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Leo’s expression grew stern. “Ken was your father, Grae. In every way that mattered.”
Still clutching Leo’s hand, Grae nodded, squeezing the man’s forearm and pulling him into a hug. “I know that.”
“I think a lot of drinks are in order!” Leo was again his jovial self when he and Grae pulled apart. “Let’s meet in the exec lounge! Join us?” he asked Grae.
Grae nodded. “I can’t stay long. Another stop to make.”
* * *
Tielle was setting freshly folded napkins on the coffee table when the bell sounded. “I got it!” She sprinted for the foyer, opening the door to Grae. “How’d it go?” she asked.
Grae pulled Tielle close, just needing to be fortified by the nourishing powers of her hold before making any attempts at speech. The drive to his aunt’s home from Clegg had given him time to reflect on the meeting earlier that day. Those reflections were ones he hoped to soon tuck away in the far recesses of his memory.
“It didn’t go well—” he allowed a little space between himself and Tielle “—but the company’s secure.”
“And Faro? You think he’ll let it go at this?”
“If he’s smart, he will. And we both know how smart he is, right?” Grae pulled Tielle into another squeeze, dropping a kiss to her ear in the process.
“Does she know I’m here?” He peered past Tielle’s shoulder.
“I’m pretty sure she does. She’s been cooking like crazy all day.” Tielle reached around Grae to close the front door of Desree’s home.
“Des?” Tielle gave Grae’s hand a few reassuring squeezes and tugged him from the foyer.
Desree waited in her living room. Obviously unnerved, she squeezed a white dishcloth in her hands.
“Look who’s here.” Tielle left Grae just inside the grand living room drenched in late afternoon sun. She went to check the casserole dishes that Des had placed on the long coffee table. “This looks fantastic!” she said of the macaroni and cheese casserole, greens, wild rice, fried chicken and egg custard pie Des had prepared for dessert.
The woman had toiled over the late supper since Tielle had called to tell her Grae would be stopping by after the meeting at Clegg. Tielle left off listing the meal when she saw Grae make the first move. He crossed to Des, taking the dishcloth from her hands and tossing it to an end table. He smothered her hands in his much larger ones and kissed her forehead. Then he pulled her into a crushing hug.
Desree’s muffled, happy cries filled the room as her arms shot around Grae. Her hands rushed up his back to clutch and squeeze him to her.
Tielle blinked, realizing tears were spiking her lashes when she heard the unexpected sounds of Grae’s sobbing.
* * *
“He was someone Grace picked up in a bar.” Desree grimaced. “It didn’t take much for her to step out—Ken not complimenting a new hairstyle or the way she looked in a dress were usually good reasons. She didn’t even know the man’s last name.”
“How could she be sure he was the one?” Grae asked slowly.
“She told me the day she found out she was pregnant. Ken had flowers and a new diamond choker on her bed pillow. It was her birthday. She thought he’d forget. The fact that he remembered… It shook her up good.”
Grae bowed his head and cursed.
“What she’d done, the result of it and then Ken’s sweet birthday gift—guess it all just drove everything home, and she needed to talk.” Des fiddled with the scalloped edge of the cloth napkin on her lap. “I honestly believe she never looked at another man besides your father after that last…”
Des sighed. “Ken…after he got over the shock that his wife was pregnant by another man, he did what he thought was best. He got the adoption proceedings put in place for when you came. He didn’t want whoever the mystery father was to suddenly discover Grace had his child and was married to a multimillionaire besides.
“I wish they’d never told me any of it.” Des closed her eyes. “Grace was in bad shape, though, needed someone to confide in, and I…I was the only one she trusted. She had no other family, her parents were gone and she was an only child.
