Page 92 of Disarming Caine

I was looking forward to this about as much as I was looking forward to saying goodbye to Antonio at the airport.

A temporary name plate was affixed to the door, readingMatt Foster. My ex-husband had stepped in as interim president of the insurance company while his father awaited trial. Underneath Matt’s name, Roger’s would still be there until they locked him up for good, however long that took.

With a centering breath, I pushed down on the handle and opened the door.

Matt looked up from the other side of his father’s desk and smiled. The mahogany monstrosity fit suits-and-ties Roger more than it did polos-and-jeans Matt. “Morning, Sam.”

I closed the door behind me. Time to face the consequences of bringing my former father-in-law to justice. I plastered on a smile and crossed the room, taking the seat he gestured to.

“Long time.” Matt was an attractive man with light brown crewcut hair, hazel eyes, and a short beard. His smile looked as forced as mine, his perpetually furrowed brow just as creased as always. It telegraphed how kind he was, how much he cared for everyone around him. He was so unlike his father.

I opened the notebook I’d brought for the meeting, pen at the ready. Business. I could always do business. “What do you need?”

He hadn’t set an agenda, just emailed me to be there at nine. As much as I’d fought Antonio tooth and nail about coming in to work, that email made me want to call in sick. In the four months since Roger was arrested, I’d spoken to Matt exactly three times.

“First, an apology.” He clasped his hands on the desk and leaned forward.

I wasnotabout to apologize. Roger had been defrauding the company for years and when he finally went to trial, he’d get what he deserved.

“I’m sorry—” Hold on.Hewas apologizing? “—for avoiding you the last few months. A lot fell into my lap when we found out about Dad. It’s no excuse, but I’ve been under some significant stress.”

Anxious butterflies swirled around my stomach at the pained looking in his face. He was hurting. Good. Serves him right for… no, not good. “I can’t imagine.”

The tight smile reached his eyes, and he nodded. “And the company needs your help with something.” He pulled a stapled sheaf of papers from his desk.

I glanced at the front page when he slid it toward me. The contract between Foster Mutual and my actual employer, Thompson Claims Services. The butterflies all dropped as one. “You’re terminating my contract with Foster?”

He sucked in a quick breath and stiffened. “Heavens, no!” Scratching the hair on his chin, he added, “And yet, hopefully, yes.”

This wasn’t good. Before the assignment in Brenton, I lived on the road, working wherever Thompson deployed me around the country. Storm seasons through the Midwest, hurricanes in the east, wildfires in the west, winters in California and Texas. I went where they needed me and declined deployments I didn’t want. It was good money. Traveling the country was freeing, and I had all the outdoor adventure time I wanted.

But I was trying to settle in Brenton with Antonio.WithAntonio? If I didn’t have this daily contract in Brenton, I wouldn’t be able to stay. I’d have to find a new job or pack up the RV in spring and move on.

That had been my original plan. That’s why I was living in a hotel. Come back to small-town Brenton, see Cass through all her treatments, then hit the road again.

And then Antonio happened.

Maybe this was a sign from the universe.Cut your losses, Sam. Leave town and don’t look back.I didn’t want to, though. For once in my life, I wanted to tough it out and really try something that was eating me from the inside out.

“As you can probably guess, our reinsurer wasn’t happy about what Dad did. They threatened to cancel our contract. Finding a replacement after that whole ordeal would have been hard.” Just like insurance companies provided coverage to individuals and businesses, reinsurers provided coverage for insurance companies, so they could afford to pay out their claims. Without a reinsurer, Foster wouldn’t be allowed to operate. “So, we negotiated some conditions.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“You’ve only been here since June, and you’ve picked out more fraudulent claims than the rest of the team for the calendar year. Plus—” He patted the contract, staring down at it instead of at me. “—you’re the one who caught what Dad was doing. It was under everyone’s nose, but no one questioned him. Including me.”

The energy in my stomach spread to my arms, tingles firing along my fingertips. He needed to get to the point.

“You’re the best property adjuster we have, by a wide margin.” His smile grew as he glanced up at me and back down again. “Quinn’s been on me for months about offering you something full time.”

My throat dried up. “Matt, can you just cut to the chase?”

The big leather chair rolled almost soundlessly across the short pile carpet as he stood and rounded to my side of the desk. He eased into the chair next to me. “The reinsurer’s requirement was that we hire someone else in SIU. And the Board—not to mention Harry and Quinn—want that person to be you.”

“I already work with them, though.”

“Only a few hours a week. Like I said, we’re hoping you’ll take on the position permanently.”

This was a very different sign from the universe. This was a ‘Stay in Brenton’ sign. That was what I wanted. Right? Cass, Antonio, Nathan, Lucy, Kevin, and the kids. They’d be so excited.

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