Page 14 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

CHAPTER SIX

Kennedy

“Forrester, Turner and Wilkins. This is Lauren, how may I direct your call?” My suitcases had barely been placed in storage when I received the distressful email from Zack. My fear of his poor brothers and sisters being placed in a foster home gave me the courage to seek out the help of the last man on Earth I ever wanted to speak with.

“William Vale, please.”

“May I ask who is calling?”

Lauren Wilkins, a bigger busy body than my dear old mother, knew exactly who I was. She had a set of moon eyes for Will since we were in prep school. She was welcome to him for all I care, him and all his deplorable history.

“Kennedy Forrester, he is expecting me.”

“Oh, hello, Kennedy. I hadn't heard you were back in town. How have you been?” Lauren was nosy and a liar, she and her mother sent their RSVP for the tea being held tomorrow; she knew good and well I had been back in town.

“Oh, yes. I've been back for a few days. Will made mention of escorting me to dinner, I'm calling to discuss more permanent plans.” Of course my intention was to get out of them, but she didn't need to know this.

“Mr. Vale is in a meeting with your father, shall I leave a message for him?”

“No, thank you.”

Twenty minutes later, I smiled in greeting to a shocked Lauren as I pushed open the glass doors to my father’s office. She was in the middle of a conversation on the phone so I brushed past her with a friendly wave.

Will sat in his corner office, just as I suspected he would be. A stack of papers on his desk, making it look like he was busy with something.“Mr. Vale.” Knocking on his door, a smile eating my face, my tone as demure as I could muster. His eyes flashed to mine, the color of surprise lighting up his face as he rises to greet me.

“Kennedy, what a pleasant surprise. Please come in, come in.”

Holding on to the Oscar worthy smile, I took the offered seat across from his desk. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I know how busy my father must keep you, but I thought it would be nice to talk privately.”

“Oh,” his face shifted, confusion wrinkling the space between his brows. “Is something wrong?”

“I'm sorry, nothing is wrong per say. My parents have voiced your intentions of seeking my company for dinner in hopes of starting a relationship.” I tried to act as innocent and shy as possible, giving him the illusion I was interested in what he had to offer.

“Well, yes, Kennedy, I have expressed an interest to your father. He emphasized the importance of proceeding in an honorable manner. I assured him the last thing I wanted to do would be to make you uncomfortable in any way. A beautiful woman such as yourself deserves to be lavished with gifts and admiration, something I am prepared to do, if you will allow me.”

Bowing my head in fake shyness, my fingers fumble at the pearls around my neck. “I'm sorry, did I come across too strong?” Good Lord, he was making this too easy.

“No,” raising my eyes back in his direction. “It's just I didn't really believe a man like you would ever be interested in me.” Fanning my face, adding to the whole overwhelmed and falling hard part I was playing.

“Well, I am. I find you to be one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever met.”

“Is it hot in here?” As I pull at the collar of my blouse, Will jumps to his feet and comes around his desk.

“Let me get you a glass of water.” He touches my face before he makes a quick exit. Not wasting a second, I scurried around the desk, tapping the spacebar to wake his computer. Clicking on the web browser, a paused video of two women having sex pops up. Of course Will would be watching stuff like this instead of doing what my father was paying him for.

Opening a new browser, I typed in the webpage I knew my father had access to. Familiar with where he kept his passwords, I normally would have steered clear of his private files, but this was important. I had to get in touch with Zack. As I typed in Zack Michels, the program showed the name with a different spelling. I didn't have time to argue with a government database, so I quickly wrote down the address, slipping back out before Will could return.

***

Everyday for the month, I waited patiently, but the mail would present with no word from Zack. In a casual conversation I had with my father, I learned the state would look for a family member before placing children in foster care. I prayed his brothers and sisters were with someone they knew and loved, instead of one of the dreadful images I had created in my head.

Mother awaited me at the top of the stairs, a porcelain cup in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Closing the door behind me, I began mentally preparing myself for the brow beating I was sure to receive.

“Henrietta reports you received a letter today.”

Rolling my eyes internally, Henrietta took tattling to a new level. As children we got away with nothing courtesy of the prying eyes of our housekeeper.

“Oh, must be from one of my friends in Colorado.”

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