Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  Without wasting time, Emma spun and exited the store. On impulse, she tucked her blonde ponytail under her cap, dug a towel out of her bag and threw it around her shoulders, keeping it wide open to conceal her shape. The woman would have trouble guessing details about Josh’s companion.

  At first, misleading their stalker had amused Emma, then she’d wondered how many girlfriends had put a claim on the charming lawyer for his father to practically lose his marbles. Would she be able to sustain the competition?

  Right now Josh had appointed himself her protector because he suspected embezzlement on Scott’s part. To think that tomorrow they’d go to the auto shops in the middle of the night to audit the account freaked her out to no end. What if something went wrong? What if Scott came and started a fight? What if one of them got injured because of her?

  “Emma, I’m talking to you. Where did you go?” Josh’s voice pierced through her depressing thoughts.

  “Hu... I was thinking about tomorrow.”

  “Well, why don’t we talk about it. You’d better not be that nervous at the office,” he rubbed her hand and squeezed it. The gentle gesture warmed her up and quelled her fears. “I’ll give you a new project and will call it high priority in a loud voice for everyone to hear. This way no one will disturb you. Don’t chit chat with the girls and don’t go to lunch with them,” he added with his boss’s voice. “We don’t want your voice betraying that something is going on.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be very calm.” When he slanted an incredulous glance at her, she sighed. “Okay, I’ll avoid the gang and I’ll claim that I have too much work.”

  “Good. Also try to leave on time, or rather at five fifteen, since you always stay late. Have dinner with your stepmother, walk your dog, go to the gym or whatever you do after work.”

  She snorted. As if she had time to do much when she came home around eight every night. But she didn’t protest his good advice. Walking Rino was a great idea. The poor thing had been neglected recently. He must be fed up of being confined to the backyard all day long.

  “I’ll follow your instructions to the letter.”

  “That’s my girl.” He rewarded her with a bone-melting smile and a tender gaze that reached deep down to ignite a blazing fire. He must have felt some of the flames since his hand skated up to her cheek and her throat for a seductive and most arousing caress.

  A car honked behind them and startled her. “Keep your eyes on the road, please.”

  He turned his head away and exhaled. “I’ll go straight to the office garage and pick up my car. Sorry I can’t drive you home.”

  “No problem. My car is used to that drive around that same time.”

  Once inside the deserted parking lot, he bent and gave her a brush on the lips then slipped out. She opened her door and stepped out of the car to turn around and sit at the wheel.

  Forgetting her worries, she smiled. “Thank you for a wonderful day.”

  “Thank you for making it special. Emma, I’ll be with you tomorrow night. Detective Zach has it all planned. Everything will be fine.”

  “Yes. Yes I know. Thank you. Good night.”

  Her heart light, she drove home trusting Josh, trusting that everything would go according to plan.

  And it did. In the morning, Josh called her to his office, left his door open, and gave her a new project. When she walked out to the hallway, he called as loud as possible, “Emma, it’s an ASAP. Get on it right away.”

  “Sure,” she answered.

  At her reception desk, Connie shook her head in sympathy. “I hope we’re not getting another of his bad days.”

  “I don’t think so.” Emma reassured her with a smile. “Just a lot of work.”

  “So what’s new,” Connie grumbled.

  In the privacy of her cubicle, Emma concentrated on her important case and forgot her worries. The day passed too fast. At five fifteen, she locked her laptop and folders and left the office. As usual, Connie had left at five sharp.

  Josh waved from his open office door and hurried toward her. “I’ll call in an hour or so,” he said in a hushed voice. “Bye.”

  Talking to him reassured her some more. Everything would be fine.

  At home, she changed into a pair of black sweat pants, a white t-shirt and added a black sweat shirt to fend off the cold breeze of the evening. Still using her walker, Mom had prepared a pan of ravioli and sausage for dinner.

  “I’m taking Rino for a walk. I’ll be back by seven.”

