Chapter 6
Marshall stood in front of the coffee pot wishing that it would hurry, if he didn’t get some caffeine in his system before Chloe got up it wasn’t going to be a good morning. After the night they’d had she should sleep till noon, but he knew better, she’d be up and demanding breakfast any time now. In the past he’d always had someone here to deal with the morning, since he often worked until midnight or later and his morning didn’t usually start until noon.
When the coffee was finally ready, he poured a cup and took it out to the balcony off the main living room, it was his favorite place to think and he had a lot of thinking to do. Getting Chloe to bed last night had been a nightmare, first she wouldn’t take her bath, splashing water everywhere when he finally just picked her up and put her in. Then she cried for fifteen minutes when he didn’t have the book she wanted, which was followed by a ten-minute tirade when he didn’t know the words to a song.
Once she’d finally gone to sleep, her eyes red from crying and little hiccups racking her little body he was so mad at Heather that he wanted to call her right then. She must have done something to get Chloe so worked up, after all she’d never behaved this way as far as he knew, and not a single one of the caregivers he’d hired before had reported the kind of behavior Heather had. It had to be her fault and he wanted more than anything else to tell her that.
But when he realized what time it was he stopped himself, he’d already fired her, calling and waking her up in the middle of the night wouldn’t gain him anything. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up against the chill of the night, even in summer Alaska could be a cold place and he wondered where Heather was sleeping that night. Shocked at the path of his thoughts, he tried to think of something else, but she kept popping into his mind.
She’d been so mad that night that her cheeks had gotten red and even with the dark circles under her eyes there had been a spark in them, a spark that even now created a little charge of desire. Her anger had been shocking to him, but it was even more shocking that he found it attractive, that his first instinct had been to pull her to him and kiss her. Cursing, he got up and began pacing the bedroom. He’d been blocking that feeling since she’d walked out of the door, his anger at her a defense against the ugly words she’d thrown at him.
Only now did he realize that she’d been mad at him, not Chloe, that her anger had been because of what she perceived as his neglect of his daughter. He stopped at the window and stared out at the night. The moon had only just risen thanks to the long days in this part of the world during the summer and it gave the street below a haunted look. Now that he understood Heather’s anger better, he began to wonder if maybe she was right, but he stopped those thoughts before they could fully form.
It wasn’t his fault if his ex-wife only wanted to let him see Chloe when it was convenient for her, that she always called not to ask him if Chloe could come but to inform him that she was already on the plane. He never had time to plan her visits, was always in the middle of some project or another that required all his time and attention. The truth was that he just wasn’t cut out to be a father, it wasn’t his fault that he’d had a bad role model, had no idea what a father or even a parent was supposed to do, his entire childhood spent in a boarding school.
Deep down he knew that he was just making excuses for his behavior, he knew that a good parent would have dropped everything to spend time with their child. That they wouldn’t have taken the easy way out and given in every time it got hard, wouldn’t have left his child with just anyone as he’d done only a few days ago. When you got right down to it, he really knew nothing about Heather, she’d been there when he’d needed someone and that had been all that mattered.
Suddenly he realized that a perfect stranger cared more about his daughter’s welfare than he did. A hard knot formed in his stomach, a knot of guilt that he knew wouldn’t go away unless he did something to change things, he had no idea how to go about that, but he knew that the first step was to get Heather back. The thought of seeing her again caused a strange feeling to blossom in his stomach, a feeling that was almost like desire. Pushing the feeling away, he headed for the kitchen for some more coffee.
He tiptoed down the hall and looked into Chloe’s room pleased that she was still sound asleep, then went on to his room and a shower. His life had suddenly been turned upside down on him, first Simone had show up when he was at his lowest, now he was facing some difficult truths about his daughter. It didn’t help that he had suddenly developed strange feelings for Heather, feelings that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.
He shrugged off the possibility that it could be attraction. Heather was nothing like the woman he’d always seen himself with, the woman he’d visualized all those lonely years in boarding school. She’d be blonde and petit, with blue eyes that sparkled when she laughed. He didn’t really care if she had money or not, he had enough for both of them, but she’d always be stylish and well put together. No jeans and tee-shirts for his perfect woman.
