19. Dylan

19

DYLAN

" W hat are you talking about?" I demanded. "Mother, what is Clara talking about?"

"That woman took your son. I knew she was bad news. And to think you've been sleeping with her! I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't kidnapped poor, sweet Max for ransom money," Clara continued to wail.

"Clara! Enough," Mother snapped. It took a lot for her to raise her voice. "Stop being so melodramatic."

I looked from one woman to the other. "What is going on here?"

Mother shook her head. "Hasn't Jessica sent you any messages today?"

"No, I don't think so." I hadn't checked my phone. Once I arrived at the office, I was too wrapped up in dealing with the miscommunication from not being available the day before. I adjusted my case and pulled my phone out. There were several messages.

I scrolled through them. At a glance, it looked as if Jessica was giving me updates of their day.

I hit one at random. Room 103, remember to bring your swimsuit .

I glanced up at my mother, my brow furrowed in confusion.

"See?" she asked.

I scrolled back to the very first message Jessica sent me that morning . I'm taking your son and running away. Clara is being particularly mean this morning. She is yelling and playing victim and threatening me. I got a room at the Valley Verge Hotel. Max and I are going swimming. I'll keep you posted.

I looked up and narrowed my gaze on Clara. "You care to explain yourself?"

She pursed her lips and blinked several times. "I don't think I like your tone."

I closed my eyes and silently counted. I let out a deep breath before opening my eyes and leveling a glare on the woman. "Your position here is secure as long as my mother likes you, but you are skating on thin ice with me. You can explain everything to me in a calm manner in front of my mother."

Clara stiffened up. "Your son was causing problems this morning and I defended your mother. That Jessica?—"

"Clara," Mother started, "You need to excuse yourself for a moment."

I stood in silence as I waited for her to leave the room. Not that her lack of presence made a difference. I knew she was standing on the other side of the door listening in. How else did she know about Jessica and me?

"What's going on here, Mother?" I asked as calmly as I could manage. "I've had a difficult day, and I come home to Clara's histrionics."

"She's only trying to protect me."

"She's causing problems, and I do not appreciate her telling me that Jessica kidnapped Max. She is out of control. The only reason I don't fire her is you that keep insisting that I don't. Why are Jessica and Max staying at a hotel?" I crossed my arms and looked down at my mother.

Mother let out a shaky sigh. "Max tried to play catch with me. I didn't catch the toy very well and it hit me in the eye. Clara reacted. You know her default is to clear everyone away from me, give me my space. It didn't go over very well. Jessica, I believe, is as fierce a defender of Max as Clara is of me. They butted heads a bit. Jessica decided it was best to leave. That's all there really is to it."

That was not all there was to it. After all, if that's all it had been, there was no reason for Clara to cry foul and accuse Jessica of running off with Max.

"Would you please speak to Clara? She needs to reclaim her focus and cut out the dramatics. I know you like her. She treats you well, but she treats everyone else excessively. And not in a good way. There are other nurses out there," I said.

"Please," Mother pleaded. "You can't take Clara away from me."

"I'd rather not, and you know that. But she is being ridiculous."

"I'll speak with her," she said.

"Good." I leaned down and kissed Mother on the cheek.. "I'm going to pack a few items and join Jessica at the hotel. I think an evening poolside might be a good idea."

"You have a nice time, dear. And tell Max his Nana misses him."

She could tell him herself when we came back. Clara was nowhere to be seen when I left my mother's room.

In my room, I tossed a few items into a bag. I looked at the earrings I planned on giving to Jessica and decided to leave them at home. It was too easy to lose things at hotels, and these were important. At least the meaning behind them was, and it would be a shame if the first significant gift I gave her got lost.

The drive to the hotel wasn't going to take very long, and if I knew my son, he wasn't going to want to get out of the pool for dinner. I drove out of my way to the locally owned pizza place, the good one with the brick oven and wood fired pizza.

I didn't know if Jessica had plans for dinner, but the point was to surprise them. By the time I arrived, the surprise was on me.

