CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

NOLAN POV

The question about Gwen whereabouts kept bothering me for a whole week. It wouldn't leave my mind. Because of this, I decided to hire a private investigator—a PI—to find Gwen and see what she was doing now.

The man I hired was named Mr. Davis. He sat across from me, ready to take notes.

"Are you looking for anything special, Mr. Douglas?" he asked. "Like, are you worried about her cheating or stealing? Is there trouble?"

"No, nothing like that," I said quickly. I leaned forward in my chair. "I just want to know that she is okay. I need to know her life is good. Is she still studying? Does she have a job? Where is she living these days?"

Mr. Davis looked a little confused by my simple request. Most people hire him to find secrets. But he took the job anyway.

Two weeks later, Mr. Davis came back. He had a written report and a few photos.

"She is living with her father," he said. He gave me a photo of a house and told me the address. The house looked old and needed a lot of fixing up. Seeing it made me think a lot about Gwen. Was she doing okay in a place like that?

"What about school?" I asked, a big worry growing inside me. I was afraid she had quit school to get away from me and the whole mess with my daughter, April.

"She is taking all her lessons online," he replied.

Thank goodness, I thought. That was a relief. But it still felt strange.

"She's also working as a student teacher at a high school nearby," he added.

Relief washed over me completely. It was already bad that I had been so cruel to her. I didn't want my actions to have ruined her future or stopped her dream.

"Is she working another job?" I asked.

"Yes. She has a part-time job as a tutor," Mr. Davis confirmed. "She helps students in person sometimes, and sometimes she does it online."

That was even better news. She was finishing school and doing the job she wanted.

"She mostly stays at home," he continued. "The only times she leaves are for her student teaching job or for her tutoring, which she does at the local library."

He gave me pictures of her at the school and at the library. I felt bad just looking at them. It felt like I was watching her life without her knowing. I felt like a voyeur.

Then he paused and gave me a serious look. "There's only one other place she has gone in the past two weeks. It was a women's clinic."

I looked up at him, suddenly worried. "Is she sick?" The idea made me very uneasy, especially because April had said Gwen felt sick on New Year’s and was working too hard.

"I don't know that, Mr. Douglas. It is very hard to get that information because of privacy laws."

"But you got her school information," I pointed out. Surely the school has privacy rules too.

Mr. Davis gave a small, knowing smile. "I told the school I was thinking of offering her a job after she finished her studies. So, they just said she was still a student but taking classes online. It's a different situation."

He went on about the clinic. "As for the clinic, it's one used by people in the area who do not have good health insurance, or any insurance at all. It gives free check-ups for women. It was probably just that. My own wife goes to the doctor every year to get her 'girlie bits'—her words, not mine—checked out."

That explanation made sense, but it didn't completely stop my worry.

"Thank you," I said. I started to slide the photos back to him.

"They are yours," he said. "And here is my full report." He put the pictures into a large, brown envelope and handed it to me.

I took the envelope. I felt dirty for having it. It was like I had hurt Gwen all over again.

I stared at the envelope on my desk. I decided I would take it home and burn it later. I didn't want this proof that I was checking up on her.

After Mr. Davis left, I went out of my office for a meeting with Watt, my business partner.

As always, the gyms were doing very well. Watt told me his ideas for the next marketing campaign: the "getting ready for the beach" promotion.

"It's barely even March," I noted. The cold weather outside told me that summer was still many months away.

He smiled. "Some people need three months to get rid of their winter weight, Nolan."

"I suppose you are right," I agreed.

"I also want to try something new," Watt said. "I want to add classes for kids this summer, just at one gym to start. It will be a test. If it goes well, we can offer it at all the other gyms next year, or at least the ones in the suburbs."

"Kids just play," I said, a little confused. "They don't need fitness classes."

"First, not all kids play enough physical games," Watt explained patiently. "Second, I was thinking about things like fun games and yoga classes."

"Games? Like... tag?"

"Yes, like tag, or running through obstacle courses. Maybe even a dance class. I met a woman—"

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Did a woman give you this idea, Watt?"

He grinned. "She teaches a hip-hop dance class at the local community center. I figured she could teach for us too."

I knew Watt had thought this through very carefully. I only had one real concern. "How would this affect our insurance?"

"It won't change anything," he replied easily. "Parents would have to sign a permission form and do all the same paperwork that our adult members do."

To be honest, it sounded like a very good idea. Just like his earlier idea to offer a childcare room for our adult clients.

"It's a go from me, then," I said, giving him a firm nod. "Let's try it."