Most of all, she’d adore him, dote on his every word and when they were in public together, everyone would know that they had the real thing. They’d be the couple that everyone was jealous of. That was part of the reason he’d fallen for Simone, she was all that and more. Now these strange feelings had begun to surface about Heather, a woman who couldn’t have been more the opposite of his perfect woman, she was opinionated, disrespectful and physically the complete opposite of what he’d imagined.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like curvy women, he’d dated a few over the years, and it definitely wasn’t because she was African American. He’d just always had an idea of what he wanted and Heather definitely wasn’t it, which was why it was so frustrating that he couldn’t get her out of his mind. With so much else going on his life, the last thing he needed was conflicting emotions about Heather. Simone was the girl for him, at least that’s what he told himself as he went down the hall to get Chloe up.
Heather woke up the next morning just as frustrated as when she’d gone to bed. Her conversation with Seth had only made her feel worse, “I guess I just got carried away playing private detective.” She’d said, when she’d finally got done telling him everything that had happened.
“But it does seem like there’s something fishy going on, we know that now. The first thing I’m going to do is find out some more about that building.” Seth had offered.
“That’s true and I’ll be mailing you that glass with the finger prints on it this morning. But Seth I feel so sorry for Chloe, the child really needs someone to make some time for her. She talked to me a little bit between her temper tantrums and it sounds to me like she spends all her time with the nanny.”
“I haven’t seen her in years, last time she was here she was just a baby.” Seth said, “Marshall never talks about her, in fact I didn’t even know that she’s been coming to Alaska for the last few months.”
“I guess it’s really none of my business, but it seems like Marshall needs a wake-up call. That little girl is on the path to some real destruction, if she’s this bad now just imagine what she’ll be like in a few years.”
Seth had sighed so loudly that Heather could hear it, “I suppose it’s my job to see that he gets one. Is there any way you could fix it so that you’re taking care of Chloe again? I hate to ask, but if I know that you’re still in the picture I won’t worry so much, I need some time to figure out what to do.”
“I’ll try, but he was pretty mad when I left last night.” Heather said, finding that she was relieved to be forced back into the picture.
“He’ll get over it, especially if what you tell me is true about Chloe.”
“I’ll find some excuse to call him in the morning, hopefully he’ll take my call.” Heather said, not liking the fact that she was looking forward to talking to him.
Now she was sitting at the kitchen table trying to get up the nerve to call Marshall. It was never easy apologizing and she had a feeling that she was going to have to this time. And the truth was that she should apologize, not for what she’d said, but for the way she’d said it. Knowing that it wouldn’t get any easier to call no matter how long she waited, she picked up her phone, but before she could even punch in Marshall’s number it appeared on her screen.
Simone got up to pace around the room again, Marshall should have been here hours ago and she was getting tired of waiting. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d chosen a better place for his office, but the building he’d rented had to be over a hundred years old, which was fine for a theatre but for an office it sucked. Instead of comfortable furniture and a kitchen, she was stuck in an old warehouse that smelled like mold and mildew.
When Marshall had shown it to her, she’d objected strongly, the first time she’d done so since they’d met. He hadn’t even listened to her, simply patted her on the head and said, “But you can’t see what it will be like when I’m done. It’s going to be a place where artists can come and share their work, actors, painters, sculptors, and even writers. I think that would appeal to you, after all you’re a writer. Just think if you’d had a place like this to come to, you might have been discovered sooner.”
Simone had just stared at him, forgetting for a second that she was supposed to have written the play. “Oh, I guess I didn’t understand.” She said quickly to fill the silence, then was forced to let it go.
Now she was stuck in the depressing place waiting for him and she knew exactly why — the kid. She’d only been here for a few days, but it was already interfering with their plan. Kids were nothing but a pain in the butt and this one was proving to be even more difficult. Marshall had called her the night before all upset because that stupid woman had told him that he was a bad father, she’d managed to talk him down, but apparently what she said hadn’t been enough because she’d been waiting for nearly two hours for Marshall to show up this morning.
