Chapter 19
Eliot was typing away on his computer. It had been almost three months since he’d first taken on the persona of El the Baker, and in his absence the work load had built up beyond belief. Kara, his assistant had kept him apprised of the most pressing matters, and he worked from home in the late evenings and early mornings, but he was still facing a morning filled with appointments, and department heads needing to talk to him about one thing or another.
It seemed to him that every few minutes Kara was running into the office with an armload of documents, needing review or signatures. And in the midst of all the madness, Eliot could not stop himself from occasionally glancing toward the window. Where was Sophie right now? What was she doing? What was going on in the store? he wondered.
The life he lived here seemed thousands of miles away from that world, and yet it was roughly an hour’s drive. He’d taken the day off, using the excuse of having to return to Houston to check on his home there, and in truth, he had gone to Houston over the weekend to check on the real Alberto Montagna, who was healing
nicely. But Eliot didn’t know how long that would last. As he was leaving the hospital room, a beautiful woman was entering. She looked decidedly nervous, and it didn’t take much for him to realize this was the mistress and the cause of Alberto’s predicament. Glancing at her pretty face, Eliot found himself considering Sophie’s question once more. Was she worth it?With one final glance back at Alberto, wrapped in bandages, his whole world turned completely upside down, Eliot knew he’d given the right answer.
He hurried through the piles or work, delegating as much as possible, which was not his style. But he had no intention of staying away from Sophie longer than he had to. His cell phone rang and he snatched it out of his pocket. “Hello?”
“Eliot, hi, it’s Steve. Got a minute?”
“Sure.”
“Better yet, where are you?”
“At the headquarters in Memphis.”
“Wanna have lunch?”
“Sorry, I have too much to do.”
“I’ll bring it by there. I really need to talk to you, and I don’t want to do it on a phone if I can help it.”
“Understood. I expect to be here all day.”
“Great. See you this afternoon.”
Eliot was a little surprised by the fact that he had not seen his uncle all morning, but he had so much to do and the hours went so quickly it was lunchtime before he knew it.
His desk phone rang and he answered. It was Kara announcing Steve, so Eliot made some space on his crowded desk. Steve had brought subs from his favorite place.
As he took a bite, he smiled to himself.
“What’s that look about?” Steve asked.
“Just thinking. I used to think this was a pretty good lunch. But Mae Mayfield cooks these large lunches for the employees every day, and I guess I’ve gotten a little spoiled by it.”
Steve frowned. “I can order in something different, if you like.”
Eliot shook his head. “No, I’m not complaining, just an observation.”
“You’ve gotten attached to them, haven’t you?”
Eliot sighed. “Afraid so.”
Steve wiped his mouth, and pushed his sandwich to the side. “That’s going to make what I have to tell you even harder.”
“Just say it, Steve.”
“You know how you asked me to let you know anything about your uncle acting without your knowledge against the bakery? Well, I think he does have something in the works, although I’m not sure what that is. But in the processing of getting that information, I came across something more troubling.”
“Just spit it out.”
“Your uncle has been having you followed.”
“What?!”
“He’s been having you tailed for the past two weeks or so. At least, I don’t think it’s been any longer than that.”
“Why?”
“Apparently, he’s become suspicious of why you have not acted against the bakery. And I’m pretty certain he knows about your relationship with the girl. The report said something about a weekend here?”
Eliot nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, we came to town to celebrate her getting her cast off.” He frowned thoughtfully. “So he’s decided to try and go around me, huh?”
“Looks that way. Just wanted you to know.” He glanced around the office. “Quite honestly, I’m not entirely comfortable talking here, but I wanted to get this to you as soon as possible.”
“Thanks, Steve, I appreciate that. Just keep me updated on anything you hear.”
The two men finished up their lunch and discussed a few other issues that Eliot had been neglecting during his time in Selmer. Then Steve left, but the warning he’d given had been taken to heart.
Eliot knew he was on borrowed time. No one knew his uncle better than he did, and he knew the old man would not wait forever. In fact, he should have considered the possibility that he was being followed. That was exactly what he would have expected Carl Fulton to do. But he’d allowed himself to fill his
head with only thoughts of Sophie, and that was dangerous. In order to protect her, he would have to stay sharp and focused. It was the only way to stand against his uncle.
He spent the rest of the day and part of the evening clearing his desk, but by the time he was preparing to leave that night there was still more work to be done. He sat back in his chair and looked at the stacks of unfinished business. They would have to wait, he thought, glancing at his watch. If he left now, he could get back to Selmer before Sophie fell asleep, which was usually around eleven.
“That’s the cost of neglect.”
He glanced up at the man standing in the doorway. “Wondered when you would show up.”
“I have a job to do, as well. And unlike you, I’m diligent in mine.”
“Why are you having me followed?”
Carl tilted his head in confusion. “Followed? Wherever did you get that idea?”
“Don’t bother denying it.”
Carl walked into the room. “What’s the status on this bakery thing? How close are you to closing them down? I can’t afford to have you out of the office much longer.”
Eliot just stared at the other man.
“Fine, have it your way. But I always win, Eliot. If you haven’t figured out at least that much by now, I guess I’ve been wasting my time.”
