I gritted my teeth. “This is my problem.”

He nodded and shook his head. “So it’s not theirs then? You don’t want to bother him with your troubles, but he bothers you with his?” Then his smile flashed into something darker. “Bit of a double standard, don’t you think?”

I never looked away from him and raised my chin. “I came to you because I thought you’d be quitting. I wanted to take your job.”

His smirk slipped a notch.

“I see that I trusted the wrong person.”

I started to walk away, but he caught my arm and pulled me back. “Hold on.”

“Just ask your boss about me, okay? That’s all I’m asking for.”

Adam held my gaze with an intensity that made me want to look away. I didn’t. My hands tightened on my books and I held firm. It shook me, though.

Then he sighed and the intensity broke.

I breathed easier from the relief of it.

“Yeah. I’ll do that. We’re doing lunch there anyway. I’ll introduce you to her.”

We had started to walk again, but my feet stuttered to a halt. “Her?”

He flashed me a smile. “You’ll like her. She’s awesome. Hey, I know she’ll be there because we’re supposed to be getting a new caterer for the club.”

The bell rang and I hurried to my class, but I couldn’t shake a bad feeling. I didn’t know if it was because I went to Adam or if I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to work at the country club. I was sure I’d get hired. I was James Kade’s future stepdaughter and David Strattan’s daughter. Everyone loved their Academy football coach, but when we got to the club for lunch, everything went downhill for me.

I took two steps inside and ground to another halt.

Garrett’s back was to me as he laughed with a group. There were two women with him. One was dressed in a business suit and skirt. Her brown hair was pulled up in a fancy bun with strands that fell down in a fashionable look. She had plump red lips, a big bosom, and eyes that seemed to be drowning under my biological dad’s charm.

The other woman was an inch shorter than the first, but she wore a floral top. There were ruffles that outlined and showcased her cle**age, and one of her hands held onto Garrett’s. Her reddish-blonde hair hung loose and shiny, even next to the other woman who could’ve outshone anyone. When the first woman touched Garrett’s arm, the one who held his hand looked up. A flicker of fear flashed in her eyes, but as he graced her with a smile it vanished.

Another man stood in the background with a briefcase and a file under his arm. He wore a business suit and his hair was combed to the side, unlike Garrett’s who had his hair messily rumpled. For a man in his forties, it made him look ten years younger and it worked for him. It would’ve looked ridiculous on anyone else, but my biological dad flashed his white teeth and charm rolled off his shoulders.

Mark came up from behind me and threw an arm over my shoulder. He perked up. “Hey! It’s your dad.”

Amelia froze in place. Then she cast me a dark look and muttered, “He’s hot.”

As she moved on, I was aware of Miranda’s presence and readied myself. One never knew what she was going to say, but she surprised me when she murmured, “He looks nice, Sam.”

Then Adam touched my hand and drew me forward.

“No!” I grabbed his arm.

“Come on. I want to introduce you to my new boss. I think that’s the new caterer too.”

When I tried to slip to the side, he caught the back of my pants and plastered a bright smile on his face. He dragged me behind him. “Hi, Mrs. Carmella.”

The business skirt turned and melted. The soft spot she had for him was obvious. Her hand rested on her throat in a delicate way. “Adam! How nice to have you here. You’ve brought your friends for the lunch we discussed?”

I dug my feet in. It didn’t matter. Adam lifted me over the last few feet and hugged me to his side. “Sure did and thank you for letting us eat here.”

“Oh, Adam! Your friends are my friends. It’s on the house. Your friends must order anything they want. I’ll make sure you have your own chef and two servers as well.” She turned to the sidekick with the briefcase. “Anderson, you’ll see to that?”

He clipped his head forward in a nod and pivoted as he left.

I expected a small salute but was disappointed when he didn’t.

Then her eyes swept over me. “And who is this? Is this a special friend?”

“Indeed it is!” Adam’s seemed to be laughing as he pried my hands from his arm. I had a death grip on him. “This is Samantha Strattan.”

“Oh, of course!” Her hand jutted towards me. “You’re David’s daughter? I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. We are proud to have David as a member here. You must come and enjoy the facilities. Adam, you will bring your friend here more often?”

“Samantha!”

A female voice called out over the room, and I cursed under my breath. Then I snuck a glance up and saw Garrett frozen in place. A dark look was in his depths, but he couldn’t blink to cover it. The female beside him cast a concerned look up before she frowned at me. Then Malinda arrived in a frenzy of energy.

She threw her wrap over her shoulder and dazzled. “Carmine, I must speak with you before I leave today. You are a difficult woman to get a hold of.”

“I’ve been in New Zealand for the fall.” Mrs. Carmella’s smile was strained. Her eyes jetted from me to Malinda and back again. A question loomed over her.