The Billionaire's Family Secret (Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Book 15)

by Danni Lee Nicholls

  “We will afford it,” her father said. “All of us will work together. Without your grandparents to care for, we’ll have more money, and you can get a job after school. Your mother and I will take on extra hours a week specifically for a school fund. We’ll start saving, and we’ll see where we can economize.”

  Leah kept her thoughts to herself, but she didn’t see any way her family could give up anything more when they were barely covering the essentials.

  Her father continued, “Your counselor mentioned grants and scholarships. It will be your responsibility to learn all you can and apply for every possible option. Work closely with your counselor, Mrs. Shepherd. She has your best interest in mind and will help you.”

  Leah nodded, her eyes shining. “Yes, Dad.”

  Her father smiled wide, his eyes bright with happiness and pride. “You’ll succeed where I failed, and we will have a doctor in the family.”

  Heat pounded through the windshield of the yellow VW bug, and sweat broke out on Leah’s forehead. She opened the car door to let in fresh air. She recalled that conversation and the sacrifices that followed with startling clarity. At the time, she hadn’t realized that economizing would mean her mother would never buy another new pair of shoes or dress again. Everything came from Goodwill, and even those purchases were made at the border of absolute need.

  A sliver of her father’s determination lodged itself in Leah alongside the familiar embarrassment that came from second-hand clothing and used shoes. She wasn’t sure how she would manage it, but someday, she would pay back her parents for every sacrifice they’d made. And she could start by taking as little money from them as possible in the here and now. If she lived as frugally as her parents taught her, she’d be able to put most of her paycheck aside to help pay for medical school when the time came. Trev Michaels was very generous with the pay he offered, and he’d agreed to Leah’s request for gas money.

  A smile played on Leah’s lips as thoughts of Trev once again lifted her mood.

  Her phone rang and Leah’s heart skipped a quick beat. Was it Trev? Her sister’s name flashed on the screen and there was a pinprick of disappointment. She dismissed it. Telling Paige about her new job was almost as exciting as talking to Trev.

  Leah wiped her brow and stepped out of the car. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Leah. What do you say we meet for something to eat? Jonathan is home early, and he’s playing with the kids in the backyard. I’ve got a free couple of hours. What do you say?”

  Leah agreed. “I’d love to get together. I’ve just pulled into the apartment complex, so I can meet you anywhere. What sounds good?”

  They settled on Brews, the small coffee shop below the dance studio, before they both hung up. Turning the ignition, Leah backed out of her parking stall and hurried to meet her sister.

  Grabbing her muffin and iced mocha, Leah settled into the corner table where Paige was already seated. Her sister laughed as Leah got comfortable in her chair. “I was so surprised to see Jonathan home early that I didn’t know how to behave. He took the boys into the kiddie pool and told me to see if I could find you for a quick bite.” She took a sip of her coffee.

  “I’m glad this worked out.” Leah bit into her muffin.

  “Yeah, me too. I’m dying to hear about your job interview. How did it go?”

  Leah wiped her mouth with her napkin, anxious to tell her sister the good news. “I got the job, so it must’ve gone well.”

  “What’s it like up there, at The Cove?”

  Leah made a face. “Their security guard is surly. He acts like he’s guarding the pearly gates.” Her expression softened. “Most of the homes are tucked away from the road, so I didn’t see much. Trev’s home isn’t any exception, but it’s beautiful. Huge open foyer with warm beige marble that lead into a huge great room with high ceilings. mahogany floors, and windows that take one whole wall overlooking the lake. The kitchen is massive, but the whole room lends itself to kind of a casual sophistication. I didn’t see much else.”

  “What’s he like?”

  “Who? Trev Michaels?” Saying his name outside of his home gave Leah a little shiver.

  “Yeah. What’s he like?”

  The earlier attraction overcame Leah. “I can’t say quite yet. He seems friendly enough, and his parents are the same. He’s a gentleman. He walked me to my car, opened doors for me. That sort of thing.” A small thrill tingled down her spine as she recalled the memory. She distanced herself from the thought. “I haven’t met his sister, Allison, yet.”

