"We haven't, sir. I'm Rachel Weber. I saw him walking along the street by himself, and I thought he could use some help," I said, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
"Rachel Weber? The designer my wife won't stop talking about?" Daniel Saunders' blue eyes caught mine, showing me a depth of warmth and intelligence.
"I guess that's me," I said, feeling a blush starting in my cheeks.
"Daddy, Daddy! Ms. Rachel showed me a math trick! She says she'll teach it to me!" Jack interjected, pulling on his father's clothing. Mr. Saunders laughed and ruffled his hair.
"Did she, now? My Jack excited about a math trick? You must have supernatural powers, Ms. Rachel," he said with a wink. "Grab that present I see there and the two of you come into my office."
Jack scrambled for the present, a never-ending flow of words pouring from his mouth as he started to tell his father about how he sneaked out from the house and found his way here. I was given a hero's treatment in his story. Daniel nodded, and once we were all in his office, he pulled the young boy onto his lap, laughing as Jack handed him the present.
"Open it, open it!" Jack squealed. Daniel opened the wrapper carefully, letting the suspense build until Jack was nearly vibrating with excitement.
"Oh, Jack! This is beautiful! I'll put it right here on my desk where everyone can see it. Thank you, Son." Daniel said. He gave Jack a big hug, and Jack beamed with pride.
"Oh, I forgot the card. It's out on the table. I'll go get it," Jack said. He jumped from his father's lap and hurried out the door.
As soon as Jack was out the door, Daniel turned to me. "Thank you for taking care of him. He sneaks out to try and see me whenever he can. You didn't have to stop and pick him up, and I really appreciate it," Daniel said. His blue eyes caught mine again. They were darker than Dean's, with almost a green coloring. My heart hurt a little bit just thinking about him. I wondered if I would ever see blue eyes again without thinking of Dean's.
"He's a good kid. He was so excited to bring you your Father's Day gift." I smiled as I looked out the door. Jack had gotten distracted and was showing the secretary his handmade card. She was oohing and ahhing appropriately and that was making Jack's face light up.
"I can't thank you enough. That boy is the light of my world. I am making this company all that it can be so he can take it over someday." Daniel's gaze followed my own, a smile of pride at his son caressing his features.
"Maybe he and his sibling will run it together," I mused.
"What?" he asked, as if he didn't realize he had another kid on the way. "Oh, perhaps. To be honest, we weren't expecting this second one. Well, if the little one takes an interest in business, then he, or she, is more than welcome to help Jack run it. I just want them to be happy and for the business to stay in the family." Daniel sat down behind his desk and picked up the photograph, the messy stickers and paint of the frame making him smile. He made sure to place it where it would be prominently displayed.
Jack ran into the office, his cheeks pink with smiles as he handed the card to his father. Daniel read it out loud and set it in a place of honor next to the picture frame.
"What did you do for your dad for Father's Day, Ms. Rachel?" Jack asked, turning to face me. "If you forgot, you could use our phone to call him."
"That's very kind of you, Jack, but I can't call him. My dad died when I was little, so I can't call him on the phone. Thank you, though," I answered. Jack and Daniel both looked at me with sad eyes. There was definitely more of Daniel than Bianca in Jack.
"You can share my dad with me then." A big smile spread across Jack's face as he came up with the idea. "He's a pretty good dad, and then you can stay with me in my fort."
"Thank you, Jack. That is very kind of you. You must be a good sharer." I said, managing to keep a straight face. Daniel was beet red, shaking his head at his son. "I should head back to my hotel. I need to get some designs down on paper to show Mrs. Saunders tomorrow."
"Do you have to go?" Jack whined. "I wanted to learn how to do that math trick."
"Still interested in that math trick, huh?" Daniel looked down at his son.
"Ms. Rachel promised to show me how she did it. I did the addition part all by myself! I like math now!" Jack bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.
Daniel leaned over and put his hands on Jack's shoulders, a serious look on his face. "Who are you, and what have you done with my son?" Jack giggled.
"I'll show you how to do it another time. Until then, just practice that subtraction. You were so close to doing it all on your own," I said, kneeling down to his level. He grinned at me and gave me a hug. It surprised me, but I hugged him back.
Daniel watched us for a moment, a smile starting to form as an idea took hold. "Ms. Rachel, what are your current job plans, other than designing some clothing for my wife?"
I sighed. "Well, I'm waiting to hear back on some internships, but given that it's June, I'm not holding my breath." I stood up from hugging Jack, smoothing the fabric on my vest.
Daniel's smile continued to grow. "Would you possibly be interested in a job? I think I have something that would be perfect for you."
Chapter 21
Present Day
The drive was just as awkward as I was afraid it was going to be. I drove carefully, heading down the highway to the small town on the Atlantic coast. The county jail was only a couple of blocks from the marina. I had, unfortunately, been there to pick Robbie up for public intoxication. Twice. The hospital was only a few streets down from that; luckily, I had never been there, but it would be easy enough to find.