The Amber Stone (25 page)

“What is it?” Sean asked when he heard Teresa gasp at the sight of the letter she held in her hand. It was from Valley Ray Corporation.

“A cease-and-desist notice about my peppermint hand gel,” Teresa said, collapsing into a kitchen chair as if she’d been punched. “It says I don’t have the right to sell them.”

Sean took the letter from her and read it then swore. “Did you register for a patent?”

“No, the formula was just a trade secret. I didn’t tell anyone.”

“Somehow they found out and patented it as theirs.”

“What does that mean?”

“That you can’t fight this.”

“But the product was one of our bestsellers. How could they know all the ingredients?”

Sean was determined to find out, but when he spoke to the store manager and staff they all pleaded innocent. Although some of them had helped Teresa make the initial batch, no one knew the full mixture enough to give the information to a rival.

“They already make enough money, why are they picking on us?” the manager said, his toupee slightly skewed. “At first I thought Teresa was crazy not carrying their line, but that other brand we carry works just as well and our customers have been happy.”

Sean patted him on the back. “Thanks, we’ll just have to make do.”

The manager nodded then left to clear the shelves.

“This will hurt business,” Sean said as he and Teresa watched the staff remove the peppermint hand gel from the shelves. “But you’ll recover.”

Teresa gripped her hands. “They stole this from me, but I don’t know how.”

“Unfortunately, they did it legally. There’s no way you can prove your position in court. We’ll need to come up with something else.”

Teresa fought back tears, knowing that wouldn’t be that easy.

***

Louisa lay naked on her side under the soft hotel sheets, her body warm and wet from lovemaking. The light from the table lamp was low, casting a dull glow over the green and gold carpets and drapes. She could still smell his aftershave on the pillows. The hotel wasn’t their regular meeting place, but being with him was all that mattered. She was glad the baby weight hadn’t turned him off, but she still knew her days were numbered. The bigger she got, the more awkward it could be, but at least she knew she didn’t have to make him come to keep him close. Now he was devoted to her.

She rested a hand on her protruding stomach and sighed with contentment. Being pregnant wasn’t so bad and she actually looked forward to soon holding her baby. Teresa had helped her feel beautiful again with the shopping spree and spa treatment and even made motherhood sound like fun, with talks about nurseries and baby clothes, although Louisa hadn’t wanted to set up a nursery yet since she didn’t plan to stay there. She hadn’t expected to miss her. The cousin who’d made her laugh when she’d felt the baby kick, who’d gone with her to several doctor’s appointments.

She’d been there for her like no one ever had. She felt sort of empty not having her around, fussing over her. She’d gotten used to her calm ways and unrelenting kindness.

Louisa sighed. She felt a little bad about pissing off Jessie at the cafe, but that couldn’t be helped. Michelle couldn’t know what she was up to. She had to do whatever she needed to do for survival. She wasn’t just thinking about herself anymore. She had a family to think about now. Fortunately, she was a good liar and no one suspected her. She was glad she’d made Thomas happy with the information she’d given him. It hadn’t been easy piecing together the torn notes Teresa had tossed aside and watching her when she didn’t think she was looking, and asking seemingly innocent questions. But she’d done it all for the man she loved. She looked over at him as he straightened his tie while he looked at himself in the hotel mirror. He was so handsome and smart. Soon she’d be wearing his ring.

“So what you gonna do?” she asked him, grabbing her bra and putting it on.

“Do?”

She slipped on her panties, then jeans, glad for the maternity give her old jeans hadn’t provided. “In a couple of months this baby is coming and we’d better start making plans. When are you going to leave her?”

“Soon. The information you’ve given us has kept us busy with negotiations. I didn’t want to distract her right now.”

Louisa pulled on her blouse. “Maybe it’s good that she’s busy so she won’t bother us. You told me—”

“To wait, and you’re doing that just fine.”

She lifted her shoe then threw it back down. “But I’m tired of waiting. I want to be with you.”

He crossed the room and took her hand. “Look, in a year—”

“A year!” She yanked her hand away. “What do you expect me to be doing for a year?! Do you know what I risked for you? I betrayed my own cousin to get you what you wanted. I’m not waiting a year.”

“Don’t excite yourself. It’s not good for you or the baby.”

“Don’t you dare tell me what I need,” she said, resting a hand on her hip. “If you don’t do right by me, I’ll tell your wife and anyone else who will listen. I’ll also tell them about your wife’s connection to Valley Ray and how they
really
got the patent for their new gel.”

He rested his hands on her arms. “Baby,” he said in a soothing voice. “You’re getting upset for nothing. You know it’s complicated. A divorce can be costly and I want to be able to care for you in the way you deserve.”

“You better not be seeing someone else.”

“Why would you think that?”

Louisa flashed a sour grin. “Because I know you, Thomas. You didn’t change hotels for no reason.”

“I thought you’d want a change.” He stroked the side of her face. “You’re so beautiful, how could I want to be with anyone else? You’re more than enough for me.” He kissed her. “Why don’t you trust me?”

Louisa slid her hand down his back, pushing down her suspicions. He loved her. He’d said so. She wouldn’t have done all that she had otherwise. “I just want to be with you.”

“And you will,” he whispered against her lips.

But Louisa wasn’t completely satisfied with his answer, and knew she had to do something to make sure he kept his word.

***

Helene greeted her husband at the door with a face that looked like thunder. “I got a phone call today.”

Thomas stepped into the foyer and closed the door behind him with a soft click. “From whom?”

“When I give you permission to play, I expect you to keep your bitch on a leash.”

He opened the hallway closet. “What are you talking about?”

