Designs on the Billionaire

by Meg MacRose

  “You and Therese are my family. I have never been more accepted by anyone, nor wanted to be with people more than with you two. Nobody, and I mean nobody will ever get away with insulting you, making you feel bad or questioning Therese’s parentage, or the timing of my break-up with Diana. Okay? I will not allow any snide comments from anyone.”

  Lacey wasn’t sure that she was as confident as Nick. She’d spent her entire childhood not being the type of daughter that her mother had desired, and then rejected when she didn’t meet her expectations. She didn’t want Nick to have to choose between his parents and them. It wouldn’t be fair to him. Especially since they weren’t even in a forever after relationship. She tried to describe their relationship to herself. Biological parents to a wonderful little girl. With the occasional shag. Amazing, but occasional. They didn’t even know anything about each other.

  He brushed her neck with his lips, with a tender caress that promised so much more. “You are not only gorgeous to look at, but you are selfless and intelligent, and the most amazing mother to our daughter.” He nibbled lightly on her neck and Lacey let out a feeble groan, defenceless against his touch.

  “Hi Daddy. Are you whispering the next clue to Mummy? What is it? What is it?” Their daughter, a welcome distraction, ran up and her thin arms hugged them tight.

  “I won’t share any more clues until you’re ready. Your dress looks lovely on you Therese. Is that the one I bought you?” Without waiting for his rhetorical question to be answered, he said, “Come along, are we ready? I’ll explain more in the car. Carl is waiting outside.”

  They got on the road, Carl driving the hour to Nick’s parent’s house, while Lacey remained unsure at the reception they would get. Better to get it over and done with, she decided with determined resolution.

  Carl drove with purposeful slowness up the long windy driveway. Therese gasped, oh and ah as she took in the undulating front lawn, the scent of the summer flowers and the bright white marble bird bath perched on the immaculately pedicured grass.

  The house was beautiful, Lacey had to concede. It was only a few suburbs away from her own parent’s house. Although this house seemed even larger and grander than the house that she’d been brought up in. Nick frowned at the many cars parked in front of the house, each with dedicated drivers waiting patiently. He fervently hoped that his Mother had not arranged a last-minute party in their honour. Not saying a word as Carl parked up in front of the steps, he released the clasp of Therese’s car restraint and opened the door.

  Lacey wasn’t the only one nervous about the upcoming introductions. Nick’s body had been rigid the moment the car entered the long driveway. Lacey reached over and clasped Nick’s hand in her own. She gave a small tug of support and smiled up at him. “Let’s get it over and done with.”

  Therese ran around and held on to Nick’s other hand. “So, who is going to give me the final clue? I give up. Who lives in this house? It’s the biggest house in the entire solar system.”

  Neither Lacey nor Nick had heard the muffled sound of footsteps on the steps, and were so focused on their daughter’s questioning look, that they were both surprised when another voice answered.

  “It is a big house, isn’t it? But I’m afraid it’s not the biggest house in the solar system. Not yet. We’d have to make it a little bit bigger to claim that title.”

  A smiling older version of Nick stepped down to greet them. His face beamed as he crouched down to Therese’s level and tears appeared in his eyes when Therese reached out with her free hand and stroked his cheek.

  “You have a nice face,” she declared.

  “So do you,” the old man replied to the little girl.

  Lacey was reluctant to interrupt their meeting. Nick’s father was doing everything right that a grandfather should do in her books. And she was happy to let child and grandparent explore their first meeting.

  “Hey Dad. How are you?” Nick asked his father.

  “This is your Dad? And you’re my Daddy?” Therese’s quick mind was clearly trying to work out exactly what that meant for her.

  “That’s right. I’m your Grandad. Or your Grandfather. Or whatever else you call someone like me.” Lacey nodded her assent at Nick’s father as he looked over at her, uncertain how to proceed.

