A Family Affair: The Wish: Truth in Lies, Book 9 (16 page)

That made Rex scowl. “What exactly are you teaching her?”

“Sir?”

The scowl deepened. “I said what are you teaching her?”

Adam met his gaze, let the half truth spill out. “She’s learning about efficiency, productivity, and value-added versus nonvalue-added time.” But what he didn’t tell Bree’s father was the rest of what he and Bree were learning. If he only knew. Who’d been the teacher last night and who’d been the student? He’d never met a woman with so much passion, spirit, and emotion. There was no pretending with Bree, no holding back or playing shy. She’d made love to him with her hands, her mouth, her whole body, and when he lay spent and exhausted, trying to catch his breath, she’d nibbled his ear, traced her tongue along his neck, and made him want her all over again. Did she never tire? He’d found a way to pull a moan and a sigh from her, made her whisper his name as he pleasured her, made her shout his name when she came. He wanted more. One night was not enough, but it wasn’t just that. He wanted more of Bree the woman, in and out of bed. “Her husband was a fool.” Damn, had he really said that out loud?

“A fool? Damn straight the jerk was a fool.” Rex downed the rest of his scotch, wiped a hand across his mouth. “He had everything and it wasn’t enough. Asshole. My baby girl treated him like a king, never thought of her own needs, never made him grow up. Nope, she just kept telling him how wonderful he was, and me and her mama think it was because she was trying to make him into something he wasn’t. You know, call a cat a lion long enough and it becomes a lion.” He shook his head, sighed. “But not this guy. The more we all gave, the more he thought we owed him. Did she tell you I booted him out of the office?”

“No, I didn’t hear that one.” Bree hadn’t said much about her dead husband after the lunch at Lina’s Café where she spilled way more information than she intended.

“I thought I could train him to take over for me, but that boy didn’t have any interest or sense about running a business. All he wanted to do was collect a paycheck and spend the money. That’s when I booted him and gave Bree the opportunity for the spot.”

Adam sipped his scotch, thought about Bree stepping into the position her husband lost. “I’ll bet that didn’t go over well.”

“That would be the understatement of the year.” Rex frowned, stared at his empty glass. “He was pure miserable and that’s when he started on her—the tormenting, the meanness, making her feel like she didn’t belong in the job. Whatever she did wasn’t good enough for him anymore, but the reason was obvious. He didn’t want a strong woman who stood up for herself, asked questions, or had an opinion.”

Rex eased out of his chair, made his way to Adam, and took his glass. “Brody Kinkaid didn’t know what that meant, unless it was his opinion. That man wanted a dictatorship and he wanted the child-bride he married, not the woman she became.” He poured two more scotches, handed Adam his, and took a healthy swallow. “And when she couldn’t be that woman anymore, he went and found somebody who could.” His voice cracked. “He tried to destroy our Bree and he almost succeeded.”

Didn’t Rex see that withholding the truth about Adam’s real purpose at MacGregor Cabinets would only serve to further ruin her trust in anyone, especially men? He had to make the man see that she already had trust issues and piling on untruths or hidden agendas would make it worse. “I don’t want to see Bree hurt any more than she’s already been.” He met Rex’s gaze, forced out the words he’d been practicing since Bree left his bed early this morning. “I care about her, and if she’s going to trust me, I can’t pretend I’m here for a reason other than the real one.”

Bree’s father stared at him, his jaw set, eyes narrowed. “Care about her? What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

Adam had never had a problem gaining approval from parents to spend time with their daughter. In fact, most parents were thrilled, some a bit too thrilled, like the ones who started talking about the future and kids before the third date. But it didn’t look like this parent would fit into that group. The red face and balled fist said the man didn’t like the idea of him getting anywhere near his daughter for more than business. Too late. “Well, sir, it means I like spending time with Bree and I’d like to spend more time with her.”

“Doing what?”

The tone of his voice said he had a few ideas about what Adam had in mind and they started and ended with his “baby girl” undressed. But that wasn’t true: Adam was interested in more than Bree’s soft skin and tantalizing touch. He was interested in
her
. “Getting to know her.”

