She turned away and went to the window in the living room, looking out over the city and toward the downtown.
Nicole had gone to Baron Energies and had a meeting with Lizzie. Chris had no idea why. But what was crystal clear was that Lizzie thought he did. She thought he was part of it.
“What did she want?” he asked, following her. “What is it you think I did?”
She swiveled around. “You know, I thought you were different. You were different—for one night only. But the moment you found out who I was...you’re just like all the rest.” Her eyes glistened with angry tears. “I should have listened to my instincts in the first place. Just take your stuff and get out. We’ll talk about custody and visitation when the time comes.”
She’d totally gone off the rails. “What the hell did Nicole tell you today?”
“You’re really going to make me say it? Fine.” She strode across the room to her briefcase and took out a sheaf of papers. “Tell me how it’s a complete coincidence that the company you work for, the company who recently gave you a fat promotion, just happens to be proposing a merger with Baron Energies!”
“A merger? Between AB and Baron? Are you sure?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake. Would I be this upset if I wasn’t sure?” She waggled the papers in front of him. “Read for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
He took the papers. Scanned the first few pages, but it was a bunch of legalese he would need to sit down to decipher. “I believe you,” he said, handing it back. And he did. She was right. She wouldn’t be this upset if she weren’t sure. “But, Lizzie, I don’t know anything about it.”
She snorted. “Sure. Know what I learned a long time ago? There’s no such thing as a coincidence. I just happen to get together with you. I mention...” She broke off, shook her head. Her voice was thick as she continued, “I mention how I’d like to diversify our holdings and how I keep hitting a brick wall with Dad. And then weeks later, after your nice, plush assignment, I get slammed with this using practically those exact words! That I have supported the idea of alternative energies before and now that my dad isn’t at the helm...”
She gulped in air. “It was a good exchange for you. A little information and a nice payoff. The stock dip after the accident and lost contract was bad enough. But this...I should have known better.”
She actually thought he’d fed information to Nicole and Adele. That he’d used her.
“I’m not him,” he said firmly, getting a little angry himself.
“Not who?”
Her hands were on her hips now. Despite the red-rimmed eyes, she looked amazing all fired up. Strong and determined, an avenging angel. It was just too bad she was accusing him of something he hadn’t done.
“The guy in college. The one you were engaged to who was using you for your family connections. Not everyone has an ulterior motive.”
She shook her head. “I should never have come to find you that day. I should have just left well enough alone.”
“And not tell me I have a son or daughter? Are you serious?” He paced, trying to sort out his thoughts and say what was racing through his mind without sounding like a raging lunatic, but what she was implying was really sinking in now. He’d been getting bucked off horses and having a marvelous time when she’d come in and turned his world upside down...for what? This?
He stopped and faced her. “I told you I was thinking of leaving the industry altogether.”
“Convenient.”
He frowned. “Lizzie, listen to yourself. For God’s sake. I was going from rodeo to rodeo. I was surprised as anything when I found out who you were.”
“Didn’t take you long to capitalize on it though.”
“Stop. Just stop.” He raised his voice a little and took a breath, quieting again. “I didn’t do what you’re saying I did. Why would I? I turned down that management job once before and I did it for good reasons. The only reason I took it was so that I could be closer to you and the baby. So I could provide both of you with the kind of life a man should provide for his child and his...his...”
“His what?” she asked quietly.
“I thought we were figuring that out,” he replied. “But I did think we were something.”
“A fraud,” she said blandly. “We let our families believe we had this great courtship when we didn’t. We hooked up and it was an accident. And now I have to live with the consequences forever.”
“Lizzie, I swear to you. I didn’t breathe a word about you to Nicole.” And yet as he said it, he remembered Nicole mentioning the Barons at their coffee date when she’d offered him the job. In the interest of full disclosure, he brought it up. “She asked me once if I knew the family well, but it was because of the boys and rodeo, not because of you. She doesn’t even know we’re together.”
“We’re not,” Lizzie answered.
Anger flared now. “You know what? This isn’t about me. It’s about you. It’s about being too damn scared to trust anyone to hang around. And you hide behind the Baron name as a means of escape. So what if one person used you? You kicked him to the curb. And now you use that for your excuse any time someone gets too close. Because what you’re really afraid of is being betrayed. Being pushed aside. Being...disposable. You’re afraid everyone is going to walk away just like your mom did.”
Numb silence filled the room for several moments until Lizzie took a deep breath. “You should go.”