Double Life Read online

  She walked into the study without glancing back. Helen was still seated at her desk and gave no indication that she’d overheard Emma talking to Ash in the foyer.

  “Here are the contracts,” she said.

  Emma accepted the packet and tucked it under her arm.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Mrs. Corbett. Have a nice day.”

  “I plan to,” she said without bothering to glance up.

  When Emma turned to leave, she saw that Ash had followed her into the study. She hadn’t heard his footsteps behind her, and now his presence startled her. She dropped the contracts and he bent to pick them up for her.

  He gave her a lazy smile—the old Ash’s smile—as he straightened and handed her the packet.

  “Thank you,” Emma muttered, thrown by that smile.

  She hurried through the door and it wasn’t until she was safely down the hall and away from those probing blue eyes—Ash’s and Helen’s—that she stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

  Her pulse was racing, her heart hammering against her chest.

  Dear God, she thought weakly. How had she ever doubted that he was Ash?

  “I’M GLAD YOU’RE UP EARLY, ASH. We have a lot to do today.”

  He walked over to the coffee service, then turned hesitantly.

  Helen nodded. “Help yourself.”

  “Thanks. I could use a hit of caffeine.”

  He carried his coffee to the window and glanced out. “It’s a beautiful day,” he said. “Maybe we could drive into town and have lunch near the water.”

  “We can have lunch here,” Helen said flatly. “I’ll have it served in the garden if you like.”

  He turned. “Are you sure? It might do you good to get out of this house for a while.”

  Helen scowled. “Since when are you so concerned about what is and isn’t good for me?”

  He shrugged again. “It was just a suggestion, Grandmother.”

  Her lips tightened as she regarded him across the room. “You wouldn’t have an ulterior motive for asking me to lunch, would you?”

  He grinned. “You mean like having you pick up the check?”

  “I mean like a secret rendezvous with Emma.”

  He lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “What does Emma have to do with you and me having lunch in town?”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence, Ashton. You know exactly what I mean. I don’t want you taking up with that girl again.”

  “Emma is hardly a girl. She’s a grown woman in case you haven’t noticed.”

  Helen’s eyes glittered with anger. “Don’t test me, Ash. I once told you that I would do whatever is necessary to keep the two of you apart. The same holds true today. Do you want to be responsible for putting her in the unemployment line? I’m sure she needs the money. And as for her father—”

  “Stop it.”

  Helen’s expression froze at his harsh command. Then her mouth tightened. “No one speaks to me in that tone—”

  “No one blackmails me.” He set aside his coffee and walked over to her desk. Planting his hands on the surface, he leaned toward her. “And no one tells me who I can and cannot see. Is that clear?”

  She was livid. He could see the fury glittering in her eyes, but her facade never changed. “You will not see that woman while you are living under my roof.”

  “Fine.” He straightened. “You and I both know other accommodations can be arranged quite easily.”

  They gazed at each other for a long, turbulent moment and then Helen glanced away. “I only want what’s best for you, Ash. I always have.”

  “No, you want to run my life just the way you used to. But the rules have changed, Grandmother.”

  She gave him an imperious glower. “I don’t like threats, either.”

  “I know you don’t. But I’m not threatening you. I’m telling you to back off or I walk. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise. My private life is off-limits.”

  “There are certain responsibilities that come with being a Corbett.”

  “I know about my responsibilities. If I weren’t ready to live up to them, I never would have come back. But I won’t have you meddling in my private life. You’re just going to have to trust me when I tell you that I’ll do the right thing. And as for Emma, you don’t need to worry about her.”

  He walked back over and picked up his coffee cup. “I have no intention of starting a relationship with her.”

  Helen’s blue gaze watched him closely. “I wish I could believe that, but I saw the way you looked at her just now.”

  “You saw what you expected to see,” he said, calmly sipping his coffee. “Whatever I once felt for Emma Novick is long gone.”

  CORBETT ENTERPRISES OCCUPIED THE top six floors of one of the tallest buildings in downtown Corpus Christi. Most of the executive offices offered a panoramic vista of the gulf, and Wesley Corbett seemed absorbed in that view when Emma knocked lightly on his door.

  He turned with a start. “Emma! I didn’t know you were here. Come in.”

  “Victoria said you were expecting me,” she said, referring to his secretary.

  He nodded. “I just didn’t know you’d make it so soon, but I’m glad you did. I want to get those contracts executed ASAP.”

  He moved away from the window and came to stand behind his desk. When Emma handed him the packet, he took out the contents, glanced through the contracts, then set them aside.

  “Is there anything you’d like for me to take back to Mrs. Corbett?” Emma offered.

  “No, not today. But don’t hurry off. Have a seat. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

  Emma had a good idea what that something was. It was the same subject everyone seemed to want to discuss with her these days.

  Hesitantly, she took a seat as she glanced around the plush office. The furniture was dark and traditional, the atmosphere almost somber. Except for the sweeping view and the brilliant light that came through the wall of windows, she would have found the space slightly oppressive.