I later returned to my office. Mandy, my assistant, didn't even look up from her computer when she spoke. "Your daughter is waiting for you in your office."

"Did it look like she just broke up with her boyfriend, or does she need money this time?" I asked, sighing.

Mandy just shrugged. "I don't understand teenagers." I didn't bother to correct her that April was twenty-two years old, especially since April often acted like a teenager.

"Anything else I need to know?" I asked as I walked toward my door.

"Nothing important enough for you right now," Mandy replied.

I stopped by her desk. "What exactly does that mean?"

She looked up at me, a little annoyed. I wasn't sure if she was mad because I was questioning her or because I was stopping her from working.

"I took care of a few phone calls and a person who walked in without an appointment," she said.

"What did the walk-in person want?"

She pressed her lips together. "We didn't get that far. She did not have an appointment, so I told her she had to leave."

I frowned. "Did she leave a message for me?"

Mandy let out a sigh, the kind my mother used to make when I pushed her too far. "No, Mr. Douglas."

I shrugged and walked into my office.

I found April sitting in my chair at my desk.

She looked up at me with surprise and a little bit of annoyance, too.

"What is this?" she asked, holding up the photos the private investigator had given me. She had taken them out of the envelope.

My stomach dropped like a stone. "What are you doing looking through my private things?"

"I was bored while I waited for you," she said, sounding defensive. "And it was just sitting here on your desk."

"For heaven's sake, April! The world does not revolve around you!" I scolded her.

"I know that!" she shot back.

"Do you really?" I walked toward her, intending to take the pictures away—the proof of my bad behavior. "Just because you are bored does not mean you can go into other people's private business." I gestured for her to get out of my seat.

"What reason do you have for going into Gwen's private business?" she asked. She stood up and moved away from the desk, holding the photos tight.

Oh no. What could I possibly say that would make sense?

"What do you care about Gwen?" I tried to ask. "I thought you were over all the drama with her."

She made a face. "Nice try, Dad. Really. Why are you spying on her? Did she take something from the cabin?"

Yes. She took away my peace of mind.

"No," I said firmly.

"I didn't think so. Tell me the truth, Dad."

Think fast, Nolan. Think fast.

I took a moment and sat down in my chair, clearing my throat loudly. That small pause gave me just enough time to think up a good reason for finding Gwen.

"I did it for you," I lied.

April raised an eyebrow. "For me?" She did not sound convinced at all.

"You were so upset about how and why she left," I continued, making the lie sound believable. "I thought I would find her for you. So you could see that she was okay."

She pressed her lips together, thinking. "So why are you so angry that I opened the envelope?"

"You took the envelope without knowing it was even for you," I said, sticking to the story. "You don't respect my things."

She looked at me closely. "Is this the real truth?"

"Why else would I look for her?" I asked. I hoped with all my heart she couldn't see that I was lying.

Suddenly, her face changed. She had an idea. It was like a light turned on above her head. "Oh! I know what you are doing. You think that if Gwen comes back, I will finally kick Cole out of my house!"

"Bursted. You caught me," I said, pretending to be caught. Thank you, April, for giving me a much better reason for my spying!

"Get over it, Dad. I am a grown-up now."

"Yes, but you are a grown-up who still depends on her father for everything," I countered. "You cannot have it both ways, April. You cannot expect me to pay for your life and not have any say in how you live it."

She made a face. "First of all, I am making Cole and Aaron pay rent now. So my cost is less. That is smart money thinking, right?"

"Who pays the mortgage on your place, April?"

"Why can't you give me credit for anything good I do?" She shook her head and looked sad. I knew I wasn't wrong, but I still felt bad for making her feel that way.

She finally put the photos down on the desk. "I came here to see if you wanted to go for coffee with me."

"Is everything alright?" I asked. She did not usually stop by just for a casual coffee unless she needed something.

She looked at me with offense. "I had news that I thought would make you happy. I got a job offer for after I graduate! But now I know you will think it doesn't pay enough or that the benefits aren't good. You will be disappointed about something."

I truly hated making her feel like I wasn't proud of her. Especially after I had spent the first few minutes of her visit lying to her.

"April. Congratulations! That is wonderful news. How about we get some nice champagne instead of coffee, and you can tell me everything about your new job?"

For a second, I thought she would say no.

"Okay," she said finally. "But no talking about Cole, alright? Not one word."

"It's a deal," I agreed quickly.

I left the office with April. I felt like I had barely escaped a dangerous situation... unless, of course, now that April knew Gwen's address, she decided to reach out to her.