by Anna James
“Rachel, its Jarrod Hirsh. Who’s Ethan and what didn’t you do?”
Her boss. Great. When it rains, it pours. “Hello, Jarrod. What can I do for you?”
“You can answer my questions. Who is Ethan and what didn’t you do?”
“Ethan is Hayden Montgomery’s son, and I didn’t tell the press about Hayden’s heart attack.”
“Ah. The news reports are correct, then?”
Her head fell back against the seat, and she closed her eyes. “I didn’t catch the news.”
“They reported Hayden had a massive heart attack and implied the heart attack resulted from the strain he’s under from the shareholders dispute. There’s speculation as to the seriousness of his condition and how his absence will affect what’s going on.”
The breath whooshed out of her. “No wonder Ethan’s upset. Yes, the part about the heart attack is true. I found out yesterday morning, and yes, Hayden has been under a tremendous amount of strain from the investigation.”
“How does Ethan fit into this? And why does he think you contacted the press?”
“Ethan has taken over with regard to the shareholders investigation. He thinks I contacted the media for publicity reasons. To get the firm’s name out there.”
“He sounds like a jerk if you ask me.”
She’d thought as much too but hearing the terse words come out of Jarrod’s mouth made her angry, which made no sense because Jarrod was right. “He’s not thinking clearly right now. Once Hayden’s condition stabilizes, he’ll realize it wasn’t me. He knows I’d never break a confidence.”
“You’re acquainted with him?” Jarrod asked.
The tone of his voice made her nervous. “I am. Why?”
“How long have you known each other?”
“For years. He’s Emma’s godfather.”
“The two of you are close then?”
Rachel frowned. Not as things currently stand. And there were those stupid, silly tears again. She squeezed her eyelids shut and scrubbed at her face with the back of her hands. “We were good friends once, but we’ve… drifted apart since Ryan’s death.”
After a long pause Jarrod spoke. “I wish you’d told Carter and me about your relationship with Ethan Montgomery before you agreed to take on this audit at the bank. As the two partners of the firm, we had a right to know.”
“I haven’t seen or heard from Ethan in three years.”
“Don’t be obtuse, Rachel. You have a personal relationship with the man. He’s the godfather of your child. This is a conflict of interest and—”
“I’m telling you, Ethan and I don’t have a personal relationship.” Anymore. “Believe me, there’s no conflict of interest.”
“I’m sorry, but I think there is and this would be just the excuse the shareholders need to cause trouble if they don’t like the outcome of the investigation.”
“That’s ridiculous. My investigation relates to Hayden’s business, not Ethan’s.”
“But Ethan is in charge now. You can’t be involved. There could be questions regarding the firm’s integrity if you continue.”
She dragged her fingers through her hair. The partnership in McKenna and Hirsh that Jarrod and Carter promised hinged on her performance on this assignment. How could Jarrod even consider asking her to walk away now? “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this job and—”
“I know you have, but you need to step down, Rachel. And put as much distance between you and the Montgomerys as possible.”
She exhaled an audible breath. “But—”
“No buts.”
“Fine. Is my partnership in the company still on the table?”
“Yes, you’re still up for partner at the end of this year.”
Rachel breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t argue further. Making partner was what mattered most. It was the only thing that mattered, and she’d do well to remember it. She wouldn’t give Carter or Jarrod a reason to reconsider the promotion they’d promised. “I’ll put together a summary report of my findings to date and next steps and have it ready tomorrow. Who will replace me, you or Carter?”
“Carter is tied up for the next three months with other clients, so it will have to be me.”
“Okay, I’ll let Ethan know in the morning.”
“Please do. Good night, Rachel.”
“Good night.”
The line went dead and Rachel dropped the phone into her purse, then went back into the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee. It was going to be a long night.
The next morning Rachel arrived at the bank early to ensure she could talk to Ethan before he left for the hospital. She went straight to his office and found him with his head bent down over the desk. “Good morning, Ethan.”
He glanced up. His pale face and drawn features indicated he hadn’t gotten much sleep. A wave of compassion washed over her.
“Rachel.”
“Do you have a minute? We need to talk about the investigation of the bank’s records.”
“Not really.” He lowered his eyes back to the file sitting on his desk.
“Ethan, I didn’t contact the press.”
“Then who did?”
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t me. I didn’t tell anyone, except for my boss and only after you came to see me yesterday.”
He glared at her. “I’m considering asking the board to replace you.”
If he was trying to get a rise out of her, it wasn’t going to work. She’d ridden that emotional roller coaster for most of last night. Sorry buddy, my boss beat you to the punch. “I’ll save you the trouble. I’m stepping down as the lead on this investigation. Jarrod Hirsh, one of the partners in my firm, will be replacing me as of today.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and let out a breath.
“Here’s my summary report. It details the results of the investigation to date. I e-mailed Jarrod a copy too. If you have any questions, let Jarrod know. He can contact me, and we’ll get you an answer.”
“You were planning to leave all along, weren’t you?”
She shook her head. “Your board will want a more impartial review of the bank’s records.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “Right. I forgot. You can’t be impartial when it comes to me. I should have realized you couldn’t be objective when it comes to my bank either.”
