Cookies for Courting (4 page)

“Our new artist has a history,” Joyce announced.

“Doesn’t everyone?” Marshall folded his arms across his chest and waited.

Sometimes, his assistant thrived on drama.

“He got in trouble for drug possession.”

“What kind?”

“Marijuana. It was three years ago, and he was let off with
probation.”

Thinking over Pace’s appearance and his seemingly bohemian nature, Marshall smiled. “I think I’d be more surprised if he didn’t.”

“You think he’s an appropriate role model for Alice?” Joyce’s neutral tone didn’t give Marshall any hints about her opinion. “I mean it was a while ago and it wasn’t like he was dealing crack cocaine, but I wanted to double check you were okay with it.”

“I think he’s an artist. I’m not looking for a role model for Alice. I’m looking for someone who can paint. As long as he’s not doing anything around Alice, I don’t think there will be a problem.”

“You didn’t see how she looked at him. She likes him a lot. I don’t think we’ll have any problems.”

“Good. She deserves to have a little fun. The quote he sent me stated he’ll take four to six weeks to finish the mural. I doubt he can do much damage to Alice’s psyche in that amount of time.”

Joyce frowned. “That’ll depend if you decide to keep him. If it means anything, Ilona liked him too.”

“Good. I hate it when she’s upset with me. My stomach always suffers.” Marshall spun his ballpoint pen around his thumb while he thought. “Go ahead and call Pace and let him know he has the job. I want him to start as soon as possible.”

Memories of Pace straddling Marshall’s hips had his cock waking up. Good thing he was sitting behind a desk.

Joyce nodded. “Anything else?”

“No, you can take off for the day after you call him. I won’t need anything else today.”

She left smiling.

Marshall leaned back in his chair and thought about Pace. Alice wasn’t the only one who liked him. But she was the only one who could give in to her feelings. The more he thought about it, the more he was determined to keep Pace at arm’s length. His father had slept with his employees since Marshall was a child, and he didn’t plan to follow in his father’s footsteps.

In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d talked to his parents. He’d gotten sick of his mother looking the other way at his dad’s philandering just so she wouldn’t lose her place in society. Their joke of a relationship wore on his last nerve. It was little wonder his sister had left
her only child to Marshall. Now if he only knew what to do with a little
girl.

He’d wait until Pace finished his work before fucking the man out of his system. Technically, then Pace wouldn’t be an employee.

Marshall’s phone rang. The display showed his mother’s name, as if by just thinking of her, he’d caught her attention. He knew from experience that ignoring her call would only result in a lot of complaining when she finally reached him. She might even show up on his doorstep. He bit the bullet and answered the phone.

“Hello, Mother,” he said, resigned.

“Marshall, it’s time to end this nonsense and give Alice to us.”

Marshall’s temper immediately flared. He gritted his teeth and took a long, deep breath before answering. “No. You’d just hand her over to nannies anyway.” Marshall’s memories of his parents revolved around seeing them argue at dinner while he focused all his attention on the fine china and wished he were anywhere else. He wouldn’t curse his worst enemy with that sort of upbringing.

“How are you going to raise her? A single gay man has no business bringing up a child. You don’t even have a partner to help.”

Marshall hated that she was right. If he had a partner to help take care of Alice, he wouldn’t feel so guilty. Still, he refused to give her to someone just so his mother had a new doll to dress up and bring out for parties.

“Anna left her to me. She’s my responsibility.”

“You’ll probably lose her trust fund in one of those high risk investments,” his mother snapped.

Ahh, there it was, the true reason they wanted Alice. They didn’t care he was gay—that would take true emotion. They wanted to get hold of Alice’s trust fund. “I’m the one Anna thought would be the best person to take care of her daughter, and I’m going to do it.”

“You are incapable of taking care of her!” she shrieked.

“And this conversation is over.” Marshall disconnected. If he thought they had real feelings for Alice, he would let them visit. Unfortunately, his parents’ fortunes had been depleted over the years, and Anna had left her daughter very well off, with all of her money under Marshall’s protection. She knew he would invest it wisely and stash it away for Alice to use when she got older.

