Matthew's Choice (17 page)

“No, he wouldn’t let me.” She’d finally convinced the boy to read his essay as they sat around the kitchen table, telling him the more he read it to others, the easier it’d be on Friday. It was short, probably shorter than the other two that would be read by fourth-and fifth-graders.

Allie eased to the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. Noah was engrossed in a television program and not paying any attention to them. When she turned around, Peter had picked up Noah’s essay and was rereading it at the table.

She’d been amazed at how well he and Noah were connecting. Even Logan and Lucas enjoyed being around him. After they beat him at Wii football Sunday afternoon, he’d challenged them to learn how to play Scrabble, and the boys loved it. She didn’t know why she’d ever thought Peter was a stuffed shirt. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have almond-toffee creamer.”

He looked up. “Eww. Black, please.” Then, he tapped the papers. “Noah has quite a way with words for a third-grader. We need to get him into the accelerated writing program.”

“His teacher suggested the same thing, and we’re working on it.” She set a mug of steaming coffee in front of Peter and sat opposite him at the table. “Tonight’s been fun.”

“I’m glad. You looked pretty stressed when I got here. Anything I should know about?”

Allie cupped her hands around the mug, letting the heat radiate through her fingers. “I’m worried about something Noah said earlier. He’s keeping something from me, something to do with Logan and Lucas.”

“Has the father been heard from again?”

“No.” Allie sipped her coffee. “I did talk to the sheriff this afternoon, and that didn’t make me feel any better. He’s been in contact with law enforcement officials in the county where the boys lived. The sheriff there suspects Nichols may have killed the boys’ mother.”

“What?” Peter leaned toward her. “How?”

“They think he beat her. But no one saw it happen, and when she was taken to the hospital, she swore she fell down their basement steps. She never changed her story and died two days later from a blood clot.”

“Do you think the boys saw what happened?”

“The police report indicates they were asleep, but I suspect they weren’t. I discovered this afternoon Logan has confided a secret to Noah, but it’s one of those cross-your-heart-hope-to-die-you-won’t-tell kinds of things. I’m going to talk to them separately at school tomorrow.”

“I may need to move the boys to another shelter.”

“I hope not. I don’t want Logan and Lucas to be put in danger, but it’s so hard for shelter kids to go into a new school in the middle of the year. When will you make that decision?”

“I’ll have to check and see if one of the other shelters in the state can take them. When I last checked, there wasn’t room for both of them at the same facility, and I do want to keep them together. I’ll call tomorrow and let you know.” Peter held up his hand. “And, if you see
anything unusual at school, call the sheriff, and then call me. I’ve told Sarah at the shelter the same thing.”

She shivered. “It’s terrible when boys have to fear their fathers, isn’t it?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Peter captured her hand, and his blue eyes darkened as he laced his fingers in hers. “I want you to be careful. Nichols may blame you for what happened the other day, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Peter...”

“Don’t say anything. I know you think you’re in love with Matt, but he’s all wrong for you, Allie. You need someone who will cherish you. All Matt cherishes his money and his career. He’ll never return to Cedar Grove. I’m here, and I love you, Allie.”

Peter loved her? Or was she just the prize in Matt and Peter’s ongoing competition? “Peter—”

“Don’t say anything now. Just give me a chance. Go out with me on the date we’ve never actually had. Friday night when Noah will be with Matt.”

She pulled her hand from Peter’s and took her coffee to the microwave and reheated it. He was right about Matt, and she needed to get him out of her system. But she’d loved him since junior high school. How did you just stop loving someone? Maybe by recognizing it was a dead end. The microwave dinged, and she took her cup out and turned to Peter. “Would Friday night include dancing?”

A smile stretched across his face. “Definitely.”

He stood and took the cup from her hand before twirling her around the kitchen. When they stopped to catch their breath, he tilted her face up. “I know you don’t have the same feelings I do, but I’m a patient man, and I’m willing to wait.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

W
HEN
HE
REACHED
his car, Matt shrugged out of his overcoat and threw it in the backseat. He needed to talk to someone, but who? Allie? No, she hadn’t been that enthused about the job with Bradford in the first place. Going back and discussing it with Jessica would only start another argument.

Clint.
Allie’s brother was the closest thing he had to a friend in Memphis. He slid behind the wheel. It was a sad commentary that he didn’t have anyone close to him he could talk to, but he’d been so busy with his career, making close friends hadn’t seemed that important.