If they hadn’t gotten so far already she would have just abandoned the plan, but Marshall said that one way or another they’d be closing on the theatre in a couple of weeks. She’d been encouraging him to take the loan from the bank, but he had been stubbornly waiting for approval from the men who administered his trust. When she’d pushed him on it, he’d finally admitted that it was more than just the money he wanted, he wanted approval from the people who had always said that his career would go nowhere.
When they’d come up with this plan it had seemed so simple, sweep in, get the money and get out, but now there were all these complications. It might have been a mistake to get romantically involved with Marshall too, it hadn’t been part of the plan, but seemed like a good idea when he’d suddenly decided that she was the woman he’d been looking for. She’d come up with the story about being a virgin as a way to hold him off, but it wouldn’t be long before he was pushing to take their relationship to the next level and she wasn’t about to let that happen.
When she finally heard the outer doors open, she wiped the scowl off her face and got ready for the show she intended to put on, after today Marshall Montgomery would never leave her waiting alone again. But when he walked thought the door, he wasn’t alone. Not only was Chloe with him so was that woman, the one she’d spent hours trashing the night before. She wanted to scream at all of them, but instead she put a pathetic look on her face and even managed to squeeze out a few tears that fell dramatically down her cheek just as Marshall looked at her.
“Oh, Simone I’m sorry. I forgot that I was supposed to meet you here today. Have you been waiting long?” He asked, dropping Chloe’s hand and rushing over to her.
“It seems like it’s been hours and this place is so….” She trialed off dramatically, then shivered so her entire body shook.
“You poor baby. I’m so sorry.” Marshall said, wrapping his arms around her. “What can I do to make it up to you?”
“It might be nice if I knew what was going on.” Simone said, pathetically.
Heather wanted to throw up, Simone was so clearly playing Marshall, but he was completely oblivious to it. “I have to show Chloe around but after that I’ll take you to some place really nice and we’ll talk. How does that sound?”
“That would be nice.” Simone simpered, but Heather didn’t miss the look of triumph on her face.
“Just wait here, this will only take a minute.” He said, then took off his coat and put it around Simone’s shoulders.
Heather followed Marshall and Chloe around the big room, her only other alternative to stand next to Simone and that was something she wasn’t about to do. It had already been a long morning, Marshall’s phone call had thrown her off balance from the very beginning, and when she’d met them for breakfast things had gotten worse. From the moment they’d sat down together in the booth, Heather had been much too aware that Marshall was a man who had the ability to stir something inside her.
Chloe had insisted on sitting on one side of the booth alone, and after giving Heather a questioning look, Marshall had allowed it which meant that they were crowded together on one side. She could feel Marshall’s body heat through her clothes and the smell of his cologne immediately began to drive her crazy, the scent sending delicious little waves of pleasure through her body. When his arm brushed hers, it felt like a bolt of electricity passed through her, stealing her breath and leaving her feeling stupid.
Over a long breakfast Marshall had not only apologized for firing her, but asked her if she’d agree to stay with Chloe again. Watching the two of them now, she wondered if she’d done the right thing not telling Marshall right then why she’d shown up at his office that day. He’d been so honest and open with her at breakfast that day that she was beginning to feel a little guilty about lying to him, although she wasn’t really lying to him, she was just holding back some of the truth.
She and Chloe were here right now as a sort of compromise, mornings, nights, and a small part of the day would be his time with Chloe. Time that they would spend together just the two of them, in exchange Chloe was supposed to work on her temper and learning to accept the word no without throwing a tantrum. Heather wasn’t sure how well the plan would work, but at least it was a beginning, and a few hours on her own during the day would make the rest of her time with Chloe all that much easier.
Hopefully, Seth would come up with some answers and soon. This whole situation was becoming more and more complicated thanks to her budding feelings for both father and daughter. The Marshall she’d had breakfast with that morning seemed like a different man, his usual swagger had disappeared revealing a man who was unsure of how to go forward and not ashamed to show it. And much to her dismay, it had made her like him a little bit for the first time since she’d met him.
It had also made her wonder about what was deep inside Marshall, what pushed him to seek the fame he seemed to so desperately need. Seth had told her some of what their childhood had been like, but Marshall was so much younger than Seth, hadn’t been much more than a toddler when their mother had died. Her loss must have affected him much more deeply. Realizing where her thoughts had gone, she pushed them from her mind, caring about Marshall was a big mistake, nothing would ever come of it and the last thing she needed was to let herself get attached to him.
