Beneath The Lies Read online

  As I gain control of myself I see a movement in the hallway. Gavin follows my eyes and we both see a beautiful brown haired little girl watching us closely. “Hello there. I’m Kate. What’s your name?”

  Callie’s eyes immediately go to the floor and she starts twisting her hair with her fingers as her body rocks back and forth. I guess I’m not the only one who’s nervous.

  “Hey, sweet pea, what’s wrong?” Gavin squats down so he’s eye level with Callie while she mumbles something I can’t hear. “No, princess, Kate is wonderful, you’ll love her. Plus Daddy would never allow you around someone who’s mean.” Callie’s eyes shift from Gavin to me and back to Gavin. “I promise. Plus, I’m not going anywhere. Kate isn’t here to babysit you like uncle Kiran does. She’s here for a tea party.”

  Callie’s body slowly starts to relax. “Why don’t you and your dolls go brew up a new batch of tea and Kate and I will be in soon.” Without saying a word Callie turns and walks down the hall and disappears into a bedroom I didn’t look in the last time I was here. That must be where Gavin stores all the pink, girly stuff I see lying around his living room.

  “God, I hate Carly.” I look up at Gavin and I see anger or maybe pain in his eyes.

  “Why? I mean I know why, but why would you say that right now?”

  Gavin takes a couple deep breaths, “Carly told Callie that any woman I bring here is mean and that she should stay away from them. And the kicker...Carly told her she needs to be mean in return.”

  “What?” I blurt out.

  “God, she’s a piece of work.” I’m still wondering why any mother would behave this way when another thought pops in my head. “How has she treated the other women you’ve brought here?”

  I look toward the bedroom where the adorable little girl disappeared in. I’m having a hard time picturing her acting mean. When Gavin doesn’t answer, I look back over to find him staring at me. Instead of answering me he shrugs his response.

  “You don’t know or you don’t want to tell me?” Gavin looks uncomfortable as he rocks back and forth on his feet.

  “I...I’ve never brought a woman around Callie before.” My eyes go wide with shock. “I didn’t want to confuse her the way Carly does. Kiran is the only person I’ve allowed around her.”

  My heart starts beating faster as understanding of what he said settles in. In the last four years, Gavin claims Carly and him have spent more time apart then together, and he doesn’t seem like the type of man to abstain from women and sex altogether, but he never brought any of those women around his daughter, until now...until me.

  I try desperately not to show how excited I am. “Oh,” I mumble before looking away.

  “Kate.” He waits for me to bring my eyes back to his. “You’re different from any other relationship I’ve had. I’ve known this for a long time. I trust you with my daughter more than I trust her with her own mother. Now it’s time for Callie to learn she can trust you, too.”

  I push back tears and slowly nod my head, agreeing with him. “She’s only four. I’m a stranger, a stranger she’s been warned to stay away from no less. Give her some time to get to know me and we’ll be fine, promise.” I can only imagine how scary meeting new people must be for Callie. If I need to back off a little and give her time to get to know me then that’s exactly what I’ll do.

  Gavin smiles at me then laces our hands together before he places a very light kiss on my lips. When he pulls back, his eyes are shining. “Ready for some awesome tea?”

  “Yeah,” I agree breathlessly.

  ****

  Callie’s tea party was just the icebreaker we both needed. By the time she finished serving tea, cookies, dinner, and after dinner coffee, she had warmed up to the idea that I might be okay.

  Once her nerves settled down, I noticed how often she smiles and how carefree she laughs, especially when she’s sitting in Gavin’s lap. Biological parent or not, I can’t imagine any mother wanting to take this relationship away from their child.

  After Callie is done serving us dinner, she informs Gavin she is hungry for real food. To keep things easy we order a pizza, then the three of us eat our real dinner and watch Frozen. I know Gavin has a sensitive side, but I never would have imagined seeing his world revolve around a cute little girl. After watching him tonight, I know without a doubt it does.