Ryan Carmichael was there. He towered over Jessica with his arms crossed. She stood by the edge of the pool, gesticulating wildly. I didn't see Max.

Jessica turned and knelt down by the pool. A moment later, she had Max out of the pool and sitting at its edge. An inflated tube was around his middle. A sense of relief made itself known, but it was a mild one. Max was safe, but clearly, Jessica was not.

I couldn't make out the words, but the tone of their voices was tense.

Max swiveled and saw me. He bolted to his feet and ran toward me. "Daddy!"

"Max!" Jessica reached for him as he made his dash to me.

I swung Max up into my arms. He was all wet, and now, so was I.

"What's going on here?" I asked as I strode up to the two arguing.

"Are you gonna swim with me? I want to swim," Max whined.

"In a bit." I set him back down. "Go sit on the edge and put your feet in."

"Oh, look, the gang's all here," Carmichael said.

"I thought you were in the city," I commented.

He shrugged. "I never said where I was. I just happened to be in the area. You know I have a very important presentation being considered, and I wanted to be close in case there were any questions."

I narrowed my eyes. There was nothing about his presentation that needed him to be here. We could handle everything over the phone or by email. I was beginning to suspect he wasn't as forthright as he claimed to be. Maybe Jessica hadn't been overreacting when she told me about being afraid of him.

"I was just explaining to Jessica here that I understand the two of you have decided to become an item."

"I don't see how that's any of your business," I said.

"It's not. I keep telling him he needs to leave," Jessica said.

"I know why she's here. But how did you happen to be at the same hotel? Coincidence?" I asked. I tried to keep my voice low and even. I wasn't hiding the anger I felt very well.

"Funniest thing. No, I'm not staying at this hotel. It's got style, if that's what you'd call it. I prefer the ones that have room service. I was sitting minding my own business, enjoying a long lunch after going over numbers with a hysterical client who doesn't understand how spreadsheets work"—the barb was not lost on me—"when I looked up and saw Jessica with this kid strolling by. As I know you now know, I used to be good friends with Jessica. I wanted to say hello, maybe catch up. But the next time I saw her, they seemed to be in a hurry. I tried to catch up, but… anyway, long story short, I was surprised to see her car at this charming hotel when I drove past. So, I decided to get a drink at the bar and wait to see if she came out to the pool. And this is where we are now."

He said the words so calmly, but he was a snake. This hotel was not situated on the main road. One didn't simply drive past it and see the cars in the lot. If he found Jessica here, it was because he followed her.

"Let's not mince words or play games. What do you want?" I asked.

"I came to let Jessica know her little fun and games were up. You know all about her now. I felt obliged to let her know that her job was most likely in danger, and she should enjoy her limited time in luxury while she can."

Jessica turned panicked eyes to me. "I told you everything," she said.

I reached out and touched her arm. "I know you did. And I believe you. Ryan and I spoke this morning, so unless there is more information to come out…" I didn't know what else to say. I knew the worst of it. It made no sense for Ryan to be terrorizing Jessica.

"I'm sure she didn't tell you everything. What would you say if I told you that she was still working for me? That she was in your house to find leverage for me to get you to sign that deal?"

That's where he slipped up.

"You're lying! He's lying!" Jessica sounded on the verge of tears.

"Why would you need leverage for a deal that was a sure thing?" I asked. He thought he could strong arm me into what? Signing over a large percentage of the split? If anything, this little maneuver of his was going to cost him the deal.

"Stop dragging your feet, Dylan. That bullshit this morning was just wasting my time. And Jessica here isn't as sweet as you think. She's not some innocent victim. And if I didn't plant her as a spy into your house, you should be asking yourself who did?" he snarled.

"If that deal means so much to you, you need to walk away from this place right now. As it is, I'm going to recommend a full audit of your company before we proceed."

"You're going to pick a piece of cheap, fat ass over a multi-million deal? I'll sue you for breach of contract so hard, you'll never be able to make another development deal with me and my lawyers breathing down your neck and letting the world know you stole the idea from me."