  “And your final clue Therese, is that this house belongs to your grandparents. This is your Grandad.” She didn’t quite know how to introduce the topic of a grandmother, or even what Nick’s mother would want to be called. Her own grandparents had been very insistent to be known as Nana on their paternal side and Grandmother on their maternal side. For the moment, she opted to just omit any reference to a grandmother. Therese had enough to figure out with just her grandfather in the frame.

  “Hi Granddad. I’m Therese.” She curtsied by pulling her pretty new dress to the sides and then jumped up into a bear hug with her grandfather.

  Nick let Lacey’s hand go, to quickly offer support for his father to regain his balance as he stood with Therese perched up in his arms.

  “I’m fine, thanks, son. Well, what a dynamite we have here. I am so pleased to meet you. And you too Lacey. I would shake hands or give a hug or whatever is fashionable these days, but I’m afraid I daren’t let go of this precious cargo.”

  Therese giggled as she looked at her grandfather with curious eyes. “I’m not precious cargo. I don’t know what cargo is. But precious is gems, like what the pirates steal off the princesses. And I’m not a gem.”

  The old man grinned. Love radiated out of his eyes as he held his granddaughter. He turned back to Lacey. “By the way, seeing as Nick hasn’t introduced us. I’m Andrew Silverton. My friends call me Andy. And I have to say, your daughter is the most delightful human that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

  Lacey’s smile was genuine as she beamed back at the old man who had, in a very short period, ingratiated himself with her daughter. It was hard not to smile, as the scene in front of her was delightful. The kind of moment that she thought she could only dream about.

  Therese was in another fit of laughter after Andy spoke. Lacey shook herself from her musings as she returned to the discussions around her.

  “I’m not a delightful human. Grandad, did you know that I am five years old already? Nearly six years old. And I’m a girl. And I go to Big School.”

  The outpouring, all in one breath, of such important information for a five-year-old who was nearing six, had all the adults grinning. Lacey had an immense amount of pride well up in her chest as she looked at her daughter.

  Nick’s father was a success at being a grandfather. But what about Nick’s mother? A tight ball formed in her stomach. His mother’s absence at their arrival couldn’t be a good sign.

  Chapter 15

  “Come, let’s go inside. Are you hungry? I can get the Cook to make us some morning tea?”

  As he looked over to Nick, Andy said in a soft voice, “Your mother is apparently entertaining her book-club ladies. It was pre-planned. We don’t have to interfere with her plans. Maybe we can catch up with her after her friends have all left.”

  Nick caught the subtext that his mother had prioritised her book-club ladies over Therese, but his father didn’t want his opportunity to connect with his granddaughter sabotaged by his mother. Lacey clasped his hand back into her own slender one and gave him a squeeze of understanding. She looked up at him, her eyes searching for signs that Nick was okay. He was glad that he had Lacey on his side. They’d get through this together. He’d not seen his mother since before he had split from Diana. With Lacey here by his side it made this whole experience a whole lot easier.

  “Thanks Lace.” He mouthed to her. She nodded and stepped in closer to him so that their arms touched.

  He really was lucky to have both Therese and Lacey in his life. Lacey’s accident had scared him. He didn’t dare consider if her injuries had been any worse. And he was desperately appreciative that she had reached out to him to tell him about Ther
ese. If Lacey had been in an accident before she had told him, then Therese would have been all by herself. Scared and lonely. That thought frightened him more than anything else ever had in his life. He knew that more than anything, he wanted ‘his girls’ to be a permanent fixture in his life. For them to live together.

  He didn’t want to scare Lacey away with these declarations. She still put up resistance, and part of him didn’t blame her for it. She’d soldiered along fine when her parents had kicked her out alone and pregnant. It must have been difficult for her, not having the support of the people you’d expect most to give it. She seemed happy for Therese to have him around as Daddy, but she had been rather obstinate when it came to him and her. Not that she was ever rude to him or anything. But she wasn’t about to commit to a relationship or let him into her heart. The problem was, for him, Therese and Lacey had become the package deal, the family package, which he had found he really yearned for.

  “Nick? Do you mind getting my walking stick from the car? I’m still not very good with steps.”

