Unlikely Allies Page 4

  Matt had assigned her to a private workspace away from distractions and other employees. Her data-entry job involved inputting confidential and time-sensitive information into the computer system and answering service requests. On the opposite side of the office, a centralized space housed forty or so investigators and a handful of call center employees. Most of the agents were bodyguards, conducted field research, or inspected off-site locations. In her exclusive spot, she didn’t see Kat or the others too often and didn’t get involved with the rowdy crowd.

  “That’s not his name.” Before Maggie could say anything else, Cece cut her off.

  “Uh ah. Is too,” Cece insisted, crossing her arms and aiming her squinted eyes at her mother, convinced she told her aunt the truth and nothing but the truth.

  Maggie shoved her fingers through her hair and raked her nails along her scalp, blowing out a sigh of frustration. “His name’s Rick.” She got that far before getting interrupted again.

  “Stone? Is that who you’re talkin’ about? When the H-E-double hockey sticks did you meet him? And why am I just findin’ out about it? I heard he’s smokin’ hot, Mags. The ladies at Westlake gush over him, but I haven’t had the pleasure. Matt raves about him too. Best bros, nobody better, and all that man-crush crap.”

  Drowning out her sister, Maggie turned the music up and glanced over her shoulder. Cece had already lost interest and had a library book propped in her lap. That girl loved to read and had a head start for a kid her age, recognizing basic sight words and sounding out a lot of the others she didn’t know. Thank goodness, her daughter got at least one positive trait from her mother. Early on, she bought a collection of nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and other classics they enjoyed at bedtime.

  “Your niece didn’t listen when I told her to wait outside the bathroom stall. She ended up in his office looking for Herbert, the escape artist, who tagged along against my wishes. Go figure.”

  Kat flashed a grin in the mirror at her rebellious niece in training. “How’d you end up in his car?”

  She picked at some nonexistent lint on her pant leg. Kat wasn’t falling for her diversion technique and grabbed her flicking hand.

  “Mags.”

  A Virginia tag with MOVEOVR became fascinating reading material as she formed an explanation. “He insisted on taking us home when he saw us at the bus stop. Even called Matt and had him tell me not to worry.”

  “Um hmm.”

  The telltale undertone ticked Maggie off. She twisted around in her seat, hot under the collar and primed for a confrontation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Kat shrugged, picking up on the beat of the bumble bee tune, buzzing in the correct spot right along with Cece.

  “Sing, Mama, sing,” Cece shouted, feet pounding against the seats in rhythm with the thumping bass.

  Hard to resist her daughter’s cheerful request, she took the easy out. “Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.”

  They entered the lobby with fifteen minutes to spare, the only good thing about the morning so far. Kat planted a big smooch on Cece’s cheek and broke off from them, waving on her way to the elevators.

  Maggie yanked open the door to the preschool and almost slammed face first into the center director. Cece ran for her classroom, throwing off her backpack and coat as Maggie signed her in.

  “Miss Tyson, do you have a few minutes? I’d like to talk to you about Cece.”

  Maggie groaned, expecting unpleasant news. The first week after she enrolled Cece, the director, Miss Sally, cornered her when she came in to have lunch. Cece somehow snuck out of the house with a pack of gum, and instead of throwing it away when caught, she hid it. At some point she stuffed the pieces in her mouth and stuck the messy goo on tables, chairs, and shelves rather than her typical swallowing it. The second week, she brought Herbert in without permission, scaring teachers and kids when the rodent scrambled around the classroom. And on and on it went, one thing after another. Even with privileges revoked, as much as Maggie could take away from a four-year-old, Cece continued to break the rules. She really wasn’t a bad kid, just didn’t adjust well to change sometimes. The move, even though Cece got to see her aunt more, hadn’t gone as smoothly as Maggie hoped. Three months in their new home, routines established and less frequent “bad” reports, she thought Cece had adjusted much better than those first few weeks. It wasn’t unusual for adults to need time to ease into life changes too, so she hadn’t been all that upset about the incidents and handled them in stride like she normally did.