  But she had to admit the décor suited Wesley. Even his wardrobe was classic and tailored, his ties understated and elegant. No touches of whimsy for him, although Emma knew firsthand that he had a sense of humor. He might be the only Corbett who did.

  He sat down at his desk and regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. “You know my nephew’s back.”

  Emma nodded. “I saw him briefly last night and again this morning. He was with Mrs. Corbett when I left the house.”

  “I was afraid of that. He’s not wasting any time, is he?” Any touches of humor disappeared. His expression suddenly turned grim, as if he’d just been given very bad news. “I was dead set against mother letting him back into the house so soon. I think she should have waited until we have a chance to check him out.”

  “You sound as if you think he’s an imposter,” Emma said.

  Wesley shook his head. “Oh, no. He’s Ash all right. I yanked his chain a little about his appearance last night, but I knew who he was the moment I first laid eyes on him.”

  “Then…why are you concerned about him moving back into the house?” Emma asked.

  “He may be my nephew, but I still don’t have any reason to trust him. He’s been gone for over a decade. God only knows what he was up to during that time. He could be a criminal for all we know.”

  Emma stared at him in shock. “You’re not implying you think he’s dangerous, are you? Ash would never do anything to hurt Mrs. Corbett.”

  “He’s already hurt her. What do you think he did to her twelve years ago when he left without a word? You don’t think his little disappearing act and her years of subsequent worry helped bring on her stroke?”

  Emma frowned. “That’s not what I thought you meant.”

  Wesley picked up a gold pen and uncapped it. “Look, all I know is that he’s been gone for a long damn time and now he shows up out of the blue claiming he wants nothing more than to be a part of this family again. I’m no
t buying it.”

  Emma wondered why he was telling her all this.

  He recapped the pen, his forehead furrowing in thought. “It occurs to me that you’re in a unique position, Emma.”

  So that was it.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, even though she knew exactly what he was getting at. He wanted the same thing Pamela wanted.

  Emma was disappointed because she’d always given Wesley more credit than that. She knew that he was ambitious, but he’d always seemed like a decent man to her.

  “I’d like for you to keep an eye on Mother.”

  “Mr. Corbett…” She paused, not wanting to offend him, but at the same time knowing she had to make it clear what she was and wasn’t willing to do to keep her job. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but if you’re asking me to spy on Mrs. Corbett, I don’t think I can do that. You may have gotten me the job, but I still work for her. She needs to be able to trust me.”

  He looked slightly taken aback. “I wasn’t suggest ing that you spy on Mother. For one thing, she’d see right through it. And for another, I respect her too much to ever go behind her back like that. No, Emma, all I’m asking is that you keep an eye on her for me. If you think she’s overdoing it or you see her strength waning, I want you to let me know about it. Or better still, call Maris. She’s always been good at handling Mother. That’s all I’m asking.”

  “I’m sorry,” Emma said with an apologetic shrug. “I didn’t mean to jump to the wrong conclusion. It’s just…” She trailed off.

  He gave her a knowing look. “It’s just that someone has already asked you to spy on her, is that it?”

  Emma remained silent.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I have a pretty good idea of who it was.” His mouth tightened. “You’re absolutely right not to do this, Emma. Don’t be intimidated or coerced. You work for Mother. No one else. If anyone approaches you about this matter again, you let me know. I’ll deal with it.”

  “Thanks, but I think I made my position clear.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure you did. It goes without saying that I trust you. I would never have suggested you for the position if I didn’t. But it’s still gratifying to know that my faith wasn’t misplaced. I appreciate your loyalty and I know Mother does, too.” He tossed the gold pen aside. “Now enough about that. Mother tells me that she’s given you the day off. You’ve probably made plans so I don’t want to hold you up.”

  Emma started to rise, then sat back down. “Actually, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about if you have a moment.”

  “Of course. What is it?”

  Emma hesitated, not quite sure how to broach the subject. She decided to just be blunt. “I know that you paid for part of my father’s hospital bills last year. I only found out recently, and I’m pretty certain my father doesn’t know about it, either. Now that I do know, I want to pay you back.”

  Wesley shook his head. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Emma, it was nothing. Your father needed medical care and I was in a position to help him out. He’s a good man. I wanted to make sure he got the best care he possibly could.”

  “And I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.” Emma’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m thankful for everything that you’ve done for us, but I wouldn’t feel right accepting charity.”

  “It’s not charity. It was one friend helping out another. But I can see this has been weighing on you, so here’s what we’ll do. Once things calm down a little, I’ll have the legal department draw up some sort of payment schedule for you. How does that sound?”

  “I appreciate that.” Emma stood. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”

  “Emma?”

  She turned back at the door. “Yes.”

  “I’ll have the plan drawn up because it’s what you want. But as far as I’m concerned we’re even. I helped out your father and now you’re helping my mother. I’m the one who’s grateful.”

  Emma nodded, but a worrisome thought suddenly occurred to her. Was that the reason Wesley had gotten her the job at the mansion? Because he knew that once she found out about her father’s medical bills, she would be indebted to him and therefore more cooperative when it came to reporting back to him about his mother?