“You’re not being fair, Ethan.” All right, she’d been totally off-base with his reasons for missing Ryan’s funeral, but still that didn’t mean she couldn’t be fair-minded.
“Hey, I call it like I see it.”
“You were angry. So was I. I understand that now.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Hard incensed eyes glared up at her. Why was she bothering to set things straight? He obviously didn’t care. “I’ll, ah, see you later then.”
He lowered his head and returned to studying the file he’d been reviewing when she first arrived. “Good-bye.”
The finality in his tone came crashing down on her and caused her body to tremble. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Tears clogged her throat and burned the back of her eyes, and heaven help her, they came gushing out of her like a torrential downpour. Gotta get out of here. Now. No way would she let him see her cry.
Outside, she leaned against the wall and fought to regain her composure. Crying wouldn’t help. Focus on what’s important, and she’d have everything she wanted for herself and Emma. She scrubbed at her eyes and with a determined effort stopped the flow of silly tears.
One thing was certain, her relationship with Ethan lay in the past. She needed to move on, but the only way to do that was to tie up the loose ends she’d let linger for the last three years. It was time to put the past behind her and look forward to the future. There was no better time to get started than the present.
Chapter Eight
Rachel arrived home an hour later and, before she
lost her nerve, went down to the basement and grabbed several plastic storage bins. She marched upstairs to the master bedroom—and froze in front of Ryan’s closet. “You can do this,” she whispered. “You have to. It’s long past time.” It was the only way to move forward with her life. She closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, then jerked open the closet door.
Her eyes opened, and she stared at the row of crisp cotton dress shirts hung on the upper rack on the back wall, several still encased in the protective plastic the dry cleaners had covered them with. They sat in the exact place she’d put them in all those years ago. When had that been, one, maybe two days before he’d died? She couldn’t remember now.
A row of suits lined an adjacent wall. Each one hung in its own specific spot on the rack, dark colors first fading to light tan. A small smile crossed her face. Ryan had been meticulous in everything he did, but especially with the clothes he wore. Only handmade or top designer brand suits and shirts. “Dress for the job I want, not the job I have,” he used to say. And he’d wanted it all. A position equal to Ethan’s at Montgomery International. There’d been success enough in the early days to allow her to stay home with Emma until she reached school age and to buy this home here in Greenwich.
Then things started to go wrong. Absently, she twisted the ruby ring on the third finger of her right hand. The promotions dwindled, and the large raises and bonuses became a thing of the past.
And the fighting…
No, she wouldn’t go down that path. This catharsis was about moving forward, not dwelling on the past. She snatched the first suit off the rack and dumped it into one of the storage bins, then grabbed another and another until the rack was bare.
Next, she moved on to the shirts and worked methodically until the closet stood empty. Not once did she allow herself to reflect on the past. Ryan was gone, and she needed to move on.
Next, she started on the dresser.
Four hours later, including a trip to the local Walmart for more containers, the room had been emptied of Ryan’s possessions. Now the bins sat stacked by the front door waiting to be dropped off at the Salvation Army or Goodwill or any other organization who could pass on the items to those in need.
Her stomach rumbled. She wandered into the kitchen, prepared a turkey sandwich, scanning through work e-mail on her phone while she ate. A message from Jarrod indicated she needed to be available for a turnover meeting with him and Ethan at nine tomorrow morning. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing Ethan again after their last encounter. With a resigned sigh, she accepted the meeting invitation, then quickly checked the rest of her messages.
After finishing, she strode with purpose to Ryan’s office. She stood in the doorway for a moment and peered around. The room sat untouched for three years, except for the few times she’d entered it right after his death. That changed now. Once his things had been cleared she’d repaint the interior and turn it into an exercise room or a study. No, not a study, she already spent way too much time working. Not an exercise room either. Kelly had been right about one thing. She needed to get out and socialize. She’d join a gym and start working out again, and this room… A cozy den with a plush sofa she could curl up on and read a good book. Yes.
Decision made, the transformation started with the one thing she dreaded most. Squaring her shoulders, she marched to the closet and pulled out the sealed box the police had given her shortly after the accident. Punching a hole in the taped seam with the scissors from the desk, she yanked open the flaps and stared. Ryan’s personal effects.
Sucking in a deep breath, she dumped the contents on the floor and began to sort through the lot. His wedding ring. She’d save it for Emma. His wallet. She put the few dollars and his driver’s license aside, again for Emma, and cut up the credit cards then tossed the leather billfold in the trash. His personal laptop and computer bag. She plugged in the computer and lifted the top to boot it up. A sheet of notebook paper lay folded in half across the keyboard. She unfolded it and scanned the handwritten information while the CPU went through the startup process. It appeared to be a summary statement of several different account numbers detailing deposits and withdrawals over a six month period of time. Maybe notes from an audit he’d been working on? She’d ask Ethan if he knew anything about it.
No. She wouldn’t.
She stood and walked over to the filing cabinet. It probably wasn’t anything important since no one had come and asked about anything Ryan had been working on over the last three years, but she’d put it with the rest of his stuff anyway.