  “Sure.” What else could she say?

  “Let’s go to my office.”

  Maggie nodded and followed the director across the hall. After they were seated, door closed, which also hadn’t been a good sign, Miss Sally wasted no time.

  “We have a new girl starting tomorrow.”

  Okay, that was a strange beginning. Maggie sat on the edge of her seat, waiting for the ball to drop.

  “I’d like Cece to be assigned as her buddy. All the new kids get one for a few weeks, to help with their transition.”

  Yeah, Sean, a cute blond boy, had taken an immediate shine to Cece. She still spoke about him even though they weren’t partnered anymore.

  “All right.” Her response dragged out, waiting for a punch line or some other addendum. After the bumpy start, she didn’t think the director liked either one of them, let alone trusted her daughter to be anyone’s role model.

  “There’s something else you should know.”

  Yep, she knew there had to be bad news coming.

  “The little girl is deaf.”

  Maggie sat up straighter, this time surprised for a different reason. “Uh . . . are you sure?”

  “Well, of course I am. I met with her mother and we discussed her needs at length. I don’t talk about the children with other parents, but when I told Robin’s mom she’d be given a buddy, she gave me the okay to share these details with you.”

  “No. What I meant was, are you sure you want Cece?”

  Miss Sally giggled and sat down in the chair next to Maggie. “You have a special little girl. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that.” Her smile widened, and it didn’t look disingenuous. “She’s one of the brightest, friendliest children in the class. She’d be a great buddy. You should see her take charge and direct everyone around the room, reminding the other kids of the rules when they step out of line.”

  The wooden frame of the chair rammed into Maggie’s spine when she fell against it. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  Miss Sally tilted her head, humored delight pinching her brow. “Why are you surprised?”

  “Uh, you do remember she didn’t get off to a great start. I’d think you’d want someone else.”

  “Oh, that. Goodness, that was months ago and not the worst that’s happened. She’s been trying her best ever since, and she loves helping people. In fact, I think you may have a future teacher on your hands.”

  Maggie’s mouth fell open and shut and open again. After a few seconds, she blurted, “She doesn’t follow my rules.”

  “A lot of kids don’t. You shouldn’t be concerned, that’s normal. She will eventually. When they’re young they try things out. The structure and limits in school, peer pressure, and a lot of other things help them conform. When they go home, kids like to let their hair down, so to speak. Don’t we all need that, even as adults?”

  Hmm, when she put it that way, it made sense, sort of.

  “We have a specialist coming in to help the kids and teachers learn sign language. They’ll be spending extra time with Robin and Cece if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure, whatever you think will help. Is there anything I can do?”

  “Since you come in sometimes for lunch, you might have the girls show you the signs. You could practice with Cece. All kids are welcome here, and I want Robin to feel accepted. Cece will be a good friend to her. Besides, the other children already follow her lead.”

  Jeez, she never could have predicted this
morning would’ve turned out so positive. Well, at least she now had confirmation her daughter recognized limits and could follow rules. She’d just have to be patient and celebrate the moments when she did at home too. Use praise, lots and lots of praise, and maybe stickers. Cece loved them.

  “We good?” Miss Sally got up and opened the door.

  “Yep. Excellent, in fact. You just made my day.”

  Miss Sally’s understanding and warm smile made her feel better about her parenting skills. See, rules weren’t so bad after all. She returned a glorious grin, feeling it all the way to her ears.

  As soon as she entered the lobby, she pumped a fist at her side. “Yes.” The curious stares of the passersby at the security and information desk didn’t bother her one bit. Nope. Not this time. Satisfied in her abilities as a single parent, she couldn’t wait to rub the good news in Kat’s face over and over again. As much as she loved one-upping her sister, she delighted in being right even more.