  When she opened the backyard door, Rino yelped joyously and jumped all over, nuzzling her hands and face.

  “Let’s go out,” she said. “Out,” she repeated the word he understood so well and attached a leash to his collar.

  They strode around the neighborhood all the way to the small pond where Rino loved to run around and scare the ducks. Almost an hour later, when they started heading back, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She checked the caller identity and flipped the screen.

  “Hi, Josh.”

  “Hi, taking it easy?”

  “You bet. Rino and I were playing at the pond. Now we’re on our way back.” Rino barked at the sound of his name. “He’s saying hi.”

  “Put him on.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep, I want to talk to him.”

  “Okay.” With a broad smile, she shifted to loud speaker and brought the phone near the dog’s ear.

  “Hey Rino. Miss you buddy. I’ll get you a treat next time.”

  Rino’s head snapped to attention, then jerked right and left. “Woof, woof,” he answered.

  “Poor thing. He’s looking for you.”

  “Good boy, Rino.”

  The dog barked happily and wagged his tail.

  “Okay, did you guys chat enough?”

  Josh laughed. “Let’s keep chatting. I’ll walk with you on the phone.”

  She turned off the loud speaker. “Is everything ready for tonight?”

  “I just talked to Detective Zach. He’s having dinner with the auditor and Colin to finalize their plans. Zach’s help has even figured the alarm code of the door. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m very calm if that’s what you mean.”

  They continued chatting for awhile. When she turned into her street, Rino barked. His woofs more furious with every step.

  “What the...”

  “Anything wrong?” Josh asked.

  “There’s a car in front of the house.” Goosebumps sprouted on her arms.

  “Is that unusual? Maybe a neighbor or a friend of Maria?”

  “I don’t recognize it and Rino doesn’t seem to like it.” Unease slithered down her spine. Who would come now at seven-thirty p.m.? “Quiet, Rino, quiet.”

  The dog stopped barking but sniffed a couple of times and shook his head. When they reached the car, he jumped at the passenger door and groaned and pulled her toward the house.

  “Emma, shift your phone to loud speaker and keep the connection. I want to hear what’s going on inside. Okay?”

  “Okay. But I’m putting it in my pocket.”

  Her stomach reeling with a queasy feeling, she walked up the few steps to the front door, praying for nothing to delay the night visit to the auto shop.

  She opened the door. The room seemed to tilt and spin, and she remained rooted in place at the sight of the two men amiably chatting with her stepmother.

  Chapter Nine

  “Hi Emma. Good to see you.” Her stepsister’s ex-husband, Stan, jumped to his feet and came to hug her before she could pull back. The smell of auto oil and gasoline lingered on his shirt and reminded her of her dad’s shops—the shops that Stan and his brother were unscrupulously exploiting.

  Rino’s furious bark jarred him back to a safer distance.

  Comfortably lounging on the sofa, his brother Scott considered her with a sarcastic smirk.

  Had he gotten a clue about tonight? Or was it a simple coincidence?

  Anxiety locked her throat
but she forced herself to walk into the living room, her German shepherd’s leash tightly wound around her hand.

  “What a surprise! Scott and Stan Garett, both of you here,” she said loud and clear for Josh’s benefit.

  “Isn’t it nice of them to come and see me?” Maria said with a genuine smile. “Stan gave me some good news about Patricia and Derek who’s now a big teenager. I wish they had come with him.”

  Obviously, Stan hadn’t mentioned his divorce. Why?

  “Well, I’m tired and going upstairs.” They could chit-chat all they wanted with Maria, but Emma preferred to avoid their company.

  “Have a seat, Emma,” Scott ordered.

  “You’re in my house,” she reminded him with her driest tone and turned her back to go upstairs.

  “Come back here.” Leaping off his chair, Scott took two steps forward and pointed at her. His tone must have grated on Rino’s ears. With one jump her loyal dog ground his teeth in Scott’s pants who dashed back to his seat, leaving a piece of fabric between Rino’s teeth and a tear in the leg of his pants.

