If You Only Knew (And Then Came Love Book 1) (19 page)

“Saturday night.” Liza shook her head, the night her world came crashing to the ground. “My day was terrible on Saturday, but I was very careful to watch my phone and make sure I didn’t miss any calls. I double and triple checked before I even deleted a text message. I didn’t get a call from Trina.” Liza brought up her call log, scrolling through until she found the night in question. She handed Kate her phone.

Kate scanned through the call logs. “Julian sure called a lot that night.”  

“We had a bit of a fight and I wasn’t answering his calls.”

Kate nodded.”Well, Trina’s threatening a write you up, because she didn’t get a call.”

“You went through my call logs – there is nothing in there saying Trina called me. I don’t have any unplayed voicemails and my text messages have all been checked. If she didn’t call me how can she expect me to call her?” Tears streamed down Liza’s face. God, the pregnancy hormones were messing with her.

“Are you all right?” Kate handed Liza a tissue.

Liza shook her head, wiped away the tears, and then blew her nose. “I’m pregnant. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but the last couple weeks have been rather rough.”

“I had no idea. Who’s the father?”

“Julian.”

“Oh Trina will be thrilled. It may get you out of your write-up though. Employee pregnant with donor’s kid, gets fired doesn’t bode well for our donor list.”

Liza pursed her lips. “Not funny.” The flippant remark from Kate caused her blood to boil. “I’ve been a little distracted, but I’ve been answering my phone and done all my visits. I’m doing everything in my power to meet my numbers, working between sixty and eighty hours a week to make sure I do. Hell, I’ve been going above and beyond my numbers. Now, it’s not good enough?”

“I don’t know what to tell you. You know how Trina gets and ever since Julian pulled his power play, she’s looking for anything to get you on.”

“Excuse me?” Liza tilted her head. “She’s been out to get me? When she hired I worked nine to five. A desk job helping therapists with paperwork and doing an occasional supervised visitation. If she’s going to be targeting me, I think I have some complaints of my own.”

“Your job description changed. You’re now doing different things and if it takes 60-80 hours a week, well, we’re an at-will employment state. Just try and stay out of Trina’s way. Answer your phone and make sure all your paperwork is turned in on time. She can’t catch you if you’re not doing anything wrong.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong now. The only thing I did wrong was get involved, with a donor, who happens to run his mouth when he shouldn’t. Well, you can tell Trina she doesn’t have to worry. Julian’s no longer in the picture.” She was done with this conversation. She hoped her lack of being in a relationship with Julian, but being pregnant with his child would be an advantage to her. Trina wouldn’t want to risk firing her a newly pregnant woman. “Anything else or am I free to go?”

“Next weekend, I need you to do a visitation.” She pulled the paperwork out of her bag and handed it to Liza. “I’m going to do the first one, but the following weekend they’re going to need transportation. I’ll need you for both the transpo and the visit.”

Liza looked over the paperwork. “Am I picking up the children or the parents?”

“Both of them need transpo.”

“The parents live in Bryton and the kids are here in Marion. I come from Bryton, how am I supposed to do that?” She read over the paper to make sure she had the logistics correct “I would have to pick up the parents first and then pick up the kids. Would it be okay?”

“It should be fine.” Kate shrugged. “I don’t see it as a problem.”

“I’d have to drop the parents off here first, but no one else will be here. I can’t, so I’d have to take them with to the foster parents house. That goes against protocol? Someone else will have to pick up the kids, if I pick up the parents.” Liza knew everything about this was wrong, but she wanted to hear Kate say it was right or wrong before committing to do it.  

“It shouldn’t be a problem if you pick up the parents and then the kids. The parents and the foster parents know each other. No one should have a problem.” Kate shook her head. “Just don’t be late.”

“Just to clarify, you want me to pick up the parents — go
against
protocol and take them to pick up the kids at the foster parents house?” Liza repeated.

“Why are you being so difficult? I said yes?” Kate snapped.

“Fine. I have a visit at the other office in thirty minutes. I should probably get going.”

“Don’t be late.” Kate grabbed a paper from her bag, disregarding Liza.

“I’ll make it.” Liza gathered her stuff and headed out the door.

*****

April 24
th

Julian managed to get the vehicle off the road before it came to a complete halt. Smoke spitting out from under the hood. He slammed his hands into the steering wheel and let out a growl before grabbing his phone from the cup holder and getting out of the vehicle. He should have drove the Camaro. He kicked the door of the car twice, putting a substantial dent in the door. At least he was thinking clear enough not to throw his cell phone.

His first call was to Drew. “Come get my fucking car.”

“Sure, but give me five minutes to get there since you so graciously told me your exact location and asked nicely.”

Julian kicked the door again, wishing it was his brother’s head. He clenched his empty fist and spoke through clenched teeth. “Sorry, I’ve had a bad day. I’m half way to Marion. Highway 22.”

“On your way to see Liza?” Drew chuckled.

“Drew, please just come and get the car.”

“I’ll head out now. Give me twenty minutes.”

Julian pulled at his hair. No way was he dealing with Drew’s snark all the way to Madison and then home. He dialed the number he knew by heart and waited for the response.

“Well hello there.” Gramps’ voice always brought a smile to his face no matter how bad off he was.

“I need a favor, could you come get me?”

*****

He sat on the ground, back against his vehicle, when Gramps black Cadillac pulled up behind his car. Gramps got out as Julian was standing.

“Was there an accident?” Gramps gave Julian a knowing smile while pointing toward the door.

“No, my foot hitting the door was pretty intentional.”

