Page 28 of Boss with Benefits (Boss of Seduction #6)

“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Deacon said.

They stood on the sidewalk in front of Deacon’s office building, staring at each other.

Brady knew his best friend was disappointed, but he hoped Deacon could understand his need to leave town.

He needed a fresh start. Maybe someday after he got over Jessica he could return at least long enough for a visit.

Deacon shook his head. “You are making the biggest mistake of your entire life, and all I can do is stand here helpless and watch.”

Brady’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think it’s a mistake. Becoming a serious artist is what I’ve always wanted. Running an ad agency was just a means to do what I love and make enough money to keep the wolves away. Now that I have the money, I can live my passion.”

“Jessica is your passion.”

“Don’t start.”

“Excuse me if I believe in facing the truth and not running from it.”

Brady’s jaw tightened. “I am not running from anything. I’m following my dream, something you should support since I supported you and this whole shrink business.”

Deacon stuffed both hands in his trouser pockets and kicked at an invisible rock. “I’m trying to be supportive by telling you that you are making a big mistake. I’d like my best friend to be happy, and you won’t be without Jessica.”

“So now you’re a mind-reader as well as psychic?”

“You’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Brady couldn’t. Leaving her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he couldn’t go back. They couldn’t be together. It wouldn’t work out.

“You know why I can’t be a husband,” Brady said. “Or a father.”

“I know why you think you can’t, but as I’ve told you a million times, you are not your father.”

“There is no guarantee I won’t become him if I stay married to Jess and have a kid with her someday. What if I crash and burn? What if my dream doesn’t become reality?”

Deacon glared at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“My father didn’t start out drunk and abusive. My mother told me they were happy when they first got married. Then a few years later, he lost his job. Every time things didn’t go his way, he turned to alcohol. He grew bitter, angry at the world, and he always took it out on us. His family.”

“That doesn’t mean you would react in the same way he did. We all have negative circumstances, and mentally stable people learn how to deal with them in a healthy way.” Deacon snapped his fingers. “Answer me this. Have things always gone your way, or have you suffered losses?”

Brady sighed. “Of course, I don’t get everything I want. No one does.”

“Tell me about one loss that really hurt. A recent loss.”

People passed by, and they had to step to the side.

The interruption gave Brady a moment to think.

He felt like he should be reclining on Deacon’s couch in his office instead of outside on the sidewalk.

The urge to tell Deacon to mind his own business before driving away was difficult to resist. He didn’t give into the urge, because this would be the last time he saw his best friend, at least for a while.

He took a deep breath before revealing something to Deacon he hadn’t told him yet. “I got a call a few weeks ago from Sheriff Brady’s sister. He died. She thought I’d want to know.”

“Sorry, man.” Deacon patted him on the shoulder. “I know how much he meant to you.”

Brady nodded. “He went peacefully, died in his sleep. She told me he left me his favorite camera. It was probably the one he taught me how to use when I went to live with him.”

“How did you handle the news of his death?” Deacon asked.

Brady shrugged. “What could I do? He died. I went on with my life.”

“You didn’t get drunk?”

Brady sighed. “I’ve only been drunk once in the past ten years and that was over Jessica. You were there. You saw it.”

“I did see you drunk, yes, and you weren’t trying to hit anyone. Your father was a mean drunk, but you are like a big teddy bear when you’ve had too many. It was kind of sweet.”

“Deke, I gotta catch a plane to Paris. We’ll talk later. I’ll call you.”

He started for his car, but Deacon wasn’t done with him yet.

“Do me a favor,” Deacon said, “Give Jessica a call before you get on the plane to Paris.”

Brady waved a hand over his shoulder, not bothering to stop or slow down.

If he didn’t go now, his buddy would keep him talking until he missed his flight.

He pushed all thoughts of Jessica out of his head and climbed into his car.

There was no way he was calling her. They’d already said goodbye, and the first time was bad enough. He didn’t want a repeat performance.

Besides, she would be better off without him, both her and the kid.

∞∞∞

She went into the office even though it was late and the employees were gone.

There were decisions to be made. She would have to tell everyone in the morning that Brady was gone, and she needed to warn them they might need to find other jobs.

Without him, she wasn’t sure she could keep the agency going.

Even if they found a new photographer, she wasn’t sure she wanted to continue on with their work.

Taking an empty elevator up to their floor made her want to weep.

She wobbled on rubbery legs and came close to falling to her knees again, missing him so much it physically hurt.

Who would have thought she’d miss his silly elevator game?

She wished he knew how much he’d hurt her by leaving.

It was like he had reached inside her and pulled out her heart just to stomp on it.

Maybe if he realized how much she loved him, he would change his mind and stay.

She thought about calling him. Several times. She picked up her cell phone more than once, but she didn’t press his name. If he didn’t love her enough to stay, she couldn’t force him into it.

She went to his office instead of hers and lingered in the doorway.

The sight of his desk, the surface wiped clean, startled her.

She’d never seen his office look so empty.

He had left with no intention of returning.

Ever. A wave of anger crashed into her, momentarily pushing aside the sadness, and she wanted to track him down just to punch him in the gut.

Maybe then he would understand how she felt.

There was an unopened crate near the door. Someone had signed for it and hadn’t bothered to let her know. She took a closer look and found a small white card attached. It had her name scrawled across the top in Brady’s handwriting. Why hadn’t he mentioned he’d left something for her?

