Van: Vested Interest #5

by Melanie Moreland

  Mouse was excited to see both of us and clung to my hand when I lifted her into the back seat.

  “You aren’t going home right now, are you, Mr. Van?”

  I tapped her on the nose. “I am, Mouse, but guess what?”

  “What?”

  “You and your mom are coming with me. I need to hear all about your weekend with Grammie, and I’m going to barbeque dinner for my two favorite girls.”

  Her eyes grew round. “Are we having hot dogs? I love hot dogs.”

  I chuckled, listening to her excitement and Liv’s groan. “Hot dogs for sure. But you have to eat all your veggies, okay?”

  She pursed her lips. “Are you gonna make your ranch sauce? Because I’ll eat them all with that.”

  I laughed and kissed her head. She was far too cute and clever.

  “Yep. The ranch is already chilling.”

  “Okay!”

  I shut the door and turned to Liv. “All buckled in, Livvy?”

  “Dinner?” she asked quietly. I hadn’t asked her about dinner, but I hoped she was okay with my plans.

  I leaned forward on the pretext of checking her seat belt. I brushed my lips over her cheek. “I’m not ready to give you up yet. You okay with that?”

  Color spread across her cheeks, but her grin was teasing. “Well, as long as there’s ranch…”

  I shut the door, laughing again. They were both going to kill me—in the very best way.

  Mouse’s reaction to my house was nothing short of exuberant. She dashed from room to room, offering a nonstop dialogue on some improvements. Namely, more pink and some glitter.

  Everywhere.

  Her favorite room was the space I had always planned as an office but never really got around to completing, so it sat empty except for a few boxes. It overlooked the backyard, and the huge maple tree that stood by the house. The bay window offered a great vantage point, and Sammy climbed up onto the hard, wooden seat, informing me she would like a cushion there next time, so she could play in the window.

  “Sammy,” Liv admonished her. “Where are your manners? You can’t demand things like that. You don’t know if Van will invite us back again.”

  Sammy looked at her mother as if she was crazy. “He will, Mommy. He likes us a lot. I know this. I saw him kiss you earlier. You told me that’s what adults do when they like someone,” she protested. “And if he made me a bookshelf, I bet he can make a cushion.”

  Liv stiffened as I laughed at Sammy’s logic and Liv’s reaction to the kissing statement.

  “Well, I can’t Mouse. But I bet if I asked my mom, she could make you one. She loves to sew things.”

  She jumped off the window seat. “Can you phone her and ask?”

  “Samantha Rourke!” Liv gasped.

  I wrapped my arms around Liv’s waist and tugged her back. “I met your mom,” I murmured into her ear. “Only fair you meet mine.”

  She glanced up. “I wish you wouldn’t encourage this behavior. This isn’t like her at all.”

  I knew Sammy was watching us. Purposely, I leaned down and kissed Liv. Full on the mouth—a lingering, sweet kiss. Lifting my head, I met Sammy’s pleased gaze. “I do like your mom, Mouse. I like you too. In fact, I think I’m going to be around a lot—what do you think about that?”

  She didn’t look surprised, instead, settling down on the wood seat and crossing her arms. “I’m good.”

  “Okay, let’s call my mom about the cushion.”

  The call turned into a visit. My mom showed up a short time later, arms filled with material and her inquiring mother face firmly in place.

  I introduced them, watching my mom’s reaction closely.

  “Mom, this is Liv and Sammy. Liv, this is my mom.”

  “Mrs. Morrison, it’s so nice to meet you.” Liv held out her hand.

  My mom brushed it off, pulling her in for a hug. “Nonsense. It’s Lila.” She lowered herself to Sammy. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Sammy.”

  Sammy grinned at her. “Mr. Van calls me Mouse. Are you really his mom? He’s so big! How did you carry him when he was my age?”

  My mom laughed and took her hand. “He wasn’t always so big. I’ll show you pictures later.” She winked. “And he still isn’t too big for me to handle.”