Gramps chuckled and opened his arms to hug him. “You my dear boy, have one hell of an anger issue.”

Julian chuckled. “Drew should be here soon and then we can go.”

“Didn’t want your brother driving you to Madison to see your girl?” Gramps gave him a wink and leaned against the car.

“More along the lines of, I didn’t want to hear the snark on the way there and the way back.” Julian mirrored his grandfather, but folded his arms across his chest. He sighed as he checked the clock on his cell phone. Seven o’clock. If they got on the road soon, he’d still make it to her office by seven thirty.

“I figured you’d try and get Liza to take you home.”

“Yeah – right. The way my day’s going? I’ll be happy not to get slapped.”

“That bad, huh?”

“I screwed up my daily lab work twice. I had to send Vince an e-mail telling him I’d get him his report tomorrow, because I couldn’t get my numbers to come out right. I had a package delivery I missed, so I had to run to the post office, to have them tell me to come back three hours later. Which I did, and still had to wait forty-five minutes for it to be processed. I get no response from Liza — calls or text messages and now my car is broken down on the side of the road. Yeah – it’s been bad.”

Gramps put his hand on Julian’s back. “I’m sure you two will work out your differences.”

Julian grabbed the blue Tiffany’s jewelry box out of the glove compartment and brought it over. “I got her this.”

Gramps chuckled as he opened the box to inspect the gold necklace with a small teddy bear charm hanging off it. He snapped the lid shut and handed it to Julian. “It’s beautiful, but it’s going to make her madder than a wet hen.”

“Why do you say that?” Julian looked at the box in his hand.

“She’s not somebody you can buy, Julian.”

Julian smacked the hood of his car. “Why does everyone keep saying that? I’m not
trying
to buy her. It’s my way of telling her I’m on board about the baby . . . that’s all.”

Drew pulled up with the tow truck, ending their conversation. “What’d you do? Try and ram your foot through the door?” He walked up shaking his head.

“Something like that.” Julian hid the jewelry box in his pocket, hoping Drew didn’t see it.

“I’ll take it to the shop and see what I can do about the door.” Drew bent closer to examine the damage. “You’re not planning on giving the Tiffany’s box to Liza are you?”

“Just tow the fucking car and let me get out of here.”Julian’s fists clenched at his sides.

Gramps chuckled. “I hinted at the same thing right before you drove up.”

Julian swore. “I’m going to wait in the car.” He stalked over to his grandfather’s car.

“Why don’t you drive, you know where you’re going better than I do.” Gramps tossed him the keys.

Julian caught them and slid into the driver’s seat. He pulled out his phone and scanned through his messages. Nothing from Liza.

Please, can we talk? I feel like an ass. Call me.

His phone chimed.

You are an ass, leave me alone.

Ouch. He dropped his head against the headrest. Why’d he have to be such an idiot?

“Ready when you are.” Gramps slid into the car.

Julian nodded, but didn’t respond. He started the car and headed out onto the road. Gramps waved to Drew as they drove past.

The ride was quiet. Gramps could read him like a book. He knew when Julian wanted to talk and when he needed to think. Thinking wasn’t helping him out any. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

“Well I wasn’t going to leave you out here alone. You sounded like you may need to bend an old man’s ear.” He patted Julian’s shoulder. “When you’re ready we’ll talk.”

“Thanks.” He maneuvered the car into a spot in front of the counseling and development center.

“Good luck.” Gramps smiled as Julian got out of the car.

Brenda gave him a little wave as he walked in the building.  “It’s been awhile since we’ve seen you around here.”

“Can you let her know I’m here?” Brenda’s willingness to talk to him said Liza hadn’t talked to her about their break up.

Brenda nodded. “I’ll tell her. Her visit ends in about five minutes, so if you want to, have a seat.”

“Thanks.” Julian rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the room at the people sitting there. He took a seat close enough to the door so Liza could see him.

It wasn’t too long before the door opened and a young couple with a baby came into the lobby. Liza followed after them and laughed at something one of them said. She smiled, but it disappeared from her face when she saw him.

He stood.

Liza said something he couldn’t hear to her clients and headed into the back.

He caught her arm before the door could close. “Can we talk, please?”

“I believe you said everything you needed to say the other day.” Liza tried to pull her arm from his grip. When he didn’t release her, she faced him. “Let me go.”

“I know you’re done for the day. I want to talk.” Julian released her arm.

“Good for you. I’m sure there’s someone who will listen to you. I have visitation notes to finish up.” Liza turned away from him.

Julian caught the door and took a step inside. She’d have to stop him.

“You can’t be here.” She glanced around.

“Then talk to me.” He reached for her, but she sidestepped him. “I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

“Fine.” Liza rested her hands on her hips.

She was sexy. Even with her eyes narrowed and her brows drawn in, he still wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless. He let a smile spread across his face.

“What?” Her glare became more intense.

He shoved his hands in his pockets to avoid pulling her into his arms. “I’ll meet you out front? We can talk then?”

“Fine.” She nodded and motioned him into the waiting room.

He took a step backwards and let the door close, not before he noticed her gesturing toward the side. A side door, he assumed. She would try to ditch him. He headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Brenda opened the window – a little quicker than she should have.

“She said she’d meet me outside.” Julian flashed Brenda a smile, before he headed out of the building. Walking around the side of the building he found a short set of stairs leading up to a side door. Her mother’s car was parked on this side of the building, so even if she went out the front, she’d still have to come over here.

He put his foot up on the bottom step and leaned against the railing.

Liza stepped outside and stopped when she saw him.

“I kind of figured you were going to pull something.”