Page 7 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

"See you later, alligator."

I arched a brow at Victoria, and she shrugged. "I taught him a few things."

As we left the living area and approached the door, she asked, “Did the will reading not go well?"

The burning rage built in me again. "Everything is going to my father."

She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. "There's no way Gwen would've done that."

I found Victoria’s coat in the closet and handed it to her. “I know. The only answer is that my father somehow was able to get her will changed. Her lawyer says it's all on the up and up. But—"

"Are you going to fight it?" Victoria slipped on her coat.

"Yes, but I don't know how. My father wants Pax and me out of the house. I lost my job—"

"What? When? Why didn't you tell me?"

"There's just so much going on so fast. They let me go, and I totally get why. My work wasn’t up to snuff. And then my mom died and—"

Victoria's arms came around and held me. "I know that when you're in a bad place, it's hard to reach out, but I'm here. What can I do?" She stood back but kept her hands on my arms, looking at me intently.

"At this point, I don't know. Mr. Thompson has agreed to look into it pro bono. I guess the thing I need to do is find a job and a new place to live."

"You can come stay with me and Alex."

"No, I can't. You and Alex are just married and are about to have a baby."

She looked at me, and I got the feeling she was relieved but also felt she needed to insist.

"Really. We'll figure something out."

"Will you be returning to Seattle?"

I shrugged. "I have the same problem in Seattle as I have here. Granted, it's less expensive in Seattle. But if I'm going to fight this will, I need to stick around for a while longer."

"I'm going to think about what you can do. Alex and I will help you figure something out. I promise." She gave me another hug.

I was grateful for the friendship, despite the fact that it came with guilt and terror. Right now, I had more important issues to consider as my life further devolved.

But I’d endure. I'd spent the last five years knowing that wishes and fairy tales didn't come true. Whatever was going to happen next for me and Pax wasn't going to be easy, but we would survive it. I'd become really good at surviving.

2

Henry

Iintended to work as was my usual activity when I arrived home from the office. My daughter, Victoria, would tease me that I was a workaholic, but now that she was grown and living her own life, there wasn't anything else for me to do besides work. Luckily for me, I enjoyed it.

The problem I was having tonight, as I'd had most nights ever since my daughter married six months ago, was the lack of focus because Samantha Layton had once again taken up residence in my mind.

I shouldn't be surprised by the way she haunted my dreams and interrupted my days.

Despite my best efforts over the last five years, I’d never been able to completely exorcize her from my mind. The fact that I hadn’t been able to completely rid her from my psyche was validation that I'd been right to send her away five years ago. I knew then, as I had rediscovered at the wedding, that I couldn't see her and not ache for her.

I’d been with many women in my life, mostly in my younger days, but none had affected me the way Samantha had. It didn't make any sense. She was so much younger than me. She'd been my daughter's best friend, for Christ's sake. And yet, when she became my intern, I got to know an intelligent, sweet, hard-working, conscientious, and loyal woman. I suppose many women were like that, but there was something about Samantha that wound its way into my heart, tethering itself there, and even after all this time apart, it had never completely let go.

I'd only seen her once in the last six months, but that was all it had taken for her to consume my thoughts again.

I had never married. I never wanted to. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Had I met the right woman, I’d have considered it. I wanted a family. I wanted Victoria to have siblings. But I never met a woman I wanted to bring into my and Victoria's life. The only one who came close was Samantha, but there was no scenario in which I could build a life with her.

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