Shops of all kinds lined the streets, each one tempting Patricia to wander in for a look. Whenever she spotted something that caught her eye, she’d duck inside, hunting for quirky little finds. Most of the time, before she could even decide whether to buy something, Mr. Padilla was already standing beside her, phone out, ready to pay.
Paying was his job.
Carrying the bags was his job too.
By the time they finished their stroll, Mr. Padilla started to notice a pattern. Patricia was picking out gifts for everyone–except for the two of them.
He finally asked, “So, all these are for other people? You’re not getting anything for yourself?”
Patricia grinned, hooking her arm through his and swaying a little as she answered, “Everything I’m buying for them is something I really like too! Honestly, I love the whole process of choosing gifts for them.”
She looked up at Oliver, teasing, “You’re not upset I didn’t get you anything, are you?”
He smiled. “Nope. I just like hanging out with you while you pick out gifts.”
After so many years of marriage, it was rare to get a whole day together like this. For him, that was enough. It didn’t matter what they did–being together was what counted.
While Patricia and Oliver enjoyed their slow–paced weekend in the old town, the “three kids” were stuck working overtime in a high–rise downtown.
Their collective resentment could probably haunt the building.
Sara stood by the printer, muttering under her breath.
“Slave driver.”
“Leech.”
“Even sweatshop workers get weekends off these days. What about us? Absolutely nothing.”
Hector hardly ever got weekends off. As an exec, his hours were supposed to be flexible, but they never really were. This weekend was no different. He was at the office as usual.
When Colton and the others showed up, Hector expected Oliver to come too. Turned out Oliver had managed to get out of it, leaving the rest of them to pick up the slack.
All morning, Hector listened to Sara vent.
“Why don’t you just call him and yell at him directly?” Hector suggested. “Shouting at someone who isn’t even here can’t be that satisfying.”
Sara shot him a look. “Do I look like I have the guts for that?”
If she did, she’d be at home on the couch, not stuck here working overtime. She was only here because she didn’t have the nerve to say no.
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Chapter 277
Hector shrugged. “Knew it. Barking dogs don’t bite.”
Sara stared at his back as he walked into his office, a little stunned. She turned to Roger. “What did he
mean by that?”
Roger, always ready to explain, leaned in. “He just called you a dog.”
Sara exploded. “What the hell?”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Roger grabbed her arm before she could storm off. “If you kill Hector, Uncle Oliver will kill you.”
Hector was Uncle Oliver’s right–hand man.
Pacific Capital could survive without the three of them. Without Hector? Not a chance.
Sara fumed. “He called me a dog and I can’t even get revenge?”
Roger, flustered, half–dragged, half–hugged her out of the office. “Come on. Let’s go shopping. You need to cool off. Retail therapy, okay?”
They slipped out during lunch and headed to the mall.
There was a decent Chinese spot on the top floor, so they asked for a private room.
As they followed the hostess down the hallway, the door to the room on their right swung open and a server came out, tray in hand. The door didn’t close quickly enough.
Sara spotted the people inside and immediately grabbed the hostess’s arm. “We want this room.”
“I’ll check if it’s empty,” the hostess said.
Once she confirmed it was available, Sara and Roger went in. Roger looked at her, confused. “Why did you want this room all of a sudden?”
Sara dropped her voice. “Because Emerson and Howard are in the next room.”
Seeing Roger’s confused look, she clarified, “That’s Aunt Patricia’s uncle and her ex–father–in–law.”
“Who knows what those two are up to!”
Chapter 278
Chapter 278
