Carefully, she gauged everyone’s reaction. No one appeared troubled by what she had explained. Everyone but Allison handed in their signed forms, and she tucked them into her bag. “I’d like your thoughts and opinions. Do you have any concerns? Does this program fit your personal goals? Is there anything you’d like to change or something I’ve missed or that you’d like to see more of?”
Allison piped up. “You know I’m working on my vlogging business. I’ve called it ‘Net Haul,’ so don’t count on me for any of this stuff.”
“We’ll keep that in mind, dear.” Rebecca patted Allison’s hand, and Allison offered her mother a softer look for all of three seconds.
Paul’s mouth turned into a thin line at his daughter’s declaration, but he said nothing.
Leah hurried on. “And remember, this is all open to any changes we need to make as we go along. This is simply a loose outline.”
“When do we start?” Paul asked.
Paul’s enthusiasm heightened Leah’s eagerness, helping her forget about Trev’s presence for a quick minute. “Right now. You’ve mentioned that you’re comfortable showering without help, so I’m going to ask you each to shower and change into clean clothes. Then, we’ll take a short walk in the garden.”
“I’d rather walk first and shower later,” Paul said.
“Okay,” Leah replied. “Let’s do it that way. Rebecca are you up to a walk?”
Rebecca hesitated. “Yes, I’d love a walk, but Paul, you’ve got to promise me you’ll use your walker.”
“I’m not bringing that dang thing,” Paul snapped. “It gets in the way.”
Allison looked heavenward and shook her head with contempt while a look of helplessness came over Trev. Leah felt Trev’s eyes on her.
It was time to problem-solve. This was part of the reason Trev had hired her. “How about this?” Leah began. “Why don’t we start with the walker, and we can see how it goes. My hope is that you won’t need it, but it’s better to start out with it and not need it than need it and not have it.”
Leah felt Trev holding his breath. Her confidence didn’t waver. If Paul didn’t go for this, she’d make sure he was flanked by her and another individual.
Paul conceded. “All right,” he said. “But only for the first little while. Then I’m chucking that thing in the lake.”
“That’s a good goal.” Leah smiled. “Let’s get started.” She stood. Everyone followed her lead and rose from the table. Allison hurried out of the room, her heels clicking against the tiles; the contract and plan Leah had offered was left on the table. Leah waited behind with Trev for Rebecca and Paul as Paul negotiated the walker down the hall. She studied them for a long minute, trying to give herself time to figure out how she felt about being alone with Trev. Best to keep it professional.
She reached across the table, grabbing for the papers Allison had left. She flipped through the pages. At least she’d signed the contract. Leah hurriedly stuffed them into her bag while Trev’s quiet presence became harder to ignore, as did the enjoyment of simply being in his company. The desire to sit in this beautiful room and spend time alone with him overcame Leah.
She recalled her earlier debacle in front of his family just an hour ago. The recent memory shut down any flourishing attraction. She shouldered her bag and gave him a competent and efficient smile as she made her way toward the exit.
Trev came beside her, his presence bringing her to a full stop. Once again, she found herself swimming in his lake-blue eyes. If this happened often, Leah needed to find a way to resist Trev’s attractive gentleness and the growing bond between them, or she’d come undone. She stood still, afraid to blink.
“I see what you did,” he murmured, his voice full of an emotion Leah couldn’t name, but it still pulled at her, in spite of her eagerness for professionalism.
Trev continued, “You joined my father in his desire to be without his walker. You made him feel understood before prompting him to consider safety without making it personal.”
Leah resisted every yearning that came with Trev’s blue eyes locked into hers. She steadied her gaze, remembering her reason for being in the Michaels home. “Most people ignore the elderly,” she began softly, “when all they want is what every generation wants. To be seen and heard.” She smiled before sliding her eyes from his and moving away.
Trev placed his hand on her forearm, his roughened palm tender and warm against her skin. Alarm rose in Leah, and she stood motionless. After his retreat from her touch just twenty-four hours ago, his effort held some kind of meaning. The morning breeze fluttered around her, kissing her face with its sweet current as she looked back up into Trev’s eyes, his expression soft and appreciative.
“Thank you for understanding.” His voice was low and tender.
Leah’s professionalism dissipated in Trev’s satiating presence. Being close to him filled her with an unknown hunger she barely acknowledged, much less understood, but it still held her spellbound and rooted to her spot. She fought the desire to breathe deep his masculine scent of sandalwood that traveled to her on some unseen thread, pulling her toward him. She inched closer, her mouth dry as cotton. “Of course,” she rasped.
The clanking of a mop and bucket cut through her emotions, and she backed away as the sound of Marguerite lumbering down the hall brought her to her senses. She fixed her smile, infusing it with a look of expertise, but she didn’t feel like an expert. Instead, the proficiency she relied for strength drained from her, leaving in its place shaky vulnerability coupled with yearning to explore everything she was feeling with Trev. She touched her throat. What would happen if she gave in to this uncertainty? Would it give her access to the unnamed emotions that lived behind Trev’s blue eyes?
Chapter 6
Later that night, Leah lay in bed. The sheets were comfortable against her skin, but she still couldn’t sleep. Her earlier jitters from her few minutes with Trev lingered just below the surface, mingling with the ache of old betrayals associated with Justin and men with money.
She didn’t want to think about Justin, but the memory was stubborn. It clung to her like a dusty web, creating nothing but cloying misery, adding to her confusion. Or maybe it offered something more. What had happened between the two of them needed to remind her that if a man like Justin could use her, a man she’d known for almost a year, Trev was capable of the same misdeed.
