The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) (22 page)

Every half hour or so, Drew would come out to fill me in on what was going on.  Olivia had suffered Braxton Hicks on the plane.  The doctors speculated it was because of stress and the flying elevation.  He suggested that for the duration of her pregnancy, she remain on bed rest.

“I offered for her to stay with us,” Drew told me, “but she refused.  I pissed her off pretty bad before I left for Amarillo.”

“How?”

Drew shrugged one shoulder. “It’s a long story, but she doesn’t want to stay with us.  She suggested that you stay with her, though.  At first I thought she was joking, but she told me that even though she’s still hurt, she at least knows you and would feel comfortable with you in her house.  Of course, I told her no and that I’d hire an in-home nurse to care for her.”

“Nonsense.  I’ll stay with her.”  This was my chance.  Karma was giving me an opportunity to set things right.

“No.  You’re coming home with me.”

I cupped Drew’s face in my hands and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.  “I owe you both this, baby.  If she wants me there, I’ll stay.  It’s what’s best for her and your baby.”

Drew let out an exasperated sigh.  “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about her request.”

“It wouldn’t matter.  She’d have asked me anyway.”

Drew tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.  “Will there ever be a time that it’s just us?”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding tight to him.  “Yes, and I’ll welcome the day when it comes.”

His strong arms held me tight, encompassing me with his love.  He kissed the crown of my head and stepped back.  My eyes followed him to the door.  He gripped the knob, then stopped.  “Oh, I almost forgot.”  He glanced over his shoulder.  “It’s a girl.”

I clasped my hands over my mouth, tears welling in my eyes.  “She’s going to be a lucky little lady to have a daddy like you.”

“As long as I don’t fuck it up this time.”

My response came swift and certain.  “You didn’t fuck it up the last time, but if you had, Karma seems to be on both our sides today.”

He disappeared, returning back to Olivia’s side, and I dropped into the nearest chair to wait until I was able to pay my debt to Karma, thankful for the opportunity to set things right.

Andrew

Watching Olivia in pain pretty much ripped my cold heart to shreds.  Every terrible thing I’d ever said or felt about her, I instantly regretted.  In the aisle of that plane and later at the hospital, I prayed that God would forgive me for my callousness.  This baby was important, not my childish feud with Olivia.  If I’d learned one thing from these past couple of weeks, it was that life was too short and a fleeting moment was all it took to tear a person apart.

Weeks passed.  When I wasn’t at Olivia’s condo helping McKenzie care for her, I was at work.  I’d half expected my father to fire me over our last conversation, and I might’ve even welcomed the termination notice, but he saw fit to torture me instead.  Each day, poor Ethan received six more case files in need of my review.  With Gavin still gone on his honeymoon, I was in charge of the Sarasota office.  Father thought that by overloading me with as many responsibilities as he could, he would break me.  He was sorely mistaken.  

A tap at the door pulled me from the most recent client file that landed on my desk.  My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten in hours or longer.  Rain trickled against the large windows behind me.  A summer storm had settled over Sarasota.  The salty scent of the gulf filled the air.  I slapped the file closed, tossed my glasses on top of it, and called out, “It’s open.”

I rolled my chair back from my desk and stood up, stretching my tense muscles.  Every joint in my arms and back popped.  

Ethan stuck his head inside my office.  “Hey, boss.  It’s after midnight.  Mind if I head out of here?”

Surprised, I glanced at my watch and yawned.  “Sorry ‘bout that.  I didn’t even realize what time it was.  Yeah, get out of here.”

Ethan pushed the door completely open and leaned against the frame.  “You need anything before I leave?”

I started to unroll my sleeves, buttoning each one at my wrists.  “Make sure that Don and Carol have everything they need for the Hale deposition tomorrow.  I want that prenup thrown out.  The bastard deserves to pay.”

Ethan nodded, stifling a yawn.  “Got it.”

“Also, set up a meeting with Jolson.  We really need to buckle down on the Alder settlement.  Oh, and Reece needs to call the mediator tomorrow on the Mayer custody suit.”  I considered the million and one tasks on my to-do list.  Each one was just as important as the last, but all could wait until after a good night’s rest.  “Never mind.  Go home.  We’ll worry about it tomorrow.”

Ethan saluted me.  “You’re the boss.”

He pushed away from the entrance and turned, ready to leave my office.  “Hey, Ethan.  You hear anything from Natasha lately?”

He stopped dead in his tracks.  I tried not to laugh, but failed miserably.  He thought he was being slick, keeping their little romance under the table, but Gavin had spilled the beans the last time we spoke.  Ethan tugged at his ear.  “Um…well…uh,” he stuttered.  He stood up straight, turned back around, and held his head high.  “Why, yes I have,” he over-corrected his response.  “As a matter of fact, I’m going home to have phone sex with her right now.”

