lauren outfit.
“No time for church. I’m a busy man.”
Too busy for God. She slid away from him. “I don’t want to be near when the lightning strikes.”
“So you go to church every Sunday?”
“It’s the highlight of my week. What about you?”
“You’re the highlight of my week,” he answered.
Avery watched a couple as they walked by, hand in hand, and was fully aware that Carter had gapped the distance she’d just placed between them. “I’m glad you came.”
“I’ve been wanting to see you, Avery.”
She looked at him, seeing the affection in his eyes and admitting to herself it was what she wanted to see even though she knew it was wrong. “Carter, I asked to see you about Essentials II.”
Carter leaned back. She was determined to make this hard on him. “If you want me to believe this is about business then I will.”
“I’m with Alex,” she said. “I thought you understood that.”
“I heard what you said,” he answered.
“But did you understand?”
He wasn’t going to answer that. “What about Essentials II?”
“I’m selling it to you. If your father still wants the shops. I mean, he’ll have to rebuild the first one, but it’s all his.”
“Avery, I told you I wasn’t going to let you lose your shops. If I say something isn’t going to happen, then it isn’t going to happen.”
“It is happening.” She wasn’t willing to rehash the situation. She was only looking forward. “I only ask that you give me some type of reasonable price. I have some loans to pay off.”
“You’re willing to walk away?” he asked.
“Carter, this is a business transaction. Don’t ask me personal questions.”
“You’re getting pretty old, aren’t you?” he asked. “Memory loss is the first thing to go with old ladies like you.”
She tried to stifle a laugh. “You must be under the impression I won’t slap you.”
“You must be under the impression I wouldn’t like that.” He held her eyes for a while, feeling the tension build between them. If only she realized that she was his already this could be a lot easier for both of them. “I promised you, didn’t I?”
“What are you saying, Carter?”
He reached into the back pocket of his jeans. “I was going to give this to you after you gave me some, but—”
“Will you stop it?” she asked, unable to hold back her laughter.
“A smile and a laugh in one day,” he said. “It must be my birthday. I accept that I’m not getting any today, so I’ll just give it to you now and go home and take a cold shower.”
Avery took the business card. “Who is Reggie Sawyer?”
“Reggie is an old Harvard buddy of mine who just happens to manage the retail loan department at Redding Bank.”
“Redding?” Avery was really laughing now. “Are you kidding me? That’s a bank for people like…you. Millionaires bank there. What can he do for me?”
“He’s going to approve a loan for whatever amount you need him to.” Carter watched her expression change from disbelief to amazement. He didn’t smile. He was serious and he wanted her to know it. He was pounding his chest a bit, but what good were connections if you couldn’t use them?
“How can he do this?” Avery asked, feeling so overwhelmed by the opportunity that it didn’t even seem real. “Doesn’t he have rules to follow?”
“The rules at banks like Redding are different,” Carter said. “He’ll approve you. Trust me.”
Avery bit her lower lip to keep from crying. What was this, a test? She had been praying nonstop and the answers had come to her. She had to stick with the direction they were sending her in.
“Thanks, Carter.” She handed him back the card. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take it.”
“Avery—”
“I appreciate it,” she explained. “I really do, but you don’t understand. I’m meant to let Essentials go. This has all happened for a reason. I’m going to do something else with my life. Essentials was a great accomplishment, but it’s over.”
“You love those shops,” he said.
“I always will.” She placed her hand over his hand holding the card and closed it. “I know what I’m doing.”
Carter knew it would be a waste of time to try to push any further. She had this look about her that he recognized clearly. It was the same look he had a few years ago when he made the decision to start his own law firm instead of what everybody assumed he wanted: Chase Beauty.
“It’s not going to be easy,” he admonished.
“If it was easy,” she said, “what would be the point of doing it?”
Damn, he liked this woman! He needed that strength and purpose in his life. He needed a woman who had the spirit and drive to explore and create like he did.
“I’ll have a contract on your desk Monday morning.”
“How much exactly?” she asked.
“You know my last offer.”
Avery’s mouth dropped open. “Carter, you can’t. That was for two stores. Essentials is gone now.”
“I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’m hoping I’ll get a kiss out of it.”
“You have to stop this.” She fought the smile, but it was useless against his charm.
He looked down at his watch. “Come have lunch with me.”
“No.” Avery stood up. She was smiling as if it didn’t matter much, but inside she knew she better get out of there because she really, really wanted to have lunch with him.
“What about coffee?” he called after her.
She waved her hand at him, not bothering to turn around. He enjoyed the view as she walked away. Carter wasn’t a fool. She was falling for him and he knew it. Hard didn’t mean impossible. Nothing was impossible.
Leigh relished the quiet of the house right now. The security guards, except for one outside, were all gone and the rest of her family was at church. She was able to spend a quiet Sunday morning in the sun room drinking coffee and thinking of Richard and the clinic. They seemed to be the only two good things in her life right now.
