Secrets of Paternity (7 page)

“T
able eight is asking about you,” Venus said to Caryn at the beverage station.

Distracted, Caryn checked her watch. Twelve-thirty. How was Kevin doing? She wished it was closer to two o'clock and she could call him. “What?” she said to Venus, her words finally registering. “Someone…? Who?”

“I don't know. I haven't seen him before. Dark hair, kind of muscle-bound.”

Panic nipped at her. She looked for an escape route. They'd followed her. They wanted more money. Or maybe it was someone else. Maybe Paul had other debts…

She found her voice. “What'd you tell him?”

Venus frowned. “I said you were working a private party. Shouldn't I have?”

“No. I mean, yes, it's fine. I'll take a look.”

She peeked around the corner. James sat with a very at
tractive woman. Relief struck first, then…disappointment? A tiny twinge of jealousy, too, perhaps? James and the woman were talking and smiling, obviously relaxed with each other. She wore an engagement ring with a diamond large enough for Caryn to see from thirty feet away. She was attractive, too, with a long, thick braid down her back and a body like Caryn used to have before she lost so much weight.

Then it struck her. He shouldn't be here. He should be with Kevin.

What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't exactly march up to him and ask where her son was, not in front of the woman or the other customers. Not to mention that Rafael was in a foul mood. She didn't dare do anything to put her job in jeopardy.

If this was James's way of getting even with her for not telling him who she was when they first met…

But he'd been attracted, too. He'd invited her to dinner
before
he knew who she was.

Men. Games. To heck with— What was she thinking? She was not jealous.

“Tell him I said hello,” Caryn said to Venus. She flipped through her order pad, double-checked the drink orders against what she'd put on the tray, then tucked her pad into her pocket and lifted the tray, positioning it on her shoulder and distributing its weight. She could avoid him easily enough, could find the patience to contact Kevin first. Maybe he'd decided against meeting the woman. “Oh, and also tell him that I recommend the poached salmon.”

“But the salmon is—” Venus stopped. Her eyes sparkled. “Is he an ex-boyfriend? You want to get even with him for something?”

“Something like that.” Okay, so maybe she was a tiny bit jealous, but as quickly as that thought came, she shoved it aside. She had work to do.

Caryn headed to the private dining room. As soon as she served the drinks and took the food orders from the women celebrating the end of a golf tournament, she would sneak into the locker room for just a few seconds and call Kevin.

But when she emerged from the dining room she found James waiting by the door.

Her irritation had escalated as the minutes ticked by. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, harsh and low, looking around for Rafael. “Where is my son? Why aren't you with him?”

The door to the private dining room hit her in the back as it opened. “I beg your pardon,” a woman said.

“No, I'm sorry,” Caryn said, moving aside. The woman kept walking toward the restroom. Caryn fired a furious look at James.

“I came specifically to tell you,” he said calmly, his brows raised as if surprised by her anger. “Kevin and my mother hit it off, which is a mild term for the instant connection they made. Anyway, they didn't want me around.”

Jealousy—a different sort—hit in full force now. She had enough to be worried about with James, now his mother…

“Me, too,” he said, his gaze softening.

“You, too, what?”

“I was jealous that they found such quick common ground.”

“I'm not—” She stopped. Blew out a breath. “I should be glad.”

“That's what I told myself, too. Listen, I won't keep you. I just wanted to let you know what was going on.”

“Thanks.” Who is the woman you're with? she wanted to ask.

He turned back. “So that's the famous Venus who's waiting on us?”

Caryn nodded.

“I can see why Kevin is bewitched.”

“Just what I needed to hear.”

He laughed quietly.

She held up her order pad. “Gotta run.”

“If you get a free minute, stop by my table. I'd like to introduce you to someone.”

“If I can. I'm pretty busy.”

He didn't reply for a few seconds, then said, “Venus said you recommend the poached salmon?”

Caryn faced an ethical dilemma. She couldn't tell him how mediocre the salmon was, without making Venus seem idiotic, that she'd told him the opposite of what Caryn had recommended.

“I don't like fish,” he added. “Can you suggest something else?”

Dilemma solved. “Pot roast, if you like hearty.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

She waved over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen and turned in the sixteen lunch orders. She offered a smile of sympathy to the head chef, silently acknowledging his hard work, knowing that getting on his good side would result in less stress for her and the potential to make more money in better tips. It was one lesson she hadn't had to teach Venus, who was naturally accommodating to everyone. Even the dishwashers tripped over their feet to help her.

Caryn took eight salad plates from the refrigerator and
prepared the side salads, then ladled three bowls of clam chowder. It took that long for her to ponder why James was eating at the club. Was he a member? He must be or he wouldn't be allowed in. Unless the woman was. She did look athletic…

“Caryn.” Rafael came up beside her. “Do you need a reminder of the rules?” He didn't try to keep his voice down, but almost shouted above the kitchen noise.

“Excuse me?”

“I made an allowance already today for your son to talk to you during working hours. Then you took advantage by conversing with that guest, Mr. Paladin. You know that's not allowed.”

Caryn went rigid, but occasions like this demanded contrition, not explanation. “I'm sorry. It won't happen again.”

He walked away. She'd never been reprimanded for any infraction before. Her face burned. Her conversation with James hadn't even lasted a minute. And she hadn't approached him, but vice versa, although she couldn't tell Rafael that, could she? What was she supposed to have done? Be rude to the customer?

She fixed a smile on her face and served the soup and salad, refilled the bread baskets, then checked the beverage station again while she had a few minutes before the entrées were ready. She had no outlet for the emotions tumbling riotously inside her—about Kevin, about James, his mother and now the criticism by her manager. She'd thought her life had settled in and settled down. Apparently she wasn't to be allowed that luxury.

