Chapter 4
JETT
I've messed up again. I'm an hour late for my little girl's party.
I'm the only parent she has, and I should have done better. I should have been better. I should have come back a day earlier, like Cari said, instead of being adamant about attending an important meeting this morning.
I walk into the opulent hotel lobby, carrying two big bags of gifts, scanning for Brooke. The hotel is elegant—fancy but whimsical, just like my little girl wanted. Cari has done a great job. We follow the hotel receptionist as she leads the way, her cheeks flushing a shade of pink when she realizes who I am. Now she seems slightly flustered.
“This way, Mr. Knight,” she says, breathlessly.
“How long do we have to stay here?” Alicia asks, already putting a damper on the day. It’s not the reaction I want my girlfriend to have, not when it comes to my daughter. We had a few good days to unwind, but lately, I'm starting to realize she's never satisfied. All my girlfriends seem to follow the same pattern—they start out sweet and understanding, then slowly, inevitably, become more demanding. They don’t show it so much at first, but over time I see how they avoid doing things with Brooke. Alicia and I have been together for almost seven months, and it’s usually around this time that I start seeing the cracks.
The women I date want me, not my daughter. But my daughter is my life and she’s always number one in my world, even if I’m still adjusting to this “daddy” role. I want her to have the best of everything, because I feel so bad that she doesn’t have a mother. I try to make up for that loss and vow that I will be better, but there’s always another deal or the lure of more money.
“You can go now, if it's too much for you.” I don’t even look at her.
She squeezes my hand. “Don’t be like that.”
The receptionist opens the door to the large room, and the sound of children’s laughter and excited chatter fills the space. My eyes widen.
The room is magical—elephant decorations, and elephant-shaped lights strung across the ceiling, and a dreamy pastel color scheme that makes it look like a fairytale. Brooke wanted a Cinderella theme—with elephants—and Cari made it happen. My little girl sits in the front row with her back to me, her silky long brown hair cascading down her back. She’s wearing a sparkling blue dress, her tiara perched perfectly on her head. She really thinks she’s Cinderella today. My heart aches. I hate that I wasn't here from the start.
“Holy shit,” Alicia murmurs, sounding awestruck. “ This is your daughter's party?”
The room is filled with a myriad of delights—a pink-and-blue balloon arch, a popcorn stand, a cotton candy station, a chocolate fountain, and a candy buffet. I wonder if Cari was inspired by Tobias Stone’s Christmas party. This is magnificent. There’s an elephant pinata suspended in the air. A woman paints children's faces, and a wizard entertainer, complete with a pointed hat, does magic tricks at the front.
“This is your daughter’s birthday party? Isn’t she just five?” Alicia drawls. Her voice lacks warmth—there's something bitter laced in there.
The wizard calls Brooke to the front, and she eagerly jumps up, her eyes glittering with excitement as she runs over carrying her beloved tattered elephant. I facepalm. She takes that plushy with her everywhere. We bought it soon after she was born. To this day, it’s Brooke’s favorite toy, though it looks all battered and tattered now. She has a butterfly painted on her cheek, and the sight of her joy brings a smile to my face. The wizard makes balloon animals for her, but each time he hands one to her, it pops, and Brooke bursts into laughter, joined by the other children. My heart swells. She’s everything to me.
“She is. Cari did well,” I murmur, my gaze sweeping across the room as I look for a place to drop her presents. I’ve been taking note of everything Brooke said she liked, and bought her everything.
My father says I shouldn’t spoil her, and that kids who have everything grow up to be brats. My brothers and I didn’t have big parties, or get lots of presents. No cars on milestone birthdays, or expensive watches. Yet ours was still a privileged life. I realize that now. We lived in expensive homes, had the best education, and we didn’t want for anything.
Except maybe love from our father. It was the important things he skimped on—love and spending time with us. I’ll never deprive Brooke of the former, and I’m trying to get better with the latter.
It was our mother who gave us the most special and priceless of things. She would spoil us with days out creating memories, moments I hold onto even now. She’d insist on baking our birthday cakes and spending the entire day together, just my brothers and my mom. My father was always absent. He was too busy building the Knight empire.
“Who?” Alicia asks.
“Cari.”
“Your assistant did this?”
“Yeah.”
“Doesn’t she already have a full-time job working for you?”
“She does, but somehow she manages it all.” The words come out with a hint of awe. Cari has pulled off something truly special. How did she find the time to do this? A thought crosses my mind—maybe I should give her another raise. Though I just gave her one a few months ago. Any more and she might get suspicious.
I glance around the room, but I don't see her. Did she decide to skip the party and go to the concert instead? Did she have a date, maybe? I shake the twisted thought out of my head. No. Cari wouldn’t do that. She’s dependable—more so than anyone I know. I didn’t check in with her to confirm her attendance because I was in meetings all day, but I didn’t think I needed to. It’s Cari. Reliable. Trustworthy. Constant.
“Where is she?” Alicia asks.
I set my bags down and scratch my neck, feeling uncomfortable. Cari would never let Brooke down, but she doesn’t seem to be here. “I’m not sure.”
Then I spot her by a table piled high with gifts, carefully arranging them. I never see her out of her usual office attire, and she looks so different.
Effortlessly casual. Relaxed. Beautiful.
