“Just saying Lionel can’t ever seem to change his ways.” Charles glanced around before leaning in. His voice dropped to a near whisper. “They say he knocked up that little twenty-one-year-old he’s been parading around town.” He clucked his tongue. “Idiot. It’s one thing to have a little fun, but now he’s in for it. Can’t respect an idiot.”
“Really, now?” I did my best to keep my expression and my tone neutral.
“Oh, it gets even better,” Charles said with a grin. “I’ve also heard the SEC is investigating him for massive insider trading and financial fraud.”
“Tough break.” I couldn’t help but grin.
Maybe, just maybe, if it had been anyone else, I might have felt a little sorry for the man. But even barely then. Getting a woman pregnant and crimes were self-inflicted wounds, and even the mere thought of seeing Lionel’s smug face made my face twitch.
“Just thought you might be interested in those tidbits.” Charles finished his wine and stood. “Even if you’re just…friends with his ex-wife.” He glanced at this watch. “I have an appointment, so I must get going. We should have dinner some time. It’d been too long.”
I nodded. “We should. Good night, Charles.”
“Good night, Logan.” He headed away from the restaurant to the back rooms.
So, Lionel had knocked a girl up and had the government breathing down his neck. All in all, it seemed like he was having an awful week. The question remained what any of this had to do with forcing Emily to stop seeing me.
I shook my head. There was still something I was missing, some piece of the puzzle.
I pu
lled out my phone and dialed my mother.
“Good evening, Logan,” she answered.
“Mother, I need you to set up a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Yes, between you, me, and Sally Jolie.”
I could almost hear her grin over the phone. “I presume this is about Emily?”
“I’ve come across some new information.” I sighed. I was about to inflate my mother’s ego to a dangerous level. “You two mothers wanted us together, and I want to be with her, but she says she doesn’t, so now I need your help understanding what I’ve learned.”
“I’d be delighted to help, and I’m sure Sally will. But what do we need to meet about?”
I stared down at my half-eaten prime rib. “Figuring out what Lionel Blue is up to.”
Chapter Thirty-three
EMILY
Nothing like having your ex-husband harass you over speakerphone when you’re on the way to pick up your daughter from school. It’s not like he couldn’t have waited an hour until I was sitting comfortably on my couch. Maybe he was hoping I’d crash.
“I don’t understand you,” Lionel said over the speakerphone. “I just don’t understand how you don’t think us getting back together wouldn’t be better for Juniper.”
I scoffed extra loud, wanting Lionel to hear it over the phone. “Are you kidding me? You went to Mexico with your little girlfriend last week, and now you’re talking about getting together again? You complained about me doing some things with Logan Hawkins, but he’s the first man I’ve spent any time with since our divorce. That girl wasn’t the first woman you’ve been with since our divorce. Or even the second or the third.”
Lionel fell silent for a few seconds before finally responding. “I told you already the trip made me realize a lot of things. Same thing with your trip to Japan and Juniper being in the hospital. We should be together. For our daughter’s sake. Remember that when you’re too busy being self-righteous.”
I hit the brakes hard. Lionel distracted me so much I almost ran a red light. I winced and glanced in my rearview mirror. No one was close. Thank God. The last thing I needed was a ticket or an accident.
“Be together?” I said. “We were together. We were married, but you cheated on me. A lot.” The light turned green, and I pressed the gas. “And you’ve spent the last two years telling me how I wasn’t enough and how it was my fault. It wasn’t all that long ago you said I was selfish and that’s why you strayed. Does any of this ring a bell? Or was that a different Lionel I was talking to?”
“You’re being stubborn.” Lionel grunted. “And selfish. You’re worrying only about yourself and not thinking about Juniper.”
“I am thinking of Juniper.” I barked out a laugh. “How would Juniper being around us when we’re fighting and while you’re cheating be good for her?”