Page 72 of A Secret Chance
She lied. She deceived him and she let him fall in love with her without telling him the truth.
As he brushed his teeth, it hit him. He was a father. That cute precocious little girl was his daughter. He braced himself against the bathroom vanity, gripping the edge of the counter. How could everything have changed so quickly in the last twenty-four hours? He went from being absolutely over the moon in love with a gorgeous woman to an absentee father.
He hadn’t given her the chance to explain. Yes, it had been immature of him, but what else do you do when someone drops a bomb like that on your life? He had jumped in the SUV and driven away as fast as he could, fishtailing through town. Looking back, he remembered the familiarity of her eyes as Tabitha smiled at him at the Winter Carnival. There was no doubt in his mind, that the kid had the exact same eye color as his, and now that he was looking for it, he could see the resemblance. So, not only had she lied to him, she had robbed him of nearly a decade of his daughter’s life.
But would he have wanted it? He didn’t know.
He heard the clanking of the kitchen staff downstairs and the smell of freshly brewed coffee as the executives returned from their day away. Even though it was Sunday, he dressed in his best suit, adjusted his red pocket square, put on a brave face and headed down to meet his team.
He poured himself a coffee and headed into the dining room, but instead of Barry, Thomas, and Nicole, there was only one person at their conference table. His father, Baxter Caldwell, Sr.
“Son, have a seat.” His father gestured to the seat adjacent to the head of the table. Baxter dutifully sat down.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” he said.
“Barry called me and briefed me on the changes you’ve made tomydevelopment.”
“Yes, I have made some changes. I think that you will see that everyone will ben—” Baxter couldn’t finish his sentence before his dad interrupted.
“I didn’t approve these changes.” Mr. Caldwell, Sr. folded his hands on the table.
“The board approved them.” Baxter cleared his throat. “Your board approved them.”
“So they did.” Mr. Caldwell sat back in his chair and adjusted his tie. “And I just un-approved them.”
“But, you can’t...” Baxter was shocked. He had been given authority over this project. The board didn’t need his father’s approval. They took instruction from him.
“I can and I did.”
“If I could just show you the reports, these changes will benefit Caldwell in the long term.” Baxter set his briefcase on the table, pulled out the reports, and set them down in front of his father.
Mr. Caldwell nudged the paperwork away with his fingertips. “I don’t care about the bottom line twenty years from now. So, what if a few bears have to move further north if it makes us money today?”
“It’s not just the bears, Dad. The changes will integrate the local people into the development, not exclude them.”
His dad scoffed, “Who cares? This development isn’t for them. It’s for people who have money. Caldwell International is known for its extravagance, its luxury, this...” He pushed the paperwork even further away from him. “Goes against everything we stand for.”
Baxter knew that his dad was a cold, hard son of a bitch, but he had never been so overt about it before. “But if you would just look at the plan.”
“Son.” Mr. Caldwell’s voice was stern. “I don’t need to look at your damn lefty leaning hippie commune plan.” He leaned forward on the table and gripped Baxter’s forearm. “The name on our office tower belongs to me until I’m dead.” He slammed his palm down on the table. “I made a mistake. You aren’t ready.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, you’re fired.”
Baxter stepped back, the words reaching out and slapping him in the face. “What do you mean ‘I’m fired’?”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” He shook his head. “You’re just fired from this project.” Baxter’s father stood up and straightened his tie. “Go back to the city. Your assistant has been briefed on your new posting. I’m stepping in to take the lead on this one.”
“Dad. Come on,” Baxter stepped in close to his father and stared him down. “I’ve been working on this for over a year.”
“And it looks like you’ve fucked it up completely.”
“No. I haven’t. This is what’s best for everyone involved.” He jabbed his index finger at the stack of papers on the desk.
“Except me,” his father growled. “And if you continue on with this plan, there won’t be a company left for you to inherit.” Baxter Caldwell, Senior picked up his briefcase and headed out of the room.
“Wait,” Baxter said. “What will it take for me to stay on this project?”
