Basilio didn’t laugh at his brother’s obvious attempt to use the family card again. “Go home and speak to your wife and whoever else you need to. Just remember my deadline.”
Carlos frowned when Basilio ignored his overture, but for once he showed some intelligence and left the condo without another word.
Basilio was in no way shocked when he got a phone call from his oldest stepmother. He told her in no uncertain terms what he thought of what had been done to Miranda in the name of protecting Tiffany, as well as the fact Basilio had no intention of backing down from what he had told Carlos. Mrs. Madison tried crying and then shouting at him. When none of her cajoling or threatening worked, she hung up on him.
Thirty minutes later he received a call from his father. This one took more out of Basilio, but he’d learned long ago how to stand up to his father. He could never have saved the company otherwise, much less stop the financial hemorrhaging that was his father’s ex-wives.
“So this woman is important enough to you for you to abandon your family.”
“She is innocent and does not deserve what was done to her. Had they told me the truth in the beginning, this is the outcome I would have been looking for.”
“You think so? You are a ruthless man, Basilio, my son. I do not believe you would have cared nearly so much about the impact your brother’s actions had on Miranda’s life if you had not come to care for her.”
“You know I do not believe in that nonsense.”
“Your cynicism toward love is my fault.” His father sounded sad about that fact.
“You also taught me what I know about honor and integrity. Do not tell me you approve of the lies Carlos has spread about Miranda, or the way his wife was so grossly neglectful she did not know Jamie had left the park until she heard the sirens and looked up from her phone. How long does it take a four-year-old to wander two city blocks?”
“They have taken measures to make sure such a thing does not happen again.”
“Yes, I noticed the way she’s never left alone with the children. You don’t think she might want simply to change her behavior?”
“Do not judge so harshly. You have never been a parent.”
“But you have, and no matter what else you had going on in your life, I was always safe with you.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“I’m not going to back off. Carlos knows what he needs to do. I don’t suppose he told you that part of my demands was for his children to visit us in Spain regularly.”
“No. He did not. You’re going to make sure I get to see my grandchildren more than once every couple of years when Carlos allows me to visit?”
“That is the plan, yes. The way Carlos and Gracia grew up without your influence is not something we want repeated in the next generation.”
“They are not bad people.”
“Just supremely spoiled, self-indulgent and too comfortable with dishonesty as a means to protect them from facing the consequences of their own actions.”
“Were you honest with this young woman when you met her?”
“No, but I never lied outright to her, and I never would have lied about her, causing her hurt.”
“You do care about her.”
Basilio wasn’t answering that claim again. He changed the subject and managed to end the call without discussing Miranda any further.
* * *
Randi sat next to Kayla on her sofa, each of them eating out of the pint containers of their favorite ice cream flavors. She’d already done the crying bit when Randi told her sister about the whole sorry mess. Now it was time for mindless comfort, or so Kayla claimed.
“You’re sure it was all an act?” Kayla asked as Meg Ryan finally admitted her feelings to Billy Crystal in one of Randi’s favorite throwback movies. “Baz sure acted like a guy hung up on a woman.”
“He’s Carl Madison’s brother.” Shouldn’t that say it all?
“You can’t hold him accountable for having such a lousy person as a brother. Our mom is no reflection of who we are.”
“He seduced me to get me to cancel the interview.”
“Did he say that?”
“Yes!” Well, he hadn’t denied it. That was as good as.
“And you didn’t knee him in the family jewels?”
“There was enough violence going around.”
Kayla nodded, her curly black hair bouncing a little. “That’s kind of what I mean, though. I think his feelings changed. He stood up for you, in a white-knight sort of way.”
“If you say so.”
“Didn’t you say that he was going to convince his brother to do a press release absolving you of guilt in the accident?” Kayla asked.
“He was probably lying!”
“He doesn’t seem like a man who lies a lot.”
“How can you say that? He hid his connection to the Madisons from me.”
“But he wasn’t lying outright to you. He told you all about having a brother and sister that didn’t live in Spain, even a niece and nephew.”
“How was I supposed to leap from that to the truth?”
“Well, I don’t think he meant you to, but I also think he told you as much truth as he could.”
“Only so he could hurt me.”
“No, his plan would have helped you more than it would the Madisons.”
“You’re assuming he was sincere about it.”
“I guess I am.”
“I’m not.”
Her sister didn’t keep pushing it. Just gave her a one-armed hug before putting in another romantic comedy.
* * *
It was close to midnight a day later when Miranda reached for her phone. She’d ignored several texts and messages from Baz. But she couldn’t sleep. The night before had been bad enough, but now she was nearly drunk with exhaustion, only her brain would not shut down. She could not get Baz’s deal out of her head, or the prospect of hurting two innocent, defenseless children with her actions.
She dialed his number, almost hoping she woke him from a sound sleep. The only thing better would be for him to be lying awake just like she was. Fat chance of that, though.
The man had no conscience to bother.
He answered on the first ring. “Miranda?”
“Yes, it’s me. Didn’t your phone tell you who was calling?”
&n
bsp; “Sí, but I had a hard time believing it. You have not replied to my texts or messages.”
“I deleted them without reading or listening to any.”
“I see.”
“I doubt it.” He’d have to have feelings to understand hers.
“But you have called me now.”
“That deal you offered me in the car...”
“It was not a deal. I simply outlined what I was willing to do for you.”
“In exchange for me not doing the interview. That makes it a deal.”
“If I told you I planned to keep my side regardless?”
Her heart stuttered, but she refused to be taken in so easily. “I would not believe you, and if I did, I’d wonder what your angle was.”
“All right.”
“All right what?”
“I accept you do not trust me at all.”
“How could I?” she demanded, her voice low with pain. “You lied to me from the moment we met.”
“I tried very hard not to lie to you.”
“So you say.” That his words were what Kayla said might be true didn’t matter. Randi couldn’t let it matter. Trusting him would only bring her more pain. “Look, I called because the arguments you made for me not doing the interview are still valid, even if they were made by a lying bastard.”
Besides, no matter what she’d threatened, Randi had no desire to go onto national television and humiliate herself by telling the world that she’d got taken in once again by a smooth operator who wanted to use sex as a way to get to her.
“I’m deeply relieved you think so, but not surprised.”
“You aren’t?” she couldn’t stop herself asking.
“No. You are a very compassionate, caring woman, and highly intelligent.”
Why did he have to say things like that? “So complimentary to the enemy.”
“I do not consider you the enemy.”
“Well, I can’t say the same about you.” Her heart and head might not be in the same place, but he never had to know that.
“I am sorry to hear that.”