She entered the kitchen with her mother’s arm over her shoulder to find Phineas standing behind his own mother with his arms around her shoulders and he must have said something naughty because she was slapping at him and he was rocking her from side to side with a broad grin on his face which was teasing and light-hearted. This was not in line with the cold, brutish bastard she’d met in his office the day before.
Benicio noticed her first and pushed away from the island they were all standing around, “there she is. How are you doing sunshine?”
“I feel like I was kicked in the crotch with a pair of size twelves,” she admitted as she let her mother lead her to a high-backed stool and she sat down. “Thank you guys for everything. I do appreciate all your support this afternoon. It’s been really shitty but I’m grateful for you all being here for me. I mean I don’t know four of you in this room but, I’m grateful nonetheless.”
“I’m Sandra Perez,” the woman in Phineas’ arms reached out a hand, “we’ve met briefly before when you were popping in to visit your mom and I was there. She’s enormously proud of you. She talks about you all the time.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Is there anything we can do for you? Anything at all.”
“No. I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be thinking of a thousand questions and feeling too many emotions to deal with but right now, in this moment, I’m feeling overwhelmed and numb. I don’t know where to start or what to do.”
“Well, that’s why we are still here.” Phineas took a breath and then reached behind him to the kitchen counter opposite the island and he slid a stack of documents her way. “First and foremost, you are now on a paid leave. It is not going to affect your sick bank or your vacation time. This is me, doing my job as the man who selfishly pulled you into his hell, and giving you time to get your head on straight before you come back to work in our offices and, to quote you, need to quit because I remind you of betrayal.”
“You don’t need to do this.”
“Yes he does,” Sandra grunted. “It’s the least he can do.”
“I think he did her a solid, despite how bluntly he did it,” Maeve was pulling drawers and cabinets open. “A girl deserves to know her man is a sniveling worm. Before I moved onto the property, Sandra, I used to invite that boy in my apartment for every holiday and most meals. I gave him love and kindness and he repaid it by betraying my daughter. Pig. He’s going to get my foot in his crotch,” she referenced Juniper’s earlier comment.
Adil laughed, “I like you Maeve. I need to ask, how did you come up with the name Juniper. Was it an old family name?”
“Nope. I met a guy while I was really wasted on gin. Ten months later she was born. It made an impression.”
“Gin. Juniper!” Adil threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Mama Maeve, you’re hilarious.”
Juniper shook her head, “it’s funny to you guys. I’m literally named after the one alcohol she will never touch again.”
“Because I have all the juniper I need right here,” her mother kissed her cheek and set down a sandwich in front of her which Juniper didn’t even see her making.
“How did you make this so fast?”
“I’m your mama. I know what you need.”
The sound of a phone ringing made them all look around and then Sandra looked to her phone and looked at Phineas, “your father.” She answered with a sweet smile on her face, “Hey Phin, what’s up?”
“Hi beautiful. There is a young man at our gate looking for Maeve. I let him know she’s not here and he’s demanding to know where she is. Before I call the cops for a public disturbance, is there anything else I should tell him?”
“Tell him you called me and I’m with Maeve and Juniper and that Juniper is in good hands and she will call him in twenty-four hours. Tell him if he doesn’t give her the space she needs, her mother and I will take Juniper on a resort for the weekend to heal her broken heart.”
“I will deliver this message. He is quite upset. Tears and everything.”
“Are you close to him?” Sandra asked coolly.
“Nope. Just watching him through the security camera and talking to him there. I said I’d get back to him.”
“He cheated on his wife with Denise.”
“Phineas’ Denise.”
“She’s not fucking mine.” Phineas grunted angrily. “I told you and Grandpa she was a nutter but none of you wanted to listen to me. Thankfully, I managed to get the video evidence thanks to poor Juniper.”
“Jesus Phineas, is this why the poor girl is suffering right now? What did you do?”
“I asked her to put cameras in her apartment, and she got front row seats to his cheating with Denise. Please don’t say anything to Denise’s father yet, Dad. I need to serve her in the morning, and I don’t want her to be given a head’s up.”
“And this little fucker outside my house is the one who slept with your wife and cheated on his own?”
“Yup but you can’t say anything to him, Dad. You can’t. He’ll be served tomorrow at work as well. Juniper suffered a miscarriage today after all this shit and she’s hurting. He knows she lost a baby, but he doesn’t know she knows about his cheating.”
“Phineas, is this girl okay? She’s Maeve’s daughter and so I know she’s a nice girl. Tell me you didn’t destroy her entire world.”
“No. Not all of it,” he shot a sad, remorseful look in Juniper’s direction. “I’m going to make it up to her though. We put her in a safe apartment where he won’t find her, and Beni and Adil are helping.”
“Beni, you make sure the little prick loses more than his fair share of his assets when you oversee her divorce. Adil, I don’t know what the fuck you can do. You’re good for spying on people and cracking jokes.”
“You wound me, Mr. P.”
“I’ve tried multiple times on fishing trips to do it mortally and yet you still exist.”
Adil grinned at Juniper, “he’s mad because two weeks ago, I dropped his favorite bottle of scotch he’d brought back from Scotland. He said he won’t forgive me until I bring him another one. Do you want to come to Europe with me to pick it up?”
She shook her head, “I think I’ll sit this one out.”
“If you change your mind.” He winked at her playfully.
“Phineas, you make sure your bullshit isn’t going to cause anyone else more grief.”
“Well, I’m sure Denise’s parents are going to be terribly upset when they realize what she’s done, Dad. I simply couldn’t do it without the proof, and I needed the proof. Her friends are going to be quite sad as well once they realize their free ride is coming to an end.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.