“You’ll never have Alice or her money,” Marshall vowed. Alice deserved someone who loved her. Marshall might not be the best guardian ever, but he cared for his niece far more than his money-grubbing parents.

Too bad this wasn’t a soap opera because then Anna could come back from the dead and take her daughter back. Marshall would give up his fortune if it would return his sister to her little girl. Sadly, no amount of money could reverse death.

Marshall opened his desk drawer and pulled out a small photo. Within the silver frame was a picture of Anna and Alice smiling back at him. Alice’s father had never wanted to accept responsibility and had signed over all parental rights to Anna before she was born. Now all Alice had was Marshall.

“I miss you, Anna Banana.” Marshall traced his thumb across his sister’s cheek. Her death was still too fresh for the wound to have scabbed over. He didn’t even have justice on his side since the drunk driver who’d struck her had also died at the scene. Anna had been walking across the street to pick up Alice at her after-school program when the drunk driver swerved around the corner and hit her. She’d died instantly.

A tear slid down Marshall’s cheek. He absently brushed it away. He took in another deep breath and let it out again. Maybe he should visit the
counselor he’d set up for Alice. They both needed help handling their
grief.

Marshall stood up, straightened his clothes, snatched his briefcase off the floor, then left the office. He needed to get back home to his girl.

I
LONA
GREETED
him at the door. “You must do something about Georgia. She does not watch the girl.”

“What you mean?”

“She spent afternoon on phone, not with Alice.”

Damn. It wasn’t easy finding someone to watch a traumatized eight-year-old. “You know someone who needs a job?”

Ilona shrugged. “I ask around. Maybe Joyce can help.”

“I’ll tell her to step up the search.” He couldn’t fire Georgia until he had someone to take over her job.

“You talk to Georgia.” Ilona scowled.

“I will.”

Marshall ran his fingers through his hair. Another day, another problem. It seemed no matter how much he tried to get on top of everything, it was like trying to plug a leaky boat with a Q-tip. More problems were always pushing to get through.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Georgia or Alice?”

“Georgia.” He hoped to feel her out about how Alice’s day went. If Georgia was doing her job, she should know.

“Dinner is ready in half hour. I think Georgia is in the family room.”

“Thank you.” Exhaustion weighed him down. He’d hoped to come home to a quiet evening and consume a large glass of scotch. Alcohol was still definitely on the menu.

Walking down the hall, he could hear Georgia talking to somebody. His footsteps slowed as he listened in on her conversation. He didn’t feel guilty for eavesdropping. It was his condo, after all.

“It’s only a matter of time before we ship that brat off to boarding school, and I can have him to myself,” Georgia said.

Marshall figured she must be on the phone because there was a lull in her conversation before she spoke again.

“Yes, I looked into his background. He’s worth millions. What do you mean? How can he resist me? You’re an idiot.”

Marshall had heard enough. He walked around the corner and folded his arms, waiting until Georgia turned around.

She paced back and forth as she twirled her hair around her right index finger. It took three passes before she realized Marshall was in the room. She came to a screeching stop.

“I’ll call you back later.” She disconnected her call and shoved the phone into the pocket of her too-short shorts.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” Marshall said. “You are just getting to the interesting part where you were going to seduce me and ship my brat off to school.”

Georgia laughed nervously. “I-I don’t know what you think you heard, but I have a good explanation.”

“I have no interest in hearing it. Get your things and get out, you’re no longer welcome here.” Good thing he hadn’t moved her in like he’d considered at first.

“You have to give me notice!” Georgia shrieked.

“That’s where you’re wrong. You have to give me notice; I don’t have to return the favor. And since you were hired under false pretenses, I will make sure your employment agency knows why you were fired. I wouldn’t want someone else to hire you thinking they are going to get a nanny instead of a gold digger.”

Georgia’s pretty face contorted into a twisted expression of hate. “You think you are so much better than me just because you have money.”

