Chapter 20
20
Jarrod
“ W ell, that’s all I have for me. I’m so glad my lovely wife talked me into looking for a new accounting firm for my business. I truly believe that going with your boutique firm will be better than the impersonal care I receive in Winnipeg. And since we decided to relocate our family to Voyageur Bay this past summer, going with a local firm makes the most sense.” Richard reached over the handcrafted, wooden conference table and shook my hand.
“I’m glad that we could provide the services you need. I’m excited to work with your company and to see how we can grow your business.” I went to stand, but Richard motioned for me to remain seated as he stood.
“Don’t bother. I can see myself out, but my wife would like to talk to you about some of her accounts.”
Call it intuition or maybe a snap judgement, but I doubted that she wanted to talk about any business accounts. And while we didn’t handle personal ones, I wasn’t about to flat out and refuse when her husband had just signed a contract that would be one of the biggest ones, we were handling. As I watched him lean down over her to speak in her ear before pressing a kiss to her forehead, I figured I could always hear her out and then politely explain that we couldn’t handle her accounts. If she really wanted someone, I had numerous friends I could recommend. It was the least I could do if she was the reason for her husband seeking us out.
“Misty”—both her and Richard had told me to use their first names at the beginning of the meeting—“before we begin, I wanted to thank you for recommending us to your husband. Word of mouth recommendations are always more valuable for a company, especially a new one, as they signify that we’re doing something right.”
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table which allowed her shirt to gape, revealing skin all the way down to her bellybutton. Unease filtered through me as I realized that Richard had closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with his much-younger-than-him wife who seemed to have no qualms about flashing herself. After the initial glance, I focused on her face. Thank goodness we had installed discreet cameras, so I’d have photographic backup if she ever suggested anything inappropriate happened, but I really didn’t want to go that route. Just that revelation on top of a scandal would damage the company’s image as well as my own.
“Your husband said that you had something you wanted to discuss.”
In the bottom of my vision, I saw her lift her hand and move it towards the low neckline of her shirt. Not wanting to see what her next move would be, I dropped my gaze to the papers spread in front of me.
“Yes, Jarrod,” she purred, raising my hackles. “I have some new investments that I’d like to have managed.”
“I’m sorry, Misty, but we don’t handle those types of accounts. We’re focused on business, but I do have some recommendations for personal financial advisors if you’d like.”
“Are you sure you couldn’t make an itty-bitty exception for me? It would mean so much to me and my husband.” She pushed out her overly plush lower lip into a pout. Oversized lips might have been all the rage on TV, but personally, they never did anything for me. Most likely because I had already seen the most perfect lips in my dreams and felt them in real life when Katy let me kiss her.
“I’m sorry, but I really can’t. Personal finances are something I’m not qualified to handle as a business, but my junior accountant is studying for her qualifications in this area. If you don’t need anyone in an immediate timeframe, I can ensure that you become one of Angela’s first clients.” At my mention of her , her face tightened, triggering more warning bells in my mind.
But then she surprised me, leaning back in her chair and losing the femme fatale look she sported. “That would work, but maybe you could keep an eye on them on the side for me, until she’s all trained up? Maybe over dinner a few times since I notice you’re not wearing a wedding ring. I’m sure that you wouldn’t turn down a home cooked meal every so often.”
Her words sounded sweet and caring, but there was something about the cunning look in her eye that had me wanting to run out of the room. I might have been stupid in the past, but I didn’t get involved with married women. Never. And I wasn’t about to start now. Not when I had so much to lose. But I knew I had to play this situation carefully. From the way her husband had looked at, I’m sure he’d be one to believe that she could never be the seducer in any incident.
“That’s very sweet and kind of you, but even though I’m not married yet, I’m in a committed relationship and have a child.”
Femme fatale made a sudden reappearance as she leaned forward again. She reached across the table and dragged the tip of her long, bright purple fingernail over my arm. “That’s too bad because I heard some stories about you and your partners. None of you ever shied away from female companionship before, sometimes sharing one between you.”
I pulled my arm away, dropping my hands to my lap. “That was before. We don’t do those types of things now.”
“Pity. Although I can’t imagine that you’ll be able to hold out for too long. Guys like you never can.”
Before I could respond, my cellphone buzzed with Peter’s ringtone. Signifying he’d sent me a message. I stood and motioned to the door. “Sorry, but I need to cut this short and take this call. It’s about my baby.”
As if she didn’t have a care in the world—or like she hadn’t just been propositioning me—she rose from the table with a smile, letting me lead her from the conference room. “Thank you again for everything. My husband and I will enjoy working with you.”
She held out her hand and as much as I really didn’t want to touch her, I couldn’t not shake her hand. At least Michelle was sitting behind her desk, witnessing everything. So, I shook her hand and when she toyed with my palm, running her nail over it, I knew I shouldn’t have risked it.