When she showed up at Richard’s apartment yesterday, she didn’t think he would let her in, but he did. She must have looked how she felt and at this point, Leigh was willing to accept pity. She poured her heart out to him about Haley’s most recent close call and he held her, saying nothing. He was the best listener Leigh had ever known.
As much as a pain her sister was to her, she loved Haley and she could only imagine what she was going through now because Haley had been removed from the house and taken somewhere that no one would tell her. It was Richard who wiped the tears from her eyes and told her that he loved her and would be there for her. He made love to her in the most tender and caring way ever.
In his embrace, she promised to fix everything. He just wanted Leo out of the picture and agreed to give her plan a chance. He made no promises and Leigh didn’t complain. She was counting her blessings; especially the one that held her in his arms.
As Janet, dressed in the most elegant Sunday best, and Maya came into the kitchen, Leigh accepted the peaceful solitude being over. She watched as her mother barked orders for the dinner menu that evening, acting as if she hadn’t even seen her. Leigh had a weird feeling. Her mother was behaving more and more erratic every day. She couldn’t be blamed considering everything that was going on, but she was being cold now and that wasn’t her style at all. Janet didn’t pull any punches, but she was never cold with her children. When Janet finally looked at her, Leigh waved with a smile, but Janet barely smiled back before asking Maya to leave.
She could tell from the look on Leigh’s face that she knew something was coming. Janet couldn’t find it in her heart to feel any guilt about what she was about to do. Not after everything that had happened in the last few months. She had given all she could and she was getting nothing in return but more heartache.
“Who is Richard?”
Leigh’s mind was racing a mile a second as their eyes locked. She felt awful for thinking she had an advantage with her mother in such an obvious state of weakness. Usually Janet could catch a lie, but she wasn’t herself today. She hadn’t been for a few weeks now.
“He works at the clinic. I told you it’s the three of us.”
“The three of you work together.” Janet had low tolerance for bullshit today. “So you let Alicia grab your butt while you make out with her on the street too?”
Leigh blinked and swallowed hard. When Janet got crass it meant she was at her wit’s end. She lowered her head. “Richard is my boyfriend.”
“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.” They eyed each other and Leigh looked away. She knew she had no guts when it came to this woman. She shouldn’t even try.
“After all that happened yesterday, this is who you go to?”
“Are you having me followed, Mom?” Leigh knew no one her mother associated with would be driving through Richard’s neighborhood.
“After that man got out of jail, your father and I both felt we couldn’t take chances with any of you.”
“You could have told me.”
“Is that really the point you want to make with me right now?”
The look of disgust on her mother’s face made Leigh want to find a crawl space to hide in. She gave her mother her history with Richard, but seeing no softening of her expression, refrained from any expression of love.
“I’m your mother,” Janet said. “Keeping something from me is the same as lying to me.”
“Not every aspect of my life is your business.”
“How could you betray me like this?”
Janet began crying right in front of her and the scene shattered Leigh. The anchor of her family who always remained strong in the midst of every storm was sobbing now and Leigh couldn’t contain herself. She rushed to her mother, wrapping her in her arms.
“You made a commitment to me, Leigh. You knew that you weren’t going to give Leo a chance. You used my hopes to get money for your clinic.”
Janet shrugged out of Leigh’s arms and Leigh felt it like a dagger through her chest.
“You were all I had left, Leigh. After these past few months, you were the only thing I could really be proud of. I thought we were getting closer. I thought I could depend on you.”
“You can, Mom.”
“Then why can’t you give Leo a chance?” Janet didn’t even know herself why she was holding on to this. She didn’t care anything for Leo, but it meant her sanity to have something she wanted work out. Nothing was left but Leo.
“There’s no chemistry,” Leigh claimed.
“You never gave it a chance,” Janet said.
“Mom, please stop crying.” Leigh couldn’t take it anymore. She was hurting everyone. “I can fix this. I promise. Just please stop crying.”
CHAPTER 11
Sean pulled up to the curb across from Rudio’s house. He didn’t care if he was seen. He wanted to be seen, as a matter of fact. He was full of anger and didn’t know what else to do with himself. He was off the case and there was nothing he could say to anyone to change their minds. He almost came to blows twice with Davis, the new detective on the case. The man wasn’t interested in any advice suggesting that his ten years as a detective told him all he needed to know. Sean glanced down at his watch. It was time for Davis to show up for surveillance but he wasn’t in the spot.
Not seeing Haley was killing him. More, it was killing him wondering if she was feeling anywhere near the same. He knew she didn’t love him, wasn’t sure if Haley was even capable of that, but he wanted her to need him just a little bit. He hadn’t spoken to her since Carter’s arrest and it was making him nuts wondering what she was thinking and what that mother of hers was feeding her mind.
He had saved her life! Didn’t that matter to anyone? He was a good detective. He knew how to keep a secret and had a right to know where she was. Even Davis knew and that made Sean want to rip his head off. This case and that woman were driving him out of his mind. He was thinking of doing things to her, for her, and because of her, that he would never have thought he would do.
