“I know, Tabitha. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. No one would blame you if you stayed home today and just processed the changes.” Jules patted Tabitha’s shoulder, which was rigid with anger.
“I have no intention of processing anything. He is not taking away everything I have worked hard for over the years. If he thinks I’m just going to lie down and take this because he’s upset at his father, he has another think coming.”
“But everything is in his name, isn’t it? It’s his legal decision to do whatever he wants with the businesses and charities. Why would your husband do that if they weren’t speaking?”
“The will hasn’t been updated since before Michael moved away. There was a time when they were so close, and it was in the plans for Michael to take over everything. Once they had a falling out his father always hoped Michael would come back and things could go back to normal. I will tell you one thing, my husband never intended for Michael to dismantle his legacy and leave me and Josephine with nothing.”
“Why did Michael leave in the first place?” Piper asked. Jules wanted to snap at her for getting involved, but she actually wanted to know the answer too, so she stayed silent and waited.
“Because that’s what fathers and sons do,” Tabitha snapped back. “They were more alike than either of them would admit, and because of that, they didn’t agree on much.”
“What do you intend to do to keep Michael from moving forward with his plans? It sounds like he’s already got the ball rolling on most of it.” Piper shifted in her seat slightly and Jules could tell her friend was working another agenda. But again, Jules wanted an answer to the question.
“The only thing that will change his mind is seeing himself as part of this family and believing he could have a future here in Ohio again, at least in some capacity. Right now he’s just trying to get through the weekend and then leave us here like we’re strangers. If he stayed a little longer and saw Josephine and me as something other than just the wife and daughter of a man he hated, maybe he could stop making decisions out of spite and anger. He doesn’t want the burden of continuing his father’s legacy, and in the process he’s destroying our lives. I know he’s not that kind of man, but right now he’s making it hard to remember the sweet boy he once was. Does he intend to keep Frankie from me? Does he intend to never see me again after this?” Tabitha broke into a sob and covered her face with her hands as her shoulders shook.
“No,” Jules said adamantly. “He will not keep Frankie from you. I won’t let that happen. We don’t have much family, and I’m not going to let him just cut you out of her life like that. You are her grandmother and you have the right to see her whenever you want.”
“I know if you leave after this party I’ll never have the chance to make any of this right,” Tabitha choked out.
“I’ve already told him he doesn’t get to decide when Frankie and I leave. He’s my husband, not my keeper. I honestly can’t believe how he’s acting. I’ve never known him to make decisions just to spite people.”
“Neither have I,” Piper cut in. “He always has a reason for what he does. He’s very calculated and levelheaded.”
“Usually, yes. But the way I’ve seen him acting here is frightening. I don’t intend to just run off to Edenville and pretend none of this ever happened.”
“So you’re going to stay here?” Piper asked, and Jules knew her well enough to see she was fighting back her own opinion in the matter.
“Oh, please tell me you are staying. I can’t imagine losing everything in one week. My husband, our livelihood, and my grandchild. I won’t survive all of that.” Tabitha clutched at Jules’s leg desperately.
“I don’t know, really,” Jules explained, now feeling like it would be wrong to promise something she really wasn’t entirely sure about yet. Wouldn’t false hope be worse than leaving? All she had meant was that Michael wasn’t the decision-maker for the entire family. “I just want you to know that I’ll talk to Michael and try to understand more of what is going on. I feel like we’ve hardly had a chance to talk since all this started. I’m sure I can get through to him.”
Like a hot air balloon whose flame had been extinguished, Tabitha shriveled and shrank. Jules hadn’t given her the exact answers she'd been looking for.
The car slowed to a stop in front of a large museum-like building before Tabitha could voice her apparent disappointment and concern. At the top of the grand front steps stood Josephine, wearing a gray designer pantsuit and a scowl. Jules felt a rock sinking in her stomach at the idea of having to face another person Michael had blindsided with the news this morning. Her anger at him was growing, but like a small fractal of light cutting through that darkness there was a part of her that wondered why a man who always acted with logic and forethought would now make rash and spiteful decisions. And the answer in her head kept ringing the same: he wouldn’t.
Chapter Eighteen
Josephine had requested a moment alone with her mother, and the two stepped inside a small office while Jules and Piper headed into the large ballroom where the party would be held.
“I feel terrible,” Jules said as she bit down on her nails and then stopped suddenly when she remembered how much the deluxe manicure had cost Tabitha. “I don’t understand why Michael is doing this. Just because he can shut everything down doesn’t mean he should. We could make things work out here.”
“Are you saying you want to stay in Ohio?” Piper asked, unable to hide her concern at that idea.
“No, I’m saying it wouldn’t be impossible to spend some time out here and some in Edenville. Michael could run everything and not uproot their lives completely the way he is. Tabitha loves these charities. I know they aren’t completely clean of any corruption, but she’s had nothing to do with that. She shouldn’t be punished for her husband’s mistakes.”
“I’m sure it’ll all work out,” Piper said noncommittally, looking around the large room to avoid eye contact with Jules.