“Look here, Adam. I think you’re a nice guy, probably one of the nicest to come through these parts. But let’s face it; you’re a short-timer. Once you get the numbers in line, you’ll head back to Chicago and Bree will never hear from you again.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Who could say what would happen when his analyses were complete? He might hang around Magdalena for a while, or Bree could visit him in Chicago. Sure, why couldn’t she do that? They could have dinner with Roman and Angie, take in a show, a few meals, whatever Bree wanted. And maybe later, she could bring the girls with her and they’d walk up and down Magnificent Mile, visit a museum, eat pizza. Who had better pizza than Chicago? Why not? Why the heck—

“What’s your plan, Adam? Roman said you didn’t do anything on a whim, that you were logical and practical, and that’s why you were the best for this job. But what you’re suggesting isn’t logical or practical. Damn, it’s plain crazy. I love my daughter but she’s not high society.” His gaze shifted from Adam’s loafers to his tie. “You two come from different worlds and once you open your eyes, you’ll see it, if you haven’t already. And the girls, what about them? Hell, it takes a special person to raise another man’s daughters. You think you’re that man?”

The look and the tone said Rex MacGregor had an opinion about it and it wasn’t positive. “I don’t know if I’m that man,” Adam said in a quiet voice. “But I don’t know if I’m not either. As for Bree, I think you’re selling her short. She’s got a lot to offer that makes high-society women look boring.”

“Yeah, but what I’m wondering is if you’re willing to buy what she’s offering or if you just plan to rent it. You know, a few dinners, maybe some of those chocolate truffles she loves, some fancy words, a smile or two.” His words slid across the room, caught Adam in a stranglehold around the neck. “You know, just enough to make her think she’s more than short-term parking.”

What would Bree’s father think if Adam told him his daughter had been the one who’d resisted anything beyond the physical aspects of a relationship? Of course, he wouldn’t tell the man, but he wasn’t going to sit by and let Rex think he didn’t have honorable intentions where Bree was concerned. “I’ve never thought of Bree as short-term parking.” Adam finished off his scotch, stood. “I came here to tell you I want out. I already spoke with Roman about it and we’ve decided to give you a few names to call. Some are local consultants and there are a few in Chicago who do good work.”

“What the hell are you saying?”

“I’m not going to pretend I’m here to make the company more productive for Bree to run when that isn’t your intention. I didn’t like the idea from the beginning, before I knew Bree was your daughter.”

“Hold on a minute.” Rex hefted himself out of the recliner, fisted his hands on his broad hips, and stared at Adam. “What do you mean
before
you knew Bree was my daughter. How would you know anything about Bree? It’s not like you met her before…” His voice trailed off, his bushy brows pinched together. “
Did
you meet her before?” Pause, followed by a breath of confusion. “In Chicago?”

Adam nodded. He was not about to tell him the entire story, but he did want Rex to know he and Bree had a connection of sorts. “We met when she came to Chicago for the trade show.”

“She never mentioned it.” He eyed him. “Neither did you.”

“We didn’t want people asking a lot of questions.” At least that part was true. “It was hard enough to learn I was basically coming into her company to look for improvements.” He shrugged, fought the heat creeping to his cheeks. “It was almost like saying Bree hadn’t handled things right, or I knew a better way to get things done. Doesn’t sit well with the person in that seat.”

“Huh. So, you’re telling me you two knew each other from Chicago?” He rubbed his jaw, took a step closer. “I’ve been to my share of trade shows and I know what can happen there. A little innocent flirting, then invitations for drinks and dinner, then more drinks and before you know it, somebody’s waking up with a hangover and a pair of panties dangling over the bedpost.”

Adam cleared his throat, hoped the man wasn’t speaking from personal experience, and said, “Bree’s panties did not end up in my bed.” He would not, however, tell the man that
he
ended up in Bree’s bed.

“Damn well better not,” her father said. “My daughter’s been through enough grief with that last asshole; I don’t need another one to do more damage.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m bowing out of this project. I’ll turn over the work I’ve done to the new guy and we’ll call it even.”

“Even? You mean you won’t charge me for your time?”