  By the time the credits for Frozen come on, Callie is out cold. Gavin picks her up and walks her back to her room without waking her up. My stomach is in knots because I have no idea if I should get up and leave when he returns or stick around for a while. The last time I was here the two of us spent the night in Gavin’s bed, but with Callie here that seems inappropriate.

  When Gavin returns, he sits down next to me on the couch. “She’s out.” He studies my face for a few seconds before he says anything else. “Carly called tonight. She claims she’ll be back tomorrow and wants her daughter back. I won’t count on that until I actually see her.”

  A scowl crosses his face. “I’m sorry,” I whisper causing Gavin’s gaze to return to me.

  “Carly’s quick to tell anyone who will listen what a great mother she is, but a good mother wouldn’t do half the shit Carly pulls, and they definitely wouldn’t leave her child with strangers while she goes off with her flavor of the week.” Gavin runs his hand through his hair in frustration. “I really thought after Callie was born she’d finally grow up and start caring about someone other than herself, but if she hasn’t done that by now I doubt she ever will.”

  I reach over, grab his hand, and give it a squeeze. “Callie is lucky she has you. You’re a great father and clearly there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for her.” I chuckle again from the memory of how she dressed him up.

  “Yeah, it’s hard to tell her no. I know she hears that enough when she’s with Carly. When she’s here, Kiran and I can’t seem to resist giving her everything she wants.”

  I would love to see Kiran dressed up for a Callie tea party himself. Kiran isn’t quite as big as Gavin, but he’s not much smaller. He also has tattoos up and down his arms and even though he has blonde hair he doesn’t look anything like a California surfer boy. Even with his rough exterior, he’s always given me the impression that he’s a good guy.

  “Does your mother have anything to do with your daughter?” Gavin’s eyes widen when he hears my question.

  “Not if I can help it. God, it should be against the law for Leeta to be around children. The way she treated my brother and me when we were kids was awful.” He stops and looks away before bringing his attention back to me. “Unfortunately, Carly runs to Leeta when she thinks it will benefit her. Those two are so much alike it’s scary.” He shakes his head in disgust, and I think it’s because he’s concerned he picked a woman just like his mother—a person he claims to hate.

  “I’m sorry. Your dad died when you were pretty young. Have you and your mother ever gotten along?” I know Leeta is a sore subject with him, and I’m not about to claim she’s a wonderful person because truthfully I don’t know her all that well, but I know she’s been nothing but nice to me.

  “When my dad was alive she was slightly better, but not by much. I know you don’t agree with me, but you need to watch out for Leeta. If she’s being nice it means she wants something.”

  Gavin looks lost in his own thoughts again. I can’t imagine growing up with a mother like Carly, and I hope like hell that Leeta isn’t as bad as Gavin makes her out to be. “Leeta left us with nannies, maids, or whoever she had working in the house at the time. Usually that was better than being with her so I’m not complaining. Carly on the other hand leaves Callie with anyone she can find.” His nostrils flare as he breathes out in anger.

  “About six months ago she left Callie with her neighbor. She called and told me when I came to pick her up to stop at the apartment across from hers. This was three days before my scheduled time with her, which struck me as weird. That night when I got off work I stopped by to check in, an
d sure as shit Callie was with the neighbor. The woman that was supposed to be watching her was gone, and Callie was left with the woman’s seventeen-year-old son that had about ten friends over at the time. I found Callie in a closet crying because she was scared.”

  My hand comes up to my mouth, muffling my voice. “Oh, that’s awful.”

  Gavin jumps to his feet and starts pacing. “I told her then, if she ever leaves my daughter with anyone other than me again that I’m taking her to court to get her rights removed. Of course she tossed out how she could easily get mine removed as well, but that’s when I reminded her she couldn’t afford to lose my two grand a month. Since then she shut up and she calls me before taking her to God knows who before she takes off.” Gavin’s mood appears dangerous just from talking about Carly and what she’s done in the past. I know he’s not mad at me personally but I still feel the need to approach him with caution.