She was about to open it when the office phone rang. Because her curiosity had been piqued and there was no turning back now, she put the caller on speaker while she fumbled with the crate. “Elite Images,” she said, automatically calling out the name of the agency. “How can I help you?”

“May I speak with Brady, please?” a woman asked.

Jessica rolled her eyes. Why did it have to be a woman? The ladies were constantly calling Brady. Some were models. Some were past girlfriends. It had annoyed her even before they got together. Now it just made her mad.

“He isn’t here,” Jessica said. “In fact, it’s after office hours. We’re closed.”

The voice hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Is this Jessica Bishop?”

“Uh... yes. Who am I speaking to, please?”

“This is Mindy.”

Jessica shrugged at the phone and made a face. The name didn’t ring any bells. Was this woman one of their former models?

Before she could ask, the voice added, “I’m Randy’s wife.”

Jessica’s heart dropped to her stomach. Her pulse jumped, and she held her breath. Why in the hell was Randy’s wife calling her? Was she going to try to get her hands on Axl even though Randy had signed away his parental rights?

“Hello?” Mindy asked, “Are you still there?”

“I don’t know why you’re calling Brady, but I have nothing to say to you.” Jessica started to turn away from the phone. She changed her mind almost instantly and turned back to the speaker. “You know what? I do have something to say. How dare you try to take my son? Where do you get off, bitch?”

For a second, she thought Randy’s wife would hang up, but the woman didn’t disconnect the call.

“That’s fair,” Mindy said. “But I want you to understand something. When I found out I couldn’t have a baby of my own, I lost my mind. I’ve been dreaming about being a mother since I was ten and—”

“Your inability to have children doesn’t give you the right to take my son!”

“No. It doesn’t.”

Jessica glared at the phone, and she lowered her voice. It wasn’t any fun to yell at someone who kept calm. “What do you want? Why are you calling Brady?”

The woman gushed, “I wanted to thank him again. He has given me the most generous gift, and I will never forget it.”

“What did he do?”

“Didn’t he tell you?” Mindy asked.

“Obviously not.” Jessica folded her arms and leaned against his desk. “Answer the damn question. What did Brady do for you?”

And why would he do anything for Randy’s wife? That was the real question.

“Brady came to my house, demanding answers a few days ago. He wanted to know why Randy suddenly wanted his son in his life, so I told him. Randy wasn’t home. I explained what the doctor said about the odds of me ever getting pregnant.”

“Yeah?” Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “And?”

Mindy sobbed. “He got us an appointment with the top fertility specialist in the country, and he paid for it. The whole thing. Thanks to Brady, the doctor thinks I’ll be pregnant by the end of the year.”

With her tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth, Jessica stared up at the ceiling. So that was what her lawyer had meant by she should be thanking Brady. He made a deal with her dirtbag ex and got him to sign over his parental rights in exchange for a chance to have a family with his wife.

She returned to the crate and opened it while Mindy babbled on about how grateful she was to Brady.

Jessica barely listened. Once she got the wooden lid off, she lifted a huge framed photograph out of the crate.

It was one of the pictures Brady had taken of her.

With everything else going on, she’d forgotten all about them.

At least it wasn’t a nude.

She leaned the giant photograph against his desk and went to the couch. Her legs felt rubbery. She sank down on the middle cushion. Mindy finished weeping over Brady’s generosity and hung up without waiting to see if Jessica was still there, not that she cared. She had other things on her mind.

Jessica stared at Brady’s artwork in awe. Somehow, he had managed to capture how she felt about him... and how he felt about her. It was all there for the world to see. She’d never looked so beautiful.

Although he had taken about a hundred pics of her, the one he’d chosen to frame was of her after he had whispered something sweet in her ear. Her lashes had fluttered down against her cheeks, and there was a knowing smile on her lips. That was a woman in love.

Her skin glowed, and she was sure it wasn’t a trick of the light. It was love. Her love for him. How could he throw what they had away after seeing this picture?

Unlike her, maybe he thought it was a fluke. Maybe he hadn’t been able to see it. But then why would he blow it up and have it framed? Why would he leave it for her if it wasn’t in invitation to chase after him?

A wave of grief crashed into her and almost knocked her down. He was gone. Brady had left her forever, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

The phone rang again, and Jessica cursed beneath her breath. Hopefully it wasn’t Randy’s chatty wife again. She went to the desk and answered the phone. “Elite Images. How can I help you?”

“This is Deacon. Brady’s friend. Don’t say anything. Just listen. We don’t have much time. I don’t normally tell people what they should do with their lives... unless they’re paying me for my advice. But you need to get your butt to the airport and stop that lovesick fool from leaving the country.”

Emotion clogged her throat. “I tried to talk him out of going, but he wouldn’t listen. He’s got this insane idea he’ll be bad for me and Axl.”

“What do you think?”

“I think he’s a wonderful man and will be a better father than most because of what he went through.”

Deacon shouted, “Go tell him! Now!”

“What do I say to him? How do I make him listen?”

“Speak from your heart. Better hurry or he’ll be on a plane, and you’ll never see him again.”

Jessica grabbed her purse and car keys. “Wait a second. I don’t know where he’s going. What flight is he taking?”

“Paris.”

“I’m on my way!”

She raced for the door and heard Deacon shouting behind her. “And call me so I know what happens!”