  “Lock up that crazy dog or I’ll call the police and have it shot,” he shouted while Rino barked louder.

  “Oh my God,” Maria screamed. “Calm down, Rino.”

  “Chill out, Scott.” Stan intervened and scowled at his brother. “We won’t have anything accomplished if you keep losing it.” He turned to Emma. “We need to talk to you. It’s important.”

  “I’ll warm the food,” Maria suggested. “Maybe we can have a civilized conversation while eating dinner.” She cast Emma a desperate look that almost spelled why-can’t-you get along with my relatives.

  “No need for food. Just a few words with Emma,” Stan said. He walked to his brother. “Give me that power of attorney. She signs it and we’re out of here.” He presented a sheet of paper to Emma. She took it and sat in her usual place next to her stepmother’s recliner.

  With a peaceful wave of her hand, she gestured Rino to sit and he immediately obeyed although his head remained straight and on alert.

  “What’s this for?” she said after reading the words that would give the manager of Speedy Auto Shops the permission to sign on her behalf and basically have full power of all that concerned her auto shops.

  “Explain to her, Scott. Reasonably.” Stan was playing the nice brother-in-law with her. She wasn’t duped but went along to avoid useless confrontation. The sooner she got rid of the two brothers the better.

  Scott’s gaze shifted from her to Rino and back to her. “After your father passed last summer, I had to clean up the mess the accounts were left in. In April, I asked for an extension to file late taxes. Now it’s time to do them if you don’t want to be heavily penalized.”

  Hearing Scott casting aspersions on her father’s work squeezed her heart. Tears tickled her eyes and her pulse raced. Jerk! How dare he blacken her dad’s memory?

  Until her father’s death she’d been involved in the accounting. Every entry or expense was reported neatly in folders. Every penny was accounted for. With Dad gone and Scott controlling the shops, she’d been pushed out and her life had turned into a string of miseries.

  But then she’d met Josh and gone to work for him. The thought of her wonderful boss and friend helped her regain her poise.

  “We have an accountant who has been handling the taxes for years. He’ll do them and send me the forms to sign.”

  “Your accountant was totally worthless. I hired a new one a month ago.”

  The gall of this man. “How could you do that without consulting with me?”

  Upset, she straightened in her chair. Good thing the auditor would uncover Scott’s manipulations soon.

  “I’m the manager.”

  “I’m not signing any power of attorney.” Afraid to lose control of her temper, she gritted her teeth and rubbed her dog’s powerful neck. He turned his head and nuzzled her hand, reassuring her she could count on him to defend her. The picture of Rino biting Scott’s pants soothed her anger.

  “Maria,” Stan pleaded. “Emma doesn’t realize she might lose the shops. I don’t want to see you in the street.”

  “Emma,” Mom started, her eyes begging her to be more understanding. “Remember our happy times together.”

  Nothing about these two jerks jogged any happy or even decent memories. “Don’t worry, Mom. It won’t come to that.”

  If looks could kill, Scott would have already murdered her. “Your little job as an intern is not going to cover the staggering debts left by your old man.”

  So they knew she was working. What else had they found out about her?

  “Debts?” She raised her eyebrows. “My dad left debts?” Under her father’s management the shops had prospered and he’d shared with her the idea of buying a third one. She clamped her jaws to avoid protesting too much. Let these jerks think she naively believed them.

  “Huge debts.” Scott shrugged. “Victor Cassiero indulged in his boat and ignored the business. Now you want to add tax evasion to the problems.”

  If he was trying to rile her, tough! She wouldn’t let him intimidate her.

  “I’m not signing any power of attorney. If there are problems, I’ll deal with them in time.”

  “Damn.” Scott exclaimed as he slammed his hand over his thigh. “I told you she was a stubborn bitch.”

  “Scott, stop it,” Maria yelled finally siding with her.