  BETWEEN CLASSES AT THE CULINARY Institute and cooking the early and late curriculum lunches at Le Gourmet as a portion of her grade, by the time Maggie arrived at Westlake for the night shift, her feet were throbbing. She couldn’t wait to collapse in the ergonomic leather chair Matt had purchased for her. When the elevator opened on the twentieth floor, she attempted to take a step into the foyer, but Cece darted past her. “Stop.” She reached out to snag her backpack and missed it by an inch. Cece kicked into warp speed and dashed through the double-wide glass doors of Gateway Enterprises. As she ran after her and into an open workspace with clusters of desks grouped together, employees’ heads turned and tracked them as they ran past, around the corner, and down the hallway.

  At Mr. Stone’s closed door, Cece came to an abrupt stop, giving her a chance to catch up. God, she felt old. Since when could a four-year-old beat her in a foot race? Pitiful. Cece dropped her backpack, lifted her hand to knock, and Maggie caught it just in time. “No.”

  “Mama, I wanna see Max.” Cece’s lower lip jutted out. “I got somefin for him.”

  “Can I help you?” A woman with gray hair and glasses approached them. Dressed in a pale yellow silk skirt and blouse, the professional outfit matched the surroundings, but her simple, courteous greeting came across as warm and welcoming in this intimidating environment. The lady crouched down to Cece’s height and said, “Hi, what’s your name, sweetie?”

  “Ya know Max?” Cece’s bold persistence continued to shine. “I gotta give him somefin.”

  “Max, hmm, well, I do. He’s in a meeting right now. If you tell me your name I can let him know you stopped by.”

  About to redirect her daughter, Maggie reached out, but Cece spun around, threw a hand over Maggie’s arm, and pounded on the door. “Max, Max.”

  Maggie yanked Cece’s fist away and addressed the woman. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m his secretary, Mrs. Collins.” She offered her hand in greeting along with an amused smile.

  The gesture returned, Maggie introduced herself and Cece, and apologized again for her daughter’s behavior.

  “Don’t worry about it. He’s not even in there. He’s in the conference room.” Mrs. Collins pointed to a door across the hall. Just then, two men in suits appeared in the opening.

  “Max.” Cece ran over to him and another man, staring at both of the giants. “I got ya somefin.”

  Mr. Stone’s eyebrows rose and the other man chuckled, elbowing him in the arm. “You going to introduce us?” Mr. Stone’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. The other guy stuck his hand out and said, “Hey, who are you, little lady?”

  Again, Cece ignored the introduction and took Mr. Stone’s hand, dragging him over to where she and Mrs. Collins stood. He stumbled forward, his gate at odds with Cece’s tiny steps. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a piece of yellow construction paper. “See. I made it for ya.”

  All of the adults were huddled around looking at the duck-shaped cut-out, green strips like grass affixed to its mouth. Cecily written in crooked and jagged letters across the stomach and Max too. In between, what could be mistaken as a plus sign or just one of Cece’s scribbled letters. “I drawled it.” Cece shoved the image toward Mr. Stone, almost punching him in the stomach.

  Maggie grabbed Cece’s shoulder and tugged, trying to get her to take a few steps back. The muscles under Maggie’s hand stiffened as Cece’s body became a statue and remained front and center, toe to toe with Mr. Stone. “Ya like it?”

  He brushed a fingertip over his name and cleared his throat. “Yes.” But it was so low, had Maggie been a foot away, she wouldn’t have heard. His stare shifted from Cece and the picture to her and held there a while. His expression blank, lips set in a straight line, and not a flicker in his pinpoint, hazel eyes.

  Maggie got lost in his penetrating gaze. Ringing phones in the background, murmurs of people talking, and the clacking of fingers on keyboards faded away. A strange bodily reaction took over: chills, heat, chills, heat. If she didn’t know better, she’d think menopause had set in. Since that wasn’t likely, she figured someone must have been messing with the temperature in the room, because changes like that weren’t common for her.