  “Well, if you ever need help let me know.” Gavin’s head shoots up when I offer up my help. “I mean, only if you think...” I can’t tell if he thinks it’s too soon for me to be alone with her so I don’t finish my sentence. To my surprise Gavin walks over and squats down in front of me.

  “If I thought I could get away with it, I would lock you and Callie up and never let anyone come close enough to hurt either of you. I trust you with her. Hell, I trust you more than I trust Carly. So yes, if I ever need help I’ll ask you, but don’t be surprised if Kiran turns into a moody bitch. He’s usually the one I ask and even though he won’t admit it, he usually gets irritable if he doesn’t get a Callie fix in from time to time.”

  Before I have time to react, Gavin leans in and starts kissing me. I can feel the heat rolling off his body, which sends a jolt straight through my system, but all too soon he pulls away, causing me to groan from the loss of him. “Don’t do that. I would love nothing more than to keep you here all night, but with Callie—”

  “I get it,” I interrupt. “She has enough bad examples in her life. She doesn’t need to see a woman she just met sleeping in her dad’s bed. I know she’s only four, but I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.”

  I’m granted a beautiful smile. “Thanks. People under estimate what four-year-olds are capable of absorbing, so...thank you.”

  My body is still on fire, which makes sitting here dangerous. “I better get going. I’ll call you tomorrow. Good luck with Carly.” I can’t figure out what look Gavin is giving me, but either way, I hop up and head to the door. “Bye.”

  “Goodnight.” I give him one more smile before walking out the door. Meeting Callie and seeing her life with Gavin—her father—a man who could have so easily turned his back on her puts a smile on my face.

  As a child, I wondered from time to time about my biological parents and why they didn’t keep me, but I was happy with the parents I had and that’s all that mattered. Now, I wonder if maybe I was saved from living a life a lot like Callie’s.

  ****

  From: Jim Togg

  To: Kate Reynolds

  Subject: Re: Stock

  * * *

  Ms. Reynolds,

  As I stated previously, your father added funds to your account regularly. Unfortunately, at the time of his death, he didn’t have enough funds in your account for you to finish school at CSU, let alone the additional tuition and living expenses that you’ll have in Berkley.

  By my estimate, you’ll need an additional $50,000.

  I have a company, The Jentar Group, which is interested in purchasing your stock. Honestly, you won’t have a problem finding a buyer if you choose to sell it. However, The Jentar Group is offering well above any other offers Simple Global Solutions currently has. I do feel I should inform you that The Jentar Group already owns twenty-four percent of SGS stock. With that being said, if you choose to sell you do not have to sell all ten percent. I could arrange to sell only what you’ll need, but again that needs to be entirely your decision.

  Let me know what you decide, and I’ll take care of everything for you.

  Sincerely,

  Jim Togg

  “Crap,” I say through a sigh. There’s no way I’ll come up with that much money without selling some of that freaking stock. Until I read that last email, I didn’t even know I had stock available, which makes selling it seem like my best option. I could get a job, but I’d never make enough to pay my tuition and actually have time to go to school. I could move back home to Colorado, but it sounds like I’ll still be short on money.

  My father’s plan was always to leave Simple Global Solutions to me. Whenever I thought about the day that would happen, I always imagined I’d be well into my thirties—maybe even older. I definitely never imagined being only twenty and still in college. And based on the way my dad was handling my trust, I would say he wasn’t expecting SGS to be mine any time soon, either.

  When my dad and James started SGS they struggled for years to keep the company afloat but somehow they managed to turn their small business into a huge corporation. When SGS first started they mainly did product research and development. Once the internet became a necessity, the company branched out and started manufacturing advanced software systems and firewalls. The company strengthened from healthy to striving when they went to work for the U.S. government testing and manufacturing missiles. Most of what SGS does is still foreign to me, but I figured one day...one day I’d get on board and figure out how to run the company.

