Nine
I n the afternoon, Luke went to pick up Griff’s friends, slamming the door of his office, which was right next to his bedroom, and charging out of the house.
He didn’t say a word to me, continuing the silent treatment I’d received since we came back from seeing Richard Conti.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that, as I had to start prepping the food, delivered right about the time he left.
Of course, it hurt that he wasn’t speaking to me, but perhaps the distancing was for the best. Two more weekends, and then I’d be gone the first week of December.
It was the right call for everyone, and I knew that.
I wanted to tell him I would miss his kids, as well as him, but what was the point? Better to leave things as they were.
It was like an explosion of noise when everyone came home.
Griff brought Sean and Benny over to say hello, and Darwin came to hug me, as did Tatum.
The doorbell rang right after that, and Luke went out to speak to parents dropping off their daughters.
He was still at the door when Tatum brought over Elle, Sadie, and Hailey to meet me.
Anya was there as well, but I had met her and her mother before.
They were all adorable, but my girl with her big turquoise eyes, wavy brown hair, button nose, and dimples was by far the prettiest. I didn’t say that to her, of course, because I didn’t want to be murdered.
The girls all gushed over Wink, and then they all went to make camp in the living room, where there were suddenly books and pens and binders everywhere. It was impressive.
Teddy arrived shortly thereafter, and Luke went to the door again, speaking to both his parents. Cressida called in to me, and I waved back, and then Darwin and Teddy came into the kitchen.
“I’m allergic to a lot of things,” Teddy informed me.
“Oh, I know, buddy, Dar told me. I’ve got you, don’t worry.”
He nodded and smiled.
“Tell me about this report you guys are doing about plastic in the ocean.”
They both helped me cube fruit, which was nice, while explaining all about their project, and what it entailed, which sounded far more interesting than I’d expected.
“Okay, make way,” Griff announced, and I moved so he could take over, Sean ready to help devein the shrimp, and Benny just sitting on the counter with a bowl of guacamole in his lap and the bag of freshly made tortilla chips I’d bought.
“Put some of that in another bowl for the girls and give them chips too,” Griff directed him, shaking his head. “There’s a platter in that cupboard over your head.”
We were having Mexican food for dinner, because that would give everyone something they liked.
Griff was making shrimp tacos and chicken quesadillas, as he was in charge of the stove, and I was making cheese enchiladas, because they were easy and always a favorite.
Plus, it kept me out of Griff’s way as the oven was doing the work for me.
Into the mix came the sound of the doorbell, and outside, at six in the evening, were Shelly, and Griff’s lawyer, Weston Kinney.
Luke shook hands with the attorney, whom he was meeting for the first time, and hugged Shelly, ushering both in. A moment later, Kinney joined me at the table, taking a seat beside me on the bench.
“You don’t call, you don’t write,” he teased, leaning in close to my ear.
When I turned my head, he was right there, smiling at me. “You are very good for my ego, but you know I’m here in a protective capacity, so taking off a night to follow you home and put you over the back of your couch is not something I can do.”
His smile was all carnal heat. “Then how about you invite me into that room of yours, and we can?—”
“Mr. Kinney, is it?” Luke snapped, there suddenly, standing on the other side of the table, staring down at him. “You passed me a packet when you came in, so perhaps you’d like to go over it with me?”
“Oh yes, of course,” he agreed, then pivoted back to me. “I would like to speak to you before I go.”
“I’m cooking,” I told him with a smile. “I’m not goin’ anywhere. In fact, you should stay and have?—”
“I’m sure Mr. Kinney has plans on a Friday night,” Luke stated, clipping his words. “You wouldn’t want him changing things up for us.”
“Oh, I would love to have dinner,” he murmured, grinning at me. “And dessert.”
The man was a flirt, and I enjoyed the attention.
Not to mention he was very pretty. Maybe leaving the house and spending the night at a motel was not such a horrible idea.
After what Doyle said earlier about the grand jury, the chances that the Duchesne family was in danger had gone from small to microscopic.
I could spare an evening out. However, leaving Luke alone with a house full of kids was just plain mean.
But that didn’t mean that Saturday night was out of the question.
“Luke, may I speak to you, please?” Shelly asked, appearing at his side and slipping her arm through his.