  Paige took a sip of her coffee. “That’s rare. I guess chivalry hasn’t completely died.” She lowered her cup and looked into it. “I have a confession to make. I did a thirty second search of him online.” She returned her gaze back to Leah. “I learned that he’s a real estate mogul. He and his family have properties here in the states and in England. They practically own a strip mall in every town across America, plus a couple of nice high-end hotels in London. They also own vast swaths of undeveloped land in Washington State, which must be worth a pretty penny. I also learned his parents were in a car accident. It was pretty bad. The car looked like a piece of crumpled tinfoil, and it was a Mercedes. That’s some serious damage.”

  Leah stayed noncommittal. “Yeah. He mentioned that.”

  Paige raised her eyebrows. “He’s single, you know. And he’s easy on the eyes. Is he as good-looking in person as he is on the screen?”

  “Every bit.” The warm attraction turned into a pulsing heat. Leah wanted to fan herself with her napkin, but stopped. Paige would read that behavior in a nanosecond. She tightened her grip around her iced mocha.

  Her sister leaned across the table with conspiring glee. “Maybe this will turn into something more than a job, eh?” She wiggled her eyebrows. Leah took a long swig of her iced mocha to cover the growing fever rising in her chest. “Or maybe this will be a great job that will give me the opportunity to save money for school.”

  Paige flopped back in her chair. “C’mon, Leah. You need to have some fun, and Trev looks like a man who can deliver a bit of fun.”

  Leah nipped the bud of possibility that sprouted, giving her sister a sardonic smile. “I tried fun once, remember?”

  Her sister shook her head. “Justin wasn’t exactly fun. I’d describe Justin as …” She searched for the right word. “Intense.” Paige pursed her lips for a moment. “Kind of like you sometimes.” She sat up. “Justin doesn’t count, okay?”

  Leah agreed. The less said about Justin, the better, but she needed to make one thing clear. “Dad and Mom never knew about Justin, and they wouldn’t be pleased if they learned I’d been seeing someone. You’re the only one I told. You know how Dad feels about my schooling. It’s not the first priority; it’s the only priority.”

  Paige looked heavenward. “As you constantly remind me. I haven’t said a word to our parents about Justin, and now it was too long ago for anybody to care. Besides, everyone in the family knows you’re destined for doctorhood. You even got a car out of the deal.” She shook her head. “Look, Leah, Dad is never going to like it when you start dating, but you can’t live your life by Dad’s priorities.” She changed directions. “Speaking of Mom and Dad, when I talked with them earlier today, they said they hadn’t heard from you in weeks.”

  Leah squirmed in guilty discomfort. “I’ve been busy finishing up school, moving to Eureka Spring from Fayetteville, and finding a job.”

  “Sure, but would it hurt to send them a text every now and then? That’s not asking for much, is it?”

  Leah dodged the question. “They wanted me to move home, you know.” She took a sip of her mocha, her eyes still fastened on Paige, gauging her sister’s reaction.

  “It makes good financial sense,” Paige said noncommittally.

  “Right, but it doesn’t make for good sanity. They’d want to dictate my every move, and I want my own space.”

  Paige shrugged. “I can understand that. It gives you some freedom
to date … maybe.” She grinned.

  Leah’s shoulders sagged in resignation. “In all truth, Paige, I’d love to make time for the dating. It’s the heartache I can’t handle right now, and dating my boss, as you suggest, isn’t exactly a great decision. It sounds more like employment suicide.” Her own words put a chill on the chemistry she felt for Trev.

  Paige laughed. “This job is temporary.”

  The thought saddened Leah just a little, but she fended off her melancholy by laughing. “Thanks for the reminder. It’ll keep me out of trouble.”

  Paige gave her an affectionate grin. “You’re impossible, you know?” She raised her cup. “But in a good way.”

  Leah returned her sister’s cheer. “Tell me about Jonathan and the boys.”

