Page 44 of Worth the Fall
But I feared that at some point, we wouldn’t be enough for her. She’d eventually crave a woman’s touch, or perspective, or help with things that I knew absolutely nothing about. That scared me because when I thought about my daughter needing something I couldn’t give her, I had no idea who I’d turn to for help. Those were the things that kept me up at night.
And now, I’d let her go off with Brooklyn, a woman I barely even knew. Blowing out a long breath, I shook my head and forced myself to remember the call I’d made to her previous employer. I’d inquired about Brooklyn’s work ethic and if there was anything negative that I should know about. I’d even gone so far as to ask about her drinking habits and if they were a problem on the job.
Felicia Kleinfeld had laughed at that. And she’d had nothing but glowing remarks to say before reminding me how lucky I was to have Brooklyn working for the resort. Sierra had also been convinced that Brooklyn did not have unusual drinking habits, but honestly, who knew what went on behind closed doors? Unless that door was your own.
Spurred on by some crazy-overprotective dad bullshit, I headed into my office, pocketed my cell phone, and made my way toward the conference hall to do a little spying. I wasn’t above it. Not when my daughter was involved.
Heading down the long hallway, I heard the laughter echoing before I even neared the space. I’d recognize Clara’s laugh anywhere. When I got to the door, I leaned against the frame and tried not to make a sound. I didn’t want to alert anyone to my presence, so I stayed as still as possible as I took in the scene before me.
“Like this, Brooky Bear?” Clara asked as she placed a decorative box on top of what I assumed was a plate.
Brooklyn walked over to where Clara was and inspected the job. “Exactly like that. It’s perfect. Great job,” she praised.
“You know what?” Clara tilted her head to the side as if she was studying the table before her.
“What?” Brooklyn asked.
“I think it would look better like this,” Clara said with a tiny air of authority that made me bite back a laugh.
I watched as she rearranged a few things I couldn’t see on the table before stepping back to let Brooklyn appraise the situation.
Brooklyn started laughing before clapping her hands like my daughter was a magician. “You did make it better. That looks really, really, pretty.”
Brooklyn announced to the room, “Hey, everyone,” and the rest of the staff stopped what they were doing to pay attention to her. “We need to make a couple of adjustments to the settings. Clara tried this, and I actually think it looks nicer. Do you all agree?”
The small group walked over to where Brooklyn and Clara stood, and all nodded their heads furiously after looking at what I wished I could see clearer. Clara jumped up and down from all the praise, and instead of being bitter or jealous, everyone seemed genuinely happy to make her changes. It was nice to see. The last thing I wanted at the resort was a staff who didn’t get along.
Brooklyn gave Clara a high five before she fired off a few instructions. I liked watching her be the boss. She was authoritative while still accepting the opinions of her staff, thus making them feel important, like part of a team. It was sexy as hell. And exactly how I wanted my departments ran.
“Where is she?” A male voice I didn’t recognize hit my ears, and I turned to search for the source. “Where’s my wife?”
My eyes spotted a male walking quickly in my direction, and I stood at attention, my chest puffed out, muscles flexing.
“Oh, of course you’re here,” the strange male spat at me.
“Excuse me? Is there something I can help you with?” They were friendly questions, but my voice was anything but. My daughter was nearby and this man was clearly agitated.
“You ruined my marriage,” he shouted, and I reared my head back.
“I beg to differ. I have no idea who you are,” I said, sounding uninterested at the accusation.
“You’re a home-wrecker. Feel good about it, O’Grady? Feel like a real man?”
I’d been called a lot of things in my life, but a home-wrecker was a new one.
Brooklyn ran up next to me at the same time as my daughter latched on to my leg.
“I’m so sorry,” Brooklyn said between labored breaths.
“Hi, Daddy,” Clara breathed out, and I patted her head without looking down.
“Go stand over there with Maribel,” I directed, and Maribel reached for her shoulders, pulling her out of this guy’s line of sight.
I scanned his body, looking for any signs of a weapon, but didn’t see anything bulging from anywhere. I might have been overreacting, but you never knew what people were capable of.
“Eli. What are you doing here?” Brooklyn asked, her voice shaking.
Eli. This must be her ex-husband.