Page 11 of Mile High Baby

Samantha's forced smile faltered. "My mom is ailing, and my father couldn't handle it, and he's run off with his secretary or something."

"That mother f—" I glanced down at little Pax. Then I turned my attention back to Samantha. "I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She shook her head. "No, but thank you, Tori."

An idea struck me. "Why don't you and your mom and Pax come over to the house sometime for dinner? My dad's been rattling around in that old place all by himself since my grandparents died."

"I didn't realize your grandparents died. I'm sorry."

I nodded. "Yes, a few years ago. I'm sure my father would love to see you again."

Samantha again forced a smile, and it made me want to reach across and shake her, wondering what had happened to our friendship that she seemed so aloof. "That’s nice, Tori, but my mom is very ill. She doesn't really get out much."

"That's why we’re here. We’re going to get her some cookies to cheer her up,” Pax said.

"That's so sweet of you."

The customer in front of Samantha paid for their items, and the person behind the counter called over to Samantha to let her know she was up.

"It was good seeing you, Tori." She turned away, and with her hand clutching Pax’s, they stepped up to the counter to order cookies.

I was still thinking about the exchange as I sat in the back of the car while Knightly drove me over to my father's house on Riverside Drive. I absently ate the chocolate sour cream doughnut and held the bag of lemon bars for my father as I thought about the odd encounter.

"Do you remember my friend Samantha?" I asked Knightly.

"I do."

“She was in the bakery, but she was kinda weird toward me."

Knightly glanced at me through the rearview mirror before turning his eyes back to the busy New York streets. "Rumor has it that Mrs. Layton isn’t doing very well, and to make matters worse, Mr. Layton apparently has left her." Knightly made a face like his words had left a sour taste in his mouth.

I couldn't blame him. Who left their wife of nearly thirty years when she was ill? Then again, I never liked Mr. Layton very much.

"Did you know she had a son?" I asked him.

The way Knightly's brows arched upward told me he hadn't. "I didn't. I didn't even hear that she’d gotten married."

The whole thing was very odd. As old as Pax was, she had to have met her husband and gotten pregnant not long after she left New York.

I had to push Samantha and her strange behavior away as Knightly pulled into the underground garage of my father's mansion. Knightly must've had a button in his car to warn staff when he was arriving home because Mrs. Tillis was there waiting as we pulled in next to the elevator entrance.

I didn't wait for Knightly to help me out. Instead, I opened the door and exited, pulling Mrs. Tillis in for a hug.

She squeezed me tight. "Welcome home, dear. It's going to be such a relief to your father that you’re home."

"I'm pretty annoyed at all this cloak and dagger stuff. What's going on?"

Mrs. Tillis patted my hand. "Come upstairs and your father will explain everything to you. Have you had breakfast? Cook Caroline has made Belgian waffles."

I just had a donut, but I could’ve had ten donuts and still, I would want to have Caroline's Belgian waffles.

I smiled like I was ten years old on Christmas day. "Yes, of course."

The three of us entered the elevator, and Mrs. Tillis pressed the button for the main family area of the mansion. This floor housed my father's den, along with a family and a formal living room, the kitchen, and the dining room.

I exited the elevator and went straight to my father's den expecting that's where he would be. As I entered the room, I saw him standing at the window, looking out over the part toward the river. In some ways, my father was like Sterling in that he had the shock of silver hair and was the epitome of a distinguished older gentleman. But he wasn't sexy because that would be gross.

As I neared, I saw that he had gray stubble along his cheeks and chin, which was unusual. He was always so clean shaven.