  Sammy giggled. I watched fondly as my mom peppered Liv and Sammy with questions, discovering more about them in thirty minutes than I had found out in a year. Sammy had an equal number of questions for her. By the end of her visit, my mom loved Sammy. She loved Liv. It was as if she had known them for years, not hours. And not only had Sammy firmly ensconced herself in my mom’s heart, we had another willing and eager babysitter.

  “I’ll take her anytime!” she exclaimed. “You two need alone time. I need Nanna time.”

  Sammy’s eyes were huge. “Nanna? Can I call you Nanna?”

  My mom didn’t hesitate. “Nanna Lila. Yes.”

  I had held back my groan since Liv seemed fine with it. She had smiled and laughed at Sammy’s enthusiasm. Mom also insisted she needed to meet Elly as soon as possible.

  “Mom would enjoy meeting you too,” Liv replied.

  “Good. As soon as she’s back from Florida, we’ll have you all for dinner.”

  I didn’t bother to object. There was no point, and besides, I was happy they were going to meet. Anything that kept Liv and Mouse close was good.

  There was much discussion about the window cushion. I went downstairs once the words pink and sparkly were mentioned. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to apply only to the cushion. My man card was in serious jeopardy of being revoked once Sammy and my mom got their hands on the spare room.

  Still, I was okay with it. If Sammy was in the room, it meant Liv was here with me.

  Win-win.

  Tuesday morning, I frowned at my phone and the text that arrived.

  Running late. Sammy is sick and waiting for backup.

  I responded right away.

  It’s fine. Take care of Mouse, and if you can’t make it, you can meet with them another time. I hope she’s okay.

  Her reply came back a few moments later.

  A bit of the stomach flu, I think. Going around day care. My neighbor is going to sit with her while I come to the meeting, then will work from home this afternoon. Please apologize for me for being late. Be there asap.

  I shook my head. She was always so conscientious.

  All is fine. Take your time.

  Jordan came in, carrying two cups of coffee. He set one on my desk. “I spoke to Sandy. She’s sending the guys down. I told her not to bother escorting them.” He frowned. “Danishes aren’t ready. I’ll go grab some later.”

  I smirked. “Not ready, or you didn’t want to be forced to share them with the people from WIN?”

  He winked. “You know me too well.”

  I ran a hand over my face. “I haven’t even looked at the file. Yesterday was crazy.”

  I had gone to the building with my dad, checking and measuring the various kinds of molding. Afterward, we had met with the company about matching the stain and the cuts. I had spent the afternoon putting out fires at one of the other places I was trying to finish up so I could concentrate on this huge project for Bentley. I had ended the day by meeting with my crews and turning over some other projects to my most trusted foremen. I would be available if needed, but as Bentley said, it was time to test their wings. The way he was going, we would all be busy for months to come. I had also spoken with the band, and we all agreed to take a break from any more gigs for a while until my schedule lightened up. I had barely had time to text Liv and hadn’t seen her at all yesterday. Hearing Mouse was sick wasn’t a great start to the day.

  He waved his hand. “All under control. Today is simply to sit down, meet face-to-face. Then tomorrow we’ll meet on site and go through everything step-by-step.” He smirked. “After that, I’m done. I’ll turn it over to you, and you can run the show.”

  “Liv is going to be late. Sammy is sick, an
d she’s waiting on someone to look after her so she can get here.”

  “Kids,” he deadpanned. “They bugger up plans all the time.”

  Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door. Two men stood, waiting for an invitation to come in. I stood at the same time Jordan did. The older man walked in, tall and confident. His hair was silver, and his eyes pale blue and shrewd. He offered his hand.

  “John Peters, owner of WIN.”

  I accepted his handshake. “Vince Morrison.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you. All good, of course. I’m looking forward to seeing if your reputation holds true.”

  I inclined my head, letting his words pass. It felt like a challenge, and I refused to rise to the bait. I wasn’t concerned with my reputation or his opinion. He was obviously all business, and it was fine with me—I could be the same way.

