Page 61 of The Work Wife

That was too bad. She really could have used a hug.

* * * *

Mr. Witmer was watching a ball game and Jamie was making lasagna for dinner. Wes decided to give them a little space. As nice as it felt to have a family, they weren’t his real family. He didn’t want to ruin Jamie’s visit with her dad.

Wes wasn’t sure what they normally did when they were together, but he didn’t want to hinder them in any way.

“I’m going to run to the office. I need to pick up the file for the Lander job. I’ll check our mail and be back in time for dinner.” Wes didn’t normally work on Saturday nights, but they’d left early the day before and he was still trying to catch up from being off for their honeymoon.

“Okay. Maybe you could bring home pie for dessert,” Jamie suggested.

He leaned down to kiss her goodbye, because her father would expect it. He could feel her father watching them, so he held it just a little longer to make it convincing.

“Would you mind if I rode along with you?” Mr. Witmer asked, getting up from the sofa. “I’d like to see your office and stretch my legs.”

“Uh, sure. There’s not much to see, but you’re welcome to come along.”

Something was up. If the man suggested driving by the docks he would ditch the car and make a run for it.

Wes couldn’t help but look over his shoulder as they moved through the parking garage. He expected a black van to squeal up at any moment and four men to jump out to throw a hood over his face.

Surely someone with Christopher Witmer’s background would know where to dispose of a body where it would never be found. Would he use pigs? Wes had read once that pigs eat everything but the skull and hipbone. God, he didn’t want to be eaten by pigs.

“Would you calm down? I can feel the tension coming off you like a space heater.”

“I’m just wondering why you offered to come along. We don’t hang out together. You hate me because I married your daughter.”

“I don’t hate you.”

Wes raised his brows.

“Like I did at first,” the man added with a smirk.

Were they joking together like friends? Wes smiled, but glanced over his shoulder again. This would be the perfect time for the van to pull up.

With no van in sight, they got in Wes’s car and headed for the office.

“So have you eaten Jamie’s lasagna?” Mr. Witmer asked.

“Yes.”

“And lived to tell the tale.”

“It wasn’t that bad. Better than my mother’s.”

“Jamie tells me she hasn’t met your mother yet.”

“We’re not close.”

“You weren’t close with your father, and you’re not close to your mother.”

There was no judgment in his tone, but Wes let out a sigh. “That’s right.”

“Still, I know from experience it’s not fun to find out your kid got married and didn’t tell you.”

“Do you want to tell me the real reason you wanted to be alone with me?” Weston asked, wanting to get to it.

“Yeah, sure.” He frowned. “The cancer’s back.”