  Nick gave himself a mental kick. How could he have forgotten so easily? Of course, Lacey wouldn’t be able to get up the steps. He jumped down onto the gravel of the driveway and was surprised that Carl had already anticipated her request and removed the walking stick from the back of the car and was bringing it over to him. As he handed the stick to Lacey, he made a silent promise to ensure that today wasn’t too taxing on Lacey. That just wouldn’t be fair. She’d been an absolute sport to even agree to join him at his parent’s house.

  He held out his arm for Lacey to also use as support as she manoeuvred up the steps to the open door. Peels of giggles echoed through the doorway and Lacey’s smile deepened as she heard them too.

  “Your Dad is a natural with kids. He must have been a hoot when you were younger.” Now they were at the top of the steps, Lacey held her stick in her hand, but didn’t use it for support anymore. Her hand remained on his arm; her fingers cool as they splayed against his own warm skin. He liked her hand resting on his arm. For the briefest moment, he mulled over her comment about his childhood. His memories consisted of many holidays away and a line-up of nannies, but not time alone with his father.

  “I don’t remember him like that. He always worked long hours. But semi-retirement has suited him. I’m rapt that Therese has connected straight away with him. What about you? It must be a big shock for you after being the only family in Therese’s life, and now there’s a grandparent too?”

  Lacey paused before she looked up at him to respond, her blue eyes wide and clear.

  “To be honest, I wasn’t sure how anything would pan out. But who could not like your Dad? He’s great. And from the giggles in the next room, I know there’s someone else who thinks he’s great too. Besides, my accident made me realise how vulnerable I’d made Therese. I mean, Ted and Louise have been great, but they have their own lives to lead. And they’re old too. I really appreciated that you were already with Therese when I had the accident, and it wasn’t some stranger letting her know. Plus, you were able to bring her to the hospital each day and could take her to school and do all the normal things to keep her routine in check which helped her cope so much better.”

  “You’re an amazing woman, Miss Lacey Sullivan.” Nick bent down and pressed his lips against her cool forehead, not sure as to what else he could have said without being all gushing and over the top. He needed to break up the intensity that he felt with her almost enveloped in his arms. “By the way, Mumma Unicorn, now that I am up close and personal with your hair, I got to say that I love your groovy new hairdo.”

  Another spate of loud giggles from the next room interrupted any further dialogue. Lacey disengaged herself from his arms and called out to her daughter, “I wonder where on earth everyone has gone. Looks like I’ll have to go searching.”

  As she hobbled her way unsupported to the next room, Nick was left by himself in the front entrance hall to the house he’d grown up in. He’d never considered it stark or cold before. But as he looked at the white marbled floor, the clean white walls and the absence of any colour, his arms prickled at the bleakness of the large room. Had this really been a family home? Or a house that happened

  to house a family. The home that Lacey rented was full of colour and fun. Every time he walked through their bright red front door he was welcomed by the smell of dinner or flowers that had just been cut from the garden, and there was always a piece of artwork that Therese had made at school which hung on the wall like it was the most important piece of art in the world.

  The hysteric laughter in the next room as Lacey found Therese and his Dad’s hiding spot roused him from his musings. There was no point dwelling on this stark cold room. There was a bundle of fun and action in the very next room, and he wasn’t going to miss out on a single minute that he didn’t have to!

  His Dad, Lacey and Therese were huddled against the box window. Therese’s interest had been piqued as he heard her delightful childish squeal as she spotted whatever they were intent on finding.

  “We’ve just spotted some ladybirds on the leaves of the hedge outside the window.” His Dad’s face was relaxed and untroubled as he looked back at Nick.

  ###

  Lacey couldn’t find fault in Andy at all. He was the consummate kind grandfather. Even Nick looked more relaxed than he had outside on the steps.

  “Cook has suggested that we have a picnic outside in the garden. Why don’t we head out there now and see what delicious treats wait for us?” Therese nodded her head up and down in quick succession.