  “Maggie, your sister’s looking for you,” Matt called out, Cece already in his arms and chatting his ear off. Her daughter adored him. A family man with three young girls, Matt doted on her from the time they met, giving her the undivided attention she craved.

  A few days after moving here, Kat drove her and Cece into downtown to show off where she worked. Not long after introductions, Matt had offered her a job. She’d already been accepted at the institute, a unique chance to learn from the top chefs in the city. When she relayed that to Matt, he suggested the night shift, and it had become the perfect solution. Kat’s rave reviews about her computer skills didn’t hurt either. She didn’t mind since she wasn’t in any position to turn down work. The fact he paid five dollars more an hour than her grandparents did to cook at their Greek restaurant helped too. So far she enjoyed working for him and getting to know the ins and outs of the security industry.

  Mrs. Collins handed Cece’s backpack to Maggie, bumping her arm and pulling her thoughts away from her boss. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Thank you, you too.” Maggie returned the gracious smile Mrs. Collins offered.

  After picking up a purse from her desk, Mrs. Collins said good night. The executive who’d greeted Cece excused himself from the group, mentioning he’d call Rick in a few days. Matt snuck off with Cece, heading toward his office. Maggie glanced at the duck still clasped in Mr. Stone’s hand. “I can take that and put it in my purse. I’ll hide it when I get home if you don’t want it.”

  He waved the cut-out in her face. “You heard her. She made it for me. You’re not getting it.”

  “I just—”

  He stormed into his office. As she watched his departing back, the CEO nameplate and wood panel shut in her face. That hadn’t gone well. She raised her hand to knock but withdrew it. Nope, she didn’t need to explain herself.

  Throwing the backpack over her shoulder, she swiped a hand through a stray hair that had fallen in her eyes and went to work.

  It didn’t matter. He was nobody. He didn’t mean a thing to her.

  RICK REORGANIZED THE FILES ON the conference table and stacked them to give to his secretary. A door slammed behind him.

  “What the hell kind of show are you running around here?”

  He didn’t even have to turn around. Same tune different day. It didn’t matter that the board of directors and investors lived happily off his back or that profit margins surpassed a hundred percent. None of it amounted to enough for the crotchety pain in his ass.

  “You gonna continue to ignore me, boy?”

  With his hands fisted on the table, he drew in a ragged breath and faced his nemesis.

  “Grandfather.”

  “Why is it that every time I walk in this place, it’s like a damn circus around here? And
this . . .” He waved the papers in his clenched palm. “The latest profit reports. You need to do better.”

  The veins in Rick’s neck throbbed, and he imagined the blood pressure coursing through them, screaming for a release. His grandfather, Horatio Stone, mentored Rick to assume the CEO role while he worked on his business and law degrees. It didn’t matter how prepared Rick had become, Grandfather talked to him like he was a two-bit hoodlum. Dad and Gramps were not only business partners but shared the same philosophy: family came first. But when Dad passed away, Gramps changed, focusing every bit of his energy on his son’s company and driving his grandson mad. On a daily basis Grandfather called or came by to batter him about his progress, scrutinize the bottom line, and ride him about making the business a success. The power-hungry mogul escalated the stress already associated with the high-performance risks he dealt with when companies merged or bought each other out. If it weren’t for the vow he’d made to his dad, he would’ve taken his business and law degrees and hightailed it out of here a long time ago, getting as far away from Grandfather as he could. He wouldn’t though. When he made a promise, he kept it.

  “I’ll look at them after my next meeting.” He stacked the folders and strutted toward the door. As he took a step past his grandfather, the obstinate man clamped down on his shoulder, halting his escape.

  “I’m not done with you yet.”

  Rick’s nostrils flared, and he yanked his arm away, shooting a glare that didn’t hide his animosity. “I’ll go over them and be in touch.” He turned his back on Grandfather and strolled out of the room.

  “Dinner at Presidio, seven o’clock. Don’t be late,” his grandfather shouted.

  His briefcase in hand, Rick exited the building for a long afternoon of off-site meetings.