“Sorry,” I muttered. I felt like an ass. Still, that explained a few things. So she inherited a shit ton of money when her parents died. She lived in a nice place. She could live on a teacher’s salary because she had a trust fund, probably. So she thought she was in good shape to take my kid away. Interesting.
I let them play the game for a while, thinking about my plan. Yeah, it was the best way to go. I couldn’t let my daughter live with a stranger. She was mine. She was comfortable at the clubhouse. So, if Jamie wanted her, she’d have to agree with my rules.
When the game finally finished—Gigi pulled a good card, sending her to the end of the board in record time—I motioned for Jamie to follow me to my office. Flash asked Gigi to teach him how to play the game, which I would have laughed my ass off at if it wasn’t kind of cute. Gigi was very serious, explaining the rules. She sounded like a teacher herself.
I closed the door. Jamie folded her arms. “What is it now?”
I smirked. “You have a nasty attitude.”
“Wouldn’t you? You’re sitting out there, playing games with me. What was that all about?”
“I wanted to know what kind of person you are.”
“Bullshit. You were digging for something.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Fine. You’re right. I was.”
“And? Did you find out what you wanted to know?”
“Oh yeah. More than that. You’re perfect for my plan.”
She looked like she didn’t believe me—or she didn’t believe I could come up with a plan. “What would that be?”
“You wanna make sure my daughter is safe?”
“More than anything.” I believed her, too.
“Okay. If you wanna make sure she’s safe, then you can stay here and take care of her.”
Chapter Five
Jamie
“What?” My eyes nearly popped out of my head, and my jaw nearly hit the floor. I could tell from the way he grinned that it was exactly the reaction he had hoped for.
“You heard me. I want you to stay here.” He sat behind a desk, grinning still. He put his feet up on the surface, crossing his ankles.
“You can’t be serious.”
“As a heart attack.”
I sat in one of the chairs across from him. “For how long?”
“As long as it takes.”
“As long as what takes?”
He sighed. “As long as it takes to find Rae.”
“So you really don’t want her, huh?” I felt a strange sort of disappointment for Gigi, and for him. He was missing out on so much by pushing her away.
“Listen, I’m not an idiot. I know this isn’t the place for her.”
I leaned forward, crossing my arms on his desk. “You know what else isn’t the place for her? Her home, with her mother.”
He sat up, looking at me very closely. “It’s that bad?”
“It’s not good.” I told him about the day she showed up in spring clothes during a snowstorm. The times I had to give her my lunch because she didn’t have any food of her own. The trouble I got into when I bought her new clothes.
“You took her shopping?” he asked. I thought I heard admiration in his voice, but reminded myself that I didn’t care either way what he thought about me. He was lower than scum as far as I was concerned.
“Yes, I did. She needed clothes for winter. I figured the previous year’s clothes wouldn’t fit her anymore. She’s a growing girl.”
“Smart.” He nodded his head, as though he had any idea how to raise a child. He would never have thought of something like that—he probably wouldn’t think to take her shopping until her old clothes were ready to fall apart. And he thought he could take care of her better than I could?
“Yes, well, I have experience with children.” I let the words hang in the air. From the half smile on his face, I knew he understood what I was trying to say.
“And I have experience with Rae,” he said. “I know how she thinks.”
“So what is she doing, then?” I asked.
“She’s either high somewhere, or on the run from something. I wanna find her. I can’t just take Gigi without knowing what happened to Rae first. What happens if she shows up one day, wanting her back?” He looked pensive, and I wondered how deep his feelings for his daughter actually ran. He wanted to play it cool, to pretend he didn’t care, but there were cracks in his façade. I wondered if she hadn’t already found a place in his heart when he wasn’t paying attention.