Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

JAMES

I wasn’t surprised when Carter came back to the prison the next day, nor was I surprised that he knew what I’d been up to since he’d left.

“I heard Mike Beauregard accepted a plea deal,” he said before I even had a chance to sit down.

“Is that so?” I said good-naturedly. “I suppose that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

He didn’t look amused. “I know you had something to do with it.”

“Phone calls may have been made,” I said cryptically.

“What did you promise?”

I sat back in my chair. “Who says I promised anything?”

“Skeeter…” he practically growled.

“Beauregard’s a father, and what do most fathers want?”

A deep scowl settled on his face. “Your father and mine wanted their next bottle of booze. Somehow, I don’t think you promised him that.”

“Most normal fathers.”

“Wouldn’t know,” he snapped. “Never met one.”

I snorted. “They want to make sure their kids are protected.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t respond.

“I assured him that his kids would have trusts waiting for them after they graduate from high school, so college won’t be an issue.” I wrinkled my forehead. “We both know Rose won’t be able to put three kids through a good college with her business. It’s successful, but Fenton County’s not big enough to provide for all of that.”

“So, you need me to set up two individual trusts like the one you set up for Hope?” he said, pulling out a legal pad and pen from his bag.

Hearing my daughter’s name sent a sharp bolt of pain through my chest. I’d never, ever wanted a kid, and I never wanted Rose to go through with her pregnancy, but now that our daughter was born, I’d move heaven and earth to make sure she was safe and taken care of. “Set ’em up with fifty K for now. We’ll discuss how much more to add later.”

“Sure,” he said, writing it down.

“You could have given me a heads-up about Neely Kate showin’ up,” I grunted.

“And have you refuse to see us? Yeah, I don’t think so.” He glanced up. “Let me go on the record stating that I don’t think it was fair to promise her that the Feds would back off Jed. You don’t have that kind of power. I had to bite my tongue all the way back to Fenton County. I suggested it wouldn’t be a bad idea to seek out an attorney anyway, but she has total faith that you’re handling it.”

I shrugged. Carter didn’t know about my secret meetings with a couple of agents from the FBI, and for now, I intended to keep it that way. It had been one of those meetings that had clued me in on their plan to talk to Jed. It had only taken the suggestion of my cooperation to get them to promise to back off for now. While I had no intention of letting them talk to him, I planned to string out our talks until I got everything I wanted out of the deal. Jed’s new life would never be in danger. I’d see to that.

I shot him a glare. “Maybe she wouldn’t have shown up here if you hadn’t told her about the Feds wanting to talk to him in the first place. I told you to keep it to yourself.”

He lifted his chin, fire shining in his eyes like he was spoiling for a fight. I wasn’t surprised. He’d threatened to fire me as a client a half dozen times since I’d been arrested, and I had to admit I was a shit client. I did what I wanted and ignored half of his advice. I would have fired me too.

But now he was standing his ground as he said, “I thought she had a right to know.”

“You always had a soft spot for her,” I said in mock disgust.

“Pot meet kettle,” he shot back. He had a point. I’d always liked Neely Kate and her fiery temper. I liked the way she looked out for Rose, and I knew Jed had it for her bad, even when she was married. When he’d joined her on her road trip to Oklahoma, I’d purposely given him the ultimatum of having to choose—her or me. I knew my next phase with Hardshaw was about to kick in and I didn’t want him anywhere near ground zero. I’d considered firing him, but I knew he'd never take it seriously. So, I made him choose, hoping to God he wouldn’t be stupid enough to pick me over the woman of his dreams.

He didn’t disappoint.

I knew I was a prick for handling it that way, but he was too loyal to leave me, even if he thought what I was doing was foolish and dangerous. He would have stuck with me to the end. This way, he got a clean break and had all the more reason to go after the woman he loved.

I have no regrets. My life doesn’t have room for them.

Still, sometimes I wondered if I should regret everything that happened with Rose—from making her go to that auction to falling in love with her, but, bastard that I was, I couldn’t find it in me. I loved every second of every minute I’d had with her, and I wouldn’t trade all the money in the world for any of it. Even if it hurt her. Even if it hurt me.

I learned long ago that you can’t change the past so there’s no use dwelling on it.

And it’s even stupider to wish for things you can’t have.

“The reports I give you aren’t enough?” he asked, and I realized I’d missed something.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“The reports on Rose and her baby. What are they lacking that Neely Kate can give?”

A personal touch. Moments about their daily lives. I couldn’t be there to see my daughter grow up, but I needed more than dry reports. I needed the day-to-day details, and Neely Kate could give them to me. “I couldn’t get the Feds to back off for nothin’, now could I? It’ll be easy enough for her to do. Plus, she’ll like it.”

He grumbled under his breath, then asked, “Does that mean you want me to call off the PI we have keeping tabs on her?”

“Not yet. Let’s see what Neely Kate’s reports actually say first.”

He shook his head. “What are you up to that you’re not telling me about?”

“Who says I’m up to something?”

“It’s written on your face, which is sayin’ something because you’re usually wearing a poker face.”

“So, what’s my face sayin’ right now?”

“That you have a plan.”

I shrugged. “I always have a plan.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Well, it’s all you’re gonna get for now,” I said, then rested my forearms on the table. “Now tell me what you’ve got on Adam Kingsley.”