if Joaquin was right, his father’s alienation from Uncle Esteban was an issue that stretched further than a simple disagreement between the two of them.
Joaquin passed a group of modern-looking buildings and took a left at the last one. As he headed to the secluded area where the theme park hosted large groups for private events, he caught a glimpse of Gerald Robinson walking alongside one of the white buildings. It was odd that a CEO would attend a function like this, but Zoe had mentioned that her dad had meetings with Cowboy Country executives. Joaquin quickened his pace in an effort to catch up with him. It wouldn’t hurt to say hello to the man who signed his paycheck and to let him see that he could be a team player.
Austin was growing on him. He liked how progressive the city was and he loved the creative freedom that Robinson Tech afforded him. If they had a permanent place for him, he wouldn’t mind considering one once he completed the temporary project.
Gerald was just far enough ahead of him that he ducked into a building with a sign that read Guest Kitchen before Joaquin could catch up with him.
Joaquin veered from his path to stick his head in the door for a quick “good morning.” It was a rare opportunity to get Gerald Robinson alone and probably in a good mood since he was away from the office at an amusement park, strengthening his team. Although Joaquin wanted to believe the boss hated events like this as much as he did.
That’s why it paid to be the boss. You didn’t necessarily have to practice what you preached. This might be a good time to ask him about specifics about the software he was writing for Robinson.
Joaquin pulled open the door and was hit by a blast of cool air. He blinked. First, to allow his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light, then out of surprise, because at the far end of the room he saw Gerald Robinson kissing a woman who was not his wife, Charlotte.
Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Joaquin silently groused as he walked away. He didn’t get a good look at the petite redhead in Gerald’s arms because she was engulfed by his boss’s large body, and Joaquin certainly didn’t stay around long enough to see if he could identify her.
He quickly and quietly let himself out the same way he’d entered, hoping like hell that the sound of the door closing didn’t break the couple’s spell and alert them he’d witnessed their tryst.
Actually, scratch that. On second thought, part of him did hope Robinson had seen him so he would know he wasn’t as sly as he thought he was. Because who brought his mistress to a team-building retreat?
Joaquin shook his head as he retraced his steps and returned to the path toward the Sagebrush Pavilion, a path from which he should’ve never strayed. As he turned the corner, Zoe was the first person he saw. His gaze had automatically zeroed in on her shiny dark hair and picked her out of the crowd of one hundred or so Robinson Tech employees who had gathered to become a stronger team. At the sight of her, his disgust for what he had just witnessed gave way to compassion for her. She was such a naturally kind, happy person who seemed to think only the best of people and especially saw only the good in her father.
Based on the conversation he and Zoe had had in her office the other day, she thought her father could do no wrong. The prospect of telling her what he’d seen made Joaquin’s heart feel as if it would split in two.
Really, why would he tell her?
Zoe, I just saw your dad kissing a woman that wasn’t your mom.
Yeah. No.
Actually he wasn’t going to tell anyone. Because what good would it do? It certainly wouldn’t fix anything or teach Gerald a lesson in morality. He’d only met Charlotte Robinson once in passing. For all he knew Gerald and his wife had an open marriage. Though why a woman would want to tie herself to a cheater like that baffled him.
He simply didn’t get it. The whole point of marriage was to pledge your loyalty to one person. If that caused a hardship, stay single; play the field and be forthright about it. Just don’t be a damn cheater.
He knew how it felt to be cheated on and it wasn’t fun. He also knew playing the field was good in theory. Sometimes when you were open and honest about your intentions people still only heard what they wanted to hear.
He knew that from experience. He’d been on both sides of that relationship coin. It didn’t make him eager to be in either place again.
He didn’t see himself settling down and he didn’t want to get back in the rat race of juggling multiple women—or making false promises to one woman, for that matter.
An image of Zoe with her beautiful, trusting smile popped into his head. Sure, he could date her. But he knew that was not what she wanted. Women like Zoe didn’t take things casually.
There were too many odds stacked against them. Add in the fact that she was the boss’s daughter and the tidbit about his not wanting to get serious right now—hell, he didn’t even know where he’d be after this project wrapped up—and garnish it with the huge secret he knew about her father. A relationship with Zoe would never work.
He detested cheating and cheaters.
Not that he was such a do-gooder. Before he’d proposed to Selena, he’d done some things he wasn’t proud of. He knew the damage deception like that could cause, and he didn’t want to cause anyone that pain.
As he approached his colleagues, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Because why was he even thinking about such ridiculous things as dating Zoe Robinson? Things like getting to know her better. Spending time with her. Kissing her—not to mention going to the places that kisses usually led.
She was the first person who saw him as he entered the pavilion. Her eyes flashed as she smiled and waved at him.
She looked adorable and bright and stylish in her pink shorts and orange top. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face with a pink-and-orange headband.
No matter the occasion, Zoe always looked as though she’d stepped out of a magazine. Not in a high-fashion sense, but in a fresh, cute, girl-next-door way.
He couldn’t help but smile back at her, but he stopped short of going over and standing with her.
Yep, the only thing telling her what he’d witnessed would accomplish was heartbreak. He looked away.
Forget dating; this was precisely why Joaquin hated getting involved with his colleagues on a personal level. Knowing things about them. Now, every time he looked at Zoe, he would remember he was keeping a secret from her.
“Good morning, Joaquin,” Steffi-Anne said. “Your timing is perfect. We are just getting ready to break into pairs and begin our first game. So, if you’ll join group B over there under the pavilion, we’ll get started.”
Steffi-Anne called everyone to order.
“We’re going to have a scavenger hunt,” she said. “Each person in group A will draw a name out of this bag.”
She held up a small brown bag with handles, the kind that you got when you purchased something in one of those fancy department stores.
“This will match you with your partner in group B. Zoe, how about if you start us off by drawing the first name?” Steffi-Anne smiled at Zoe, but the sentiment didn’t seem to make it all the way to her eyes.
Joaquin had the sinking feeling she was up to something. The woman always had an agenda.
* * *
As Zoe reached into the bag to pull out a name, her gaze drifted over to Joaquin. He looked so darn good in those jeans and that white T-shirt. The color of the shirt showed off his tan, and the jeans weren’t tight, but they hugged his butt in the most perfect way. It made her want to squeeze his buns to see if they really were as firm as they looked.
The naughty thought made her smile.