After two attempts, she finally remembered the correct password, and Ryan’s desktop appeared on the screen. A few minutes of searching revealed very few files. Only their personal finances, a folder for each year they’d been married, and pictures.
Rachel grabbed a USB drive from her purse and inserted it into the port. After copying the files, she’d wipe the hard drive clean and put the computer with the other things to donate.
While waiting for the contents to transfer she opened the picture folder labeled “Emma.” Only five images in total sat in the file, all of them pictures she’d placed on the PC right after he’d purchased it. How sad he’d never bothered to add more. She shouldn’t be surprised. Ryan wasn’t as close to Emma as some fathers were with their daughters.
The first picture made her grin. The image had been taken the day they’d brought her home from the hospital. Goodness, how tiny she’d been and that shocking thatch of jet-black hair… It had eventually fallen out and been replaced with the chestnut brown locks she had now. Oh, and those chubby little cheeks… She could just squeeze them.
The next image fast forwarded to Emma’s first birthday. Ethan had bought her a huge stuffed animal and the picture featured Emma dragging the teddy bear behind her. The bear had been twice the size of the child who carried it. Emma still had the bear, although it had seen better days. The right eye fell out at some point over the years and had been replaced with a black pirate eye patch, courtesy of Ethan. The left leg had torn off when the car door closed on the toy, unbeknownst to Emma, who’d kept tugging until the creature sprang free, then spent the next two hours crying her eyes out until Rachel had sewn the animal back together.
Another picture, this one of Emma’s first day of school. Ethan captured the photo because Ryan hadn’t been there. Lord, Emma was so excited that day. She couldn’t wait to climb aboard the school bus and get to school to meet her new friends. Rachel hadn’t been quite as ecstatic. As a matter of fact, she’d sobbed her eyes out as the bus drove down the street. And Ethan, he’d given her a big hug and held her close until the tears subsided.
She should never have told him of her suspicions of Sandra’s infidelity. They wouldn’t have quarreled.
No. She couldn’t keep putting herself through this. Focus on the future, which included a partnership in McKenna and Hirsh if she played her cards right.
Once the files were copied, she pulled out the jump drive and stuck it back in her purse. The transfer to her own laptop could wait until later.
The front bell rang, and Rachel went to answer it. Kelly stood on the other side of the door, hands on hips, right foot tapping, an I-can’t-believe-you’ve-been-holding-out-on-me look on her face.
“Emma’s godfather?”
Rachel pulled the door open wider and gestured for Kelly to come in. “Jarrod told you.”
Kelly shook her head.
Rachel frowned. “Then—”
“He only said you’d been reassigned when he met with us this morning. My question is why didn’t you? I thought we were friends.”
“I—”
Kelly leaned down, picked up the canvas bag sitting on the porch by her feet and handed it to Rachel as she breezed by.
“What’s this?” Rachel asked and peered inside the bag.
“Wine.”
Three bottles of Pino Noir, her favorite. Did Kelly expect they’d drink them all today?
“Don’t worry. I broug
ht takeout, too. Now, what’s the deal with you and Ethan? How long have you known him?”
Rachel closed the door and made her way to the kitchen. Kelly followed behind. “About thirteen years.”
“Thirteen years! You’ve been friends for thirteen years?” Kelly rolled her eyes.
A knot formed in Rachel’s stomach. “We were friends. Not anymore.”
Kelly’s eyebrow winged up again. “Were?”
Lord, she didn’t want to get into all the sordid details. “Ethan and Ryan had been friends since they were kids. I met both in college. Ethan and I drifted apart after Ryan’s death. I haven’t seen or heard from him in three years.” Rachel pulled one bottle from the bag and placed it on the kitchen table, then set the carryall on the counter. “Glasses are in the china cabinet in the dining room. Can you grab a couple while I uncork the wine?”
Kelly moved to do her bidding. When she returned a few moments later, Rachel had set out napkins, silverware, plates and the salads and bread Kelly brought.
Kelly placed the goblets next to each place setting, and sat opposite Rachel. “And now that Ethan’s back and spearheading the shareholders investigation on the bank’s side, there’s a conflict of interest.”
Rachel let out a low growl. “We have nothing to do with each other anymore. I don’t see why—”
“He’s still Emma’s godfather.”
“Okay, okay. You’re right, but I don’t have to like it. I’ve invested a lot of time and effort in this assignment.” She sighed. “Forget it. What’s done is done and whining about it only makes me more frustrated, but I’m curious. If Jarrod didn’t tell you about my past relationship with Ethan, then how did you find out?”
“I went to see Jarrod after he dropped the bomb about you being reassigned and him taking over as lead on this job, but he was already behind closed doors with Ethan so… I listened in.”
Rachel’s eyebrows arched up.
“Don’t give me that look. I wanted to know what the hell was going on. I mean, jeez, Rachel, imagine my shock when I’m expecting you at the morning meeting, and Jarrod waltzes in. Anyway, I was hovering in the waiting area right outside Ethan’s office door when Curtis appeared with some woman, so I couldn’t stay, which—”
