by Hayes, Piper
“Cat?” he says. “What are you doing here?”
“I might ask you the same thing,” I say. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Something tells me you’re not looking to reminisce,” he says.
“I’m worried about Blake.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Damien heading into Blake’s office, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing.
“That might be the most reasonable thing I’ve heard this morning,” he says. “But I don’t want to get between the two of you.”
“I’m not asking you to do that. I’ll walk you out. If you don’t like what I have to say, we’ll pretend this conversation never happened.”
As we wait for the elevator, Ben says, “Blake told me about the stunt you pulled this weekend to get him away from Jacob. I kind of like this new, cunning you. So what did you want to discuss?”
I wait until we’re in the elevator. “I want to end this Jacob Fletcher thing,” I tell him. “I’m worried Blake is going to do something stupid.”
“We’re both worried about that,” Ben says. “I went way out on a limb agreeing to work a deal with Blake, and he’s threatening to blow the whole thing up. This could mean my job.”
“It could mean his freedom,” I remind Ben.
“True,” he says. “So what’s your idea?”
I don’t have one yet, but I know I need to come up with one fast. “I can’t tell you,” I say. “But if I can find a way to incriminate Jacob without involving Blake, what would happen to Blake’s deal with you?”
“As long as he provided all the necessary information, it would stand,” he says. “I’m not sure getting involved in this is a good idea.”
“I don’t think I have a choice,” I tell him. One way or another, my fate with Blake will be decided in the next few weeks. I’d rather have a hand in it than sit by idly and hope that everything works out. “I’m going to do whatever it takes.” Whatever it takes. It sounds like something Blake would say or something my father would say. My father must be having the time of his life knowing that Blake’s world has been thrown into chaos. After all, he has almost as much reason as anyone to want Blake to fail. All he’d have to do is sell off his stake in Blake’s company and watch the carnage.
An idea starts to form in my mind. It’s so improbable that it just might work. I work through each part of a potential plan. It would take a miracle to make everything work, but I can’t think of any other way.
“As angry as Blake is, he’s not wrong about Jacob Fletcher. He’s a supremely bad man, and from what I can tell, he really does have it out for Blake.”
“That might be exactly what we need,” I tell him as the elevator doors open to the lobby. I step out and start walking. “Where are you headed?” Ben asks.
“Connecticut,” I tell him. “I think it’s time I have a heart to heart with my father.”
CHAPTER 14
CATHERINE
“Why would I do this?” my father asks. We are sitting in his study. Large, custom bookshelves line the walls. There’s an unlit fireplace, a plaid rug, and a view of the gardens through the windows. It’s a bright day, but it’s cold outside, and all of the flowers have been gone for months. My father is sitting behind his desk. He has his sleeves rolled up to his elbow. “I enjoyed our little charade last weekend, but this is something else entirely.”
“Why even agree to see me then?” I ask him.
“Because you’re my daughter, and I’ll take any chance to see you,” he said. “I meant what I said about making up for lost time, Catherine.”
“But you won’t do this?”
“I didn’t say that. I asked you why I would consider doing something that is so squarely against my self-interests.”
“Well, how did you leave things with Jacob Fletcher?” I ask.
“I left things open,” he says. “I didn’t care much more for the man, but his distaste for your boyfriend is endearing. What do you see in him anyway?”
“In Blake?” I ask.
“I doubt you see much in Jacob,” my father replies.
“He’s an adult,” I say. “The guys I’ve dated have all been immature. Blake isn’t like that at all. He understands responsibility. He works hard, and he respects me.”
“Even if those things are true, that’s no reason to stick your neck out for someone you barely know.”
“I know him better than I’ve ever known anyone. And he knows me. I’d do anything for him because he loves me for who I am. He loves me in spite of my last name, not because of it. Everything he’s ever done in our relationship has been for me. He’s not perfect, but neither am I. I love him. I need you to know that. I love him, and nothing can change that fact. I don’t care about his money or his power or any of it. I don’t care where he’s from or any of that stuff. We love each other, and that’s all that matters.”
“I see,” my father says. He gets up from behind the desk and walks over to the window. “Would you like to see the gardens?” he asks.
“It’s a bit late in the season for that, don’t you think?” Late is an understatement.
“I’ve never gotten to show you the gardens,” he says. “I think it might do us both good to see the gardens.”
“Fine,” I tell him, “I’ll go with you, but only if you hear me out.”
“I see you’re quickly learning how to negotiate,” he says.
“I’m a quick learner,” I reply.
We make our way through the halls to one of the side entrances of the house. My father lives here alone. There are workers who keep the place clean and a chef who cooks his meals, but the house feels like a combination of a museum and a tomb. The air in the large rooms is still and stale. The furniture looks unused.
The side entrance is in a mudroom with a pristine brick floor. “I’ve been thinking about getting a dog,” my father says. “Something dignified, a Great Dane perhaps.