He should have thought of Clint right away. At least he would be unbiased. Matt scrolled through his contacts and dialed Allie’s brother.

Clint answered on the second ring. “Forget your tux again?”

“Something like that. Are you in the middle of anything? I need your opinion on something.” Matt really should have touched base with Clint sooner.

“I’m just leaving the Boys and Girls Club. There’s a coffee shop on Poplar. Do you want to meet me there?”

“Yeah. Give me the address.” Ten minutes later Matt pulled into the parking lot and spied Clint’s red Crown Victoria. Inside the café, Matt ordered a black coffee and took it to the booth where his friend waited.

“I like your wheels,” Clint said. “Allie keeps bugging me about getting a new car.”

“Listen to your sister. That’s what, a ’97? It’s bound to be on its last set of tires.”

“Something like that,” he said with a laugh. “How’s Jessica? I hear you finally popped the question.”

“Yeah. But she’s much too good for me.”

“You can say that again.” Alarm crossed Clint’s eyes. “That’s not why you wanted to talk, is it?”

“No.” Matt sipped on his coffee. Strong, exactly the way he liked it. “I need an objective opinion.”

He filled in Clint on Bradford’s job offer, then Winthrop’s counteroffer. “I don’t know which one to take.”

Clint saluted him. “Man, as the kids would say, that’s an awesome problem to have.”

Satisfaction flushed through Matt. “It’s not bad, is it? I mean, for someone from the wrong side of town.”

A frown creased Clint’s brow. “You’re not still carrying that baggage around, are you?”

The words stung. Matt jutted his jaw. “You don’t have any idea what it was like growing up on Beaker Street.”

“You’re right, I don’t. But can’t you see how that gave you the drive to succeed? I don’t think either man cares where you grew up, only that you can do the job.”

“I didn’t come here for a lecture. That I can get from Allie. I want advice on which job to take.”

Clint leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “Give me the pros and cons of each job.”

“I would enjoy either job, and both come with long hours and headaches, but Bradford may be the biggest headache. Mr. Winthrop is more than fair. Jessica will be unhappy if I don’t take her dad’s offer. There will be more prestige and power with Bradford at the foundation—it’s a worldwide organization. The money will be about the same...although Bradford offered me more first.”

Clint relaxed and bent forward. “Which is more important? The work you’ll be doing or the prestige and money?”

Matt frowned. Was that a trick question?

“While you’re thinking about that, let me give you a piece of advice. Prestige and money are nice, but if that’s all you focus on, it’ll leave you empty and wanting more. Along with high blood pressure and heart disease. I know. When I first got out of college, I took the job that paid me the most. It was with a Wall Street brokerage firm. Long hours, lots of pressure, on the phone all day. Great money, though. And I hated the job. Eventually I realized I was only in it for the dough.”

“How about the job you have now?” Matt checked his watch. “It’s nine o’clock and when I called you earlier, you were just leaving it.”

Clint nodded. “I still have long hours at half the pay, but don’t you see, I’m giving something back, making a difference in the lives of these high-risk kids. And I don’t feel like a hollow shell any longer.”

Hollow. Perfect word for the way he felt.

“When do you have to give your answer?”

Matt gave a short laugh. “I’ve already accepted Bradford’s offer. But that was before Winthrop countered.” He sighed. “I don’t want to burn any bridges with Bradford before I make a decision.”

“So you’re not going to tell him about Winthrop’s counteroffer?”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. Go home and sleep on it, I guess. Besides, it’s getting late. I’m sure you have a busy day tomorrow.”

“I’m taking tomorrow off. Going to help dad get caught up with the horses.”

“They’re back?”

“As of yesterday. How are things going with Noah?”

“Better. On Friday I’m bringing him here to meet Jessica.” Matt stared down at the almost empty cup.

“Sounds good.”

He felt Clint’s gaze and looked up. His friend’s eyes held a question. “What?”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with my sister. How’s that working for you, you know, with your history and everything?”

Matt traced his finger on the cup. If he told Clint that he’d kissed Allie, his friend would probably deck him. “Sometimes when I look back, I think breaking up with Allie is the biggest mistake I ever made. How did I get it so wrong?”