As he walked out of the office, Eliot knew the day of reckoning was at hand. From the moment he became aware of just what kind of man his uncle was, he’d known that one day the two of them would lock horns and battle until one of them fell. He’d thought the battle would eventually be over the executive office. He couldn’t see his uncle giving it up without a fight. He’d never imagined it would be over a woman. But then again, he never imagined he’d meet a woman like Sophie.
An hour later, in his study at home, Carl poured a glass of scotch, settled into his favorite recliner and placed a call.
“Hello?” a deep voice on the other end answered.
“Is he still there?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I need you to use some of your contacts to check out that girl’s background. Her family. Make sure she doesn’t have any skeletons in the closet. No crazy ex-husbands or kids.”
“Yes, sir. But wouldn’t you rather I have someone else do that so I can stay on Mr. Wright?”
Carl chuckled. “Don’t worry. Mr. Wright’s not going anywhere anytime soon. He’s got too much of me in him. He’d temporarily forgotten his priorities, but he’s back on track now. Just go make sure this girl is clean.”
Carl hung up the phone and sat back in the plush recliner. So Eliot had fallen in love. Somehow Carl had not seen it coming. He knew the boy had had affairs, but nothing serious. But now he was putting his life and goals on hold for…a woman. And a country girl, at that.
Carl shook his head and took another sip of his scotch. Carl had never fallen into that trap. There had been women, plenty of them. But none worth distracting him from his goals—to make Fulton Foods the largest snack foods and pastry provider in the greater Memphis area. And he’d done it, too. He’d doubled the distribution, doubled the profit and streamlined the production process. But it hadn’t happened overnight, and it hadn’t been easy. It had taken sacrifice, dedication and single-minded purpose. Things no married man could afford.
But, that kind of driving ambition had a price, as Carl well knew. He took another sip of scotch. By the time he began considering his own mortality he was well into his forties. But even then he felt he had plenty of time to build a family: a line of strong, fine boys and girls to take over the company. He found a nice, pliable woman, a schoolteacher from Jackson, and proposed to her. He had gotten to work trying to breed on her right away. But after almost six months, Carl began to wonder. Considering his family history, it was understandable. His father had been an only child, and throughout his childhood years Carl could count on one hand the number of children that had been
born in the family. So, he had himself checked out and discovered his swimmers had some kind of genetic deficiency. There was a possibility that he could sire a child eventually, but the chances against it were greater. It was hard news to take, but Carl had never been a man to shy away from the truth.
He broke off his engagement to the schoolteacher, not seeing the point in marrying if he could not have children. He turned his attention to watching his sister’s family. She’d been married only a few years, but already it was starting to look as if she, too, had the family curse. And then a few years later she got pregnant with Eliot. And no one was happier to see his sister give birth to a healthy baby boy than Carl, because it meant he had an heir.
But like his father before him, Carl didn’t believe in giving anything away. No, whatever you got in life had to be earned, even if you were destined for it. So he watched in disdain as his sister and that pantywaist husband of hers coddled the boy and damn near ruined him.
Then the unthinkable had happened. Carl had lost his only sibling in a senseless car crash. But as if in answer to his prayers, the boy had been spared. Of course, his idiot brother-in-law had left that will stating that Eliot was to go to his useless sister, but Carl wasn’t about to let a little thing like a will come between him and his heir.
So, he’d hired the best lawyers money could buy and fought tooth and nail for custody and won. Taking the boy in was a decision Carl had never regretted. He’d made him a man. Toughened him up, gotten rid of the wimpy mama’s boy he’d been when he first arrived. And turned him into a purpose-driven shark…at least, that’s what he’d been until recently. But, now, his head was being turned by some woman, and Carl was determined to know as much about her as possible. Once he had all the facts, then he would decide whether to welcome her into the family fold…or break her in half.
Chapter 20
Everything seemed to fall back into a routine the following week. Then Eliot arrived home from Sophie’s place early one morning, and was about to shower and change to head out to the bakery when the phone rang.
He almost didn’t answer it, fearing it was some catastrophe at the office he did not want to deal with at the moment. But he did answer. “Hello?”
“Good, I caught you.”
“What is it, Uncle Carl? I’m in a hurry.”
“Were you still planning to attend that industry convention in New York next week? They’re always held in June.”
Eliot sat down hard on the sofa. With everything else going on, he’d completely forgotten about the annual industry convention he usually attended. “Can’t this year.”
“Why not?”
“Too much going on right now. Can’t you get someone else to go?”
“There is no one else with your expertise or connections.
You’ve attended the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association’s convention every year for the past ten years! You’re the slated guest speaker, for goodness sake!”
“Fine! Fine, I’ll go.”
“Eliot, I don’t like what I’ve been hearing lately about you and that Sophie Mayfield. How are you going to close her store when you’re sleeping with the girl?”
Eliot’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say?” Carl's sudden silence was all the confirmation of what Steve had told him that Eliot needed. He leaned forward. “I’m only going to say this once, Uncle Carl. I told you before I’ll handle Mayfield Bakery, and I will. In my time, in my way. Are we clear?”