“Right.” He’d never let his personal life interfere with his business, but this time it had, and now he just wanted to get away from the deal before the truth got any muddier. If Rex MacGregor wanted to set up his daughter with a lie, then he could do it on his own.

“What’s the catch?” The man’s deep voice turned rough. “Nobody does something for nothing. You find a problem with the business and you’re ready to dump it on somebody else?”

“No, of course not.” What was the man’s problem? Could he really not see that maybe Adam was making this choice because he wanted to do right by Bree?

“You can work pro bono if you want, but don’t think that’s going to change my mind about you and Bree.” His lips flattened and he clenched a fist. “You’re not going to date my daughter.”

Adam sighed, set the scotch glass on the coffee table. He’d need a few more of these if the man remained as unreasonable as he was now. “Why don’t we let Bree decide?”

“I don’t think so.” The man crossed his broad arms over his chest. “My daughter’s vulnerable. I think you plan to take advantage of her, and I am not going to let that happen.”

Was Bree sixteen again? What right did the guy have to say anything about what she did or who she dated? “If you care so much, why don’t you tell her the real reason I’m here? Huh?” He didn’t care if the old man booted him out of his house; he was having his say. “Tell her how you called Roman about bringing somebody in to evaluate the business so you could sell it right out from under her.”

“I’m protecting my daughter.”

“Protecting her by lying to her?”

The growl that filled the room might intimidate most men, but not Adam. “That’s enough. I’m doing what I have to do, and maybe one day when you have your own child, you’ll see what it’s like. See if you’re so high and mighty, throwing out accusations when your kid can’t sleep and you worry she’ll hurt herself and if the bastard who did that to her wasn’t already dead, you’d see he was.” Spit flew out of his mouth, landed on the lapel of Adam’s suit. “Just see about it then.”

Adam stepped back, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped the spit from his suit. “I’ll finish up the files and when the new person starts, he or she can get in touch with any questions.”

“You’re done
now
. I’m not letting you back in that office for so much as a pencil.” He pointed a beefy finger at Adam, his face flushed. “And stay away from my daughter.”

“With all respect, Rex, I think we should let Bree decide whom she sees.”

The red face shifted to purple. “Like hell she will. I don’t want you sniffing around her any longer.” He shook both fists at Adam, snarled. “You with your fancy clothes and hundred-dollar words. I want you the hell out of this house and out of town by morning.”

The man was one hundred miles past irrational. Was this what fear looked like? Fear of seeing his daughter get hurt again or was it something else? Maybe fear of losing his daughter to a man and a place that wasn’t soaked in Magdalena? “I care about Bree, and I’m not going to stop seeing her. I would think you’d care that I didn’t want to lie to her anymore.”

“It’s not a lie.” The man’s gaze hardened, matched his words. “It’s a temporary withholding of information she can’t handle right now.”

A lie was still a lie no matter what trappings it wore. “Telling her I’m here to assess the business makes her think this is to her benefit, even if she’s not keen on it. You sold the idea to her, and you got me to do it, too, but I’m done. I won’t lie to her one second longer.”

Rex MacGregor’s lips pulled into a thin smile. “You’re right on that one. You won’t lie to her one second longer because you aren’t going to have the opportunity to talk to her again.”

“Talk to who?”

Only one person had that kind of breathy drawl. Adam swung toward the entrance to the living room. Bree stared at them, handbag slung over her shoulder, hands clasped in front of her. “Daddy? Adam?” She looked from one man to the other, her brows pinched, face pale. “Talk to who and lie to who?”

A
dam ran
a hand through his hair. Twice. He didn’t want to lie to Bree one second longer and yet, what choice did he have? The truth needed telling, but
now
, with her in the same room as her father? Not the way he’d pictured it, definitely not.

Her father shrugged. “We were just talking about somebody we know.”

Yeah, you
. Adam moved toward Bree, offered a smile that she didn’t return. She might come across as naïve but the woman was no fool. Bree Kinkaid knew when something was up and she wasn’t going to sit by and pretend different.