Clint shrugged. “You were young and couldn’t see anything but getting ahead. How about now? You do love Jessica, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t have asked her to marry me if I didn’t.”

“But do you love Jessica enough to take what she wants into consideration as you decide your next career move?”

If he decided he wanted to take Bradford’s offer, could he give it up because Jessica didn’t agree? “That goes two ways,” Matt said. “She should want what will make me the happiest.”

“It doesn’t work like that, bro. If mama ain’t happy...” Clint stood and picked up his cup, carrying it to the trash.

Matt followed him and tossed his, as well. Maybe he wasn’t ready to get married. He was at the same place he’d been with Allie seven years ago. He dismissed the thought. Outside, he pressed his key fob and started his car.

“Show-off.” Clint unlocked his Crown Vic. “Just remember, money isn’t everything.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A
LLIE
PROPPED
HER
arms on the fence rail as the three boys trotted by, their legs hugging Bridger’s sides. Clint stood beside her. “Thanks for saddling him up. How’s Kelsey?” She thought that was his girlfriend’s name.

“I’m not seeing her anymore.”

“What happened?”

Clint gave her a half shrug. “Absence does not make the heart grow fonder. My hours got in the way. Well, not just mine, but hers, too.”

“I’m sorry.” The north wind picked up, and she pulled her down-filled jacket closer as their dad joined them at the fence. She cocked her head, studying the two men. They were a lot alike, not only in looks but also in the size of their hearts. And while Clint’s hands weren’t as calloused as their dad’s, he’d earned a few blisters mucking out stalls and chopping wood.

The boys passed by once more, their cheeks rosy from the cold and laughter lighting their eyes. Noah rode in the front with the reins, and he handled the horse like he’d been riding since birth. Dad nudged her.

“Makes me think of the old days when you and your friends rode him. Once he finished tossing his head and snorting, he always settled down and let you kids have fun.”

“Yeah.” Fun wasn’t the only reason she’d brought the boys. She hoped the relaxed atmosphere would help her ferret out whatever secret they were keeping from her. She rubbed her arms against the cold.

“You ought to do this more often,” Dad said, pulling a tin of butterscotch candies from his Carhartt coat. He’d taken up candy when he quit smoking a few years ago. He offered the tin and she took one. “I figured by now, one of you would have a few little ones of your own out here riding.”

She unwrapped the candy. “I figured you’d want us married first.”

All three laughed, and then Clint said, “I talked to Matt last night.”

The mention of his name stilled her. “Oh? Did he tell you about his new job?”

“Yep, as well as the counteroffer Mr. Winthrop made.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” She waved at the boys. “It’s getting colder. Let’s rub Bridger down and then see if we can find some hot cocoa.”

She and her dad followed the boys to the barn while Clint deserted them for the warmth of the house. “Get the cocoa started,” she called after him.

At the barn, she helped the boys untack the horse and put him in his stall. “I’ll feed him,” she said. “You three go on to the house and get warm.”

While she measured out Bridger’s sweet feed, her dad grabbed a flake of hay and tossed it into the stall. “Ran into Peter Elliott in town today.”

“Oh?”

“You could do worse.”

“Dad!”

“Got to admire a man who’ll stop me on the street and tell me his intentions toward my daughter.”

Heat crept up her neck. She leaned against the barn door and stared at the ground, feeling his gaze. “He’s nice.”

“I’d say he was a great deal more than nice. Is Matt Jefferies the problem? Are you still carrying a torch for him?”

“No.” Maybe. “I don’t have a future with Matt. He’s getting married.”

“I saw how he looked at you the day we moved Mariah’s things.” He settled on a bale of hay. “Do you two have unfinished business?”

She jolted as the memory of his kiss gave her goose bumps. She shook her head. “I don’t think Matt even knows why we broke up. He still thinks it’s because I didn’t want to move to Memphis.”

“That’s what you told everyone.”

“Come on, Dad. You know me better than that.”

“You wouldn’t talk about it.”

“I couldn’t back then.” She sat beside her father on the hay. “I would have gone anywhere with him. Or at least with the Matt I fell in love with. But he changed that last year in college. Started hanging out with the rich people, trying to act like them. Didn’t want to have anything to do with his old way of life, including Mariah. He became so obsessed with making money.... I didn’t know him anymore. He lost who he was.”

“You’ve been seeing a lot of him lately. Has that stirred up old feelings?”

