Lone Star Millionaire by Susan Mallery

time to move on, then these companies were her ticket out.
    She stared at the file. Did she really want to leave Cal? Did she have a choice? She’d gone as far as she could go professionally. There would be more money, but that wasn’t enough anymore. The other reality she tried to ignore but couldn’t was that the longer she stayed, the more she was at risk emotionally. Cal was the kind of man she could fall for big time. She’d gotten over her initial crush, which was good. But now she actually knew him and liked him, despite his flaws. If she got emotionally attached to him, then what? He wouldn’t be interested in her—he’d made that very clear. She wouldn’t want to settle for an affair, and he didn’t do anything else. Besides, Cal only wanted what he couldn’t have. He was interested in the chase. She was already a part of his life, so there wouldn’t be much of a hunt.
    She carried the folder to the kitchen and set it on the table. It was definitely time, maybe past time, for her to do something. Before she left for Cal’s in the morning, she would make a few calls and see what was available. She wasn’t ready to make a decision, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask around.
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    It was nearly midnight. Cal was well and truly on his way to being drunk. The buzz had become a roar, but it wasn’t going to be enough to let him forget.
    He rose from his desk and moved into the hallway. There, he stared at the closed door, behind which slept his daughter. Son of a bitch, what was he doing with a kid? He didn’t know the first thing about raising a child. She was almost a teenager,which made matters worse. Plus, she hated the sight of him. How was he supposed to make this work?
    Bracing himself for the tirade if she was still awake, he slowly opened her door. He paused before stepping into the darkness.
    Enough light spilled in from the hallway to allow him to see the bed. Anastasia lay on her side, curled toward him. Her brown hair had dried from her shower and lay across the pillow. She’d exchanged her dirty clothes for a new nightgown. There was something dark by her midsection. He stepped closer and saw she clutched the teddy bear to her chest. One arm was tightly wrapped around the toy, as if even in sleep she was afraid someone would take it away.
    In the shadows, she appeared small and defenseless. He could see the faint tracks of her tears, and his heart went out to her. He was worried about her, about what was going to happen, and he was a grown-up who was secure in his life. Imagine what this twelve-year-old must be feeling. Everything she’d known had disappeared. The people who had raised her were gone, the woman she’d been thrust upon had made it clear she was unwelcome. Now a stranger had swept her up into an unfamiliar world. No wonder she lashed out.
    Unfamiliar emotions filled him. There was a tightness in his chest, along with a burning at the back of his throat. He wanted to go to her and hold her close, promising that everything would be fine. But the words held no meaning. Everything wasn’t going to be fine and they both knew it.
    He wished Sabrina was with him. She could explain this to both of them. She always knew the right thing to say. Thank God she was moving in tomorrow morning—otherwise they would never make it.
    As he watched this child who was his daughter, he tried to figure out who she looked like. He saw traces of Janice in her—also flashes of himself. Her mouthiness and temper, for example. Pure Langtry.
    Janice. He backed out of the room and returned to his study. He didn’t want to think about her, but he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t change the past, but he had to learn to deal with it. A woman he’d trusted had betrayed him in a significant way. She’d used him to get pregnant so she could go after the family’s money.
    He sank back into his chair and poured another