by Carol Ross
Because even all of that was bearable compared to losing Seth. No matter how she thought and considered and strategized, she didn’t see a way forward for them. This would stick with her forever. Her career was over, but his was just beginning. If he got this job, or even another job in the industry, being with her would only reflect poorly on him. She couldn’t let that happen. She would not let Austin ruin another person’s life. Especially not Seth’s.
Thinking about him, about all she’d lost, drove the knife deeper. It hurt to breathe. Sitting up, she flattened one palm against her breastbone, braced the other on the window beside her, and squeezed her eyes shut.
Why hadn’t she told him how she felt? At least he’d know how incredible she thought he was, how truly wonderful he was with Scarlett and Quinn, how much the kids adored him, how no one had ever cracked Mémé’s shell of suspicion as quickly. I love you. Why couldn’t she have just said the words?
“Excuse me, miss?” Victoria heard the voice and felt a tapping on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she discovered a flight attendant standing in the aisle.
“Are you okay?”
That’s when she realized how she must look. The hand on her chest was gripping a fistful of shirt with the other still pressed to the window.
Muttering an embarrassed, “Oh, yes, I’m fine,” she folded her hands in her lap.
“Are you sure?” The woman’s face held nothing but kindness and concern. “Is there anything I can get for you?”
Victoria tried to blink away the tears, but there were too many. Eyes overflowing, they spilled onto her cheeks. Smiling weakly, she whispered, “I’m sorry. I lied. Clearly, I am not fine, but I will get it together. I promise.”
The flight attendant handed her a napkin. Victoria took it and used it on her face. Hands moving efficiently, the woman grabbed, opened, and poured some liquid into a glass. Then she leaned in and whispered, “Honey, I am so sorry for your loss, whatever it may be. I know there’s nothing I can say to take away the kind of hurt you’re feeling.” She passed over the sparkling beverage. “This is my favorite wine. Maybe it’ll take the edge off.” With a sympathetic smile, she included, “On me.”
Victoria was comforted by her thoughtfulness, if not the wine, and managed to gather the courage for what she had to do next.
Once on the ground in New Orleans, she retrieved her car from long-term parking where she’d left it. She made only one stop. At roughly halfway to home, she pulled into a truck stop where she filled up with gas. The attached convenience store was well stocked, and she purchased a large black coffee, a bag of pretzels and a disposable cell phone. She made a quick call home, learned nothing new, gave her mama the number, and told Scarlett she loved her.
Staring at the phone, she desperately wanted to contact Seth. But she knew it was best for him if she didn’t. That way, if someone asked if he’d heard from her, he could truthfully say no.
From there, she drove straight to Austin’s sixteen-acre estate that bordered his parents’ even more substantial property. They’d gifted him the land upon his graduation from law school and built him a house. Victoria had been secretly thrilled when he and Amber had opted for the construction of a completely unoriginal colonial-style monstrosity set in the middle of a vast expanse of emerald green lawn.
The house sported a mix of white-painted siding and neat red brick. Austin was so proud of the portico out front and the “genuine Italian marble” he’d had imported. Victoria had snickered to herself the first time she’d seen it because the columns appeared way too large for the roof they supported. The front door looked tiny amidst its grandeur, too, and the black ornamental shutters were literally too small for the windows. Leaving the place with a wildly ostentatious yet exaggerated appearance. Like a cartoon house.
Immaculate overgroomed trees, perfectly symmetrical shrubbery and a decorative half fence contributed to the house’s overall lack of personality. It was no place Victoria would ever want to live.
Amber answered the door, looking as pretty as usual. And uncharacteristically relatable: no lipstick, pronounced lines around her eyes, expensive clothing a bit rumpled.
“Victoria, hello. I told Austin you might show up here. Please, come in.”
Victoria bit back every sarcastic reply, and there were many. She always did her level best to be civil to Amber. Her issues were with Austin. Mostly. So instead, she smiled politely and accepted the invitation into the grand parquet-floored, chandelier-lit entryway.
“Thank you, Amber. I assume he’s home.”
“He is. I’ll go—”
“Victoria.” Austin shuffled out of a doorway near the end of a long hallway and strode toward them. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I turned my phone off and don’t plan on ever turning it back on again. I stopped listening to my voicemail after the second threat to drown me in whatever swamp I crawled out of. I’m going to have to get a new number.”
“Victoria, I am so sorry. I don’t know—”
She interrupted with a stop sign hand. “Please, don’t say things you don’t mean. I’m just here for some answers.”
He frowned and said, “But I do mean it. Will you come into my office and sit down so we can discuss this?”
Amber said, “Victoria, I know you’ve been traveling. Would you like some tea or a glass of water?”
“No, I’m fine, Amber, but thank you.”
Following Austin into his office, she took a seat on the small sofa. He settled in an adjacent wingback chair.
Forgoing small talk, Victoria got straight to the point. “There are so many things I could say to you right now but whatever your logic was, I did not deserve this. If this is because I wouldn’t allow Scarlett to go to your fundraising dinner, I—”
“Victoria,” he interrupted, appearing genuinely shocked by the accusation. “I did not do this. It was Rod Eyers.”