“That’s good,” I tell him. Given how lonely the house seems, it isn’t a bad idea. He hands me a jacket by the door and leads me outside. He leads me across a patio through the hedgerows that lead to the sunken garden. There’s a water feature in the middle that’s been turned off for the season and a brick pathway that winds through the garden maze.
“Why are we out here?” I ask.
“I told you, I wanted you to see the garden.”
“It’s lovely,” I tell him. It’s freezing outside, and a cold wind cuts right through the jacket, chilling me to the bone.
“It’s dormant,” he says. “I told myself that this garden would be my retirement. I’d grow prized flowers and learn the name of every bush and bud.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” I tell him.
“I settled in and built it, and after a few months, I realized that I was bored out of my mind. I hired a gardener, and I haven’t set foot down here since. Can you imagine me doddering around down here, knees covered in dirt as I fuss over some plant?”
“Is this supposed to be some kind of lesson?” I ask.
“I’m just asking you to think carefully about what you want,” he says. “You might just get it. I got everything I wanted, Catherine, and when it was too late, I realized the things I cared about didn’t matter.”
“Blake matters to me,” I tell him. “And if you’re telling me you won’t help because you think it’s beneath you, why would you tell me any of this? You didn’t have to go after him. You didn’t have to force your way into his company. You didn’t have to do any of it.”
“I know that, Catherine,” he says. “But don’t you see that I enjoyed it?”
“Seriously? You almost put my boyfriend in jail, and you want me to understand that that is what you want in life?”
“You misunderstand me,” he says. “What I’m trying to tell you is that I enjoy the intrigue, and I’ve enjoyed seeing you turn into a shrewd and clever young woman.”
“So why won’t you help me?” I ask.
My father laughs. He throws
his head back and laughs with his whole body. I don’t know why he seems so amused. “We really need to work on our communication, Catherine. Can’t you see that this is my way of telling you that I will?”
“You will?” I ask.
“Anything for you,” he says. He leans in with a conspiratorial smile. He wraps his arm around me and leads me back to the house. “Now tell me again what you had in mind.”
“You just want to hear me say hostile takeover again, don’t you?”
He smiles. “Those words have such a lovely ring to them. Are you sure your FBI friend will sign off on this?” he asks.
“I’ll arrange everything with him on my way home. For what it’s worth, he’s as hesitant to help Blake as you are. I guess this is a bad time to remind you that you owe both of them an apology at some point.”
“For what?” my father asks.
“You forbade Ben from seeing me when I was in high school.”
“Fine, but I won’t apologize to Blake until he apologizes for stealing my secretary.”
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“I’m always serious.”
“We’ll find a way to work that out,” I tell him. “Thank you,” I add. “I know how hard that must have been for you.
“This doesn’t mean I like him,” my father says.
“Not liking him is enough progress for now,” I say. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry if I haven’t been the best daughter.”
“You’re making me proud,” my father says. “I guess forgiveness is in the air, isn’t it?”
I nod. I just hope Blake will forgive me for what I have planned next.
CHAPTER 15
BLAKE
I don’t know where Cat is. It’s midafternoon. I cut out of work early to see her, but when I got back to the apartment, she wasn’t there. I called her, but the call went straight to voicemail. All I can think about is whether or not Jacob somehow got to her.
The last I saw her was when she walked out of my office. Damien told me that he saw her heading out with Ben, but Ben isn’t answering his calls either. Maybe she’s with him. I don’t know. I try to tell myself that everything’s fine, but I can’t ignore the panic that’s eating me from the inside. If I can’t talk with Cat, I figure I should at least talk to someone who can tell me something. I pull my phone out and dial, when I hear the voice on the other end of the line, I feel a wave of relief.
“Hey Alex, are you free to talk?” I ask.
“Anything for my billionaire kid brother,” she says.
“Have you heard from Cat?” I ask. “I know it’s a long shot, but I don’t know where she is. I don’t know how to tell you this, but Jacob is back.”
I expect a shout or a meltdown or something, but all I get is a cool response. “Blake, she’s probably fine. You need to learn to let go a bit. Jacob is not stalking your girlfriend through the streets of Manhattan.”
“I know,” I tell her, “but he made a threat against her. He threatened you, too.”
“Blake, I own a bar full of drunken Irishmen who would beat him bloody if he stepped through the door. As for Cat, you’ve got to give her room to breathe.”
She’s right. I know she’s right, but I can’t help myself. Since I saw Jacob at the hunting lodge, I’ve been on high alert. All I can think about is Cat’s safety. I need to know she’s ok. “I know,” I tell her. “It’s just hard, sometimes.”
“Do you trust her?” Alex asks.
Of course, I trust her. I’d trust her with my life. “Yeah,” I say.
“Then trust her. If she wants you to know what she’s doing, she’ll let you know.”
She’s right again. I’m trying to give up control, but I’m just afraid of my past causing her harm. “I just don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“Take care of yourself, little brother, and she’ll be fine. I promise.”