  Stan took a deep breath and stood. “Maybe it would be better for you to sell the shops and avoid all these headaches,” he said in a conciliatory voice.

  As if she trusted his holier-than-thou attitude.

  She crossed her arms waiting for more.

  Her stepsister’s ex-husband considered her through narrowed eyes and added, “I am ready to help you and buy them.”

  “But you live in New York.” Would he blow the truth?

  “We’ll move here. Maria will be happy to have her daughter and grandson close by.”

  “Oh my God, that would be wonderful,” Maria crossed her hands on her chest. “Patricia and Derek here. And you, Emma, would be able to go back to your law school.”

  Disgusting liars! They were playing with the feelings of an old woman barely recovering from major health problems. Emma’s lips pursed but she patted Rino’s head to draw comfort. After taking a deep breath, she stood.

  “Let me think about it. It’s an interesting possibility.”

  Scott smirked but Stan arched his eyebrows, studying her. “I’ll call you in two days.”

  “Not that soon. I have to come to terms with the idea of losing my father’s shops where I almost grew up. I need a month at least,” she insisted.

  She’d already agonized over selling her dad’s beloved shops to pay for Maria’s treatment, but sacrificing them to these scumbags was out of the question.

  “Only a week.” Stan seemed to relax. “I’ll be back in a week. I need to have time to move. And you can go back to school and stop worrying about your stores. A win-win situation.”

  “How much can you offer?” she asked to show him she took the bait.

  “I’ll bring you a proposal next week.”

  Her fingers clutched Rino’s leash and she walked to the entrance hall, signifying the visit was over, and opened the front door.

  “Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Couldn’t Maria forget her hospitable spirit for a change?

  Startled by her stepmother’s annoying offer, Emma pulled on Rino’s collar.

  Sensing her nervousness, the big dog growled, showed his canines, and jumped up toward Scott, who instantly skated behind the armchair.

  “Take your damn dog away,” he snarled.

  Rino snarled back, louder. There was definitely bad blood between them.

  “Your shouting excites him. Keep calm,” she suggested, eager to see them gone. “I’ll take him to the kitchen while you escape out the front door.” She sweet-talked Rino away from the living room. In a few seconds, Scott and his brother wer
e at the door.

  “I’ll be back in a week,” Stan warned.

  “Get rid of that dog or I’ll have the police take it,” Scott added and banged the door behind him.

  Rino pulled on his leash and she almost stumbled, trying to hold him. “Good riddance,” she muttered.

  “Why do you hate them so much?” Maria’s voice wobbled and her eyes filled with tears. “Stan is doing his best for us. He’s ready to bring my daughter and grandson here and help you go back to school without worrying about the shops.”

  Her heart hammering against her ribs, Emma didn’t answer. She just couldn’t explain the situation to her stepmother and she was in no shape to argue for an hour.

  “We’ll talk later, Mom. I need to take a shower now.”

  “But the dinner—”

  “Later.” Still holding Rino’s leash, she scaled the stairs two at a time to the second floor, locked her room, and slumped onto her bed.

  A faint sound had her bounce up. Was Josh still on the phone?

  Her hands shaking she dug it out from her pocket. “Hi.”

  “Emma, are you okay?”

  “Yes, just upset and disgusted. Could you hear everything?”

  “More or less. I’m not too far. I saw your neighbors driving out and I parked in their driveway to watch your house. I also saw the two guys leaving and heard my buddy Rino’s barking.”

  She chuckled, happy to hear his voice, happy to know he’d been close by ready to help her.

  “I called Detective Zach as soon as you entered your house. He was just finishing dinner with the auditor and Colin. They’ll join me soon.”

  “Thank you, Josh.”

  “It’s imperative that we act tonight. Will you be okay?”

  “Yes, I’m good.”

  “We’ll be staying around here, watching your house to make sure they don’t come back. Follow the plan. Have dinner, try to distract your stepmother with easy talk, and at a quarter of ten slip out. Will you be able to leave without Maria noticing?”