  Paige’s face lit up as she talked about her family, creating wistfulness in Leah. What would it be like to marry and give birth to a set of adorable twin boys? She brushed off the thought. The nesting instinct caught up with her every once in a while, but she tried to ignore its strong pull for a family of her own.

  Paige continued, “It’s not perfect. I mean, one kid or the other was sick during the winter, and Jonathan worked a lot of overtime, but when we’re all together and goofing around, there’s nothing like it.” She gave Leah a huge smile before checking her phone. “Oh, I gotta go,” she said. “I need to make a grocery run before I head home.”

  Leah stood with Paige and they made their way to the parking lot across the street, where they quickly embraced. “Tell Jonathan hello, and give my nephews a hug,” Leah said.

  “I sure will,” Paige said.

  Leah watched her go. Her sister’s mind was already miles away, mentally creating a list for shopping. Leah sighed. The earlier wistful desire for her own family whispered within, but Leah shook it away. There was no room for that wish in her future. Turning from the retreating form of her sister, Leah settled in the VW and made her way back to her apartment, where she threw together a salad and ate in front of the TV, but her mind didn’t focus on the news. Instead, her thoughts traveled over her interview with Trev and Paige’s encouragement to see him as a prospective dating partner.

  Trev Michaels. For all of his money and accumulation of things, something wasn’t right. Something Leah hadn’t shared with her sister. She recalled the way he’d jerked from her when she’d lightly touched his hand and his dread around the mention of Desiree. His reaction was so strong, the hot fear of it almost seared Leah.

  But there was more, and it didn’t have anything to do with Trev and everything to do with her family. It was the one thing she and Paige never addressed. A shiver ran through Leah in spite of the warm spring day as she considered the scarcity that was a part of their upbringing. No one in her family ever talked about it, but it’d shadowed Leah, haunting her every relationship. And after Justin, Leah shied away from any sort of companionship, especially from men. That included Trev Michaels. Determination set in. Leah would never share anything romantic with Trev. No matter how courteously he behaved, their relationship stood on ground already delineated by rules not of her making. Leah was an employee. Nothing more.

  As long as she kept that reminder close and her distance from Trev, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep the budding attraction at bay. Loss settled in the general area of her heart, but Leah brushed it off. How could she miss Trev? She didn’t even know him.

  She thought back to her sister and the dream that sometimes popped up when Leah was in Paige’s company along with the pesky nesting instinct. Longing overcame her. She pursed her lips in determined frustration.

  Turning off the television, she rose from the couch and deposited the salad plate with a satisfying clatter in the sink. There wasn’t any time for daydreaming. She needed to begin putting together a plan and contract for the Michaels family. The challenge galvanized her, giving her relief as the separation grew wide between her present task and any thoughts about married life, babies, or men, including Trev.

  Chapter 4

  Later, that same evening, Trev stood on the back deck overlooking the lake as the sun dipped into the horizon. Like every night at this time, he stood against the railing and took in the view, searching for peace in the diminishing day. But the comfort he sought danced on the edge of his thoughts, never quite making an entrance.

  Josie was in the kitchen, starting dinner; the sound of her working the pots and pans complemented the smell of fried chicken wafting from the house. That would make his father happy. Ever since moving to the South, his dad hadn’t been able to get enough of Josie’s fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy.

  A sigh escaped Trev as he looked down at the boat dock. Water sloshed against the wood but its rhythm didn’t soothe Trev. The dock stood empty now since he’d sold Serenity, his lake boat; the name of it filled him with irony and a familiar chill. Even now, almost a year later, the sharp vision of the Serenity floating empty toward open water filled him with grasping panic.

  The boat was the first thing he’d noticed on that dreadful afternoon as he’d scanned the water from this very spot on his deck; a screaming and frenzied alarm had risen from a guttural truth as he’d searched for Desiree anywhere on the boat.