“Rodney Eyers?” It took her a second. “The man running against you for district attorney?”
“Yes. He’s denying it, of course. But it was someone from his campaign.”
“But why?”
“Did you read the article?”
“What article?
“The article that started all of this. It was about me. Our unfortunate episode was only a mention in the context of my ex-wife being a criminal. It’s taken on a life of its own.”
“What, why?”
“Politics can be a dirty business. You know that. Anything can be twisted to make a person look bad.”
“But this makes me look bad. I don’t get how this hurts you. We’ve been divorced for more than a decade.”
“It calls my character into question.”
Victoria shook her head. She literally had no words for that degree of irony.
“The story is evolving. It’s been leaked that I was there that day, the day that we were, uh, apprehended. My role in the matter is being scrutinized.”
“How...?” But Victoria was thinking quickly now because this made a perverse sort of sense. “Linus promised me that it was just my signature on a piece of paper that no one would ever find out.”
“I know. Believe me, we are working on that. What are you doing back here already? Your mama said you’d be in Florida until tomorrow evening. Did you get the job?”
“No. I withdrew.”
“Why?”
“When I applied, I signed a form saying that I’d never committed a felony or a wildlife violation.”
“I see. Well, under the law, a violation as a minor shouldn’t count.”
“I am aware of that, Austin. That’s what you and your daddy promised me, remember? That’s the only reason I signed that confession. I saved your hide and now I’m being punished. Again. For something we both know that I did not do, and I—”
“Victoria,” he interrupted,
“calm down. How do you think I feel? This could be very damaging to my campaign.”
“Your campaign,” she repeated flatly. Anger flared inside of her, hot and intense. Clenching her fists in her lap, she forced herself to inhale. “Austin, you ruined my life. This job was—”
“That’s a little dramatic. This isn’t an offense that warrants—”
The jarring ring of her new cell phone startled them both. Only her family had this new number. Reaching into her bag, she retrieved the phone and answered the call.
And that’s when her world truly fell apart.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MARISSA AND GERARD found them in the relatively out of the way bar. Seth didn’t ask how but noticed that neither Henry nor Hazel seemed surprised to see them either. It felt inevitable.
“Did you guys know about this?” Gerard asked, gesturing for Marissa to take a seat while he snagged a chair from a nearby vacant table.
“No,” Henry said firmly. “I found out from my daughter, who has been following the show on social media. She called and asked me about it. I was checking it out when...” He went on to explain how he’d seen Victoria in the lobby and warned her. Seth noted that he didn’t mention how Victoria had essentially confessed her guilt to him. If he hadn’t already thought the world of Henry, this sealed it. Even as much as it stung that it wasn’t him, Victoria had confided in a worthy man.
Seth felt Marissa’s eyes on him, and he wondered if she knew about him and Victoria. Or suspected? Would she believe him when he said he hadn’t been aware of Victoria’s past?
All she said was, “Seth?”
“She didn’t say a word to me.”
And yet the truth had never made him feel worse. Despite Hazel’s claim about Victoria’s radio silence being for his protection, he wasn’t sure he bought it. He certainly didn’t like it. It hurt that she didn’t trust him enough to confide in him, but she’d talked to Henry. And maybe he needed to accept that their relationship wasn’t as strong as he believed it to be. But the simple fact remained that he still loved her.
Gerard nodded thoughtfully.
Marissa sighed. “What a mess. The selection committee is reconvening right now with the legal team to reevaluate their decision in light of Victoria’s withdrawal. According to all the legalese, if an applicant withdraws, the position will be filled from the pool of remaining applicants. But no one can agree what to do when the situation involves a fraudulent claim of eligibility. Meaning another qualified applicant could have had Victoria’s spot, etcetera.
“We have no idea how they’re going to proceed. Miles is furious. This was shaping up to be the most successful PR event in the company’s history. And now all anyone can talk about is how Romeo Reels almost hired a poacher.”
“Have you spoken to Victoria? Do you have any information about the actual event in question?” Hazel asked.
“No. All I have is the email stating that she was withdrawing her name from consideration and apologizing for any inconvenience it might cause.”
Gerard huffed out a laugh. “Inconvenience? She lied on her application. She committed fraud. Romeo Reels could seek legal action.”
Seth resisted the urge to protest. Besides, he couldn’t say anything in her defense, could he? He didn’t know anything. He looked at the one person who did.
Henry started to speak when Hazel said, “I don’t think so.” He almost smiled because his sister had nothing to lose by defending Victoria, did she?
All attention shifted her way.
“Technically, she didn’t have to disclose it.”
“Excuse me?” Marissa said with a small shake of her head.
“I’ve been doing some research, including reading the original article from the Louisiana newspaper that broke this story. For some reason, people are overlooking the fact that even if it is true it was an offense by a juvenile. A juvenile’s records are sealed. For a purpose. And often expunged. The records are nonexistent from what I can discern. Again, if it is even true, she was likely and truthfully told that as an adult she could honestly say it never occurred. Google is very knowledgeable about Louisiana juvenile law.
