By flinching and turning away, I had given away my unease, which he took advantage of. What could he be asking me about?
Max flitted through my brain, and I stiffened. Oh, God, did my father find out about Max? I needed to pull myself together. I had to shore up my strength and keep my façade firmly in place. My father’s knowing about Max would be the worst.
I shook my head. "There's nothing except for I secured a client in Los Angeles and I'm on the verge of signing a vineyard in Northern California." Normally, I didn't let my father know about my clients either, worrying he might find a way to exploit that relationship as well.
"Speaking of news, Dad, we've secured Lars Masterson for that project he has in East Las Vegas."
I sent James a silent thank you.
My father's gaze stayed on me for a beat and then he turned to my brother. "That's great, Son. But what about the Kragen deal?"
Inwardly, I shook my head at my father’s response. He always expected more and better from James, with very little regard for his achievements.
"I’m meeting with him next week."
My father nodded, taking a bite of his mashed potatoes.
When he swallowed, he turned his attention to me again. "Didn't you have a big client meeting just before I left town?"
My father never took an interest in my business, so this was getting really uncomfortable. And, considering the big client he thought I had was actually a date with Max, I began to think my father did know about Max. But how much? My father knew a lot of people in Las Vegas. He had eyes everywhere watching everyone's every move so he could use it to his advantage. I knew that and still, I hadn't been as discreet as I should've been when I saw Max.
"That deal is still in the exploratory phase," I said, taking a sip of wine when I really wanted to take a gulp. But a gulp would show that I was hiding something.
"Well, I hope it works out for you. It could be a really good move in your financial future."
I wish I could know for sure whether he was talking about Max or if I was being paranoid.
As soon as James and I could escape, we did. James walked me out to my car.
"What was all that Dad was asking you about talking to Mom or news?"
"I don't know for sure, but I'm a little worried that he knows about my date with Max."
James’s brow furrowed as he looked like he was trying to decipher why my father would care. "I guess he's from a prominent family and is looking to build a business out here. It still doesn't explain why you’d call Mom."
My gut roiled because I agreed with him. The only reason my father might think I'd call my mom was if I had gotten married.
But if that were the case, my father would have surely said something. He might be manipulative, but he was very rarely subtle.
As I thought about the evening during my drive home, it became clear that I needed to get this annulment as soon as possible. I needed to get Max out of my father's crosshairs.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Max
On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Sam called me to let me know what he’d lined up for us to look at after the holiday. If I played it right, I could fly out and spend a few days with Sam, make a stopover in Las Vegas on the way home to submit annulment papers, and then return to New York and no one would know I was married.
In the meantime, I had to get through Thanksgiving with the family. I was sure it would be as festive as usual, but I wondered how Kate would fit in.
“Mom is pretty excited to finally meet Kate. She’s going overboard to make sure everything is just right,” I told Sam. “We’re all guessing that since she’s coming, you two have reconciled.”
“I can’t say we’re fully reconciled. But I’m feeling really good that we're getting there. In fact, I’m hoping by the time Thanksgiving is over, we will be well on our way to being mister and misses, just like we planned. The only thing I have to decide is do I give her back the ring that I gave her before, or would that be too much of a reminder of our past? Maybe I need to get a new ring representing our new start.”
Holy cow. “Marriage? Wow. Don’t you think it’s a little too soon? It’s only been, what, two months, maybe?”
“Too soon? I’ve been waiting five years.”
God, I hoped she didn’t break his heart.