My eyes shot up to the tiles on the ceiling, laughing.  “Nice save, my friend.  Tell her I said hi, and please make sure to wash your hands before coming into the office tomorrow.”

“Sure thing!”  He gave me two thumbs up and disappeared from the door.

I removed my jacket from the back of my chair and slid it over my shoulders.  Grabbing my keys and phone, I shoved them into my slacks pocket and left my office, closing the door behind me.  All of the lights were dimmed.  There were no associates, no secretaries, no interns, and no paralegals.  The place was a ghost town.  It hadn’t been my intention to stay so late, but they were billable hours.  My father couldn’t bitch too much about that.

In my car, I dialed McKenzie’s cell number.  I wanted to see if she and Olivia were still awake.  It’d been nearly twenty-four hours since I’d last seen my girl and I missed her.  It was bad enough I had to mind myself in Olivia’s presence.  Anytime I attempted to touch McKenzie, even in the most innocent of ways, she’d shy away.  She told me that things between her and Olivia were on the mend, and she didn’t want to shove our relationship down her throat.  That bothered me but I said nothing.  It would all be over soon, and I’d have my girl all to myself.

“Hey, handsome,” came her southern twang over the phone line.

I pulled out of the parking lot and started toward the freeway.  “Hey, yourself.”

“You just now leavin’ the office?”

“Yeah.  I lost track of time.  I half expected you to be asleep.”

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, coating my windshield just enough that I required the use my wipers.  The roads were empty save the few late night travelers.  I heard a car door open and realized she was in transit.  “I was, but Liv woke me.  She had another one of her cravings.  You know, I don’t recall having this many cravings when I was pregnant with Evan.”

I chuckled. “That’s Olivia for ya.  I wish I’d known.  I could’ve picked something up on my way over.  I’m starving.”

“You’re coming over?”

“If that’s all right.”

“Of course it is.  I miss you,” she simpered.

I loosened my tie around my neck and veered the car onto the freeway.  Ten minutes is all it would take for me to get to Olivia’s condo, and I couldn’t wait to kiss my girl. “Maybe I can even stay the night.”

“Andy,” she huffed.  “You know that’s not an option right now.  It’s not fair to Liv.”

“It’s not fair to us, either, Mickie.”

“I know.”  She let out a deep sigh.  “Look.  I have to go.  I’m at the store.  I’ll pick you up somethin’ to eat while I’m here, and we’ll talk when I get home.  Okay?”

“Okay, Beautiful.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  The line went dead.

Five minutes later, I arrived at Olivia’s condo.  I pulled into the parking garage and rounded the corner to park in my usual spot, next to where McKenzie parked her Prius, in guest parking.  A few days after our return to Sarasota, Bill, McKenzie’s father, kindly drove a U-Haul truck with all of her belongs, including her car, to Florida.  He didn’t stay long, and didn’t appear very happy about McKenzie tending to Olivia, but much like me, he kept his opinions to himself.  McKenzie considered this her redemption, and it wasn’t our place to tell her otherwise.

McKenzie’s car was missing, as I expected, however, a car I didn’t recognize had taken her place.  Instead of parking in the empty spot next to it, I continued on down the row and parked near the back wall.  I got out of my car and made my way to the elevator, glancing at the unknown vehicle as I passed by it.  It wasn’t anything special—a black Chrysler 300.  Rental stickers covered the half-assed tinted windows.  I shrugged it off as a visitor not knowing the parking arrangements and proceeded to take the elevator up to Olivia’s apartment.

When the doors opened, I stepped out, following a path I’d taken a million times before.  At Olivia’s front door, I lifted my hand to ring the doorbell, but stopped, cautioned by the sound of loud voices coming from inside.  I stood there listening, and from what I could gather, Olivia was arguing with someone—a man.  I moved my ear closer to the door, trying to make sense of what was being said with no luck.  The voices only got louder and more distorted.

The doorknob shook.  Startled, and not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, I dashed away, seeking cover around the corner near the staircase.

“You have no right, Olivia.  No right at all,” a male voice ricocheted off the walls.  His tenor was familiar.  I squinted my eyes, holding my fist to my mouth, nibbling at my knuckles.  I perked my ears in attempt to decipher where I knew that voice from, but had no luck.

“I have every right.”

I glanced around the corner, catching a quick glimpse of man’s back.  He wore a black suit, tailored to fit his tall, lean frame.  His reddish brown hair was styled to have that ‘just-out-of-bed’ look.  I squinted my eyes, trying to find some sort of discerning mark that would identify this guy, but without a clear look at his face, I couldn’t place him.

“You’ve been avoiding me since Boston.”