  At some point before the company really became successful, my dad bought out Gavin’s dad. I was told that was a sore subject with Leeta—and maybe that’s why my parents didn’t stay in contact with her over the years.

  Right now, I’m wondering if Gavin’s father being a founder and the fact that he owns his own company would make him the best person to talk to about selling my stock.

  My phone rings, startling the crap out of me. I don’t recognize the number but I’m hoping it might be Mr. Togg. “Hello?”

  “Ms. Reynolds?”

  “Oh. Mr. Togg?”

  “Um, no. This is Ned Murphy. I worked under your father as his VP at SGS. We’ve met a few times. I introduced myself to you again at your father’s funeral.”

  “Oh, yes, I remember meeting you, Mr. Murphy. What can I do for you?” Ned worked for my dad for years and has always struck me as a nice man.

  His voice is soft and kind, yet I’m sure he hates the idea that I might come in and take over the second I graduate college.

  “I was calling because I found some papers I think your father wanted you to have. I just found them because I’ve put off moving into his office.”

  There’s a long pause. I think he’s still choked up about losing my dad. Ned was my dad’s VP, but after my mom died they become close friends. “I hate walking in there and not seeing him. It feels wrong, but people keep heading to Marcus’s office looking for me so it makes sense to switch. Anyway, I found a sealed envelope addressed to you. If I had to make a guess I would say it’s been in his desk for a long time.”

  My heart drops, wondering if this has anything to do with my birth parents. I made a comment about wanting to meet them when I was a teenager and dad flipped out. That was the one and only time I ever remember him being upset with me. Naturally, I let it go and never brought it up again.

  “Ms. Reynolds, are you still there?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. I spaced off. Will you mail it to me?”

  “Certainly. I believe we have your new address on file.”

  “No, I’ve moved again. I’ll contact SGS’s main office with my current address.”

  “Sounds good, Ms. Reynolds. Take care.”

  “Thank you, Ned.” Seconds later I hear the call disconnect. My mind is caught between SGS and the letter my dad left me. But right now I need to focus on paying my tuition, which means I have a decision to make. Instead of heading home after my last class, I head straight to Gavin’s.

  I knock on his door and seconds later my heart drops to my stomach.r />
  “Can I help you?” I’m asked by a tall, rather sexy, blonde haired woman that doesn’t appear pleased to see me. “Hello? Can I help you?” she repeats, sounding even more annoyed. This woman isn’t Carly, I know that much. Regardless of who she is, she’s wearing a shirt, only a shirt, and she looks like she’s was just thoroughly fucked. Not to mention, she’s answering Gavin’s door. “Can I help you?” she asks for a third time.

  “Um...” My eyes dart around the area behind her, however I don’t see any signs of Gavin, but I hear the water shut off in the bathroom. “No. Sorry,” I mumble as I turn to leave. Whoever this woman is, she doesn’t give a damn that I’m leaving because moments after I start to walk way I hear the door slam shut.

  The thought never crossed my mind that I should have texted or called before I stopped by unannounced, but honestly I didn’t think I had a reason to.

  My heart and mind are racing, trying to process what I just saw. Gavin doesn’t have a sister, so that’s not it. He only talks about Kiran when it comes to his friends, and there’s no way I’ll believe that woman was a good friend and nothing more. Hell, she had wild hair and wasn’t wearing any pants. She clearly just had sex with...Gavin.

  I start taking the stairs as fast as I can then make it to my car. Honestly, I’m not sure how I got here, but I’m startled out of my funk when I see Gavin’s Mustang pull in ahead of me and get out of his car.

  “What the hell, babe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he says as his eyes start to narrow in my direction. I shake my head, trying my hardest to clear my thoughts. I look back toward the main door of Gavin’s building then back to him, confused.

  “Where have you been?” I softly ask.

  “I’ve been working at The Hill. Why? What’s wrong?” I pause. Do I tell him that he has a woman in his apartment? “Kate? What. Is. Wrong?”