When she and Chloe left Marshall that day, the little girl was happier than she’d ever seen her. Even the small amount of attention that he’d given her had made a difference and Heather hoped that Marshall recognized how much of a difference it had made. But there was still a lot of the day left and Chloe was like a ticking time bomb. She just hoped that the child wouldn’t go off until she was once again in her father’s care.
Two days later, Heather was driving back to the hotel when her phone began to chirp. Smiling she looked at the phone, she’d given Seth that ringtone as a joke and it made her smile every time he called. She pulled into a parking lot and picked up the phone, hoping that he’d come up with a plan for Marshall and Chloe. The science trip was only days away and she was hundreds of miles from home.
“I hope you’re calling to say that you’ve got it all figured out.” She said, when she picked up the call.
“I was hoping you had.” Seth replied.
“All I know is that Simone is definitely not who she wants us to believe she is. I’ve heard her suggest several times that Chloe would be much happier at summer camp. I’m sure she’s trying to get rid of her, but Marshall seemed oblivious to what she’s trying to do. Did you find out anything more about her?”
“No, the finger prints haven’t come back yet, I had to send them all the way to Colorado but my cousins will come through, it’s just going to take some time. I did find out who owns that theatre, and from what I understand he’s a hermit that lives way out in the back country. He hasn’t been seen in years, but the taxes are paid out of an account there in Anchorage and they’re current, so that part of the story is false.” Seth said.
“What about a son. That guy claims to be the son.” Heather was beginning to see what was going on.
“I couldn’t find any mention of a son anywhere, so I think maybe we have our first big clue as to what they’re trying to pull. I think the theatre is key to their plan, sell Marshall a building they don’t even own, then leave town. It wouldn’t be that hard to forge the documents they’d need at this point, most people would fall for it, Marshall included.”
“I thought they were up to something but I thought it was about the play, I had no idea.” Heather said, then couldn’t help but ask. “Do you think these people are dangerous?”
“That’s the thing that has me worried, especially now that Chloe is involved. I just don’t know Heather, they could be desperate enough to do anything, we won’t know until we find out who they are.” Seth’s words were said very carefully and she knew that he didn’t want to scare her, but he had.
“We have to do something to get Chloe out of here.” Heather said, thinking about how vulnerable the little girl was.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking and I think I have the perfect solution, but you may not like it.” Seth said, then paused as if he didn’t want to go on.
“What have you got in mind now? Don’t forget the trip is next week.” Heather said, then understood exactly what Seth had in mind. “No, you wouldn’t. I’m not taking Chloe camping, no way.”
“I wasn’t thinking about you taking her, I was thinking that my brother would take her.” Seth quickly said.
It took Heather a minute to absorb what he’d said, then she erupted. “Have you lost your mind? Those two out in the wilderness would be a disaster. Chloe would be a wreck by the end of the first day and I don’t think Marshall could live without his mirror for that long. Besides Simone isn’t going to let him out of her clutches for that long.”
“It’s the best solution, if we can get the two of them away from Anchorage for a few weeks that should give me long enough to figure out exactly what’s going on. They’ll both be safe, it’s not like you’ll be out there alone, you’ll have trained guides with you and I’ll be there. Think about it Heather, it’s the perfect solution.”
Heather hated to admit it but Seth was right — a few weeks would give Seth time to find out who Simone was and what she was really up to, but she didn’t want to share her time with Tyler with anyone, let alone a spoiled little girl. “You know that I haven’t told Marshall who I really am. Do you really think he’s going to want to be around me when he finds out that I lied to him all this time? I doubt he’s going to appreciate the fact that you sent me here to spy on him.”
“I can handle my brother if you can.” Seth challenged, knowing that Heather never turned away a challenge.
“Fine I’ll do it, but you owe me.” She finally said, knowing she’d eventually give in.
“How does two weeks in Disneyland sound?” Seth asked, amusement in his voice.
“Like a well-planned bribe that’s going to work.” Heather said, laughing because as usual Seth had gotten the better of her.