Casually dressed in jeans that fit her perfectly. She’s wearing a gold chain with a black diamond-shaped gemstone dipping down the front of her dark green satin top, which focuses my attention there. She looks different, less like my assistant in her usual pencil skirts and blouses. Even from here, I see the flustered blush of her cheeks and that long, loose red hair that’s usually tied up is now tumbling around her shoulders. There are days when I find myself thinking of her more than I should. She pauses to fan her face, looking a bit overwhelmed.
I’m about to head over when Brooke sees me. She’s still with the magician who’s now creating an elephant out of balloons. The huge smile on her face fills me with joy, but in the next instant, her eyes fill with tears. Her lip wobbles, and my heart plunges into my belly. She’s going to cry. I feel wretched.
I caused this.
She’s sad and so painfully aware that her mother isn’t here on her special day, but me? I let her down. I don’t deserve this precious angel.
You’re no better than your own father.
The wizard’s balloon pops again, and she bursts into laughter. Relief washes over me as I watch her laugh.
“Hey.” Dex’s voice interrupts my thoughts. My middle brother nudges me in the ribs. “I can’t believe you made it back on time.”
“This isn’t him being on time. He’s late.” Zach rolls his eyes. “Hey, Alicia. How was Monaco?”
“Fantastic.” She snakes her arm around my waist.
“Good,” I add, trying to peer around Zach’s head. “Did you guys get here early?”
“‘Course we did.” Dex grins.
“What happened to the nanny?” Zach asks.
“She’s at a bachelorette party she couldn’t miss,” Dex answers for me. “That's why Superwoman over there is on it.”
“Who?” Alicia asks.
“Her.” Dex jerks his chin toward Cari. “The woman my brother can’t function without.”
I clear my throat, an odd feeling settling in my chest. “I hope you guys were helping.” With Anna not being here, and my brothers referring to Cari as Superwoman, I hope they’ve not sat back and relied on her to run around doing things. Though I have a feeling that Cari would step in if needed. For Brooke, she would do anything.
“There wasn’t anything to do,” Dex says. “Superwoman took care of it all.”
Typical response. I walk toward Cari, not in the mood for my brothers’ commentary.
“This is amazing, Cari—” I set the bags on the table.
“Daddy! Daddy, you’re here!” Brooke comes barreling past Cari, her little arms reaching for me. I scoop her up, holding her close. Her laughter rings in my ears, washing away the stress of the last few days.
“I’m here, princess,” I say, breathing her in. “And here,” I show her the bags, “are all the things you wanted.”
“Thanks, Daddy. But you’re late.” She pouts, making me feel worse than I already do.
“I came as soon as I could. I’m sorry, angel, but the flight was delayed.”
“Delayed?” Cari asks, a hint of disbelief in her voice. She’s watching me closely. It’s the first time I see her displeasure so clearly. Usually, she hides it well. “Your flight was delayed?” she asks again.
I don’t like the stone-cold edge in her tone. “You sound as if you don't believe me, and I don't blame you. But yes, it was. Something about a hydraulic leak.”
“I did remind you that it was cutting it close,” Cari points out. She seems to gloat in reminding me of my shortcomings.
“I couldn’t leave Monaco any earlier because of a meeting that couldn’t be moved,” I say, wearily. “Maybe I should have missed it, but then I would have the wrath of my father to contend with.” I scratch my jaw, wondering why I put up with his shit. My daughter should come first, and it’s about time I started making sure she does. As far as my father is concerned, family doesn’t matter. Money. Empire. Legacy. That’s all he cares about, but maybe some things need to change.
Cari shrugs and fiddles with the gemstone on her chain. “Okay, Jett. Whatever you say, but you let Brooke down. You need to make her understand and make it up to her.”
“I came as fast as I could,” I tell her. Brooke clings to me, her tiny arms tight around my neck. Despite all her friends, the magician, the popcorn, and the balloons—she just wants me. “I chartered a flight out when they told us it would take at least two hours,” I announce, looking at Cari as if I'm expecting brownie points.
She doesn't give them.
She looks unsure. If anything, her expression remains cool, her eyes distant. I clear my throat. “My brothers are calling you Superwoman.”
“Why?” she remarks, as if she’s clueless about her superpowers.
“Because you always get things done, and you’re good. But you’re here as a guest. I hope you haven’t been helping too much.”
A smile spreads across her face. “I’ve been having fun.”
“I bet my brothers have been no help whatsoever.”
“At least they were here on time, which is more than I can say for you.”
Ouch. She’s really mad at me, even though I explained. At least she’s calm and collected, even if she can’t bring herself to look at me. I side eye her, taking in her gorgeous tresses which I’m only now seeing up close for the first time. And the way she’s dressed down is different. Somehow ... refreshing. I like her like this.
“It wasn’t my fault, Cari.” Maybe she’s a little off because of that concert she’s going to later. I offered to pay her for today—but maybe that’s not the point. Especially since she’s not taking the money. I don't care what she says. I'll slip it into her paycheck as a bonus, because she always comes through for me and for Brooke.
“The magician wants you back, Brooke,” Cari says. I let Brooke down gently and see the way she takes Cari’s hand, giving Cari no choice but to walk her back to the front of the room.
Cari is like a diamond in a sea of mediocrity. She’s dependable, smart, and irreplaceable. If I could clone her, I would. I’d have one Cari as my assistant, and one for Brooke. No one else can be trusted. No one else gets things done without being told twice. She’s a rare breed, in a world where people seem to have stopped thinking for themselves.
Though I’m starting to find her brittle tone and her frosty demeanor unsettling. I don't know when it happened, when I started to care so much more about her opinion of me.