“Yes, but first, I need to speak to Mr. Kinney in my office. I’ll be back shortly.”
When Weston got up, he made sure to put his hand on my shoulder and lean on me a moment before following Luke out of the room.
Shelly took a seat in the chair across from me.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her.
Quick nod from her. “So much better. Thank you for being so kind that day.”
“Of course.”
She took a breath. “I actually came by to tell Luke that the visitation for my mother starts at seven, and the funeral is tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll want to change and?—”
“No,” she rushed out, reaching across the table for my hand.
I took it quickly in mine.
“I may have been out of it, but I promise you, I’m not insane.”
“I never thought for a moment you?—”
“Because you are a very nice man,’’ she said, chuckling. “I mean, this family, they hit the lottery with you.”
“No, Shelly. I don’t think you understand what I’m doing here or?—”
“I do. You’re a fixer, and my goodness, you certainly are.”
“I—”
“It would be better for me if Luke and the kids didn’t come to either the visitation or the funeral tomorrow.
And I doubt he was even considering bringing the kids to either, but because he has a good heart, he was probably going to show up for me, but my mother has no friends still with us, so it’s going to be a very small gathering. ”
I remained silent, waiting.
“I’m so embarrassed,” she said under her breath.
“No, you shouldn’t be. You were going through a terrible time and?—”
“Not that,” she murmured, taking a breath. “Believing everything Caitlyn said.”
“Oh.”
“I talked to Ronnie and Kara, and really, she used us all. She had us covering up the affair, and she had me believing it would all be all right because Luke wanted me to take her place.” She shook her head.
“I always watch those shows about women who get swindled in romance scams and they give all their money away to people who are catfishing them.”
“What has that got to do with you?”
“Basically, I fell for the same thing. Caitlyn dangled her handsome, funny, caring husband in front of me, and I went for it hook, line, and sinker.”
“Yeah, but?—”
“The worst part is she actually thought Luke was so weak, he would simply reach for me because I was here and he didn’t want to be alone.
How little she must have thought of him.
Because even I know Luke is absolutely protective of his children.
He only asked me to look in on them because he had no choice.
All the people he knows, his crew, were all with him.
I was a last resort until you showed up on your white horse.
He must be so terribly grateful you’ve been here. ”
Which, now that I was thinking about it, was probably where his hesitancy around my leaving came from. It was gratitude. I would need to clear that up.
“So I wanted to tell him I’d rather he not show up, and then when I get back, perhaps I’ll be ready to talk to him about everything.” She was quiet a moment. “Or perhaps that’s not a conversation we ever need to have. I mean honestly, what would that do for either of us?”
Nothing good in my opinion. “Where are you going?”
“Paris,” she said with a long sigh. “So I might never come back.”
I smiled at her. “Your friends were hoping you would travel.”
“Well, I am. And they’re going with me, at least for the beginning. We’ll see how it goes.”
Squeezing her hand, I liked the smile she was giving me.
“Nash.”
Turning, I saw Weston Kinney standing between the dining and living room.
“May I speak to you outside, please?”
“Oh, sure.” I gave Shelly’s hand a final squeeze before crossing the room toward him. Once I reached him, I followed him through the house out onto the porch. “What’s going on? I thought you were staying for dinner.”
“I wanted you to know that Griffin’s father has basically warned me that if my intentions toward you are not honorable, he doesn’t want to see me outside my office.”
“What?” That was insane. “No.”
He nodded. “I got the impression he thinks that while you’re here, you’re his responsibility, and though I explained that your heart is in no danger, that I was only interested in your body…”
I snorted out a laugh, I couldn’t help it.
“This did not seem to appease him.”
“He doesn’t care who I’m sleeping with, believe me.”
“I don’t mean to tell you your business, fixer, but I think you’re wrong there.”
I shook my head.
“Regardless, before you leave here, I expect to be held down and fucked hard.”
“You are direct, aren’t you.”
“What’s the point of game-playing?”
“Absolutely right.”
“Then say you will, and I will look you up when I’m in Chicago as well,” he said, and I noted his coy smile. “Do we have a deal?”
“We do,” I said, smiling.
“You have lovely eyes, do you know that?”
“Well, everything about you is lovely as well.”
He almost purred, then turned and went down the steps. It was definitely nice watching him walk away.