assuming you’ve heard Daddy’s send-off wasn’t exactly the dignified affair I’m sure he wanted?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
The cranky elevator finally dinged and Eve gestured for Darcie to lead the way onto their floor. Barnesworth Industries’ official headquarters was located in the century-old former Buxton County hospital. What the place lacked in amenities, it made up for in charm. Cypress floors glowed and the pink, mission-style exterior had become a recognizable landmark to everyone within a hundred miles. Much of the building was rented out to other longtime partners, legal firms and coincidentally enough in light of the building’s past, a few doctors. The Spanish-tiled lobby’s vaulted ceiling and grand double staircase rivaled those of any historic hotel.
Well-wishes and hugs from most every employee she passed meant it took Eve another fifteen minutes to reach the corner office that had once been a patient dayroom. Tall windows welcomed in healing sun and Eve was determined to not let even the stack of ten newspapers that’d featured her father’s funeral and the scandal bring her down.
“Sorry.” Darcie dashed ahead to take away the pile of bad news. “Guess I should’ve asked Gladys to get those out of here, but I don’t think she’s coming in today. Zack was the one insisting, you know.” Gladys was Hal’s bosomy secretary. The woman was big as a house and bore the motto that if you got in her way, she’d mow you down like a wrecking ball. She’d been with Eve’s dad from the start and had the loyalty and facial structure of a bulldog. What she lacked in physical beauty was more than made up for by the kind of inner beauty that seemed to get harder and harder to find. Zack, on the other hand, had been her father’s right-hand man. A Harvard Law graduate, his fair hair and green gaze might’ve been easy on the eyes, but he was also beyond intimidating.
“It’s all right.” Eve winced. “I was kinda there when the story first broke.” Finally seated in her comfy desk chair, she exhaled. She’d been working from home alongside her father for so long that a guilty part of her felt good to be back among the living. “Is Gladys all right?”
“She’s had a tough time with Hal’s death—we all have. Even though we knew it was coming, you know…”
“Sure.” Eve ran her fingers over the desk’s cool, wood surface, reminding herself this was what mattered. Her dad might be gone, but the business was still here, along with all the people whose livelihoods depended on her to keep the company running strong. Responsibility bore down on her shoulders, bringing on an instant headache and literal pain in her neck. “I’ll call her in a little bit. Tell her to take as much paid leave as she needs.”
Eve’s father had easily been one of the most recognizable figures in the state. Larger than life with a loud laugh and even louder temper. In his prime, the army veteran had been over six feet of muscle. In his older years, too much steak and heavy cream sauces had loaded on the pounds. He’d been generous with compliments and holiday bonuses, but those who crossed him learned to deeply regret it. Along with seemingly everyone else, Eve had once worshipped Hal. Now she wasn’t sure what she felt for her father.
Darcie asked, “Want me to call her for you?”
“No.” Eve powered up her computer. “She’s practically family. I owe her a personal visit.”
“That may well be.” Darcie tugged at the curtains to keep sun from shining in Eve’s eyes. “But you only lost your dad a few days ago. With all due respect, maybe you also need more time off?”
“Probably.” Eve shook her head. “No, definitely, but part of the reason I came in today was to get my mind off of his dying. Right before he went, in true Hal Barnesworth style, he dropped a bombshell on me that still has my ears ringing.”
“Oh?” Darcie dropped onto one of a pair of ivory leather guest chairs.
“Prepare to have your mind blown.” By the time Eve relayed to her friend the events of the past couple days, Darcie’s mouth hung open.
“I fail to see how even Hal could’ve pulled all of that off—especially without Zack knowing.”
“That’s just it. Daddy pulled this stunt long before Zack came on board. I’m sure not even Gladys knew.”
Leaning forward, Darcie rested her elbows on Eve’s desk. “While I’m still processing the fact that you have a mystery child, tell me more about Garrett. Is he handsome? You two have sparks? Was he excited by the prospect of you two sharing a son? Is he as larger-than-life as navy SEALs are made out to be, or is it all a bunch of hype?”
“If you ever pause for breath—” Eve cast a faint smile “—I’ll fill you in. Plus, he’s meeting me here in an hour, so if you’re not stuck in a meeting, you can judge him for yourself.”
* * *
GARRETT HAD DRIVEN BY what Coral Ridge residents dubbed the Pink Palace no doubt hundreds of times, yet he’d never stepped foot inside. Since he’d always considered Hal Barnesworth to be a bloated, power hungry, egotistical brute of a man, Garrett halfway expected Barnesworth corporate headquarters to feature a flame and pitchfork-themed decor, but upon stepping off the third-floor elevator, Garrett was welcomed into a serene office space buzzing with productivity and rich furnishings. Far from the theme featuring black-and-orange flames, monochromatic sand-colored everything save for the occasional potted palm and pricey-looking painting made him feel even further from his comfort zone than Barnesworth Mansion.
While waiting for Eve, a receptionist requested he park on a leather couch the color of his mother’s Sunday pearls.
The formality only reinforced how different he and Eve truly were. They might share a son, but that was where all other comparisons ended. This kind of life wasn’t for him. Like his father, Garrett needed plenty of fresh air and excitement.
That point noted, when Eve rounded a corner wearing creamy-colored slacks that made her legs go on for miles and an ultrafeminine, breast-hugging blouse with fabric looking too soft to be real, Garrett struggled for his next breath. Making matters worse, Eve sported a flawless side ponytail that all at once made her elegant, yet fun. Had her smile reached her eyes, he doubted he’d be capable of speech. Still no sleep? Even all her styling perfection couldn’t hide her red, puffy gaze.
“Garrett.” Rather than giving him the hug he stupidly craved, she extended her right hand. “Thanks for meeting me here. I needed to handle a few things.”
“Sure.” What did it mean that even after their simple handshake, he still felt her touch? “Need me to come back later?”
“No, not at all.” She led him down a wide hall. “Since my mind is already occupied by our son, I’m happy for a break.”
“Know the feeling.” It came as a relief—knowing she was also consumed with finding their child.
Her private office was even more intimidating than the rest of the place. Walls lined with silver-framed photos of Eve smiling alongside faces he recognized from magazines and TV had him feeling all the more out of his league. When she sat at her desk, offering for him to take a guest chair, he had the oddest sensation of being in some swanky principal’s office with her about to give him detention.
He took in the twelve-foot ceiling. “Quite a place you’ve got here…”
“It’s okay. Daddy’s decorator had more to do with it than me. She wanted magazine coverage. All I wanted were plenty of windows and