“Daddy.” She placed her hands on her hips, tilted her head. “Fess up. Who were you talking about and who’s lying?” Those amber eyes slid to Adam. “One of you better spill the beans and I mean now because I know you’re keeping something from me and I don’t like it.” A huff and a scowl followed by “Not one bit.”

Adam knew how to stay neutral in battle. He’d been at it enough years to become an expert in the art of manipulating words, gestures, and expressions. But this was Bree, and damn it, she deserved the truth, not some runaway story about how he was here to help the company by way of in-depth analysis and recommendations. Not true. While he was in Magdalena to analyze the various areas of the business and evaluate MacGregor Cabinets, it was
not
in order to make life easier for Bree, though Rex MacGregor would swear that was his intention. It probably was, but the man’s intentions were not the point. Telling her the truth and owning up to his part in the subterfuge,
that
was the point.

“Baby Girl, listen, there’s a real good explanation for all of this.”

“Is there, Daddy?” Those kissable lips flattened. “Is there a real good explanation for why you two were yelling at each other? Thank the Lord the girls aren’t here. I only stopped by to borrow Mama’s sewing kit, and I got a lot more than a bunch of needles and thread.” She tapped her foot on the gray carpeting, waited. “Any second now, you two can start talking. Who wants to go first?”

With that no-nonsense attitude, Bree Kinkaid would make a great president of MacGregor Cabinets. She just needed to stop hiding behind the company and live her life. If she did that, her father might change his mind about selling, but she had to show him she was capable of finding happiness with more than a computer and a spreadsheet. Adam thought he might be able to help her find that happiness, but that wasn’t in Rex MacGregor’s playbook. In fact, the only play the old man had for him now was a boot out of town. Well, he wasn’t going quietly or without speaking his mind. “Bree—”

“I hired him to get the company in line so I could sell it.”

“What?” Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. “What did you say?”

Rex spotted the opening and ran with it, faster than an Olympic sprinter. “You’ve been working so hard, Baby Girl, not taking care of yourself, looking all scrawny and unkempt.” He brushed a big hand over his face, lowered his voice. “I couldn’t stand to see you with no smile on your face, no joy in your life except for the tidbits you found with the girls and only when you let yourself. That’s no way to live and your mama and I figured the only way to give you a chance at happiness was to sell the business and give you a 9 to 5 job there.”

“Mama knew about this?” When he nodded, she let out a whoosh of displeasure. “And she actually agreed?” Another nod, a grimace. “How could she? How could you do this?” She turned on Adam, eyes blazing, fists clenched. “And you. All along you knew exactly what you were doing and why you were here.” Venom shot from her mouth. “Was it all a game to get me to cooperate?”

“No! Of course not. Listen, Bree—”

“I don’t believe you. I thought it was odd when you showed up here after we met in Chicago, but no, you told me it was all coincidence. Hah!” she snarled. “Coincidence my behind. You planned every single second of it, didn’t you? You knew who I was when you walked into that restaurant in Chicago, bought me wine, let me tell you my sob story, took me back to the hotel, and—”

“Good Lord, what the hell are you talking about?” Bree’s father advanced on Adam, grabbed his arm. “What the hell did you do to my daughter?”

“Let go of me, Rex.” Adam met his gaze, held it. The man might be thirty pounds heavier, but Adam was not backing down. “Now.”

“Answer me, damn it. Did you have your way with my little girl?”

“Daddy, no!” Bree rushed to her father, pulled his hand from Adam’s arm. “Leave him be.”

“I’m not going to let him hurt you, Bree.”

She shook her head. “He didn’t hurt me.” She stared up at Adam, disgust smothering her face, sifting through her next words. “A person has to care about another person to get hurt.” Disgust turned to something that looked and sounded an awful lot like hate. “You’re a good pretender, Adam Brandon. One of the best I’ve ever seen. So smooth, so classy.” The laugh that spilled from her lips stole the air in his lungs, threatened to suffocate him. “Go back to Chicago and take your lies with you. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“Bree, at least let me explain.” Adam held out his hands, palms faced up. “You can’t just walk away from what’s between us.”