Sean gripped his steering wheel as Rudio’s garage door opened. With Davis not there, Sean resigned himself to following the car, but it wasn’t going anywhere. It backed into the street halfway and stopped. When Rudio got out of the passenger’s seat, Sean got out of his car. He was ready for anything and he wanted something to happen.
Rudio stood a few feet from Sean with a wide grin on his face. He tucked his thumbs into his pants, holding his hands at his sides like a cowboy. Sean just stood there, staring at him. Out of the corner of his eye he kept notice of Armand who was still in the driver’s seat of the car looking on.
“You look like a man with a lot of free time,” Rudio said.
“You can’t get rid of me that easy,” Sean stated. “I’ve become too attached to you.”
“I have that effect on people.” Rudio looked around. “Where’s the real cop at? I mean, you got other things your daddy wants you to do now, don’t you?”
“Worried about my workload?” Sean smiled. “How considerate of you, but don’t worry. I’m working on what I need to be working on.”
“I’m on my way to the station to meet your replacement. I’ve graciously agreed to fill him in on who I believe had reason to kill Jorge Nesco even though I doubt the man is dead.” Rudio looked Sean over. “I hope this new guy is at least worth my time. You sure as hell haven’t been.”
“Conspiracy to commit murder.” Sean was shaking his head. “You know what that means?”
“I don’t know what that little ho is talking about. I don’t even know her. She was using me as a scapegoat. I’m sure as much of a bitch this Chase girl is, everyone she knows wants to do her.”
Sean gritted his teeth. “Including you, right?”
“I got no reason to kill the trick.” He shrugged. “As a matter of fact, if I wanted to kill her, which I don’t, I wouldn’t send someone to just shoot her. I’d have her brought to me first, so I can have some fun with her before putting a bullet in her—”
Sean’s fist came like lightning across Rudio’s face and he hit the ground like a sack of salt. Sean reached for his gun and aimed it straight at Armand who was already around the car headed for him.
“Don’t you move!” Sean could hear his loud, heavy breathing. He was sweating all over even though it was cold outside.
“That’s assault!” Rudio screamed as he unsteadily helped himself off the ground. He turned to Armand. “Call the cops. Now!”
Sean lowered his gun, trying to calm himself down. He was in so much damn trouble.
Janet stood in the middle of her dining room trying to figure out what she was going to change. She was grasping at straws at this point. She was finding it hard to live with herself after bullying Leigh into giving Leo a chance and dying over not being able to see Haley. She was trying to find something to fill her every moment with work to keep her mind distracted. Besides the Chase Foundation, redecorating was her therapy. Whenever she was depressed, changing one or more rooms in the house could make her feel better. She’d spent over two hundred thousand dollars on the kitchen and breakfast room after Leigh left for Africa. After the humiliating dinner with Avery, the dining room was the hands down winner for change.
“Mom!”
Carter and Michael were both looking at her like she was crazy and she wondered how long she had zoned out.
“You okay?” Michael asked.
“Of course. I’m just thinking about redecorating this room. It needs a new look.”
“Dad’s gonna flip,” Michael said.
“It’s nice to see you.” Standing on her toes, she kissed Carter’s cheek, noticing that he didn’t look very good.
“I came over to play some hoops out back.” Carter had been fired by one of his best clients today in the fallout of the arrest and he was getting the feeling it wouldn’t be the last. “I’m not in the mood to be stared at in the gym.”
“You’ll stay for dinner, then?”
And deal with Steven on top of everything else? “I have to get back to the office.”
“Let’s go.” Michael was heading out the sliding doors when Carter took out his cell phone. “What are you doing, man?”
“I just want to check first.” Carter couldn’t pass on any of his messages. He was hoping Avery would call, but he refused to call her again if she hadn’t yet.
“How about you?” Janet asked Michael.
“We’re going to the country club with the boys.” Michael was studying Carter and whatever he was hearing wasn’t good. With everything going on, Carter wasn’t talking to him at all lately and it was pissing him off.
“Dammit!” Carter slammed his fist on the table. Another client wanted to talk and his tone was nervous and uncomfortable, which only meant one thing. “I gotta go.”
“Come on, man!” Michael threw his hands in the air.
“Michael!”
They all froze at the sound of Steven’s bellowing tone.
“He’s not at the office?” Carter asked. “Michael.”
Michael shrugged. “I didn’t know. What do you care? He’s not yelling your name.”
Steven stood in the archway to the room, surprised to see Carter there. “Where in the hell have you been, Carter? I’ve been calling you all day.”
“I got your messages.” Carter wasn’t ready to deal with this.
“Did you think you could get this past me?” Steven asked.
“Not now,” Carter said. “I have to go.”
Steven fumed, raising his voice. “You’ll go when I tell you to go! Did you know about this, Michael?”
“What?”
“This offer to Avery Jackson!” He tossed a crumbled up piece of paper at Carter. It hit him in the chest but his son didn’t flinch.