“Yeah. I’m afraid it has.” She glanced up at him. “But the past few weeks he’s seemed like the old Matt. Taking care of Noah, trying to help Mariah.”

Kissing her.

Dad wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Could it be possible he’s finding his way back?”

* * *

A
FTER
DINNER
, A
LLIE
checked her watch. Almost six. She needed to get the twins back to the shelter and Noah home in time for them to do their homework. “Have you seen the boys?” she asked her mom.

“Noah and Lucas are in the den with Clint. I think Logan is with your dad in the office. The boy is quite taken with those trophies your dad has.”

Allie knew which trophies. In his younger days, Dad had competed with the cutting horses he now raised and had the trophies to show for it. She peeked inside the office, and sure enough, Logan sat on the couch, captivated as her dad talked.

“Hey, you two,” she said, entering the room. “Dad bending your ear?”

Logan felt his ear. “No.”

She covered her mouth to keep from laughing, and then turned to her dad. “Could you go tell Noah and Lucas to find their coats?”

He looked from her to Logan. “Sure. Want me to keep them entertained a minute.”

She beamed at him. “Good idea.” She sat on the couch beside the boy and rubbed his shoulders. “Have fun today?”

He nodded. “I wish we could live here.”

Maybe her parents... She dismissed the thought. The children they fostered were short-term, like Noah. With no family who could take them, it was likely the twins would enter the long-term foster care system. “Maybe Mr. Elliott will find you an even better place.”

“What if my dad finds us?”

“Is that what’s been bothering you?”

He hunched his shoulders in a shrug.

“You want to talk about it? Sometimes that helps.”

No answer. With a sigh, she patted his back. “You better find your coat so we can leave.”

When they reached the door, he stopped. “Miss Allie, sometimes nobody can stop bad things from happening.”

The resignation in his voice nearly undid her. She bent over until she was at eye level with him. “But you need to let people try.”

He stared at her for a moment, and then ducked his head.

Allie straightened as he scooted past her. Lenny Nichols had to be at the bottom of whatever was going on with Logan. Maybe tomorrow she could convince Noah to share what he knew.

* * *

M
ATT
STEPPED
OUT
of the elevator on the top floor of the Bradford Building and walked to the receptionist’s desk. For once, the waiting area was empty. The clock on the wall said it was five-thirty. No wonder. Where had the day gone?

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jefferies. Mr. Bradford is expecting you.”

“You’re working late.” He searched his memory for the receptionist’s name. Carrie? No...something that started with a C, though. Callie...Connie...
Casey.

The petite redhead laughed. “Around here, late is nine o’clock, except for Ms. Jones. She leaves every day at five sharp. And, now that you’ve arrived, I am free to leave, too.”

So executives weren’t the only ones who put in long hours at the foundation. He was curious “Do you like working here, Casey?”

Her face lit up. “Oh, yes, sir. Mr. Bradford is wonderful to work for.”

“I’ve heard around here, it’s his way or the highway. You don’t mind that?”

Frown lines formed between her eyes. “Well, he
is
the boss. But, his bark is much louder than his bite. Underneath all that gruffness, he has a big heart. When my mom was sick, I had to take off a month, and he paid me as if I were here. And not just me. Other employees who’ve had to be absent because of illness or family emergencies have never had their pay docked, either.”

So Bradford’s concern about Mariah was not unusual. “Thanks.”

“Always glad to be helpful. Anytime you have a question, just ask.”

“I will,” Matt said. He walked toward Bradford’s door and pushed it open. “The receptionist said to come on in.”

Bradford stood at the window as always. Matt joined him and understood why Bradford liked the view. Sunset faded into night, lending an ethereal glow to the riverfront.

“My father used to call this time of day the gloaming,” Bradford said. “Did you finish studying the portfolio?”

Matt’s mind raced to keep up with his boss. “I think I have one more folder. It’s a lot to absorb.”

“I understand Winthrop offered you a vice president position.”

For a second, Matt didn’t breathe.

“Don’t look so shocked.” The older man went to his desk and sat down. “And don’t ever let anyone talk you into playing poker.”

In a daze, Matt followed and took his usual chair. “How—”

Bradford chuckled. “I’m surprised you don’t know that Winthrop and I meet for lunch. Once a week at Rigatoni’s.”