“It appears that this reporter, Olivia Wallace, is basing her story on an anonymous source and unconfirmed police reports—not on actual formal documents like notes from an arrest or court proceedings.”
“That’s strange,” Marissa commented. “Why would a reporter take that kind of risk? And if it wasn’t true, why would Victoria withdraw? Why wouldn’t she stay and fight? I would have taken her for a fighter.”
“Good questions, Marissa,” Hazel said. “And ones we should be asking. I’ll start. Who stands to gain by taking Victoria out of the running?” Lifting both hands, palms up and out, she motioned toward Seth and Henry at the same time. “These guys do.”
Tipping one hand toward Seth, she said, “Seth is a hard no. This man is my brother, and I know him better than he knows himself. It would never occur to him to probe into his opponents’ backgrounds and dig up dirt to get this job. He only wants to win based on his skill and merit. Fishing skills. Where he is unmatched. At home in Alaska, where everyone fancies themselves an angler, Seth is a legend.” Slowly cocking her head to one side, she paused a beat before adding, “Casting competition notwithstanding. He mucked that up for reasons we don’t need to get into right now.”
“Thanks for pointing that out, Hazel,” Seth commented wryly.
Lifting one shoulder, she went on, “What I’m saying is that Seth would be happiest if you just had a derby and let that be the deciding factor. Let the most skilled angler rule the day!”
Everyone laughed because they all knew him well enough to know she spoke the truth. Seth shrugged and faked a sheepish smile. “What can I say? I like to win.”
Hazel grinned and went on, “The good thing about that trait is that if he were to get this job, he would apply that same competitive drive and work ethic. He’d be an excellent spokesperson because he would become an expert with every product and master each task assigned to him. He won’t settle for being less than the best.”
“Um, thank you for real this time, Hazel.”
She acknowledged him with a smile. “That leaves Henry.” With her other hand, she gestured in his direction. “Now granted, I don’t know Henry nearly as well, but I have observed quite a bit this week. And I can assure you that he has both the smarts and the ingenuity to conceive of a strategy like this and—”
“Hazel, I don’t—” Seth interrupted.
“Let me finish,” Hazel countered with a scowl. “And pull it off without anyone being the wiser. But he wouldn’t. No way. Henry’s integrity is above reproach. He strives for excellence in all areas of his life. He wants to be, excuse the cliché, his best self. Throughout this whole process, he’s proven that time and again by helping and advising both Victoria and Seth when not helping them would have been to his advantage. He’s not only one of the most intelligent and interesting people I’ve ever met, he’s witty, thinks fast, and when he talks people listen. No offense to Miles Romeo, but Henry could rock this job and run the company in his spare time.”
Henry smiled, looking both pleased and embarrassed. He shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe her assessment. Or, more likely, he couldn’t believe that she’d said it out loud. Honest, insightful analysis. That was Hazel.
“It sounds to me like you should be on the selection committee,” Gerard quipped.
Hazel’s shrug conveyed her agreement. What she said was, “There’s something fishy about this whole thing if you ask me.”
Marissa picked up her phone and tapped the display. To Gerard, she said, “A text from Miles’s assistant. The selection committee is asking to see us right now.”
Gerard pushed back his chair and made to stand. Then, seeming to think better of it, he frowned thoughtfully at Hazel. “Before
we go, what would you say about Victoria if someone asked you?”
Hazel nodded. “Victoria might not be the best all-around angler. If that’s what you’re looking for, then both Seth and Henry probably have her beat. But that’s just experience. Besides, the job is about more than that, isn’t it? And Victoria wants this job more than either of them. I would say she needs this job, but that feels a bit dramatic and would maybe be overstepping on my part.
“Honestly, she’s better suited to it, and the job is better suited to her. She brings this passion and energy to everything she does. She’s just...magnetic. If anyone who is even remotely interested in fishing watches her or listens to her for three seconds, they’ll want to be her. Just that voice of hers alone is hypnotic, right? But it’s more than that.
“You’ve seen the way people take to her. They want to know her, be her fishing buddy. She makes the whole pro angler fantasy real and accessible because she’s so gracious and genuine and approachable. It means folks will buy whatever it is she’s selling.”
Several silent seconds followed as everyone appeared transfixed.
“Wow,” Gerard eventually muttered.
“Yep, nailed it,” Marissa said, pushing to her feet. “Come on. We need to go.”
Quick goodbyes followed, and they hurried away. Henry and Seth both got on their phones to read the article.
“Finished?” Hazel asked them a few minutes later when a frowning Seth looked up.
“Yes. The story isn’t even about her. This is a hit piece on Victoria’s ex-husband.”
“Did you know that he’s running for district attorney?”
“Yeah,” Seth confirmed. “Victoria is collateral damage in a political campaign.”
“That’s the way it appears to me, too,” Henry agreed.
They finished their drinks and continued to discuss the situation. Marissa texted to let them know that reporters were camped out in the lobby and the conference area. When it was time to go, they paid their bill and headed back across the street to the hotel. To avoid the main entrance, they used a keycard and went through a side door and rode an escalator up to the conference area. Only to discover that Marissa was right; it was packed with people.
