Page 40 of Bargain With the Boss

“Sorry.”

She frowned. “So you’re actually part of the founding family too.”

“What?” I shook my head. “No, my brother is. I have no real affiliation with them.”

“Affiliation?” A surprised laugh rolled out. “They’re your half brothers.”

I dug my fingers into my leg. “Not really. I mean in biology, perhaps. I didn’t even know my mother had another family, let alone children. Jude never knew our—my—father wasn’t his biological father.”

“That has to be hard, but he raised him as his, right?”

I sighed. I’d never really discussed the new branches of my family tree.

“It’s okay if it’s none of my business.”

“No, I don’t mind. Okay, that’s a lie. I do mind.”

Claire covered my hand. “You can tell me. I’m pretty good at being a vault.”

Baring my soul had never been my way of dealing with things. Then again, the way I’d been handling it was ignoring it, and that wasn’t working either. “Everything has been a mess since Jude found out about his real father. Then he got some random woman pregnant here. When I say things have been in an upheaval in Seattle, it’s an understatement.”

“Well, half of it is.” Claire gave me a rueful smile. “It is the Cove.”

“Tell that to Michelle Keller.” At her blank look, I laughed. “You don’t know how refreshing it is for people not to know my mother.”

“I’m assuming she’s important.”

“I do believe one article mentioned that she puts fear in men’s hearts in the business world.”

She frowned. “Don’t make me take out my phone.”

I laughed. “We don’t have as many stores out this way, but we do have a few. She created A Home You Love.”

“Oh, my God. Yes!” Claire pulled off her sunglasses, shock in her big brown eyes. “My mother’s friends are obsessed.”

“Sounds about right. We do cater to women of a certain age or of a certain financial status.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Can’t say it’s exactly my kind of thing.”

“You aren’t alone.”

Claire patted my hand. “Well, that makes sense. Now that I put name to company, I’ve read a few things about your mother. She’s very impressive.”

I couldn’t help the conflicting feelings of pride and insecurity when it came to my mother’s success. It felt like I’d never find my place in any of it. Now, with this obsession with bringing Jude back to Seattle, it was only stronger.

“Since Jude has moved here, my mother has made it very difficult in Seattle.”

“Well, she is the one who lied.”

I laughed. “That would be logical and when it comes to Jude, my mother has always had an odd attachment.”

“Well, he’s hers, right?”

I frowned. “She’s our mother.”

“Yes, I understand that, but if she left with Jude or while pregnant with him…maybe in her mind she’s his.”

My mouth dropped open.