Rex looked from his daughter to Adam, back to his daughter. “Don’t listen to him, Bree. He’s full of hot air and BS.”

“Daddy, will you give us a minute?” She glanced at her father, laid a hand on his arm and said in a soft voice, “Please? Just a minute.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen.” He sliced Adam with a look that said he kept knives in the kitchen and he knew how to use them.

When Rex disappeared into the kitchen, Adam opened his mouth to speak but Bree cut him off. “No, you listen to me. I knew that baloney you were trying to feed me about us being together was a load of manure. You think I’m so darn desperate that I’ll fall for any story?” Her voice shifted, turned hoarse. “Why couldn’t you have left me alone? Why did you have to come after me like you couldn’t find your next breath of air unless you touched me? Dang you for walking into my life.” She squared her shoulders, pushed out words that made his chest ache. “I very much regret the day I met you, and if I could turn back the clock, I most definitely would erase that trip to Chicago.”

“If it means anything, I came here today to tell your father I couldn’t work on this project anymore, and I thought he should tell you the truth.” The look on her face said she didn’t believe him, and her words confirmed it.

“How convenient for you to go all moral on me now.” She crossed her arms over her middle, let out a sound that was too harsh and cold for a laugh. “Why, pray tell, would you tell my father you couldn’t work on the project? Hmm? Were you in cahoots with some buyer you didn’t tell Daddy about?”

“Of course not.” Adam dragged a hand over his face, willed her not to look away. “You know damn well why I said what I did. I care about you and don’t pretend you don’t know that.” He blew out a disgusted sigh. “I didn’t like the whole idea from the beginning, even before I knew you were Rex’s daughter, but Roman said it was a favor for a friend.”

She bit her bottom lip, studied him. “You lied to me. Probably from the very beginning.” When that bottom lip started to quiver, she pinched her lips together, spat out, “About everything.”

He tried to touch her but she stepped back, out of reach and out of his life. After, he would wonder if she ever really cared about him or if he were more of a distraction, or worse, a recreational tool to enjoy and discard. Sex and pleasure for the pure sake of…. sex and pleasure. But at this moment, all he could think of was making her understand that being with her had never been about his agreement with her father. It had been about so much more. “Don’t let my mistake ruin what we have, Bree. Please. Don’t.”

“Hah. Really? What do we have, Adam? Can you tell me, because I don’t think I quite understand? As a matter of fact, I was pretty clear I didn’t want a relationship, wasn’t I? But no, you had to push and pull out all that sweet talk, and the ‘I love you.’” She sniffed, swiped a hand across her cheek. “I didn’t want
any
of it,” she hissed. “None of it. I wanted
s-e-x
, but you couldn’t be a gentleman about it and let me have it, could you? No, you had to throw in those other things because heaven forbid Adam Brandon doesn’t do things in style. Yeah, you’re all about being the whole package, aren’t you?”

“You need to stop.”

“Or what? What can you do that’s worse than what you’ve already done? You lied to me, straight out, let me believe in you.” Her words fell out, a cold ball of nothing. “You promised me, Adam Brandon. You promised you wouldn’t hurt me and all the while you knew you would.”

The words gouged him, but the disgust in her eyes hurt more. What could he say? How could he possibly make it right? “I’m sorry. If we could just talk about it, I can explain my thinking—”

“You can explain? What? Explain your way out of a lie? Is that what you lawyers do?” She moved toward him, planted her feet wide, and set her hands on her hips. “I am not interested in your explanation or the fancy words you’d attach to it so it sounded real. I’m not interested in anything but getting you the heck out of this town.”

He stared at her, so long and hard she had to look away.

And then he turned and left.

Love could only carry a person so far. No matter how much you thought it would be enough, it wasn’t. Too many other obstacles got in the way, like the real reason you came to her town, or the fact that you were doing a little more than trying to cut waste and improve quality at the business she ran, the one she believed she’d inherit one day. Yeah, and while you might not have out-and-out lied about those things, you sure as hell withheld the truth. Adam was a lawyer; he knew what happened when a person withheld information.