  The other man stood back, his hands clasped behind his back. His dark-blond hair was slicked back, and his brown eyes were cool, but strangely familiar. He wasn’t as big or as broad as me, but his stance was tall. His lips were pinched in a frown, and judging from the lines on his forehead, I guessed it was an expression he wore a lot.

  John turned to him. “Nolan, come meet our clients.”

  Nolan stepped forward, his greeting short. “Gentlemen. Good to meet you.” He glanced at Jordan. “Kids do bugger up the works.”

  Jordan frowned. “It was a joke.”

  Nolan lifted a shoulder. “Of course.”

  I had a feeling he didn’t mean it. He didn’t seem like a warm and fuzzy kind of guy.

  He focused his gaze my way. “We’ll be working closely together, Vince. I look forward to it. This is a great project.”

  There was something about him that bothered me immediately. I tried to shrug it off, wondering if knowing Jordan didn’t personally like either of them was affecting my own opinion. I had to give them the benefit of the doubt.

  “My mother calls me Vince. I go by Van around work.”

  He inclined his head. “Van.”

  I shook his hand. “Good to meet you as well. Grab a seat, and we’ll get started.” I indicated the small table we used for meetings. I had cleaned it off in preparation.

  “Is your designer not joining us?” Nolan asked.

  “She’s running late. She’ll be here shortly.”

  Nolan’s mouth twisted in impatience. “I see.”

  The need to defend Liv was strong. “An emergency came up,” I stated. “She’s on her way.”

  He sat, looking displeased. “Personal business should be kept out of work hours.”

  Jordan scowled. “Life doesn’t always work that way.”

  Nolan lifted his shoulders dismissively. “I suppose not for everyone. I make my job priority one.”

  I turned to my desk and grabbed some files to hide my anger. This guy was a piece of work. Arrogant and opinionated, the way Jordan had stated. Nevertheless, I only had to use his crew, not go for beers with him. I had worked with other subcontractors in the past that I didn’t like personally. As long as the work was good, I could handle it.

  John clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax, Nolan. Not everyone is as job-driven as you.”

  I sat down and picked up my cup, changing the subject. “Can we get you guys anything? Great café in the building. Or we have water and juice in the fridge.”

  They both declined.

  Jordan and I opened the files, and we started discussing business. Personally, I knew we would never get along well. But professionally, I had to admit, Jordan was right again. They knew what they were talking about, and they wanted the project to go well. They both had ideas I liked, and my reticence eased as they spoke.

  Hurried footsteps down the hall made me look toward the door. Liv rushed in, her arms full. Her hair was in its usual braid, a thick golden cord hanging over her shoulder. She looked frazzled and upset. I knew how seriously she took her job and would hate the fact that she’d arrived late. I stood, hoping to catch her eye and silently assure her all was well.

  But she froze partway into the room. Her creamy complexion became pale. So pale, I was immediately concerned. She looked as if she was going into shock. Her eyes widened, her gaze focused on the man sitting at the table to my right. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

  “Liv? You okay?” Jordan asked, concern lacing his voice.

  Still, she was mute.

  I began to move toward her, when Nolan spoke.

  “No greeting for an old friend, Olivia?”

  His words stopped me. I turned toward him with a frown.

  He knew her? Had they worked together before? He never mentioned it. When she heard the name Nolan, she hadn’t reacted at all.

  What the hell?

  Nolan remained seated and sighed impatiently. “Let’s try this again. You were always a little slow at times.” He cleared his throat. “Hello, Olivia. Long time.”

  I bristled at his words, my hands curling into fists. Before I could speak, Liv found her voice.

  “What are you doing here?” she gasped through tight lips.

  “I work for John now. I have for almost two years.” He tilted his head. “I’ve been looking forward to this meeting. Seeing you again. I thought we could catch up.”

  If it was possible, she became paler. Every instinct in me told me to go to her. Shield her from what was happening—whatever it was. But I knew I couldn’t.

  Jordan spoke. “Liv, come sit down.”