Matt gripped the arms of the chair. Nothing made sense...or maybe everything did. Was he some sort of stringed puppet in a game between the two CEOs? “Did Mr. Winthrop know you were going to offer me a job?”

“No.” Bradford eased back in his leather chair. “Are you reconsidering my offer?”

Matt rubbed his jaw, the stubby bristles of his five-o’clock shadow prickling his fingers. “May I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“If you and Winthrop are such good friends, why has the Winthrop Corporation never hosted your galas?”

Bradford reached for a bottle of antacids on the corner of his desk. “This ulcer is killing me.” He shook out two blue tablets and popped them into his mouth, chewing with the gusto of a child taking vile-tasting medicine. He wiped his lips with a tissue. “Friendship has nothing to do with business. Winthrop never gave me what I wanted at the price I wanted. You did.” He flexed his fingers. “I understand you’re marrying Winthrop’s daughter.”

Evidently, he was a common conversation topic.

The older man chuckled. “Yes, we talk about you often. As for Jessica, if she’s anything like her mother, she’ll be an advantage to your career.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Matthew, you have what it takes to make it in the business world. You’re smart, articulate, willing to work to get what you want. Your only weakness is in thinking you can juggle a family life and your career. Both will suffer. You’re going to have to decide which you want, but I’ll tell you now, if you choose to put your family over your career, you won’t make it. Not here.” Bradford leveled his gaze at Matt.

Until recently, he’d chosen his career over everything, but since Noah and Mariah had come back into his life, nothing about his life was cut and dried. “Other men juggle family and career. Why can’t I? I’m already working a sixty-hour week.”

Bradford frowned. “But you’re not married yet. And in the beginning you’ll be working seventy, eighty hours a week here. Matthew, I have big plans for you, and this position I’ve offered is only the beginning.”

“How did you do it, sir? Build your company and have a family. Didn’t they suffer because you’re a workaholic?”

“It wasn’t a choice for me in the beginning. To put food on the table, I had to work. Do you know how many construction companies vied for business in this area in the sixties? I had to give customers something different. Perfection. My undivided attention and my time. That’s how I became successful. And why I had the money to develop the concept that made me wealthy.”

“Rental storage units,” Matt said.

Bradford nodded. “In the mid-seventies there were very few public storage units in the South, or anywhere else for that matter. I happened to see one in Texas and stopped to inquire what it was. The man I spoke with thought I was asking to rent one of the spaces, and he told me I’ve have to be put on a waiting list. I came back to Memphis with an idea. Took five years and my own money, because not one banker would give me a loan for the project. But I believed in my idea enough to back myself. Now I’m able to give away millions and still live how I want to.

“But you asked if my family suffered because of my focus on business? Not financially, but emotionally? Probably. I did put work first, them second.”

He leveled his gaze at Matt. “My suggestion is to go ahead and marry Jessica—like I said, she’ll be a great asset, and she understands the business world. But wait a few years to start your family. Get established here at the foundation. Make your mark in the world. Then, in ten years or so, you’ll still have plenty of time to have those children.”

Matt’s blood thrummed through his body. In ten years, Bradford would be in his eighties, probably looking to step down as CEO....

Bradford looked him in the eye. “So, I’ll ask you again. Are you accepting my offer or Winthrop’s?”

This was it. He had to choose. The job he knew or this unknown territory where he would be challenged at every turn. The challenges scared him and at the same time sent excitement coursing through his blood. “I accepted your offer yesterday. Nothing has changed.”

“No going back on your choice, even if Winthrop ups the stakes?”

“No, sir.”

Bradford extended his hand. “I’ll hold you to your word.”

* * *

I
N
HIS
CAR
, he dialed Jessica’s dad. “Mr. Winthrop,” Matt said when he answered. “I wanted to let you know I’ve made the decision to go with the Bradford Foundation.”

“I see.” Winthrop cleared his throat. “Is that set in stone?”

“I’m afraid so, sir. I gave him my word.”

“My loss. But there’s some consolation since I’ll be gaining you as a son-in-law.”

Tension eased from Matt’s shoulders. “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and my assistant is more than capable of taking over for me, although I plan to stay through the Valentine party rush.”

“Good. Have you told Jessica?”

“I’m on my way there now.”

“Good luck with that.”

Matt thanked him again and hung up. Surely Jessica would understand it was his career.