“Really, you’re going with that for an answer?”
“I told you I’d come out with you today and not interject my opinion. I’m just trying to be supportive.”
“Well, stop it for a minute and just tell me what you really think.”
“I think you’re stating things as fact when you aren’t really positive. You don’t know if Tabitha had nothing to do with the corruption of those charities. You’re giving her undue trust, and in the process you’re showing Michael you don’t trust him.”
“And what if Michael is just angry and acting like a stupid jerk because he’s mad? Do they deserve that? I’m not ready to tell them to stay out of our lives.”
“I’ve never known him to make decisions based solely on emotions. That’s kind of your department.” Piper smiled slightly but quickly tucked it away.
“What do you think I should do? And don’t tell me to trust Michael.” Jules bit nervously at her lip and glanced over her shoulder to see if Tabitha and Josephine were coming.
“I don’t think you should do anything. Don’t promise to stay and don’t plan on leaving. Give it all a little more time. Talk to Michael, and give him a chance to explain. I’m not saying to blindly trust him, I’m saying listen to what he has to say.”
“Is she telling you to listen to what Michael has to say? Isn’t that sage advice?” Tabitha asked as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere with Josephine by her side and startled them.
“Tabitha, this isn’t an easy time for any of us. I certainly never thought I’d be in the middle of something like this by coming out here.” Jules felt sweat begin to bead on the back of her neck at the idea of having a confrontation with Tabitha.
Looking as though she were an overfull volcano about to spew lava, Tabitha turned a new shade of red. But then as quick as the wave came, it seemed to subside. “I understand. This really isn’t easy for any of us. I’m afraid now, that’s all. I don’t want to lose you and Frankie. Michael doesn’t have a reason
to run anymore, so I hope he doesn’t.”
Tabitha pulled Jules in for a tight hug and patted her back gently. Jules felt the weight of the world come off her shoulders. She thought for sure Tabitha was about to flip out on her. But she didn’t. Crisis averted.
“Now, this day is about Josephine. So let’s get down to business, making sure this event is perfect.” Tabitha turned toward her daughter and gently touched her cheek.
“Thank you, Mother,” Josephine said with a smile. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle of this, Jules. I’ve always wanted a sister and I can see you and I have so much in common. I hope that we can make this all work somehow.”
“I hope so too,” Jules said, wiping away a tear and pulling Josephine in for a hug.
As Tabitha and Josephine stepped away to get the attention of the party planner who’d walked in, Piper leaned in toward Jules.
“I know that look. You are planning something,” Piper whispered.
“There has to be a way to work all of this out.”
Piper rolled her eyes and shook her head at Jules. “Just be careful.”
“My middle name is careful.” Jules grinned at her best friend.
“No, you’re middle name is Marie, and you’re never careful.”
Chapter Nineteen
“You’ve got to be kidding with this shit, Michael,” Tim Abraham, his father’s point person in overseas purchases for the manufacturing business, barked as he charged into the office and closed the door tightly behind him.
“It’s not a joke. I’m shutting everything down. You’ll have to launder your money somewhere else.”
“Your father would roll over in his grave if he knew what a pussy you were being,” Tim retorted as he slammed his pudgy fist down on the desk. His wispy gray combover seemed to be glowing against his crimson face.
“There isn’t room for debate here, Tim. I’ve got the majority of the paperwork ready to be filed. It’s done. Now let’s talk about what that means for you. By scaling back the manufacturing company significantly we won’t be sourcing as heavily from outside the United States anymore. Your services won’t be necessary.” Michael leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest the way his father used to do.
“How about I just gather up some reporters and let them know about the deal your father had with a fabric company in Taiwan? He had a lot of blood on his hands after that.”
Michael took in the smug look on Tim’s round face as he shuffled the papers on his desk until the one with Tim’s name was on the top. “It’s interesting you know so much about that deal. It’s likely because you helped broker it. Cy Hue seems to have made quite a few calls to your office over the last six months. And the wire transfer of forty thousand dollars he sent you, was that a birthday present?” Michael said a silent thank you to Lindsey’s awesome detective work for setting this up so perfectly.
The haughty look of victory dropped from Tim’s face and was replaced with a worried one. “What are you, some kind of private investigator now or something? I don’t suppose you had a warrant to find all that.”
“No, I’m a lawyer who has every intention of getting my family out of this shit and going back to my life. I’m not here to turn people in. Your crimes die with my father’s as far as I’m concerned. But you need to find a new partner in crime. I’m sure all my father’s other associates will be looking to start over with someone else. This could actually be a good opportunity for you too.”
Tim leaned back on his heels as he considered what was being said. His hand ran thoughtfully under one of his chins. “Will you put my name out there to anyone you think might be interested in striking a deal?”
“Fine,” Michael shrugged, seeing no harm in connecting one bad person to another. They’d find each other eventually anyway, but at least this way they’d have less motivation to come after the Cooper family.