“Some woman called me claiming she can make trouble for our business.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Don’t brush this aside. This strategy is working. Teresa’s little shop is scrambling. We’ve already doubled our sales this month. In a couple of weeks we can be back on top and no one will even remember her. But—”

“But nothing,” he said hanging up his coat. “I said I’ll handle it.”

“I don’t want you to handle it,” Helene said in a clipped tone. “I want it gone. Do you understand me? She knows too much. Give her what she wants and get rid of her.”

Thomas closed the closet door and shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

He walked past her.

Helene stared at his back and swore. “You got yourself an AON, didn’t you?” she asked.

He turned around. “A what?”

She slowly walked up to him her heels clicking on the floor. “An ‘all or nothing’,” Helene clarified with a bored look. “She wants the house and the family, doesn’t she? Didn’t I tell you to be careful of those ones? How can a smart man be so stupid?”

“She’s young.”

Helene rested a hand on his chest. “Poor thing, they are always your weakness.” She slid her hand down to the front of his trousers and gripped him in warning. “But she better not be pregnant or I’ll have your balls in a vice. Is she?”

“Is she what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, honey. It’s too late for that.”

Thomas held her gaze. “She just wants to get married.”

Helene loosened her hold and pressed her lips against his. “Then you’d better change her mind and send her on her way,” she said in a light voice that suddenly hardened along with her gaze. “Before I intervene.”

***

Thomas didn’t sleep that night. Instead he stared up at the dark ceiling, wishing for sleep that eluded him. His wife couldn’t know about the baby, and he knew he couldn’t keep Louisa quiet for long. How could a piece of sweet ass cause so much trouble? He didn’t have much time. He could hold her off for a couple more months, but after that he wasn’t sure. Louisa was a wild card; that was what had attracted him to her at first. Hell, she’d been good for his ego. But now she was a liability. All he needed was her arriving on his doorstep with a baby in tow. He’d underestimated her. He’d hoped to convince her to take his money and disappear, but the bitch wanted a family, and to get the information he wanted, he’d played along.

Helene would never forgive him if she found out, and he needed Helene. Helene was his life. He loved her. Stepping out on her was just what he did, but he always came back because she was his heart. She’d been by his side for years and knew him. She was his rock. He didn’t care about Louisa threatening his business, but threatening his marriage had been a mistake. That was something he’d have to stop.

***

Sean looked at the disposable cell phone he’d bought, then looked out the window of the Virginia motel where he planned to make his call. He knew he was taking a risk contacting his brother, Robert. Both his younger and older brother, Evan, owned a top investigations firm and Sean would do anything to help Teresa find out how Valley Ray had gotten the ingredients for her peppermint gel. Even if it meant being found by his family, but he’d still take precautions to make that difficult for as long as possible.

He sat on the too soft mattress and glanced at stain on the orange patterned carpet the cleaning crew hadn’t been able to get out then dialed.

“I need you to look into a company called Valley Ray,” he said the moment Robert answered.

“Sean?” Robert said dropping his voice as if he didn’t want to be overheard. “Where are you now? What—”

“I don’t have time for questions. Just get everything you can about this company and their new gel,” he said then briefly gave him more specifics.

“How am I supposed to reach you?” Robert asked once Sean had finished.

“I’ll get in touch.”

“And what do you expect me to find?”

“Something dirty.”

Teresa tried to keep the morale up at the store, although it was a struggle. She saw Louisa looking extra dejected as she setup a display. “Don’t worry,” she said, keeping her voice bright. “We’re not going to close.”

“It’s not that,” Louisa said. “I don’t feel well. I just ate something bad I guess.”

“I’ll make you something to help you feel better,” Teresa said then later came out with some ginger lemonade. “Here, I’ll finish this.”

Louisa sat in a chair, took a sip and shook her head. “Why are you always so nice?”

“What?”

“How can you be smiling and talking to customers and making this for me when Valley Ray did what they did to you?”

“I don’t have a choice. Sean’s looking into it.”

“It’s not going to help.”

Teresa turned from the display and looked at her curious. “Why? Is there something I should know?”

Louisa looked down at her drink. “No.”

“He’s—”

“You two seem to be together a lot lately,” Louisa said, changing the subject. “And he’s hotter than even
I
thought. I don’t know who got him to shave his beard.” Her eyes twinkled. “Or maybe I do. Are you really staying at a friend’s house?” When Teresa didn’t readily respond, a smile touched her lips. “Do your sisters know?”

“I’m going to tell them.”

“Why keep it a secret? Who cares about you living with a man?”

Teresa knew it wasn’t safe to tell Louisa the truth yet. “They don’t like him.”

Louisa’s smile grew. “Even better.”

“But now that you know my secret, tell me yours.”

“What secret?”

“Who the father is.”

“You’ll find out soon.”

“Is he married like Michelle said?”

Louisa finished her drink. “You know, you probably should sell this stuff,” Louisa said, standing and holding the glass out to her. “I feel so much better. I should get back to work.”

***

Damn, she was starting to feel guilty, and she never felt that, Louisa thought as she left the store and headed for her car. Why did Teresa have to be so likeable? And sly? Who would have thought she’d have the courage to move in with Sean without telling anyone. Guess she wasn’t the goody two shoes she first thought. Not that she could blame her. A man like Sean could make a woman do lots of things.

Her cell phone rang. She saw an unregistered number and knew who it was. “Hi, baby.”

“I need to see you,” Thomas said.

She met him at a hotel out of town that wasn’t nearly as nice as the other two, but it was perfect for what he had in mind. And within minutes, all her feelings of guilt left when his mouth covered hers and he made love to her like he never had before. By the time she returned home, she already knew what her future would be. She saw Thomas holding their baby, counting its fingers and toes. She wouldn’t have to live in this dump any more but would have a grand house and fine clothes.