He’d always been a straight-up guy, except for this one time, and that would prove his undoing and cost him the woman he loved, the future he wanted. It didn’t matter that the subterfuge hadn’t been his idea, or that he’d fought it. None of that mattered because he’d been an accomplice and a willing one. What to say to that? Nothing.
Not a damn thing
.

He’d lost Bree and it was based on a principle he’d valued and one he’d ignored, just this once. Well, there was no “just this once” or there should not have been. Of course, Roman apologized, said he should have flat-out told Rex no, but how could Roman have known Adam would fall for Bree or that he’d already been involved before he agreed to the deal? Was it fate? Bad luck? Didn’t matter. He’d lost her. Tomorrow he’d be back in Chicago, back to his old life. Maybe some people were meant to be alone, and maybe he was one of them.

N
atalie should have stayed
home as she’d planned to do, but Robert had gotten a strange look on his face when she asked him why they weren’t seeing each other tonight. Not exactly dread, more like guilt. What would he have to look guilty about? Things hadn’t been right between them since they’d had dinner at his mother’s. He’d been quieter than usual and for a man who took three days to use his daily word allotment, this was very noticeable.

His behavior left her with one choice. Spying. The thought of it made her queasy until she renamed it
fact-checking
. Matching Robert’s mention of a dinner commitment with his mother to an actual dinner with the woman should be easy. It would involve parking down the street from Marjorie Trimble’s house for a few hours, but the confirmation would ease Natalie’s worries and then they could discuss what was really bothering him.

What Natalie hadn’t counted on was that while Robert might not have lied to her, he hadn’t told her the whole truth either—like the fact that his mother wasn’t the only woman having dinner with Robert. Natalie watched her boyfriend open his car door and a tiny brunette emerge. She clasped his hand and walked hip-to-hip along the sidewalk and into Marjorie Trimble’s house.

There should be tears. Or curses. Probably both. But Natalie was too stunned to do anything but watch and wait. When Robert and the tiny brunette left two hours later, Natalie followed them to the woman’s house, watched as he escorted her to the door, gave her a peck on the cheek, and turned to leave. The brunette grabbed him, clutched his shoulders, and pressed her body against his… What Natalie witnessed made her sick to her stomach, but she couldn’t look away. She needed to memorize every tiny detail. Five minutes later, Robert pulled out of the woman’s drive and headed home. Natalie waited until he was inside his house before she slammed her car door shut and headed after him.

When he opened the door, he seemed happy to see her, but the happiness shifted to confusion. “Nat. What are you doing here?”

“Who is she, Robert?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

She peeked around his shoulder, snarled, “Let me in now unless you want me to make a scene that will have the cops here in three minutes.”

He stepped aside, his eyebrows pinched, his face pale. “What’s wrong, Nat?”

Was he playing her or had he really not figured out she knew about him and the other woman? “The woman you brought to your mother’s!”

The last of the color bleached out of his face. “It was nothing. I’ve known Jeanine since we were kids. She’s an accountant, too, and it was just dinner.”

“Did you ever plan to marry me, or were you just playing house, letting me think you cared enough to make me your wife?”

“I do care.” He paused, clasped her hand with both of his. “I love you, Nat. Surely you know that.”

“Surely?” How could he say that when everything she’d believed turned out to be a lie? “You knew your mother wouldn’t approve of me, so you invented reasons we’d never meet, or at least, not as long as you could put it off. You dressed me up with clothes I’d never wear, told me how to fix my hair and makeup, and you know what? I did it, all because I thought she’d like me, and it didn’t make a damn bit of difference because that woman is vicious and cruel and is never going to be okay with us being together.”

“Nat—”

“No, I’m going to finish, at least give me that. You see a weak woman dependent on her only son for help. Do you know what I see? A manipulative creature who doesn’t care about anything but getting what she feels she’s owed, and toying with other people’s lives like they’re paper dolls to be moved from point A to point B. I was such a fool.” Jolts of pain shot through her, settled in her gut. “All this time I believed I just had to be patient, and when the time was right you’d see how much you needed me and somehow, this mother I had never met would realize I made her son happy, and accept me. But that was never going to happen because she was busy finding you a
suitable
wife.”