Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(80)

"God, Nora, I can't—"

"Just hear me out." Nora lifted her hand to plead her case, but Ellie sat up in outrage.

"No," she said. "I refuse to take one penny from Boston.

He would've been here all along, paying half of everything if I hadn't lied to him. So, the way I see it, I forfeited all rights for child support."

"And what about now?" Nora asked.

"What about it?"

"Now, he knows," Nora murmured. "And he's involved.

Even if you didn't collect on the past nine years, you can start getting support from now on until she's eighteen. Admit it.

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With his help, you could hold back the debt collectors until you found yourself another job."

Ellie bit her lip and frowned. "But I don't want to rely on Boston or his money."

"And I don't want a husband who cheats on me with every willing woman that comes along." Nora shrugged and sent Ellie a sad smile. "Sometimes, we do what we need to, to get by. For our child's sake."

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297

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage





Chapter Twenty-One


The building of EarthNet looked like some kind of space station more suited for the next millennium. Ellie sucked in a breath as she neared it. She couldn't believe Nora had actually talked her into doing this, couldn't believe she'd come all this way to ask for Boston's help. But she didn't know what else to do. She needed money...fast.

Since it was nearly seven in the evening, she'd gone to Boston's home first. The three-story brick building had been enough to intimidate her without seeing where he worked.

Boston lived in a friggin' mansion. No wonder Cassie was so excited to visit her dad again.

But Boston hadn't been home. Knowing he worked long hours, she'd decided to try his office next. Ellie should've called, but she was afraid he'd refuse to see her. He hadn't looked too receptive when he'd stared at her through the car window of his Infiniti as he'd dropped Cassie off the night before... God, had that only been last night? So much had happened since then.

He was no doubt still mad at her for going out with Ted in the first place. If he knew that good old Ted had gotten her fired, he'd probably laugh in her face. As it was, he was going to hate her when she told him she wanted to start receiving child support. Her shot for a new beginning with him was more than likely blown to hell.

There was no way he would want to be with her after she flaunted another guy in his face one night and then 298

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demanded money from him three nights later. Ellie groaned and ran her hands through her hair. She had to have the worst timing ever, or the most rotten luck.

It just wasn't meant to be for them. That's all there was to it. She and Boston weren't destined to be together. The sigh she let out came from the depths of her soul.

EarthNet was eight stories tall. Ellie dragged her feet so badly on the way to the entrance, she'd taken the time to count each one. Cameron had tried to explain to her at Thanksgiving what exactly his and Boston's jobs at EarthNet entailed, but she still wasn't too certain. She knew he bought businesses that were already established and then he either fixed them up or merged them to other businesses before selling them again for a profit. She had no idea how that constituted the need for eight floors of offices, but they obviously had the profit to afford them, so who was she to question it?

The front doors slid open automatically when Ellie reached them. She jumped a step back, not expecting such a welcome, before she cautiously eased into the huge lobby.

The velvet red carpet looked like it belonged in a high-star hotel. But the single reception desk resembled something that would be in a trust fund building on Wall Street.

The woman sitting there lifted her face as the chilly December breeze entered the building with Ellie. A security guard who'd been patrolling the room also glanced over. He paused and watched her curiously as she moved toward the front desk. Besides the receptionist and guard, no one else 299

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was in the huge cathedral-shaped entrance. If the floor hadn't been carpet, her footsteps would've echoed like crazy.

"I'm sorry," the receptionist told her before she'd even reached the desk. "But all of our offices are closed for the evening. If you'd like to make an appointment with someone, you'll have to come back tomorrow when we're open. Our office hours are..."

Ellie zoned out as the women droned on. She just wanted to know if Boston was here.

"Actually," she interrupted, leaning forward and giving the tight-lipped woman an apologetic smile for interrupting, "I just need to see Boston Kincaid if he's here. It's not a business call."

She glanced around the large room for some kind of sign or directory that gave employee names or where different departments were located.

"I'm sorry," the woman said again. "But all our offices are officially closed for the evening. I suggest you come back tomorrow and—"

"You can't even tell me if he's here?" Ellie asked, her annoyance growing. She'd come all this way, knees knocking the entire distance. She couldn't not talk to him tonight.