Delinquent Daddy (31 page)

Monday morning, She was still indecisive as she pushed open the front door of Young and Mercer. Deep in thought, she didn't notice the figure standing in her boss's opened 290

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

doorway until she was behind her desk and bending over to turn on her computer.

"Ellie?" the male voice came from behind her.

She screamed and jerked erect.

Winston folded his arms over his chest.

"What in the world are you doing here so early?" she gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. Her boss never showed up before she did.

"I need to talk to you," he said without preamble.

"Ah...okay."

He stepped out of the doorway to his office and turned to the side, giving her an expectant arch of the brows, silently commanding her to enter before him. She frowned and immediately moved to comply. As soon as he stepped into the chilly room behind her, she swerved around and gave him a strange look. This was way beyond unusual.

"What's going on?" she asked, her mind instantly going to Nora and Keller. Had Nora done what she'd promised to do Friday night? Was she divorcing Mendel? If she was, that would definitely put Ellie in an awkward position with her and Nora being so close and Winston being Mendel's only brother.

"Have a seat," Winston answered, making sure not to share any kind of eye contact with her as he motioned awkwardly to a chair.

Ellie sank down warily. What in the world had happened?

He looked so sober, like someone had—

Oh, God. Had someone died? Ellie sprang to her feet.

"What happened?" she demanded to know.

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Winston gave a tired sigh and perched himself on the edge of his desk, facing her. "Just...sit down, Ellie." He scrubbed at the back of his neck.

"Just tell me," she countered.

He stopped rubbing, but kept his palm latched around his neck as if to give himself an excuse to keep his head lowered while he mumbled, "I hate this like hell. But...I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go."

Ellie blinked. "W-what?" she managed to say after a pregnant pause.

Pressing a hand to her chest, she slowly took a step back and sank gingerly into the chair before her shaky legs gave out from under her. As she stared at the top of her boss's balding head, she watched the greasy skin there turn a bright, embarrassed red.

"You're fired," he said, lifting his face and wincing when he saw her expression.

She blinked. "But...why?"

She could barely breathe, barely think. None of this made sense. What in the world was going on?

Winston's gaze slid away. "I..." he tried to start and then fell silent. Finally, he cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders stiffly as if seeking some courage there and looked up. "You know how important my clients are to me, Ellie."

She nodded, not even realizing she was still pressing the flat of her palm against her ribcage. "Of course," she managed.

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"Well..." he said. Then his gaze flitted guiltily away. "It's a top priority here at Young and Mercer to keep every client happy, and when Ted Barnaby called me Saturday morning—"

"Ted Barnaby!" Ellie repeated in alarm as she surged to her feet.

"Threatening to cancel his account with us if I didn't let you go—" Winston tried to continue.

"He...he
what
!" Her mouth fell open. "He can't do that."

She stared hard at Winston until sweat beaded on the shiny top of his head and began to drip down. He squirmed under her intense gaze and dropped his eyes.

"His advertising firm is our biggest client, Ellie," he tried to explain. "And you know our policy. The client is the most important—"

"So, you're just going to fire me because I wouldn't sleep with him?" she blurted out, her face heating with indignation.

"Now, I don't know anything about that," Winston started, lifting a hand to stop her from saying more. "And frankly, I don't want to know. What you do after hours and with whom is none of my business."

"Except that's exactly why you're firing me," Ellie countered, setting her hands on her hips.

"Now, don't look at it that way, Ellie. I—"

"Then how should I look at it, Winston?"

He flushed. "It's perfectly fine that you rejected him. Ted just...well, he said he's not comfortable having a working relationship with you anymore. It has nothing to with...with..." He motioned blindly with his hands.

Ellie lifted her brows and waited for him to say it aloud.

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"Damn it, Ellie," he blustered in helpless frustration. "My hands are tied here. I don't want to let you go. You're the best assistant I've ever had."

"Then don't let me go," Ellie said. "Tell Barnaby to go to hell and find himself different legal representation."

Winston gaped at her, his mouth dropping in mute shock.

"Give him over to Mercer," she said.

"Come on." He laughed incredulously at the idea of giving his partner Ted's business. "You know I can't do that."

"If I were really that important of an employee to you,"

Ellie countered softly, "you already would have."

And with that, she picked up her purse and turned toward the exit.

"Ellie!" he said in alarm. "Where're you going?"

"Home," she said without turning around. "You fired me, remember?"

"But...but..." He scurried to his feet and hurried after her.

"But I'm giving you two weeks. Ellie!" he nearly screamed after her departing back. "I need you here until I can get a replacement..."

She didn't hear any more of his sniveling bellyaching.

She'd already walked out and shut the door between them.

Nora found her sitting on her back porch, staring across to the yard at Keller and Cassie's empty tree house.

"You heard?" she asked without glancing over as Nora fell with a groan into the chair next to her.

"Winston's already called me five times, begging me to talk you into coming back," Nora said, gazing lazily at the empty tree house as well.

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It wasn't even noon yet, and both their children were in school. Ellie wasn't used to being home on a Monday morning. It felt strange, unnatural. But at Nora's words, she glanced over with interest.

"Permanently?" she asked.

Her friend snorted and sent her a get-real look. "Just for the rest of your two weeks or until he can find a replacement."

Ellie actually laughed. Nora's claim sounded so much like Winston, it was actually funny.

"Why am I not surprised?" She reached up to wipe at her face, hoping to attain some sense of decency. She had stopped crying, but no doubt her face was still red and puffy.

From the sympathetic look Nora sent her, she could only guess how awful she appeared.

