* * *
We waited outside Pierce's office. A cold sweat trickled down my back, but I tried to appear calm. Lowell smiled at me, but I saw the stress in her eyes. It had been over ten years since she'd seen my father, and they hadn't parted under friendly circumstances.
After what seemed like forever, his MIT assistant poked her head out. "Pierce will see you now."
I looked at Lowell. "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to come in there with me if you don't want to."
She put her hand in mine and squeezed. "I'm coming to support you. We're in this together, remember? Plus, we don't need to make him any more upset than he already is."
I tried to draw strength from her as we went inside. Now I felt as if I were the one walking the plank. We rounded the corner of the cool, concrete room, and there he was, scowling out the window.
He turned toward us, his eyes running over me briefly before turning to Lowell. Shock registered on his face. "Lowell? Is that… really you? I can't even believe you're the same girl."
"Hello, Pierce."
He just continued to stare at her as though he was in shock.
"You've seen her movies, Dad. And the pictures. You knew she looked different."
My father looked at her as if she had three heads. "That is not just different. No offense, young lady, but you were never a looker like your mother."
"Watch it," I said, my tone warning.
Lowell was being strong for me. She seemed to shrug off his brash rudeness. "Coming from you, Pierce, I'll take that as a compliment."
My father looked chastised. He ran his hands through his hair—what was left of it. "I didn't say that to be mean. Sorry. I think I used up all of my mean where your mother was concerned. How is she, anyway?"
Lowell's face went from surprised, to confused, to wary in an instant. "She's okay. She's in Asia right now on a spiritual retreat. I just spoke with her."
"I heard she got divorced again," Pierce said.
"She didn't like Number Four that much," Lowell admitted.
"Poor bastard," my father said. "Well, when you speak to her again, please give her my regards."
Lowell raised her eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?"
Pierce sighed heavily. "No, young lady, I'm not."
She watched his face. "Well… excuse me for being surprised, but the last time I saw you two together, it was really ugly."
"I remember. I've had a lot of time on my hands lately. I've been thinking about her and about him." He jerked his head at me. "How I screwed things up."
Lowell's face softened. "My mother is a piece of work. I'll be the first one to admit that."
"I shouldn't have pushed so hard in court. What's more money anyway? Then maybe she wouldn't have had to get married again. She's never had a job. It's not like
she could support herself."
My jaw was practically on the floor as I listened to my father. He has sympathy for Caroline Barton? Since when?
"Well… that's very chivalrous of you. My mother would probably pass out if she heard you say it." Lowell looked baffled.
Pierce nodded. "Maybe I should tell her when she gets back."
Lowell's eyes were huge in her face. "Right. Huh."
"As for you two"—he pointed at us—"I called you in here for a reason. This ends today. Right now. Kyle, you come to work for me. I'll give you a competitive salary. After six months, if you prove yourself, I'll reinstate your trust. I want you to be successful. I've always wanted that. This is the first time in years that you've actually seemed capable of being responsible. But I can't have you being a paid 'date,' or whatever you are. And you two can't be together. It's wrong on so many levels, it literally makes my head hurt."