“Not everyone is going to be as easy to convince as I am. I happen to have very diverse partnerships out there. It’s the people who worked exclusively with your father that will have the most to lose.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Michael said hollowly as he gestured toward the door. When it shut behind Tim, Michael let out a tired sigh and allowed himself a brief moment of rest. He and Lindsey had already spent the morning going over which of his father’s associates had the most to lose and whose hands were the dirtiest. Michael was carefully prepared for each meeting. As the phone on his father’s desk rang again, he forced his tired eyes open and drew in a deep breath.
“Michael Cooper,” he grumbled as he put the receiver to his ear.
“That was some show you put on this morning,” a woman’s voice hummed on the other end of the line. “I’m Clara Epstein.”
Clara was enemy number one on the list he and Lindsey had created. She was a relatively squeaky clean politician, if there was such a thing, who’d begun working with his father a few months ago. On paper he was funding part of her campaign, but in reality he was doing much more. He’d begun advocating on her behalf behind closed doors and swapping favors for votes. The problem, besides being unethical and illegal, was Clara had kept herself completely clear of any wrongdoing as far as Michael could tell. For some reason his father was helping Clara, but there didn’t seem to be anything given to him in return. No money. No real estate, nothing passed between them that could be tracked as payment.
Since he didn’t have an answer he’d play dumb. “Hello Mrs. Epstein. What can I do for you today?”
“Your father and I had an arrangement. I’d like to make an appointment with you today to discuss it in person.” Her voice was level and professional, but Michael could sense the edge of nerves as well.
“That would be fine. I’m available all day today. When would you like to stop by?” Before she could answer Michael heard a light tap on the door that slowly grew louder. “One moment please, Clara.”
The office door cracked open and Nicolette peeked her head in timidly. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, Mr. Cooper. I tried to reach Mrs. Cooper on the phone but couldn’t. It’s the baby.”
Without a thought about the woman waiting on hold on the phone Michael shot to his feet and started heading toward the nursery. “What is it? What happened?”
“She’s not eating and she’s sleeping most of the day. She’s very warm. I was just going to take her temperature but I wanted to let you know first.” Nicolette spoke frantically, matching the way Michael was feeling.
“I’ll call Jules and tell her to come home. We need to take her to the doctor. I don’t know any doctors out here. Who do we call?” He fumbled his cell phone out of his pocket.
“I’ll call Dr. Sans. He was your sister’s pediatrician, and I know he lives close by. He used to make house calls back when your sister had her stomach problems. If he can come maybe we shouldn’t bother your wife. Not until he has a chance to see the baby. It may be nothing.”
“I . . .” Michael thought it over. Jules would not want to be the last to know if something was wrong with Frankie. But she may also assume he was being an alarmist just to cut her day short with his mother. “If he can get here quickly then I’ll wait.”
Within twenty minutes the thin, beak-nosed doctor was hustling into the nursery where Michael was rocking his sleepy daughter.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“Can you tell me when the symptoms started?” Dr. Sans asked as he pulled a stethoscope out of his bag.
“I’m not sure. I’ve been so focused on my father’s business I haven’t spent much time with her.” Michael turned toward Nicolette, hoping she could shed some light.
“She ate very well yesterday at lunch and was awake and alert this morning. But sometime after breakfast she started getting fussy, sleepy, and wouldn’t eat. I thought maybe she was just teething, but she’s been sleeping since breakfast and doesn’t want to wake up for much longer than a few minutes here and there.”
“That’
s not like her at all. She hates sleeping. She hardly ever sleeps during the day, other than one nap in the afternoon. Even at night she’s still up a few times.” Michael felt an ache in his heart for Jules. He’d been taking for granted how little sleep she had been getting and had overlooked how overwhelmed she was feeling. He should have been getting up more to help her at night. He’d been so selfish. He knew her inability to nurse had been eating at her too. Pumping and bottle-feeding had not been in her original plan. It all felt like it was finally sinking in for him about how hard Jules’s job really was these days.
“Any allergies?” he asked as he gestured for Michael to shift Frankie in his arms so he could examine her better.
“None that we know of so far. She had some reflux as a baby but it’s been better since we started solid foods about a month ago.”
After a quick examination the doctor began shaking his head and jotting some notes down in a pad he had tucked back in his pocket. “It looks like she has a double ear infection. I’m shocked she’s sleeping. She should be in quite a bit of pain. She’s a tough little girl. That would account for the lack of appetite and being so tired. Her eardrums are very inflamed and even if we put her on antibiotics they still might burst over the next day or so. I’ll call in a prescription you can pick up tonight.”
“What does that mean? Her ear drums might burst, that sounds serious.” Michael instantly wished Jules was here now.
“It really isn’t. It happens more than you would think, and if they burst it will actually relieve the pressure she’s feeling. They’ll heal on their own with time. She’ll just need to be watched closely. She has a slight fever now. You can give her something for it, and if it gets higher than one hundred three please call me right away.”
Battling Destiny (The Piper Anderson Series Book 6) Page 11