"I told him to go screw himself if that makes you feel any better," Nora offered.

Ellie laughed again. "Thanks," she said, only for a fresh wave of tears to grip her. "Oh God, Nora, what am I going to do? I'm barely making the bills as it is. All my credit cards are maxed out, and I have nothing in savings. I can't lose my job."

"Well, I'd say it's time to call in the secret weapon," Nora said, propping her feet up and laying a hand over her brow to wince at the bright sunlight.

"And what would that be?" Ellie said, staring at the woman next to her. By all appearances, Nora looked casual and relaxed, like she was enjoying a day at the beach.

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"Seems to me that your baby's daddy has plenty of money to spare."

Unable to believe her ears, Ellie felt her mouth pop open.

"You think I should send Cassie to live with Boston?"

Nora dropped her hand and turned to frown at Ellie. "Hell, no. I'm saying, he's been Cassie's father for nearly ten years now and, save for the past month, he hasn't done one thing to help raise her."

"But, that's my fault. I—"

"Doesn't matter," Nora interrupted. "The man owes you years of child support. Think about it, El. Every doctor's appointment, dentist bill, not to mention school supplies, clothes, food. He owes you, and he seems like someone who wouldn't balk too much at paying up. If he's even the slightest bit grateful for the wonderful girl you raised, he'll be more than pleased to reimburse you
something
."

"God, Nora, I can't—"

"Just hear me out." Nora lifted her hand to plead her case, but Ellie sat up in outrage.

"No," she said. "I refuse to take one penny from Boston.

He would've been here all along, paying half of everything if I hadn't lied to him. So, the way I see it, I forfeited all rights for child support."

"And what about now?" Nora asked.

"What about it?"

"Now, he knows," Nora murmured. "And he's involved.

Even if you didn't collect on the past nine years, you can start getting support from now on until she's eighteen. Admit it.

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With his help, you could hold back the debt collectors until you found yourself another job."

Ellie bit her lip and frowned. "But I don't want to rely on Boston or his money."

"And I don't want a husband who cheats on me with every willing woman that comes along." Nora shrugged and sent Ellie a sad smile. "Sometimes, we do what we need to, to get by. For our child's sake."

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Chapter Twenty-One

The building of EarthNet looked like some kind of space station more suited for the next millennium. Ellie sucked in a breath as she neared it. She couldn't believe Nora had actually talked her into doing this, couldn't believe she'd come all this way to ask for Boston's help. But she didn't know what else to do. She needed money...fast.

Since it was nearly seven in the evening, she'd gone to Boston's home first. The three-story brick building had been enough to intimidate her without seeing where he worked.

Boston lived in a friggin' mansion. No wonder Cassie was so excited to visit her dad again.

But Boston hadn't been home. Knowing he worked long hours, she'd decided to try his office next. Ellie should've called, but she was afraid he'd refuse to see her. He hadn't looked too receptive when he'd stared at her through the car window of his Infiniti as he'd dropped Cassie off the night before... God, had that only been last night? So much had happened since then.

He was no doubt still mad at her for going out with Ted in the first place. If he knew that good old Ted had gotten her fired, he'd probably laugh in her face. As it was, he was going to hate her when she told him she wanted to start receiving child support. Her shot for a new beginning with him was more than likely blown to hell.

There was no way he would want to be with her after she flaunted another guy in his face one night and then 298

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demanded money from him three nights later. Ellie groaned and ran her hands through her hair. She had to have the worst timing ever, or the most rotten luck.

It just wasn't meant to be for them. That's all there was to it. She and Boston weren't destined to be together. The sigh she let out came from the depths of her soul.

EarthNet was eight stories tall. Ellie dragged her feet so badly on the way to the entrance, she'd taken the time to count each one. Cameron had tried to explain to her at Thanksgiving what exactly his and Boston's jobs at EarthNet entailed, but she still wasn't too certain. She knew he bought businesses that were already established and then he either fixed them up or merged them to other businesses before selling them again for a profit. She had no idea how that constituted the need for eight floors of offices, but they obviously had the profit to afford them, so who was she to question it?

The front doors slid open automatically when Ellie reached them. She jumped a step back, not expecting such a welcome, before she cautiously eased into the huge lobby.

The velvet red carpet looked like it belonged in a high-star hotel. But the single reception desk resembled something that would be in a trust fund building on Wall Street.

The woman sitting there lifted her face as the chilly December breeze entered the building with Ellie. A security guard who'd been patrolling the room also glanced over. He paused and watched her curiously as she moved toward the front desk. Besides the receptionist and guard, no one else 299

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was in the huge cathedral-shaped entrance. If the floor hadn't been carpet, her footsteps would've echoed like crazy.

"I'm sorry," the receptionist told her before she'd even reached the desk. "But all of our offices are closed for the evening. If you'd like to make an appointment with someone, you'll have to come back tomorrow when we're open. Our office hours are..."

Ellie zoned out as the women droned on. She just wanted to know if Boston was here.

"Actually," she interrupted, leaning forward and giving the tight-lipped woman an apologetic smile for interrupting, "I just need to see Boston Kincaid if he's here. It's not a business call."

She glanced around the large room for some kind of sign or directory that gave employee names or where different departments were located.

"I'm sorry," the woman said again. "But all our offices are officially closed for the evening. I suggest you come back tomorrow and—"

"You can't even tell me if he's here?" Ellie asked, her annoyance growing. She'd come all this way, knees knocking the entire distance. She couldn't not talk to him tonight.

She'd lose her nerve.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's against policy to give that kind of information after hours. If you'd like to speak to Mr. Kincaid, I suggest you come back—"