As they rode down in the elevator, Jane asked, “Is there some point at which you’d like me and Kaylee to disappear? I don’t want Kaylee to distract from a business meeting.”
“We’ll see how it goes.” Once he told Ellen the truth about his relationship with Jane and her daughter, Ellen might be the one who disappeared.
He was more nervous about losing this account than he cared to admit. He had payments to make on his business loan, and he shuddered to think what would happen if he was late.
Reece wouldn’t be happy with him, that was for sure.
He wished he’d saved more money during the years he’d worked for Remington Industries. But back then, he’d seen money as a never-ending river. He could spend it because he would always have more.
He’d thought that by now, he would have landed some bigger accounts. But the river was more like a trickle.
“You’re going to tell Ellen the truth as soon as we sit down,” Jane said suddenly. “Right?”
“Yes.” No matter how hard that was.
JANE COULDN’T HELP but be impressed with the beautiful hotel restaurant. She’d been to plenty of fancy restaurants before, but not with Kaylee. Scott had not believed in taking children out to eat.
In truth, sometimes a screaming toddler could be a problem at a nice restaurant. But Kaylee was almost old enough that she could be counted on to behave civilly.
She took in the high ceilings and ornate gold-leaved moldings with big eyes. “Mommy, I think a princess lives here.”
“You’re the only princess around,” Jane replied with a slight smile.
“Your party is here,” the hostess replied when Max gave his name. “Right this way.”
Ellen Lowenstein and the same man who’d been with her the other day were seated at a large, round table. The man stood and extended his hand to Max.
“Remington. Good to see you again.” Then he turned toward Jane. “Jane, isn’t it? And Katy.”
“Kaylee,” Jane gently corrected.
Ogden didn’t look all that pleased to be seeing the child again.
The waiter brought a booster seat for Kaylee. Max held Jane’s chair for her. She looked at him. “Now, not later.”
“Yes, um, well, thanks again, Ellen, for the baseball game. We had a great time.”
“No sense in having that expensive box unless you share it,” Ellen said cheerfully. “Ogden, you really should join us out there some time.”
“I’m not much of a sports fan,” Ogden said stiffly.
That figured, Jane thought, just as Kaylee started to squirm out of her chair. “Mommy, look, it’s Daddy!”
“What?”
Every head at their table swiveled as Kaylee, slippery as a little frog, slid out of Jane’s grasp and ran toward a man standing at the buffet with his back turned toward them.
Oh, please, let it not be.
Jane was out of her chair in a flash, running after Kaylee. It would be embarrassing to have her launch herself at some strange man shouting “Daddy!”
Then the man turned, and Jane saw that it was, in fact, Scott.
“Daddy!” Kaylee shouted again just as she reached him and attached herself to his leg, just as she’d done with Max a few minutes ago.
Scott looked down dispassionately. “Kaylee?” He was such a cold fish! Then he looked up and spotted Jane heading for him. His smile wasn’t pleasant. “Well, look who we have here.”
“Could you at least pretend to be happy to see your daughter?” Jane hissed under her breath as she pulled Kaylee away from her father’s leg.
“I am happy. I love my daughter.”
Jane suspected that sentiment was for the benefit of the cool blonde who’d just sidled up to Scott, putting a proprietary hand on his arm.
“This is your daughter?” she asked, shooting a hostile look toward Jane.
“Daddy, we’re gonna have waffles.”
“What brings you to Houston?” Scott asked. “Are you already bored with dreary little Port Clara?”
“I’m at a business meeting. Really, I’m sorry to have interrupted your, er, breakfast.” She wondered how Max was explaining Kaylee’s outburst.
“A
The blonde looked surprised by the blunt attack, but Jane was livid. How dare he?
Only her reluctance to embarrass Max further kept her from grabbing a glass of orange juice from the buffet and dumping it over Scott’s head.
Kaylee was still babbling, trying to get her father’s attention. Jane took her hand. “We’re leaving now.”
But not soon enough. Scott’s gaze wandered toward Jane’s table, and recognition quickly registered on his face. “I don’t believe it.” He brushed the blonde off his arm and strode toward the table where Max, Ellen and Ogden sat.
Oh, God, no. “Scott, leave it alone!” she called after him, scooping Kaylee up and hurrying to try to ward off the confrontation.
“So, Remington, you’re not involved with my wife, huh?”
Chapter Seven
Max calmly set down his coffee cup as Ellen and Ogden looked on in horror. He stood up, appearing utterly unafraid. “I wasn’t. But I am now. And she’s your ex-wife, in case you’d forgotten.”
Now the diners at neighboring tables were staring.
Jane was frozen with fear, and Kaylee continued to call for her daddy, who didn’t seem to hear.
Scott balled up his fists, his eyes mere slits. “I could ruin you.”
“I wouldn’t try, if I were you. Not unless you want a few of your secrets out in the open. Or would you like for everyone to hear about Laura Ann?”
Laura Ann? Who was that?
Whoever she was, mentioning her name caused Scott’s already short temper to snap. He cocked his arm back.
But Max ducked to the side. At the same time, he thrust his leg out in a lightning-fast kick that buckled Scott’s legs. He toppled over, clutching his knee and cursing up a blue storm.
By then, the security guard from the hotel lobby had been summoned. He apparently had seen who was the aggressor and who was merely defending himself, because he dragged Scott to his feet. “Sir, you’ll have to come with me. Mr. Remington, are you all right?”
“Never better.” He couldn’t quite hide his smile of triumph.
Men.
Scott was too humiliated, or in too much pain, to argue. He limped away with the guard, not even giving Max or her or Kaylee a backward glance. The blonde, not so cool now, scurried after him.
“Well,” Ogden said, pushing to his feet. “That was an interesting display. I take it you and Jane are not, in fact, husband and wife?”
Max deflated slightly. “No. We aren’t even involved. I’m not married and I don’t have any children. But I thought you would prefer to give your advertising account to a family man, so when you assumed Kaylee was mine, I chose not to correct you.”
Ogden’s scowl deepened, but Ellen merely stared, looking bewildered.
“We don’t normally do business with people who lie and brawl in restaurants,” Ogden said succinctly. “Ellen?”
Ellen looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end she followed Ogden out of the restaurant.
