“Always.” I looked at it again. “I agree to handle all affairs that are required, accept any gifts and heirlooms, and as next of kin, I agree to care for any heirs that the Weston Parker Estate, herein named The W Estate, leaves behind.” I shrugged. “My brother didn’t have any kids.”
His eyes widened. “You weren’t close at all, huh?”
Before I could tell him to get the hell out of my way, another man in a grey suit walked into the café holding the hand of a teddy-bear-hugging toddler.
I looked at my keychain and realized it was a replica of that bear. That the other charm on the keychain was a picture of the little girl who was walking toward me.
What the fuck? My entire world felt like it stopped. My brother has a daughter?
A fiancée was one thing to keep to himself, but a goddamn daughter?
Throbbing pains shot through my chest, and I was hoping this was all a bad dream.
The little girl looked around, slightly confused, but then her eyes met mine. She stared at me, and I stared right back.
The more I looked at her, the more I noticed that our eyes were the same. Emerald green with flecks of light grey.
“Come on, Violet.” The other suit walked her a bit closer, and then he pointed at me. “Do you know who this man is?”
She nodded. “He’s my daddy’s twin. My Uncle Preston.”
I blinked, beyond stunned that she knew who I was. Then again, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the “Uncle” part.
“Do you know where your Uncle Preston lives?”
She looked up at me, then at her teddy bear. “He lives in my bear.”
“No, he lives here in New York. Just like you and your dad.”
I felt a surge of guilt. I didn’t even know he moved to New York, I thought he still lived in California.
“You’re going to live with him for a while, okay?” The suit was still talking. “Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
She nodded, and I shook my head.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I don’t know the first thing about caring for a kid.”
“Then you’re about to learn.” Mr. Harris patted my shoulder.
“Surely there’s more to this than dropping her off with a stranger at a bar. Where’s Child Services?”
“You’re the next of kin, Mr. Parker.” He lowered his voice. “You’re the only living family member she has left. She has no idea what’s happened to her parents, and we figured that family should be the one to tell her.”
“What?” The guilt in my chest quickly turned into a familiar hurt and pain I knew all too well.
“My people will call your people in the coming days with more information about your brother’s business affairs and all the things he left for Violet,” he said, ignoring my question and moving on. “Is your primary point of contact your executive assistant? A Miss Tara Lauren?”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind pulling out your phone and giving me her number and home address?”
“She has three phone numbers and two main addresses,” I said, reciting them all by heart. “If It’s ever a true emergency, and you can’t reach her, try her best friend Ava Sanders at 555-1703.”
“Oh, wow.” He smiled as if he hadn’t just turned my world upside down. “I don’t even know my girlfriend’s number by heart. It’s impressive that you know all your employees’ info like that.”
“I don’t know shit about kids.” I stared at Violet. “I meant that.”
“Is my Daddy coming?” Violet asked. “Mommy said he would get me ice cream if I was good today.”
The three of us just looked at her. No one dared to answer.
“We’ll be in touch, Mr. Parker.” Mr. Harris patted my back again and handed me a huge file that read Violet Rose Parker. “Unfortunately, I have to address someone else from another estate right now, but I am very sorry for your loss.”
The other suit gave me a look of sympathy, and then they both walked out of the bar—leaving me with the toddler.
Keeping my eyes on her, I signaled for a waiter.
“Yes, sir?” He stepped next to me.
“I need a scotch, a double. Now.”
“Sir, we can’t serve you anything until you remove your baby from the premises.”
“What baby?”
He pointed at Violet.
“You’re reading too much into this.” I sighed. “Violet, how old are you?”
“Three and a half!” she said proudly.
“She’s three and a half,” I said. “She’s not a baby.”
“Sir, you can’t bring a baby into a bar.”
“I didn’t bring her in here at all.”
“Rules are rules, sir.” He held up his hands in surrender and walked away.
Violet whispered to her teddy bear, then she stepped closer to me. “Me and Bear are hungry. Can we have some pizza?”
I said nothing, completely stunned by today’s turn of events.
I’d gone from nearly sleeping with Tara in the boardroom, to losing Von Strum’s trust, to becoming an uncle within the same hour.
“I’m really hungry, Uncle Preston.” Violet tugged at my pants. “And I have to pee-pee.”
Jesus Christ.
Nineteen
Tara
I rolled over in the bed on Preston’s private plane, unable to sleep. All I could think about was the way he’d brought me to multiple orgasms with his mouth days earlier. The way I wanted him to come back to the room and finish things as he’d promised.
Then again, I knew the moment he emailed me about going to London without him, that something was horribly wrong. He never missed an international meeting, and he’d never gone a day without contacting me, so four was quite the record.
A part of me wanted to reach out and ask if he was okay, but I’d been burned too many times by asking about his personal life. Hell, I was still slightly upset about some of the words he’d hurled my way before the skill of his tongue made me forget.
I couldn’t wrap my head around him saying that he did so many things for me. With the exception of work bonuses and a discount on my condo, I didn’t see it.
Sitting up, I opened my laptop and read over the email I was supposed to send to him Saturday. Amazing mouth or not, I still wanted to quit, and I wasn’t going to stop trying. I read it over one last time and hit send as the plane began its descent.
* * *
Subject: My Contract
Mr. Parker,
I hope all is well.
I understand that I failed to read the “fine print” of my employment contract, but I would still like to leave your company. I’ve given you two of my best years, and I feel that the least you can do is compromise and let me go.
I would like to discuss this at your earliest convenience.
Tara Lauren
Executive Assistant to Preston Parker,
CEO of Parker International
* * *
He responded within seconds.
* * *
Subject: Re: My Contract