A Very Daddy Christmas (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Chapter 10

10

Riggs

“ C offee, Sherry?” Sebastian asks.

Sherry smiles up at him. “That would be lovely, thank you. Do you have any milk?”

“Of course,” Sebastian replies and nods at the porcelain jug in the middle of the table.

“Thank you.”

I watch as Dario finishes the rest of his oatmeal. I’m constantly surprised by how Cora coaxes him into doing things we had such a hard time with in the beginning—eating healthy food being at the top of the list. Dario is extremely lucky to have both Cora and Sherry looking out for him.

Bothered by Cora’s attitude and departure, but unable to do anything about it at the moment, I shift gears. “So, Sherry, how are things at the country club these days?” I ask. “We haven’t been around for the past few weeks. Work has us pretty locked down, as you might have noticed.”

“I noticed. I’m sure you’re all growing roots in the home office these days,” Sherry replies with a smile. “But the country club is alright. Same as always. Rich folks coming in, sipping a drink or ten, hitting some holes, the usual. It keeps me busy when I’m not hanging out with my favorite little man.” Dario grins at her.

“Have you seen Orson St. James at all? If I remember correctly, he’s a Platinum member,” I reply, pouring myself another coffee, while Sebastian and Waylan watch her like hawks, studying her expression carefully. “Has he been around?”

“Almost every day,” Sherry says, giving me a curious look. “Why?”

“And George Hamilton?”

“Yeah. Same. What’s this about?”

Sebastian takes a deep breath, searching for the right words. We don’t want Sherry to get involved or dragged into any kind of trouble, especially after the bakery incident, but we do need as much information as we can gather. Sheriff Foreman has been pretty passive on the matter, and it’s obvious he’s reluctant to go after Orson or Hamilton.

“You know Cora and Eva are pretty close to becoming the owners of the bakery building,” Sebastian starts.

“Yeah.”

“Mr. St. James isn’t very happy about that,” he says. “He was going to sell it to Mr. Hamilton. And since the Levine sisters paid double the building’s value, abiding by their legally binding tenancy agreement, both Mr. St. James and Mr. Hamilton have become pretty aggressive and vindictive.”

“Oh,” Sherry mumbles, worry flickering in her soft brown eyes. “I heard about the bakery, that two men attacked them.”

“We have reason to believe they were sent there by Mr. St. James,” Sebastian continues. “And we’re hoping maybe you’ve heard something at the club. I realize it’s a shot in the dark, but the country club is private. It’s where we tend to go when we want to talk about delicate business issues with our clients and partners.”

“It will remain between us, mind you,” I feel the need to add. “Absolute discretion, Sherry. I promise.”

She thinks about it for a moment. “Guys, I don’t think I want to get involved in any of this. Mr. St. James is pretty pissed off about the bakery, that I can confirm. I’m sure you’ve heard about him going around town, moaning about it. Mr. Hamilton, too. But I’m just a part-time waitress, and that’s really all I know.”

“All we need is information. A name that might’ve been dropped in conversation, for example,” I say.

“Sherry, we’re not asking you to spy on anyone,” Waylan chimes in. “We only want to know what you’ve heard.”

“I’m sorry.” She shakes her head. “Please, don’t get mad. I just… I can’t. It’s not my business, and I can’t risk my job at the country club over this.”

I look at Sebastian and Waylan, noticing the disappointment clearly imprinted upon their faces. Sherry is obviously afraid of any kind of retaliation, having already seen how awful those two bastards can be when someone gets in their way.

“It’s okay, Sherry,” I tell her with a gentle smile. “Trust me, we understand. But please, remember you’ll always have a job with us, whether it’s taking care of Dario or in another aspect of our business. We could always take you on full time with the company.”

“Oh, thank you,” she says. “It’s a long story, and a little awkward for me to talk about, but my family has been involved with the club in one way or another my whole life. I just can’t get involved in anything that might bring us or it any kind of trouble.”

“It’s about Hamilton and St. James, isn’t it?” Waylan bluntly says. “You’re worried they might retaliate.”

Sherry gives him a sad look. “They own at least half of Madison. And my parents work for one of their companies.”

“Yet you struggle,” Waylan sighs.

“My brother’s healthcare bills are huge,” she says. “You know that. I dropped out of college to take on an extra job to help them.”

“I do know that,” Waylan replies. “I’m sorry you’re struggling despite how hard you work. It’s not fair to you.”

She shrugs slightly and takes a long sip of her coffee. “I don’t like it either, to be honest. You’re all such great guys, and Cora is so nice. But I have to keep my nose out of their business. My family’s finances depend on it.”

“We completely understand,” I say. “However, will you promise us one thing?”

“Yes.”

I lean forward, careful in my choice of words. “If you hear anything that might lead to someone getting hurt, will you please tell us? It would be the right thing to do, whether it’s your business or not.”

Sherry sighs. “Alright. I’ll let you know if I hear anything like that. I promise.”

It’s the most we can get out of her, at least for the time being. It’s nowhere near enough to build a proper defense against St. James and Hamilton, especially where the bakery is concerned, so we’ll have to figure something else out.

They are both hiding something, I know it. They’ve got skeletons in their closets. Madison’s underbelly is rife with rumors about them, and it’s only a matter of time before we hit the mother lode.

My only hope is we hit it before they cause irreparable damage to Cora and her family business.