Father by Choice

Kyle stopped rocking. “You’ve just made a transition to this team. We usually like to build vacations into the schedule ahead of time.” Kyle smiled. “But this qualifies as a family emergency.”

“Great. I’ll keep the Detrex project going via email and phone.” Brady started to get up.

“No, the Detrex project is a huge account. Since Dave Peterson and Jules Morrison are both on the project, they should handle things while you are gone.”

Brady sank back into the seat. If he let Peterson take over the project, it would sink faster than the Titanic. Jules would have to deal with that scumbag every day. “With all due respect, Kyle, Peterson is a decent manager, but the contacts deal with me directly. We have so many balls in the air right now, one could drop and someone might not notice.”

“Then you had better get them up to speed before you leave.” Kyle rose from his chair, obviously dismissing him.

Brady stood. “Detrex is my project. I’d rather stay here than risk it failing because I left at the wrong time.”

“The project won’t fail without you.” Again, Kyle dismissed his importance.

But Brady knew how this game was played. He’d studied it from every angle. He wasn’t going to lose this project and the boost to his career. But if he let Maggie down this time, she might never let him see Amber.

“Let Jules lead it.” Brady knew this was a risky move, but he had to play it. “If she has any questions, she can contact me or go to Peterson. It’s only two weeks.”

He hoped that Kyle would accept this. He could work the project with Jules while he was gone. Peterson wouldn’t care if the project failed because it was Brady’s and Jules’s necks on the line. Until it’s time to take credit.

“It’s probably time Jules took on some additional responsibility.” Kyle walked with Brady to the door and turned out the lights in his office. “But this project is too big to let fail. If I see any indication that she can’t handle it, I will pass it off to Peterson.”

Brady nodded. “Enjoy the game, Kyle.”

Turning on his heels, Brady headed to Peterson’s office. It was time to take his project back.

Within thirty minutes after Brady left, Maggie had finished putting away her things. What was she doing here?

She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and dialed Penny’s number. It was early afternoon so she should be able to get her before Amber got home. “Did you tell him?” Penny asked immediately.

Maggie fell onto the bed. “Yes. I’m in his apartment right now. How is Amber doing?”

“She’s fine. I’m fine. What are you doing on the phone with me?” Penny laughed. “I know it’s been a while, but get out there.”

“He went to work.” Maggie rolled onto her side and stared out the window overlooking Central Park. “I told him.”

“Okay.” Penny stretched out the word as if trying to pick up the underlying meaning. “What happened?”

Maggie relayed the morning meeting followed by the nerve-racking lunch. And ended with her being dumped off in an apartment that looked like a pristine hotel room.

“It’s like no one lives here.” Maggie walked to the empty fridge. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she’d only eaten a few bites of lunch.

“Did you go in his room yet?” Penny sounded as if she was on the edge of her seat, waiting.

“I’m not going to snoop.” Maggie turned to look at the closed bedroom door. She leaned against the refrigerator and wondered what he would have in his bedroom.

“I bet he has kinky sex toys.”

“Penny!”

“Or naughty magazines.”

“Seriously?”

Penny changed tactics. “Would you want someone like that around Amber? After all, it’s important to have a good male role model and not all men can pass muster.”

Maggie tapped her finger against her bottom lip. “He did say that he wanted me to find out about him before taking him to meet Amber.”

“See?” Penny’s triumph was obvious even hundreds of miles away. “He wants you to snoop. Why else leave you in his apartment alone?”

“Because he had to go to work.”

“Wrong!” Penny said, sounding like a buzzer. “Excuses, excuses. Get in there. I’ll be right beside you. Make sure to use descriptive words like black leather love swing.”

“Okay, but don’t get your hopes up.” Maggie crossed the room and turned the doorknob. Just in case, she checked over her shoulder to make sure no one was in the apartment.

“A girl can dream.”

Maggie shoved open the door and stepped into a room similar to her own. The hardwood floors from the living room continued into the room, providing the only warmth to the otherwise white, sterile room.

“Dying of suspense over here,” Penny said.

“It’s bigger than my room. King-size bed.” No art. No photos. No spark of personality. Lifeless. Loveless. “Light tan bedspread with matching curtains. Black dresser. Two doors.”

“One of them has to lead to the sex chamber.” Penny’s voice quivered.

“Do you think that if he had a sex chamber I would tell you?” Maggie rolled her eyes as she opened the first door to a bathroom.

“You’ll tell me or I promise to read Amber Stephen King tonight.”

“You wouldn’t. Besides, I would be so shocked to find a sex chamber that I probably would tell you, so you could tell me what all the things were for.”

“You know it,” Penny said smugly.

“Door number one is a bathroom. Nice. Clean.” Lifeless.

“I’ll take what’s behind door number two.”

She opened the door to a walk-in closet the size of her bathroom at home. “Big closet.”

The rich scent of sandalwood drifted over her as she entered the closet.

“Dirty mags?” Penny whispered, as if they were on the hunt together, instead of just Maggie waiting to get caught going through Brady’s stuff.

The closet was neatly organized with nothing out of place. Suits lined up, next to neatly pressed pants, a few pairs of shoes. “It’s as if he doesn’t live here.”

“That’s it! Maybe he’s a vampire.” Penny snickered.

Maggie backed out of the closet and looked around for some evidence of anyone living there. “Worse, he’s a workaholic. No one’s house is this clean unless they don’t live here.”

“Or he stays at his girlfriend’s.” Penny’s tone didn’t help matters.

Maggie sank down on the edge of his bed. “I hadn’t even thought about that. I didn’t even ask. Why didn’t I ask?”

“Because you were telling the dude he has a seven-year-old? I think you had more pressing things than ‘are you dating?’”

“What if he is?” Maggie’s heart clattered to a stop. She stood. “What if I’m getting in the way of his life here?”

“Whoa. Cart. Horse. Slow down, Maggie. It’s only one possibility. As you said, this isn’t about you hooking up with Brady. This is about Brady getting to know his daughter.”

This wasn’t about her. It was about Amber, and she shouldn’t be in Brady’s room at all. She rushed out and closed the door. “You were the one who wanted me to bring sexy nightgowns and bikinis.”

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