Read Online President's Girlfriend 07 - What He Did for Love by Mallory Monroe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mallory Monroe
Ads: Link
York?”
“She and her mother are staying in an apartment there,” Christian said.
“Since when?” Crader asked.
“I set up an executor for Jade’s trust,” Dutch said, prompting Gina to look at him.
“Jade still has that trust fund? You’re a better man than me.”
“The executor,” Dutch went on, “has the authority to make those decisions on her behalf. She wanted to live in New York, so he thought that was a reasonable proposition and made it happen.”
“He didn’t think there was anything wrong with Jade living a stone’s throw away from you and Gina after all the hell she put you through?”
“He’s looking out for the trustee, which is what I told him to do,” Dutch made clear.
Gina, however, wasn’t so easily sold. This was all news to her, and she was frankly taken aback by the fact that Dutch never mentioned any of it. But she wasn’t about to discuss that fact in front of their guests.
“What is it that they wanted you to talk to Dutch about?” Gina asked Christian instead.
“Truthfully?”
“No, Chris, lie to her. Of course truthfully,” Crader said with a smile.
“They wanted me to talk to you. They wanted me to do an end-runaround the president and ask you to get him to meet with them. With Jade and Miss Redding, that is.”
“They want to meet with Dutch?” Gina asked.
“Yes, sir,” Christian said.
“About what?”
“Jade says she’s changed and wants to reconcile with her father.”
“Has she changed?” Gina asked, and Dutch looked, too.
Christian knew he had to be honest but careful. He didn’t want to ruin Jade’s chance at a reconciliation, but he didn’t want to sugarcoat her recovery, either. “She’s certainly more upbeat than she was after . . . after what happened with Marcus Rance. But she’s still temperamental too.”
“Temperamental?” Crader asked. “What does that mean? She’s still crazy as hell?”
“She’s still Jade, too. You know how Jade can be. But I think she really misses her father.”
“Well tough,” Crader said. “She blew her chances when she stood there and didn’t warn Gina that she was walking into a deathtrap. She made her bed.”
But Dutch would have none of it. “That’s for me to decide,” he said pointedly to Crader. “Jade is my daughter. Not yours, mine. And if I want to reconcile with my daughter, there will be a reconciliation.”
“Even after what she allowed to happen to Gina?” Crader asked. “And how she was sleeping around with Marcus Rance right under Christian’s nose?”
LaLa and Christian exchanged a glance that Dutch caught. Even Gina didn’t know about their one-night affair, and the only reason Dutch knew about it was because he guessed it, and LaLa confirmed his guess. Dutch blamed them both, and was disappointed in them both, but it wasn’t his call to make. He hated keeping a secret from his best friend Crader, but LaLa was his dear friend, too. Perhaps even dearer to him.
And LaLa stood up. “I’m going to take a peep at Little Walt,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
Gina knew something was wrong. Ever since Christian arrived, her best friend’s mood had changed. Something was up. Gina’s first inclination was to figure Crader had cheated again, but she decided not to prejudge it.
But she had to know.
“I’ll go with her,” she said as she stood.
Christian, however, wanted to be around LaLa every chance he could. He stood, too. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Little Man myself.”
“No,” Gina said firmly. “You stay here, Chris. We’ll be right back.”
“Which is code,” Crader said with a smile, “for get lost, Chris. La and I want to have some girlie girl time together.”
Gina smiled at Crader’s perceptiveness as she headed for the stairs.
Christian sat back down, although it was obvious to Dutch he didn’t like it.
“Well, Dutch?” Crader asked. “Are you going
“She and her mother are staying in an apartment there,” Christian said.
“Since when?” Crader asked.
“I set up an executor for Jade’s trust,” Dutch said, prompting Gina to look at him.
“Jade still has that trust fund? You’re a better man than me.”
“The executor,” Dutch went on, “has the authority to make those decisions on her behalf. She wanted to live in New York, so he thought that was a reasonable proposition and made it happen.”
“He didn’t think there was anything wrong with Jade living a stone’s throw away from you and Gina after all the hell she put you through?”
“He’s looking out for the trustee, which is what I told him to do,” Dutch made clear.
Gina, however, wasn’t so easily sold. This was all news to her, and she was frankly taken aback by the fact that Dutch never mentioned any of it. But she wasn’t about to discuss that fact in front of their guests.
“What is it that they wanted you to talk to Dutch about?” Gina asked Christian instead.
“Truthfully?”
“No, Chris, lie to her. Of course truthfully,” Crader said with a smile.
“They wanted me to talk to you. They wanted me to do an end-runaround the president and ask you to get him to meet with them. With Jade and Miss Redding, that is.”
“They want to meet with Dutch?” Gina asked.
“Yes, sir,” Christian said.
“About what?”
“Jade says she’s changed and wants to reconcile with her father.”
“Has she changed?” Gina asked, and Dutch looked, too.
Christian knew he had to be honest but careful. He didn’t want to ruin Jade’s chance at a reconciliation, but he didn’t want to sugarcoat her recovery, either. “She’s certainly more upbeat than she was after . . . after what happened with Marcus Rance. But she’s still temperamental too.”
“Temperamental?” Crader asked. “What does that mean? She’s still crazy as hell?”
“She’s still Jade, too. You know how Jade can be. But I think she really misses her father.”
“Well tough,” Crader said. “She blew her chances when she stood there and didn’t warn Gina that she was walking into a deathtrap. She made her bed.”
But Dutch would have none of it. “That’s for me to decide,” he said pointedly to Crader. “Jade is my daughter. Not yours, mine. And if I want to reconcile with my daughter, there will be a reconciliation.”
“Even after what she allowed to happen to Gina?” Crader asked. “And how she was sleeping around with Marcus Rance right under Christian’s nose?”
LaLa and Christian exchanged a glance that Dutch caught. Even Gina didn’t know about their one-night affair, and the only reason Dutch knew about it was because he guessed it, and LaLa confirmed his guess. Dutch blamed them both, and was disappointed in them both, but it wasn’t his call to make. He hated keeping a secret from his best friend Crader, but LaLa was his dear friend, too. Perhaps even dearer to him.
And LaLa stood up. “I’m going to take a peep at Little Walt,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
Gina knew something was wrong. Ever since Christian arrived, her best friend’s mood had changed. Something was up. Gina’s first inclination was to figure Crader had cheated again, but she decided not to prejudge it.
But she had to know.
“I’ll go with her,” she said as she stood.
Christian, however, wanted to be around LaLa every chance he could. He stood, too. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Little Man myself.”
“No,” Gina said firmly. “You stay here, Chris. We’ll be right back.”
“Which is code,” Crader said with a smile, “for get lost, Chris. La and I want to have some girlie girl time together.”
Gina smiled at Crader’s perceptiveness as she headed for the stairs.
Christian sat back down, although it was obvious to Dutch he didn’t like it.
“Well, Dutch?” Crader asked. “Are you going
Similar Books