The moment the door closed behind her, I took my first full breath since her husband left.
“Careful with her,” Michelle warned. “She’s a live one.”
“Yeah, she is.” I held up my phone. “I have a message I need to check, but since that was my last meeting, why don’t you go home early?”
“You don’t have to twist my arm. But you should leave too. I’m sure Liam would love to be rescued early from daycare.”
A grin rose on my face as a warmth filled me. It happened anytime I thought about spending time with my son. My son. I doubted I’d ever grow tired of that phrase. I may not have been happy with Peter and what he’d done, but having Liam in our lives made up for it. And even though it appeared like we’d lost Katy over it; I had to hope that her absence would only be temporary since she’d already started coming over to visit with Liam—and by extension us. Even if we weren’t the main draw.
A glance at Peter’s message had me racing for my office to gather my things. While I worried about Liam being ill, just the knowledge that Katy would be at our place, taking care of him, had me eager to leave the office.
“Heading out now. Can you lock you?’ I didn’t even wait for Michelle to answer before I raced out the door.
Excitement hounded my heels as I jumped from my car. With only Peter’s car in the garage, I hoped Katy was in our house alone with Liam. As much as I loved Peter and Jason, and sharing time with them with Katy, I also loved and missed those times I was able to spend alone with Katy. Time, I hadn’t had in months.
After having Liam in our house for two months, I knew not to call out as soon as I walked in the door. Babies that are scared awake let everyone know their feelings. A scenario I never wanted to experience again after living through it multiple times until we all remembered. There were a couple of times that I expected the police to show up, telling us that they’d received a noise complaint. Thankfully that never happened. But the next evening when we were out for a walk with Liam, old Mrs. Simpson from across the street stopped us and told us all the different home remedies they used back in the day to handle crying babies. Then she proceeded to remind us that even with kids, the sex didn’t need to stop because we needed to take care of our partners to remain strong in our relationships. Of course, she said it all with her loud voice because she didn’t have her hearing aids turned on, drawing the interest of all our neighbours. Good thing they’d all been on the receiving end of one of her talks before otherwise we might have had to move.
I placed my bag on its shelf in the hall closet. With Liam added to our lives, between work and learning to take care of him, I’d gone through the entire house, adjusting all my organizational zones to encompass all the new baby gear. It had been a lot of work, but the payoff really helped, allowing us to find the needed items with ease.
My shoes went onto the rack and my coat on its hanger. Only then did I leave the entrance way is search of Katy. The scent of cheese, cream, and tomatoes filled the air, letting me know that she’d already started supper. My stomach rumbled at the smell as I headed towards Liam’s nursery in search of the duo. When I didn’t find them there, I started back towards our bedroom in case she’d put him down in the bedside bassinette. But when I passed the patios doors, I noticed how they weren’t shut tight. I pushed them open and stepped outside to the covered patio. A large smile split my face as I watched Liam and Katy lying on a blanket in the sun. She had him on his tummy while she animated these small, knitted dolls we had for him.
I strode across the grass, not making a sound so I didn’t disturb them. My smile enlarged along with my heart as I heard her tell stories about Peter’s mom and dad.
“They love you, Liam. They might not be here physically with us, but they’re still here with us. And I know that they’re excited to watch you grow up and become a strong man like your daddies.”
“Just like they’re watching you grow up into a strong, beautiful woman.” I plopped down beside her on the blanket, reaching for Liam when he held out his hands and gave me a toothless grin.
“Oh, Jarrod, you’re home.” Her voice had a little breathless quality to it as she gazed at me, holding Liam in my arms.
“I am, Little L—” I stopped myself from finishing the endearment, but when her gaze didn’t harden like I thought it would, I decided to fuck it and finished. “Love. I came home early when I heard the Little Man wasn’t feeling well. Besides, it gives me a little time with you.”
I focused on Liam while I waited for her reaction. Since her return, we’d been playing it carefully, never pushing or trying to remind her of how things had been. Instead, we’d gone back to how we treated her years ago. But I was tired of being hesitant. Something that was foreign to me since I always took my time, weighing every outcome before acting, except for that night when I kissed her. That had been pure instinct, giving into my innermost dreams and it worked out beautifully. So maybe it was time to follow that same instinct again. Anything to let her know without a shadow of a doubt that we were here for her, loving her, even if she needed time.
“Were you giving the daycare ladies trouble today?” His grin grew wider as drool slipped from his mouth. “Or did you just want to spend time with Katy, because I can understand that sentiment? Do you think she’d stay with me if I became a Mr. Crankypants , too?”
Beside me, Katy giggled, wiping away all the unpleasantness of my meeting with Misty. This was how I wanted my life to be, children, Jason, Peter, and the woman I loved. I just had to keep trusting that it would end that way despite the bumps in the road, keeping us apart right now.
But for now, I’d soak up every minute of the time we did have together.