  She moved, almost collapsing into the chair. I sat down, noticing the way her body trembled, and my anxiety grew. I wanted to reach across the table and hold her. Let her know she was safe. Mentally, I begged her to look at me, but her gaze remained focused across the table on the man who sat there.

  John seemed confused but calm. Nolan leaned back in his chair looking smug, and my dislike deepened.

  Liv drew in a deep breath. “Why are you here, Chris?”

  Chris?

  Now I was completely confused.

  “For a job. And I go by Nolan now.”

  John laughed. “There were already three other Chris’s in the company when I hired him. We started using last names, and it stuck.” John clapped his shoulder. “He’s my right hand. You’ll be working together. It won’t be a problem, will it, Olivia? Nolan says you go way back. He’s been looking forward to seeing you.”

  It hit me.

  Chris Nolan.

  Liv’s ex.

  The bastard who’d mistreated her, then threw her and Sammy aside without regard.

  Sammy’s father. In the same room as Liv and me.

  Holy fuck.

  Van

  I had never witnessed a person with as much strength as Liv until that moment. In the blink of an eye, she pulled herself together. Although she was still horribly pale, her voice was steady, and she was calm.

  I was incredibly proud of her.

  Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her laptop and a file. “Well, let’s get down to business, shall we?” she asked, her voice cool.

  Chris, or Nolan, smirked again. I wanted to wipe the expression off his face with my fist, but I refrained. If Liv could handle sitting at the same table as he was and could act professionally, so could I.

  “How is life treating you, Olivia? How is—” he paused as if searching for a word “—your, ah, daughter?” He snapped his fingers. “Samantha, right?”

  Liv’s pen jerked, a jagged line appearing across the paper. Her voice was tight. “Everything is great, Nolan.” She emphasized his name. “I prefer to keep my private life outside the office, if you don’t mind.”

  “Unless it interferes with your work,” Nolan pointed out.

  Before she could respond, Jordan stepped in. “Liv is an exemplary employee. Here at BAM, family is important, and we understand things happen. Looking after your child always comes first.”

  Nolan’s eyebrows rose slowly, silently stating his thoughts on Jordan’s words.

  John lifted
his shoulder. “My company is my family, but I understand. I hope everything gets solved for you, Olivia.”

  Liv cleared her throat and acknowledged him with a tilt of her head. “Shall we get started?”

  She finally met my gaze. Despite her bravado, I saw her turmoil. The anxiety she was trying to hide swirled in her eyes. There was a slight tremble to her hand. Her shoulders were stiff, her posture tense. Ignoring everything and everyone else, I spoke, my words directed only toward her.

  “You take the lead, Liv. I’ll follow.”

  She knew what I was saying. Whatever she needed, I was there for her. Her shoulders sagged a little—enough for me to know she understood me. I was there for her. Whatever she needed.

  “Okay.”

  John and Nolan left. The meeting had gone surprisingly well after the bombs that were dropped when Liv arrived. When talking business, they were on point and seemed to have no problems with any of our requirements. I made sure to keep things short and to the point, and when the meeting was done, stood to let them know it was over.

  “We’ll see you on site tomorrow.”

  Once they were gone, Jordan turned to Liv.

  “If I understood what just happened, I can cancel this right now. I’ll go to Bentley and explain. But once we start, I can’t break the contract.”

  She shook her head. “I appreciate it, Jordan, but it’s not necessary.”

  He frowned, exchanging a glance with me. “That was Sammy’s father, yes?”

  Liv nodded.

  “Can you work with him?” he asked. “Liv, I’m not blind. I saw the effect he had on you.”

  “I was shocked. I had no idea Chris was back in town. I hadn’t heard about him in years.” She sighed. “One thing I do know about him is that he had the highest standards when it came to business. The same insistence on perfection he had in his personal life was always applied to his work. He’ll make sure the work is done properly. That’s why Bentley went with WIN.” She paused for a moment. “I’ll figure out a way to make this work, Jordan.”