Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest 1)

“Why not,” Mike said.

Rex poured them both a glass and handed one to Mike. “To us. Father and son.” Rex raised his drink.

Disgust rose in Mike’s throat. “What world do you live in? There is no us. No father and son. And let’s be honest, you don’t want that anyway.” Mike paced the small hotel room, feeling claustrophobic being enclosed with Rex. “You didn’t want a son when you had the chance. You didn’t want me in the almost thirty years that passed since.”

Rex watched and listened in silence.

And when Rex remained quiet, Mike continued. “What I couldn’t figure out, at least at first, was what you wanted. I mean, yeah, you contacted Ella on Facebook, but that was just a rush, right? To see if you could still get her to jump at your charm?”

Rex folded his arms across his chest. “Go on. I’m really enjoying your attempt at analyzing your old man,” he said with a smirk on his face and a sneer in his tone.

“Then I showed up. That must’ve played into your hand, getting your son to come looking for you, at least until you realized I was digging into the past.”

Rex shook his head. “What makes you think I had any kind of agenda?”

“Simple. You’re a narcissist, Rex. It’s all about you. Ella responded to you, I came to you, and you showed up back in Serendipity—not because Simon had cancer, but because you expected to be welcomed with open arms. And when you weren’t? Instead of leaving like a man, you set out to cause as much trouble for Simon as you could.”

“He deserved it. He drove me out of my own hometown—”

“Bailed you out, you stupid bastard,” Mike reminded him. “And he took a risk doing it. Hell, he married your woman, he raised your son—he took on all of the burden and responsibility you couldn’t face. And how do you repay him after all this time? You threaten to expose him and ruin his reputation in his hometown.”

Rex’s once-amiable expression changed to a nasty, evil frown. “He turned you against me.”

As Mike had thought, it was all about Rex. “You did that all on your own. I’m here to make you a deal, just like Simon did all those years ago. Leave town and don’t come back.”

Rex took a step forward. “Or what?”

Mike had this covered. “Or you’ll find that no place and nobody in town wants anything to do with you. There will be no business that’ll welcome you, no old friends that will be happy to see you. You’re a man who needs the world to love him, people to dance to his tune, a three-ring circus to surround him with attention. You won’t find it here.”

“You son of a bitch,” Rex said, his eyes darkening with anger.

“It takes one to know one,” Mike said, placing his still-full glass on the desk with a loud thunk.

As he walked out, he realized he felt nothing for the man glaring at him from across the room except pity and contempt.

Off duty and alone, Cara was surprised to find herself standing outside her mother’s apartment. She’d sat across the way, watching the entrance, waiting for her father to leave. There was an off-track betting site located farther downtown, and Cara knew the old man liked to hang out there. Along with his other out-of-work friends, he could be counted on to spend a good couple of hours there. Cara banked on it as she sneaked into the side entrance of the apartment building and walked up the stairs to see her mother.

A long time had passed since Cara felt the need for her mother. She was surprised she felt it now. But Cara hadn’t seen or heard from Mike since work on Monday. He hadn’t called her. He hadn’t stopped by. And he hadn’t been in to the station, at least not when she’d been there. She felt his absence in the deepest places inside her, and it hurt.

Along with the emptiness came the desire to talk to her mom. To feel her arms around her and get her advice—no matter how Cara felt about Natalie Hartley’s choices, she was her mother. And Cara needed her more than ever.

Cara wasn’t disappointed. Her mother greeted her with a surprised cry and open arms.

“I waited until Dad left. Nobody saw me come in,” Cara said.

Her mother nodded. “He should be gone for a while.”

“Good.”

“Come sit.” Her mother grasped Cara’s hand and led her to the same sofa that had been here when Cara was a child, a blue velvet, with faded marks and worn patches.

Much like Natalie, who had once been a beautiful woman, with dark hair like Cara’s, and blue eyes, vibrant and full of life, until her husband had beaten her down.

And there was nothing Cara could have done to prevent it. “I’m sorry,” Cara whispered. “For not visiting, for cutting you out of my life.”

Her mother nodded through tears. “Don’t be silly. You have every right to be disappointed in me.”

“Not disappointed, exactly. I just wanted you to leave him.”