Page 60 of Daddy's Unexpected Gift

I reached out and poked the shirt. “How did you get my shirt? I’ve been missing this for a few weeks.” I picked it up and unfolded it, draping it over my arm.

Greta sat and took in a long, deep breath. “Peggy brought that to me.”

“Huh?” My brow twisted up with confusion. “How did she get my clothing?”

Greta pursed her lips and looked pained. “She found it at the Alexander residence.”

My entire body went cold, and then sweat beaded along my spine. Crap, I hadn’t realized I left any clothes at Sterling’s. And then I remembered something. I smiled.

“That must have been in the early days when I was showing him how to feed the baby. I took spare clothes because I didn’t want to get my good work clothes messy.” I indicated my suit.

Greta shook her head. “I don’t think so, Cecelia.”

I kept my posture perfect and didn’t let my expression change. I wasn’t going to let Peggy’s snooping around in Sterling’s things get me fired.

“She said it wasn’t there one week, and it was the next,” Greta continued.

I did some mental calculations. Peggy had to have been holding on to the shirt for a good two weeks, at least.

“We know you have continued to see Mr. Alexander and the child.”

“I thought as case managers, we were supposed to make sure our clients had the tools and supplies they needed, not snoop through their belongings?” was my only response.

31

STERLING

With Georgie asleep, I decided to take the baby monitor and go for a run on the treadmill. I had let the habit of working out slip away as taking care of Georgie had become all-encompassing. How the hell did women do it?

They took care of kids, they worked, they took care of their families, and they had to deal with the pressures of society to return to physically fit conditions. I had help, and I still hadn’t managed a regular workout in weeks.

One step at a time. I needed to get myself to some of those parenting classes. Maybe that was where the secrets to being able to manage everything plus a baby were divulged.

The lights flickered. I looked up from my thoughts and saw Wayne waiting for me to acknowledge him. I nodded and stepped off the treadmill, letting the rollers continue.

“Miss Cecelia is on her way up,” Wayne announced.

“Really? I didn’t expect her today.” I shut down the treadmill and grabbed the baby monitor before I followed Wayne upstairs.

It was late afternoon. Far too early for her to come over. She was the one who decided that she wouldn’t ever be here when there was even the slightest chance that anyone from her office could be, or the nanny. She had been very specific about that, including how her name should not appear as a contact in my phone, but I should instead use a code or a pet name for her.

She was very specific about covering tracks and not being found out.

I cut through the kitchen and checked my phone where I had left it plugged in and charging to see if she had called or texted and whether I had missed it. Something had to be wrong. My gut twisted. Feeling that things weren’t right, I went to check on Georgie, to see if she was okay. She was sound asleep. There was no reason to assume anything was wrong. I just felt the need for reassurance.

Cecelia stormed out of the elevator and was looking around as I approached. She hurled a wadded-up T-shirt at me.

“She’s been going through your things!” She looked like she had been crying.

I looked at the shirt in my hand. “Who has been going through my things?”

I lifted the shirt to my nose. It smelled clean, of the fabric softener Wayne used. I didn’t understand.

“Peggy Stanholt gave my shirt, that she found here, to my boss. I told her I probably left it here back when I was your case manager, but she didn’t believe me. She said they knew I’ve been seeing you. I never once admitted to anything. But she had information. I think they’ve had me followed or something.”

A growl escaped my throat. I didn’t like the thought of someone I was supposed to trust actively spying on me. And I was supposed to trust the agency. After all, they wanted what was best for Georgie. It didn’t mean that I did trust them, though.

“Why would they do that?”

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