“If you don’t, Eliot, I will.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve had my attorney look into the contracts we have with Morningside and Centerfield. Turns out there is no early out option. It’s hidden but legal. If I have to I will play that trump card.”
“To what end?”
“You just make sure it doesn’t come to that.”
“Uncle Carl, I’m warning you. Stay away from Mayfield.”
“You’re warning me? You’rewarning me?Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m what you’ve made me.”
“Cut the crap! You went down there for one purpose and one purpose only. Here we are months later, and you are still dragging your heels.”
“It’s complicated.”
“No more complicated than anything else you’ve done. I’ve watched you take a competitor apart in a matter of days. As far as I can see the only real difference this time is that girl!”
“I’m only going to say this once again. I’mhandling the Mayfield thing, not you!”
“That woman’s got you thinking with the wrong head. You better decide where your loyalties lie, boy. You can’t have it both ways. Either you’re with me or against me!”
“We both know this is not about the Mayfield Bakery, Uncle Carl. You are trying to use this to control me, like you’ve always
done. But, it’s not going to work this time. This time, you may be surprised by who comes out on top.”
Carl laughed. “So…there it is. After all these years of feeding you, clothing you, sheltering you and nurturing you, there’s the gratitude.”
“No one asked you to take me in!”
“What was I supposed to do, leave you with that aunt of yours, so she could continue to ruin you?!”
Eliot sighed, wondering how the conversation had deteriorated to this point so quickly. “I’ve got to get out of here—and don’t worry, I’ll go to the convention. But mark my words, Uncle Carl, if you come anywhere near that bakery…you’ll regret it.”
Carl was silent for so long, Eliot almost hung up. “I’m getting a little tired of you threatening me, Eliot. I raised you like a son, for one purpose. Fulton. I’m not about to let you ruin that now.”
Then the phone went dead. Eliot hung up, but he knew his uncle too well to assume that was the end of the conversation. He immediately dialed Steve’s cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Eliot. You heard anything about what my uncle may be up to?”
“No, why?”
“Just a feeling. Something he said about a clause in the contracts of our former clients.”
“Hmm. I’ll check it out and let you know what I find.”
“Thanks, Steve. Look, I’m going to be in New York for a few days, but keep me up to date. The old man’s up to something, and I want to know what it is.”
When he arrived at the bakery almost an hour later, he was greeted at the sidewalk by Sophie. She looked bright, and cheery and beautiful.
“You left before I woke up this morning,” she said. “I didn’t have a chance to give you this.”
She pulled a card from behind her back. “Happy anniversary!” She glanced over her shoulder at the empty storefront. “Read it before you go in.”
“What anniversary?” Eliot asked, peeling the card open. He quickly read the short script and her personalized note at the bottom. “Three months?”
She glanced back once more, and then threw her arms around his neck and place a brief kiss on his lips. “Three months since the day you came to work here.”
He chuckled. “Baby, I’m pretty sure most employees do not get three-month anniversary cards.” He opened his car door, and tossed the card on the seat. “But, thanks for the thought.”
“And I’m sure most employeesdon’t performas well as you do.” She winked and turned to go back inside.
“Okay, I just went from feeling recognized and appreciated to cheap and sleazy,” he said, following her inside.
She stopped in the doorway and gave him a sly smile. “If it’s any consolation, you’re not cheap.”
Watching his face as the comment hit, she raced inside, and he was right behind her. They were both still laughing as they entered the kitchen.
Later than day, they sat around the preparation table talking and getting the latest town gossip from Dante and Lonnie. As Mae served up a lunch of fried chicken, Eliot realized he was starting to prefer this world to his old one. Even Wayne, sitting opposite him and currently biting into a chicken leg, was becoming tolerable. On some level, they’d made their peace about who Sophie belonged to and managed to work together pretty well. Sophie was helping Mae, placing cans of soda pop at everyone’s elbow, then bringing over a piping-hot bowl of fresh buns he’d prepared right before they all sat down. Eliot was starting to see them as the family he’d never had, and the idea of his uncle hurting any of them was unacceptable.
Later that day, in one of those rare moments when he found himself alone in the kitchen, he saw Sophie passing by on her way to the office. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. “So, how are we going to celebrate our anniversary?”
“Oh, I have it all planned out. I call it the one-Dpackage.”
“One-D. Is that suppose to be an upgrade from my three-Bpackage?”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t improve on the ‘three-Bpackage.’ This is totally different.”
“Okay, let’s hear it.”
“Dinner.”
“Dinner? That’s it?”
“Yes…but I’m cooking it.”
“Oh, that isdifferent.”
“See, told you. In fact—” she glanced at the clock on the wall “—I’m cutting out of here a little early just so I have time to get everything ready.”
“What are we having?”
“It’s a surprise.” She smiled seductively. “So is dessert.”
As she wiggled out of his arms and went into the office, Eliot turned back to sugaring the cookies. But his mind was on the disturbing dream he’d had at least a week ago, the memory of which had never faded.
Tonight, he was going to tell Sophie that he was leaving town. While he was away, he would work out a plan for dealing with his uncle once and for all.