Page 112 of Reckless
“Winter never told me.”
“She never toldanyonebecause everyone always treats her like shit!” My fist slams down hard enough to rattle the table as I let them have it. “Her mom. You. Her shitty fucking ex, who isstillharassing her. She’s convinced she needs to do everything alone because that’s whatyoushowed her all her life. That no one will show up for her. That everyone always abandons her.”
The boardroom is quiet as I suck air in through my nostrils, trying to calm myself down. “Except me. I’m going to show up for her. Every goddamn time. So Kip, you’re fired. I used to like you, but I no longer respect you. And Geoff, if I could fire you twice, I would. You fucking suck.”
It was an immature final blow. But man, Geoff fucking sucks.
When I stand, Kip does too.
He meets me at the door and shakes my hand. Hard. “Theo, you may not respect me, but I respect the hell out of you, and I wish you the best. And I’m...I’m going to make this right.”
I don’t think he’s trying to make me feel bad, but he does. Bad forhim. I don’t think Kip is a shitty person at heart, but he’s a flawed one. We all are. His best wasn’t good enough. Maybe he tried to be a good father to them both. I can’t say for sure. But what I do know is he failed. Monumentally.
And I think he just realized it. I can see the devastation on his face.
“Thank you, sir,” is all I give back before turning to leave.
As I go, I hear him say, “Geoff, pack your shit up and get the hell out of my office. I never want to see your face again.”
I smile to myself as I head to the elevator, because Geoff got fired twice today after all. And that makes me happy.
* * *
When I pull up into the driveway of Winter’s house, there’s a fancy car parked on the street, lined right up with the front gate. In my truck, I watch the vehicle through the rear-view mirror. I see movement, but the tinted windows on the car obscure any further detail.
Not that I need much more to make a guess. Winter has been tight-lipped about her ex, aside from mentioning he never went down on her. Which is enough to let me know he’s useless, no matter what the piece of paper hanging in a gaudy gold frame behind his desk might say.
I’m already fired up from my meeting with Kip, so I decide to roll with that energy. I grab my empty paper coffee cup and step down from my pickup to approach the car.
Three loud knocks on the window are how I announce myself. When the glass finally rolls down, I’m met with the face of a man who looks like he’s doing his best impression of the douchey trust fund baby ex-boyfriend inLegally Blonde.
I bet this guy has “the third” tacked onto the end of his legal name.
“Hey, man. You lost? Something I can help you find?”
His smile is greasy and terse. Not real at all. “Yeah,buddy.” He’s also condescending, but I’m not surprised. “Just here to see my wife.”
Wife. That word makes me want to break something.
I prop a hand on the top of his car, pulling my sunglasses off to look him in the eye. “No married women live here. But if you’re here to harass yourex-wife by hand-delivering bills, she’ll never pay. I’ll take that envelope right there on the passenger seat and save you a trip to the mailbox. Cause I promise you...” I lean in and lower my voice. “If you keep showing up here like a fucking stalker, all you’re gonna do is make it real easy to get a restraining order.”
He glares at me, teeth clenched tight. Too much of a coward to respond. So I needle him where I know it’ll hurt. “Wouldn’t be hard to consult my lawyer friend about it. You know Summer Hamilton, don’t you?”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” he bites out, hands twisting on his steering wheel.
I smirk. “Just a guy who knows the medical board would have questions about why someone had to take a restraining order out against you.”
He scoffs, giving me an exaggerated once-over with an almost impressive level of fake bravado. “I get it now. Enjoy my leftovers.” He tosses the envelope out the window, and it sails past me.
I make no move to pick it up. I’m too busy smiling at Dr. Rob Valentine. “She’s no one’s leftovers, and I’ve been enjoying her since before you ever saw the divorce papers,buddy.”
I shouldn’t have said it, but my patience for assholes is shot today.
His only response is to rev the engine while still in park, like we’re gonna race or something. But the joke’s on him, because I already won.
Winter isn’t his leftovers. She’s the gem too precious for him to keep.
“You drive safe now,” I call out over the sound of his engine as I knock on his roof.