  He didn’t want to remember what happened next, but it came to him anyway: the picture of her bright red sundress billowing above the water line. He’d torn from the house, diving headlong into the water, and pulled her back to shore, every muscle in him aching with effort and fear. His heart had slammed against his ribs in horror, the echo of his voice yelling for someone to call 911. An ambulance had shown up in record time, but Trev’s clumsy attempts at CPR and the EMT’s more sophisticated equipment had done nothing to pump life back into the girl he’d one day thought he’d marry.

  Trev ran his hand over his eyes, his heart pumping against his ribs as he tried to erase the memory but it refused to budge. Everything about Desiree was as vivid and clear as the present sunset, including their life before coming to Eureka Springs.

  He and Desiree had met in one of the swankiest bars in Seattle. She’d taken his breath away with her long shapely legs, short skirt and dazzling smile. Until his parents’ accident, their lives had revolved around parties and good times. With her job in fashion, Desiree had known all the right people and how to present herself. They’d become the toast of society. But his parents’ accident hadn’t just totaled the Mercedes they’d been driving; life as he knew it had also crashed.

  His parents’ priorities had changed overnight, and with it, Trev’s options had narrowed. He’d needed to take on more responsibility. He could no longer party until dawn or fly to the Hawaiian Islands or Aspen on a spontaneous lark.

  The American side of the business had become his to run. His parents had wanted to leave Seattle and come home to their Southern roots, and Trev needed to be with them. His folks, still shaky from the car accident, required help with almost everything.

  Desiree had been vocal about her hesitancy to move to Nowhere, Arkansas. But she’d rallied her courage and her love for Trev and promised to make the most of the change while Trev assured her the move was temporary. Once his folks were settled, he and Desiree could move back to Seattle. But a few months turned into a year, and Trev had surprised himself in his growing love for the slower pace and friendly people of the Ozarks. For him, the move back to Seattle began to feel as foreign as a move to Mars. With the light of his desire for his previous life and the city that promoted it dimming, the love Trev and Desiree had shared sputtered like a candle in a hurricane.

  The conversation to end their engagement had been surprisingly short, and Desiree had taken Trev’s decision with austere calm that had astonished him.

  “Is there someone else?” Desiree asked.

  Trev shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just … I don’t know, Desi, I just don’t feel ready for marriage.” The words sounded flat as their untruth echoed in his head. Hopefully, Desiree wouldn’t hear the lie.

  “Maybe you
just don’t want to marry me.”

  Inwardly, Trev flinched. There it was. Trev had grown tired of the farce that masqueraded as their relationship. For most of their year in Arkansas, they’d lived very different lives where Desiree struggled against the tight restraints of home and small-town life while Trev embraced the changes. “Let’s just say we’re not the best match,” Trev said gently. “Do you understand?”

  Desiree gave him a smile, as if relieved. “Of course, I do.” She hesitated. “Do you mind if I keep the ring?”

  “Not at all. And don’t feel in a hurry to leave. You can job and house hunt from here so you’ll be able to have everything set up before you go. When you’re ready, you can pack your things, and I’ll have the jet fly you back to Seattle at your convenience.”

  A trace of sadness passed through Desiree’s eyes. “It’ll be difficult to re-enter the fashion scene after such a long absence.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Trev replied. “You’ve got friends. Maybe you can have your old job back as assistant editor at the magazine?” It was a long shot, but saying the words made Trev feel better.

  Desiree brushed away a tear, saying nothing. Trev wasn’t sure if she was crying over their failed engagement or her loss of connection in the fashion industry and her friends at the magazine Coastal Fashion. Either way, he was sorry.

  “Would you like Allison to come with you to Seattle? It might be nice to have someone to lean on during those first few weeks, and maybe she can help with the fashion aspect of things. I know she’s more of a beginner, but it might be nice to bounce things off of someone who understands the work.”

  Desiree shook her head, and a hollowed look came over her face—a look that Trev had never before seen. “No.”

  Trev waited for an explanation, but none came. Maybe Desiree was right. She’d need to get settled into a new place and start a new job. “Is there anything else?” Trev asked. Desiree shook her head with a small smile, and Trev stood to leave.