“No. I think I’m better than you because I have values. Gather your things and leave. Make sure you only take what belongs to you. Security will check your bags on the way out and remove your clearance.”

If looks could kill, Marshall would be six feet under.

He waited impassively as she snatched up her purse, grabbed her jacket, then marched out the door, slamming it behind her. She didn’t bother to say good-bye to Alice.

Ilona joined him in the living room. “You did right thing.”

Marshall sighed. “I know. That doesn’t make it easier. Make sure security removes her clearance.”

“Already done.”

Marshall smiled at the satisfaction in Ilona’s tone. “You were that certain I would fire her?”

“Yes. You wouldn’t fall for a pretty face.”

“I don’t know about that. I’ve fallen for one or two in my time.” Memories of a particularly gorgeous artist flickered through his mind. He suspected he’d do quite a bit for that pretty face.

Ilona smiled. “You’re smarter than that. Go take your shower. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d do just fine. Hopefully, you won’t find out.” Ilona patted him on the shoulder, then left the room.

Marshall headed for Alice’s bedroom, determined to check on her before taking a shower. He liked to wash the day away before he ate dinner, but a few more minutes wouldn’t make any difference except maybe to Alice.

He found her on her bed, looking at a big piece of paper.

“What’s that?”

“Hi, Uncle Marshall.” She smiled, and Marshall stopped in his tracks. It was the first time she’d shown any happiness since coming to live with him. “Pace left this for me.”

“Oh.” Curiosity had him leaning over her shoulder to take a look.

The castle sketch consisted of a few strokes of a talented man’s pencil. Each building had just enough outline to convey a castle worthy of a princess.

“Pace said I had to ask you. But you don’t care, right? I can have whatever I want?”

“It’s your room, Alice. But keep in mind, once you pick your design, you’re stuck with it. Pace can’t keep changing it.”

Alice nodded vigorously. “I understand, and I want this one.”

“Then that’s the one you’ll have.” He cleared his throat as he struggled to find a good way to broach the next part. “I’m sorry to tell you, Georgia won’t be here anymore.”

Alice examined him with her clear green eyes. “Good, she wasn’t nice to me. She never took me out for ice cream, and she was always telling me to be quiet because she was on the phone.”

Anger had Marshall gritting his teeth. “Well, she won’t be telling you that anymore.”

If he could, he would’ve brought Georgia back just to throw her out again.

“I like Pace. Will he be my new nanny?”

Marshall coughed to cover his amusement. “Um, no. He’ll be your painter. I’ll find someone else to watch over you.”

He needed someone who wanted to watch a child but not slide into Marshall’s bed, which immediately removed Pace from the running. Marshall would have to work from home for a bit. If his clients couldn’t be flexible about his temporary change in hours, they could go elsewhere. He had enough people under him to shift some of his work.

Maybe it was time to reprioritize his life.

Shoving his problems off until tomorrow, he settled down to have a nice dinner with Alice before tucking her in. He’d never done that before. Instead, he’d depended on Georgia to tuck Alice into bed before he got home, a mistake he didn’t intend to allow again unless he couldn’t prevent it.

“Good night, Alice.”

“Night.” Alice’s quiet voice followed him out the door.

He had a feeling he was missing something. The disappointment in her voice stabbed him deep.

Ilona met him out in the hall. “Did you read her a story?”

Marshall sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. He was going to be bald before Alice left elementary school. “No, I didn’t read her a story. Crap. I make a horrible guardian.”

Ilona patted him on the back. “You will learn.”

“I hope so.” Marshall needed to find a new nanny like yesterday. He headed back down the hall to read to Alice.

P
ACE
WALKED
into the lobby of the condo with a light heart and a heavy portfolio filled with ideas. He had a feeling the little girl knew exactly what she wanted, or at least she would once she saw his drawings.

The security guy from the day before recognized Pace and motioned him through.

Pace couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to live under such scrutiny. His parents had hid most of their money and lived in a modest house for all of his childhood.