  “I’m starving, Grandad.” She grasped her little hand in her grandfather’s larger wrinkled one. “Come on.”

  “You guys go ahead; we’ll join you shortly. We’ll go and say hello to Mother first.” Nick spoke to his father, his voice purposely kept bright so that Therese didn’t pick up on the undertones.

  “Are you sure?” His father asked him, a wave of concern passing through his eyes.

  Nick nodded. “It’s got to be done. Might as well get it over and done with now. And with an audience of book-club ladies, we might even minimise the blow!” Nick spoke in jest, but what he said resonated with Lacey. Her own mother used to be exactly the same. The airs and graces that her Mother would assume in front of her peers meant that Lacey had been ensured of reserved scathing instead of an all-out attack. It bothered her that Nick’s mother seemed to be so like her own. Especially since she’d been so content to not have her own mother contaminate Therese’s life.

  Nick led her through a long hallway to a pleasant conservatory that opened-up at the back of the house. A group of a dozen or so women tittered and chatted as they sipped on champagne, lounging on sofas and chairs that didn’t actually look that comfortable. Apart from a couple of token books opened on a coffee table, there was nothing else to suggest that this was a book-club.

  “Good morning, Mother.” Nick kept his arm around Lacey as he called out to his mother.

  Surprise and something that looked like dislike flitted over her face as she saw Lacey. His mother stood up, turned her back to her friends and stepped towards them.

  “Oh, so you’re here then.” Her cold reception was in stark contrast to Andy’s friendly greeting on the steps outside.

  “Mother, I’d like you to meet Lacey. Lacey, this is my mother, Joanna.”

  Out of respect to Nick, Lacey held out her hand to Joanna, who ignored it. A haughty look passed over Joanna’s face. “Andy explained the situation.” Joanna looked at Lacey. “I must say, you’ve done very well for yourself. I have to say, you couldn’t have had better timing, destroying his engagement with Diana by telling him about his bastard child. At least Diana was suitable for him, unlike yourself. She didn’t insist on holding down a job.”

  An angry heat boiled over Lacey, and she knew that her face was bright red to match. How dare this lady assume anything about her and Therese. Joanna was cast from the same cloth as her own mother, and not worthy of
a response.

  “Come on Nick, let’s get out of here,” she pleaded, trying to make eye contact with him, but his grey and darkened stare was focused only on his mother.

  “Mother, that’s not the way it is, and you know it.” The tone of his voice was measured and dangerous.

  His Mother didn’t take the hint and continued her invective monologue.

  “Don’t think you can come to me, young lady, and demand any financial support. There will be none for you or your bastard child.”

  Lacey spun away abruptly, if she didn’t, she would for sure say something that she’d regret later. As she turned, she saw in the group of posh women captivated by the circumstances with their hostess, one lady with her glass of champagne held midway in the air, a dark look on her face.

  It was her own mother.

  Lacey had done well to manage the rush of anger that Joanna’s slur had prompted within her, but recognising her mother’s face in Joanna’s book group pushed over the edge of reason and control. Fury had been building inside her for six years. Nick’s parents’ living room probably wasn’t the greatest place for her to unleash it all. But she was too far gone to stop herself.

  “Well, hello there, Mother. What a surprise that you’d be sitting over there gawping silently as your daughter is being insulted. No comment? At least you have a friend you can swap your non-existent photos of your granddaughter with.” Lacey referred to her parting comment six years ago. There was nothing more that her mother hated, than not being able to fit in with her peers who were at an age where they probably shared stories of their grandchildren.

  Her Mother’s face had gone as white as a sheet, her lips pinched as she glared back at her daughter. Like Joanna, she was too well-bred and practiced to create a scene in front of others.

  “Nick, looks like we have another set of introductions to make. See that woman over there, the one with the bitter look on her face, well that’s my mother, Amanda.” Lacey knew that she was being a bit ridiculous, but she couldn’t help herself. The shrill tone in her voice increased slightly as she called out to her mother.