  Emma didn’t want to believe Wesley could be so calculating. She’d always liked him, but when it came right down to it, he was still a Corbett. He was still his mother’s son.

  As she walked through the outer office, she waved goodbye to Wesley’s secretary, then strode down the hall to the elevators. When she heard the ping, she stepped back to allow those inside room to get off. But when the doors slid open, there were only two people inside.

  One was Pamela Corbett. The other was Brad.

  His shirttail was askew and Pamela’s hair was all mussed. It took very little imagination to figure out what they’d been up to.

  When they saw Emma, Brad quickly adjusted his clothing and stepped off the elevator, but Pamela merely smiled and took her time disembarking.

  Emma entered the elevator and as she turned, she saw Brad glance over his shoulder. The menacing look on his face made her shiver, and she wondered if people underestimated him. If she had underestimated him.

  He’d always seemed to fade into the background in Wesley’s presence, but maybe his nondescript personality was a deliberate cover. Maybe Brad Corbett lived a double life. One of his personas was that of a younger brother who always deferred to his older, more dynamic sibling.

  But the other…a cold, devious man who wasn’t above conducting an illicit affair with his sister-in-law right under his brother’s nose.

  Chapter Eight

  On her way back from Corpus, Emma called Laney Carroway and they agreed to meet in Jacob’s Pass at a little seafood restaurant near the water. The place wasn’t much to look at from the outside, but the picturesque view of the gulf made up for the lack of cachet. And Emma remembered the crab cakes being exceptionally good.

  Laney was already seated by the time she arrived and she waved when Emma walked in the door.

  “I’m so glad you called,” she said when Emma had taken a seat across the table from her. “My shift doesn’t start until four. You saved me from an afternoon with the soaps.”

  “And you saved me from having to prowl around in antique shops by myself,” Emma said with a smile. She glanced around. “I haven’t been here in years, but this place hasn’t changed a bit.”

  “We came here on prom night,” Laney said. “The boys wanted to get a bite to eat before we headed into Corpus.”

  “You’re right. I’d forgotten all about that.” Emma unfolded her napkin and spread it across her lap. “But I’m having a hard time remembering who our dates were that night.”

  Laney grinned. “Because we were both madly in love with other people at the time. I had a thing for Craig Thompson, but he’d asked Kristi Levitt to the prom. And you…” She gave a dreamy sigh. “You were still pining away for Ash Corbett.”

  Laney was the only person Emma had ever told of her feelings for Ash. They’d been best friends all through high school, but even Laney didn’t know everything.

  “That was a long time ago.”

  The waitress brought over two glasses of water and the menus, and Emma was glad for an excuse to change the subject. She opened her menu and glanced over the selections. “I wonder if the crab cakes are as good as I remember them.”

  “They are. I had them the last time I was here. Myra never changes her recipes,” Laney said, referring to the owner of the restaurant.

  “Well, that’s good to know.” Emma continued to study the menu.

  “Emma?”

  She glanced up. “Yeah?”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Laney’s mouth. “You don’t have to avoid the subject of Ash Corbett. I already know that he’s back.”

  Emma’s heart fluttered in spite of herself. “How do you know? Mrs.
Corbett told me that she wanted to keep the news hush-hush for now.”

  “If I tell you, you have to promise not to repeat it to that old battle-ax. It’d be just like her to fire someone because they happened to let something slip in conversation.”

  “I won’t tell her,” Emma promised.

  “In that case, it was Theresa Ramon’s daughter. We work together at the hospital. We’re both in pediatrics, and we’ve gotten pretty friendly over the years. She called me this morning when she heard about Ash from her mother. Theresa kind of let it slip by accident so Rachel swore me to secrecy. But give it another day or two and it won’t matter anyway because it’ll be all over town. If it isn’t already,” she said dryly. “You know how this place is.”

  Emma shrugged. “It’s like any other small town.”

  “Yeah, people like to talk because there’s not much else to do. But I have to admit, Ash Corbett returning from the dead is some pretty tasty gossip.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “So have you seen him?”

  Emma picked up her water glass. “Yes, I’ve seen him.”

  “Well?” Laney wiggled her fingers for more details. “What’s he like? Is he still hot? What am I saying, of course, he’s still hot. Those Corbett men only get better with age.”

  “Well, then, you just answered your own question,” Emma said, again hoping to change the subject.

  “Yeah, but I’m not letting you off that easy. Come on, Em. Give me the lowdown. The 411. And don’t leave anything out. Where did you first see him and what did you say to him? And more important, what did he say to you?” Laney’s eyes gleamed with expectation.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s really nothing to tell,” Emma said. “I only saw him briefly last night and again this morning.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “And what?” Laney looked at her in dismay. “You’ve been crazy about this guy since you were ten years old. He’s all I heard about all through junior high and high school so you gotta give me something more to work with here. Are you still attracted to him?”

  “He just got back, Laney. I’ve barely spent any time with him at all. And besides, after twelve years, we’re pretty much strangers to each other.”