Because she couldn't stop herself, she glanced at James and his companion. He angled his head and raised his
brows expectantly, as if inviting her to the table. She turned away, dangerously close to tears.

“Are you okay?” Venus asked from just behind her.

“Sure.” She grabbed a cloth and wiped down the outside of the soda dispensers.

“Do you want help serving when the entrées are up?”

“Rafael will assign who helps. But thanks.” She walked away before Rafael, who seemed to see and hear everything, even if he wasn't in sight, caught her. Knowing she couldn't slip away to call Kevin before his two o'clock class frustrated her even more, but she couldn't take any chances. Not today. So, she wouldn't know what happened until he got home after five.

All because of James.

Oh, get real, she told herself. She wasn't mad because Rafael had chewed her out. She was mad because James hadn't told her he had a…fiancée, apparently.

And why should that bother her? It made her life much less messy, if James wasn't available for a relationship other than what he built with Kevin. Granted, she would welcome James into her life if Kevin wanted her to, but beyond that there wasn't a reason to learn more about each other.

Easy come, easy go.

 

“Who was the waitress?” Cassie asked James as they headed to their cars after lunch.

“Her name tag said
Venus.
”

“Not the America's Sweetheart, Jamey. The other one. The redhead with the short hair and red lipstick.”

“You don't miss much.”

“I'm not supposed to miss much.”

They reached Cassie's car. “Her name is Caryn Brenley.”

“Brenley?” Her voice pitched higher. She grabbed his arm. “You found your child?”

“He found me. Well, she did, actually. His mother. Then he did.”

“A boy.”

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel?”

“I don't know yet. Honestly, Cass. It's still confusing.”

“Why?”

“Long story, and we both need to get back to work.”

She unlocked her car but didn't open the door. “When did you meet him?”

“Saturday.”

“And you're just now telling me?”

“I called. You weren't home. Then I realized I needed to let it sink in first.”

“The mom's pretty. Awfully thin, though.”

“She's been dealing with a lot over the past year.”

“How about your old friend, her husband?”

“Died a year ago. Listen, I'll catch you up on everything, but not now.”

Cassie cocked her head. “Why'd you bring me here with you?”

“I wanted to tell her something, and to watch her in action, frankly. I didn't think I should be sitting there alone—it would be too obvious. I hadn't counted on her not working the dining room.” He looked back at the building. “I think she's upset with me for coming.”

“Well…yeah.”

“Why do you say it like that?”

“It's her place of business. You intruded. She probably has rules forbidding mingling with the customers. Every
place I waited tables had a similar rule. Not that we always obeyed it.”

Why hadn't he considered that? He looked toward the dining room windows, could see people still sitting at tables. Had he caused a problem for her?

“I can't go back and ask,” he said to Cassie. “If she's in trouble for it, I would only make it worse.”

“You'll figure out something.” She hugged him. “I'm so happy for you.”

“Don't be happy yet. There's a lot to work out between the three of us.”

“It'll be worth the effort.” She stepped back then opened her car door. “You coming into the office today?”

“Right behind you.”

He waited until she backed out before he walked back to where his car was parked, closer to the building. He looked into the window again and saw Caryn standing there, looking back. He lifted a hand. She turned away.

Unpredictable. Why the hell had he thought he would like that about her?

 

Shortly after five o'clock James parked in front of Caryn and Kevin's three-story duplex. On the left side of the building, on the second floor, above a two-car garage, were two red-painted doors with different house numbers, one door leading to the downstairs unit, James assumed, and the other to the upstairs. Caryn lived upstairs.

He hadn't called ahead, deciding to take his chances rather than be turned down. Now he wondered whether to wait in his car for Kevin to get home and greet him before he went inside his house, or to knock on the upstairs unit and see if Caryn was there. He needed to talk to both of
them, but not necessarily together. And just because Kevin got out of class at five o'clock didn't mean he would come straight home—which made James's decision for him. He would ring Caryn's bell.

She didn't keep him waiting, but didn't look surprised, either, so maybe she'd seen him coming.

“Hi,” he said, in a moment of rhetorical brilliance.

She crossed her arms. “Hi.”

Obviously she wasn't going to make this easy on him. “I came to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For disturbing you at work. Did you get in trouble?”

“Yes.”

He winced. “I'll fix it.”

“No, thank you.”

“But—”

“It wouldn't help, trust me on that. Is that it?”

Startled, he didn't say anything for a few beats. “No, that's not it. I'd like to talk to you, to get to know you. How about inviting me in?”

“I have company.”

He was caught off guard. A boyfriend? He hadn't considered that possibility, probably because of the way she'd followed him that night, and the attraction she'd admitted to.

“Venus is here,” she said into his silence.

He had no right to feel relieved, but he did. “Then maybe this is a good time. I should check her out a little more thoroughly so that I can advise Kevin properly.”

Her lips twitched in an obviously reluctant smile. “She thinks you're an ex-boyfriend of mine.”

“Why does she think that?”

“It's what I told her.”

“Why—”

“My point is, you can come in, but I don't want you telling her what our relationship is.”

“She won't think it's strange that an ex-boyfriend would show up and be let in?”

“She'll be curious. I have no problem with that.”

“Your call.” He followed her up the stairs and into a roomy living room with large windows overlooking the street. Her furnishings had probably come from her house; the rustic style suited a horse ranch, although it was not out of place here. She obviously had an eye for decorating, as the colors and accessories blended and complemented—words he'd learned from his decorator.

“Well, hi,” Venus said coming into the room from what appeared to be the kitchen. She looked back and forth between Caryn and James.

“You already know each other,” Caryn said.