“No.  I told you then I had nothing to say to you.  Now, go.  I don’t want you here when Kenz gets back,” Olivia sneered.

“Does she know?” He pressed, choleric with indignation.  “Does she have a clue what you’re up to?”

My mind went blank, like when you focused on something so hard that it no longer made sense.  That was exactly how my brain felt.  All my concentration on this conversation had to be playing tricks on me.  For him to suggest that Olivia was in some way doing something unethical to McKenzie—after all we’d done for her—was unthinkable.

“You’re delusional, Nate.”

An audible gasp escaped me.   Nate turned his head, glancing in my direction.  I quickly ducked behind the wall, clapping my hands over my mouth.  My chest heaved, sounding like thunder in my ears.

“I’m delusional?” he scoffed.  Since he didn’t break away from his conversation, I figured I hadn’t been exposed, but I feared risking my anonymity, so I remained hidden.  “You’re the one lying your ass off to hold on to a man who hates everything about you except
your
baby.”

“Yes, my baby, and don’t you forget that.  What did you think you’d accomplish tonight?  Expose me as some sort of villain?  Swoop in to rescue her?” she spat.  Suddenly, her laughter filled the hall, leaving me feeling helpless and cold.  “Oh, that’s it.  You wanted to be her hero.  What is it about her that men find irresistible? Jesus!”

I held my breath, hanging on his words.  

“She’s in love.  Something neither you nor I truly understand.  I don’t want to see her hurt anymore.”

“Whatever,” she seethed.  

The slam of the door made me jump.  Nate banged on the wood, rattling the whole floor. “That’s right.  Slam the door in my face, but I won’t go away, Olivia.  Count on that.  I have rights, too.”

All of the pieces started clicking together in my head.  I calculated every single word, every action, down to the most miniscule twitch of his fingers and the rise of his voice.  Everything made sense, but my information was hearsay.  I needed solid evidence to prove my allegations.  There was only one way to get such proof.

I glanced around the corner again to see Nate throw his hands in the air.  He flipped his middle finger at the door, his face filled with rage.  He disappeared around the corner, and I could hear the chime of the elevator opening.  That was my cue.  I darted toward to the stairs, flying down fourteen flights.  By the time I reached the parking garage, the rental car that I’d noticed in McKenzie’s spot was rounding the corner, its tires squealing against the slick concrete.  I made a mad dash to my car, determined not to lose Nate.

In transit, McKenzie called wanting to know where I was.  I told her that I had some business pop up and I’d be over very soon.  It was the only thing I could think of that sounded like a viable excuse for my absence, especially at a quarter to one in the morning.  It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been called back to the office that late.

Now, car chases aren’t all they’re cracked up to be in the movies.  It was sort of a letdown for me.  Nate took me on a ten minute trek toward the gulf and stopped at the Hyatt.  For a moment, I wondered why he’d go to a hotel, then I recalled how he’d told McKenzie and me that he now lived in Chicago.  He must’ve been here on business.

Nate stopped in front of the hotel at the valet stand, and got out of his car.  I, on the other hand, found the closest parking spot available, wanting to remain as obscure as possible.  I had no plan on how to find him in the hotel or what I might say to him when I did, but I was certain he had answers to all of my questions.

Once inside, I wiped the residue of the rain from my face.  It was really starting to pour now, and in the short walk from my car to the lobby, I got drenched.  I shivered at the burst of cool air on my skin as I marched up to the desk, glancing around to see if I could find him.  “Can I help you?” the desk clerk asked.

“Yes, I’m supposed to meet someone,” I started, but something caught my eye.  Fate had smiled upon me.  Nate was sitting in the hotel bar, talking to the bartender.  “Actually, I see my party.  Thank you for your assistance.”

“Anytime, sir.”

A few long strides and I was standing behind Nate at the bar.  The dim lighting created a subdued ambiance.  The rich decor included high-backed leather bar stools pushed up against the bar.  Small, round tables speckled the room, dressed with the comfortable winged chairs.  One or two customers lingered, but the room was pretty much empty.  I took in a deep breath to settle my nerves.  I’d have to play this one cool if I didn’t want to frighten the man off.  Instead of walking right up to him and confronting him, I took a seat two chairs down.  “Bartender,” I called out.

The young bartender shuffled toward me, his smile bright but his eyes revealed exhaustion.  “Yes, sir.  What can I get for you?”

I rubbed my chin.  “A vodka cranberry, but hold the vodka.”

The bartender tilted his head, a little confused by my answer.  I mouthed the word ‘sober’ to him and he immediately understood my intentions.  Moments later, I had a drink in front of me, sipping it slowly.  I glanced over at Nate, who had a full shot glass sitting in front of him.  “Bad night?” I asked.