I see the elevator light up. “Hey, I have to go,” I say. “Be careful,” I tell Alex.
“You too,” she says. “And don’t be stupid,” she adds.
“Words to live by,” I tell her.
When the elevator doors open, and Cat steps out, relief floods through my body. “There you are,” I say.
“Sorry, I went to visit my father,” she says. “I didn’t like how we left things, and I wanted to make sure there aren’t any misunderstandings.”
“Are there?” I ask.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” she says.
Since she accepted her father’s offer, I’ve run through every possible way Richard Carlisle could use his daughter to his advantage, but I’ve never really considered that maybe he’s really trying to reconnect with her, or that she really wanted to reconnect with him. I look at Cat. There’s something she isn’t telling me. I can feel it. But it’s ok. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. I know she will. I trust her.
“How did your meeting with Ben go?” she asks.
Terribly. As poorly as possible. I flipped my shit on him because I’m worried about you. I was almost as bad with Damien. I couldn’t sleep last night because all I could think about was what would happen if I ever let anything happen to you. “We’re butting heads about how to deal with Jacob,” I finally tell her. “But none of that matters right now,” I add. I walk over and wrap my arms around her, pulling her in for a long, slow kiss. I wish I could hold her like this forever.
“I love you,” I tell her when our lips finally part.
“I love you too,” she whispers. She brushes her hand against the side of my face. “You look tired,” she says. “Is everything ok?”
I nod my head and kiss her again, the warmth of her soft lips. As long as she’s in my arms, everything is right.
CHAPTER 16
CATHERINE
My father calls on Wednesday morning. Blake is at work, and I’ve got the apartment to myself. “I’ve arranged everything for Friday. Jacob will be at my house at noon. Can you arrange the rest?
“Of course,” I tell him. “You’re really going through with this?” I ask.
“Like I told you, I’m doing this for you,” he says. “If I get a little enjoyment out of it along the way, that’s fine too.”
“I’ll see you then,” I tell him. Now I just have to convince Ben that this plan is worth pursuing.
“You’re roping us all into this one, aren’t you?”
“See you on Friday, dad,” I say. After I hang up, I try to think back to the last time I ended a call with my father with a smile.
A few moments later, I call Ben. “I’ve got Jacob,” I tell him. “I’ve got him, or I will if you agree to help.”
“Does Blake know about this yet?” Ben asks.
“No, and he can’t,” I tell him.
“It will take a little legwork, but I’ll get the necessary paperwork done.”
“I’ll pick you up in the morning, and we’ll head up together?” Ben asks.
“Do you even own a car?” I ask.
“Company car,” he says. “It will get the job done.”
“I’ll make sure we park it somewhere Jacob won’t see it.”
“It doesn’t say FBI on the side, Cat,” Ben says.
“It probably won’t say Ferrari either,” I tell him. “I could always ask to borrow Blake’s car. A Porsche would fit in nicely. I think he gets a kick out of me driving it.”
“Even if I’m your passenger?” he asks. “You don’t have to be there, you know. I can bring a tech and lead your father through everything myself.”
“I need to do this for Blake,” I tell him.
“See you on Friday morning,” Ben says. “I’ll find my way to you.”
I hang up and walk around the apartment. I find my way to the home office, and I stare up at the bookshelves. I think back to everything Blake and I have been through since we started dating. I grab my phone and call him.
“I was just going to call,” he says. “I was wondering if you could come in.”
“To th
e office?” I ask.
“There’s something I want to show you,” he says.
“If it’s another tour of your office, I might have to accept.”
“It’s a surprise,” he says.
“What kind of surprise?” I ask.
“A good one,” he says. “Do you think you could make it down this way for lunch?”
I look at my reflection in the window. My hair doesn’t look too bad. “I can be there in an hour,” I tell him.
“It’s a date.”
I run to the bedroom and start changing. It’s funny that I care about making a good impression with Blake’s employees. I could show up in a burlap sack, it wouldn’t change a thing about my ownership stake in the company. I pick a black dress, slip on flats and apply makeup.
When I get to Blake’s office, his secretary tells me that he’s waiting in the conference room. I thank her and head over.
He’s sitting at the head of the conference table. In front of him is a little blue box. Tiffany blue. It’s got a silver bow. My heart skips a beat when I wonder for a second if it’s a ring. I tell myself that it can’t be a ring. It’s entirely too early in our relationship for a proposal, isn’t it? Maybe it isn’t, I think. I decide this would be a distinctly unromantic proposal and that Blake would find some way to be way grander and more intimate. I still can’t shake the jitters as I walk over to him.
“What is it?” I ask. I can’t even look at him. I’m halfway convinced again that it’s a ring, and I’m changing my mind about ten times a second. No, I finally tell myself. It’s not a ring, but I can’t help but think how much I wish it were a ring.
“I was thinking about the argument,” he says.
“Which argument?” I ask. I feel like so much has happened in the past few days.
