Free In Safe Keeping by Lee Christine Page B

is.’
    And he wouldn’t, even if he knew. This was Duncan’s personal matter, and he’d only speak about it with his father in general terms, or discuss how the situation affected the development.
    ‘I’m not aware of the problem, sir. Duncan’s my client, and my best friend, but I’m no third wheel in their marriage.’
    George snorted. ‘He’s got bad taste in women, his mother always said so. He gives them business advice, that’s how he gets them. The first one wanted her own fashion label, and this one wants her own range of skincare cosmetics. Business advice — from someone without a business brain.’
    Evan said nothing. He’d heard it all before. Despite what George said, he loved his son.
    ‘I wish he was more like you.’ George said.
    Evan winced and raised the glass to his lips. The Cognac went down smooth as silk and he closed his eyes in appreciation. ‘Don’t say that.’
    ‘You know what I mean. He’ll never be you. Those first nine years before I took you in, they made you who you are — hell of a time though it was. You lived off your wits, learned how to survive. That’s something you can’t teach.’
    ‘I was lucky I could play football.’ Evan swallowed another mouthful of Cognac and thought of Laila’s reaction to what she’d learned today.
    How would she react if she knew he’d played a part in Scarlett choosing her as a lawyer? Somehow, he didn’t think she’d be grateful for the endorsement.
    ‘You could really play football.’ George’s nostalgic statement brought Evan back to the present.
    ‘You only brought me down here to help Riverview win the premiership,’ Evan said, pleased the conversation had taken a lighter turn.
    ‘You’re right. I didn’t like you at all.’
    They laughed. This is how it was between them. George thought of him as a second son, and Evan loved the tough old coot who’d given him an opportunity to make something of himself. The Peytons were the only family he’d known since his mother walked out and never came back.
    ‘You were the best, as fast as the Aboriginal kids,’ George said between puffs as he attempted to re-light his cigar. ‘Christ, when I first saw you, you were so brown I thought you were one of them.’
    Evan smiled at the memory. Old George had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and thrown him in the bath. Then he’d given him his first hot meal in about six months and asked where he lived.
    It was the start of a relationship that had lasted to this day.
    They were quiet for a while, and once again Evan’s mind drifted back to Laila. She’d accused him of not telling her he was ‘mildly famous’. Well, he wasn’t the only one keeping things close to his chest. She’d never mentioned her foundation, the most important thing in her life, according to Mike. He’d managed to find out a bit about that this afternoon.
    ‘What is it with Scarlett?’ George inhaled, holding the thick Cuban between shaky fingers. ‘You go somewhere, and she doesn’t mix. She sits alone on a chair likes she’s special and expects everyone to come to her.’
    There was a pause, then. ‘Do you think she’s met someone else?’
    Evan turned to look at him. ‘I’ve no idea. I had a long talk to Duncan on Saturday. He doesn’t know what the problem is. She won’t talk.’
    ‘Yeah, that’s what he told me.’ George blew out a puff of smoke, the pungent aroma wafting towards Evan and turning his stomach.
    Shit! As if he hadn’t inhaled enough smoke today.
    ‘I’m worried about the Chinese,’ George said after a while.
    Evan swirled the Cognac in his glass. He’d expected George to say he was worried about Duncan.
    ‘I am too. We have the construction firm ready to go, and then there are the subcontractors.’
    ‘Little people?’
    Evan nodded. ‘With families.’
    ‘Christ! What’s the chance of it all going down the shitter?’
    ‘There’s every chance if we don’t get a quick property settlement.’
    George