She sat up in bed and turned on the lamp. Everything about her screamed poor. Her Goodwill clothes, her second and third-hand furniture, and even her long blond hair was a result of not having money. She couldn’t even afford a haircut. Leah was determined to change that scenario.
After her high school talk with her father, Leah’s goals had changed. She’d no longer cared about extracurricular activities. There wasn’t any time for dances, football games, or preening in the girl’s bathroom. She’d focused on her grades, and the reward had come in the form of acceptance to the nursing school of University of Arkansas with a partial scholarship. In her junior year of college, a man had finally broken through her defenses of homework and grades. Justin, a senior in the same nursing program, had found a way into her heart through the simple but courageous act of sharing his sandwich on a day when Leah was famished.
After that, they’d been inseparable. Their relationship had been a marvel to Leah. Justin had brought her into his group of friends. They’d studied together, and since he’d been a year ahead of her, he’d helped her through some of her toughest courses.
Justin came from money, but he’d never flaunted it or even spoke of it. He’d lived in a nice place, drove a decent car, but he didn’t stand out financially. Nothing made him look rich. With gentle coaxing, Leah had eventually fallen in love with him. The magic and mystery had changed her from a girl into a grown woman, and she’d given her whole heart to Justin. She’d even dared tell her sister, Paige, in breathless secrets filled with whimsical hope in spite of the one sticking point that nettled her.
&nbs
p; Leah had asked to meet Justin’s parents, but he’d always slid through that request with some excuse. Until the night of his graduation party.
Leah was beside herself with joyful anticipation on the day Justin casually asked if she’d be free to attend. Finally! Leah would meet Justin’s parents, and she’d be brought into a family that inspired pride instead of embarrassment.
For days afterward, Leah’s thoughts had churned on what to wear and how to present herself to Justin’s family. On the night of the party, she’d dressed in her best yellow sun skirt and white blouse and applied her makeup carefully. She’d brushed her long hair into a barrette where it cascaded down her back in loose curls. She’d even splurged on a new pair of sandals.
Shifting her VW down, Leah slowed the car as she drove the neighborhood of Savannah Estates, an eerie anxiety overcoming her. It wasn’t any secret that Justin came from money, but he’d never told Leah how much money, and apparently, it was a lot. Perfect and spacious green lawns with manicured leafy trees invited guests to large homes with ample front porches. Inching through the streets, Leah tried not to think of her old VW parked besides luxury sedans in Justin’s driveway. She didn’t have time to consider any of that anyway. Her GPS told her she’d arrived at her destination.
She knitted her brows and double-checked the GPS. Yep. This was the place, so why weren’t there any cars parked in the drive? Pulling off the street, her gaze swept across the flawless front yard. In front of her stood a large Georgian estate with grand stairs leading to an expansive front porch and massive double doors of glass and wood. Leah wondered if she’d need a secret password to get past that stalwart entrance. She giggled at the thought. Justin was her secret password to a whole new world.
The easy laugh on Leah’s lips vanished and her heart beat up into her throat as she stepped out of the car. Faint voices from the backyard drifted toward her. She couldn’t determine what was being said, but smatterings of music floated toward her on the sweet sultry evening breeze. She checked her phone. Seven o’clock. Exactly on time, according to when Justin had asked her to appear. She closed the door of her car. Well! This was it. Probably the most important introduction of her life.
She swallowed hard, her nerves in a knot settling in her stomach like a heavy stone. Licking her dry lips, she willed her weakened legs to work as she propelled herself up the stairs to the giant, gorgeous, imposing, impenetrable doors. She rang the bell. No one answered. Should she just go around the back? Feeling small against the backdrop of the house, she wiped her sweaty palms against her skirt.
She rang again. The door opened, and a maid stood in front of her, followed by a stern, tall, fair, dark-haired, slender woman in a red sheath. This must be Justin’s mother. Everything about her exuded elegance.
Leah smoothed her blouse and skirt but didn’t have time to introduce herself.
Waving her hand toward Leah’s vehicle, Justin’s mother shouldered the maid out of the way. “Don’t park there,” she hissed. “Move the car around back to the service entrance.” She took in Leah’s dress with a slight sneer. “I hope you brought a change of clothes. We don’t want any of your people to stand out. The rest of the crew is wearing black pants and white blouses.”
The maid bowed her head and scurried away.
Leah stared, a mix of mortification and surprise riding on the earlier dread. “Oh, no. I’m—”
Justin came from behind his mother and, maneuvering around her, came to Leah’s side. He was dressed in expensive creased shorts with a forest-green polo shirt and loafers without socks.
Nervous energy sloshed in Leah, making her feel as if she were drowning in her own anxiety. She desperately wanted to hide in order to rid herself of this woman’s stony cold gaze and her own growing confusion.
The comfort she expected with Justin by her side refused to materialize. Something besides an introduction was happening. She sensed it in Justin’s tight body as he pulled her close. He jutted out his jaw and narrowed his eyes while his mother’s stern look turned to flint. This was not a meet and greet. This was family combat, and for reasons Leah couldn’t comprehend, she was caught in the crossfire.
“Mom, this is Leah.”
Leah wanted to smile, to offer a good impression, but her own angst wouldn’t allow it. She gulped.
Justin continued, “And we’re getting engaged.”
Leah’s eyes grew large as stupefied alarm rushed through her like a flash flood overriding every other emotion. What was going on? She switched her attention from the woman’s shocked face to her own disbelief. She stepped away from Justin, trying to take in this man she thought she knew. “We haven’t talked about any engagement,” she blurted out.
The woman’s shoulders slumped in relief, a softer look coming into her eyes. “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” she breathed out. She turned to Leah, her eyes still hard. “I had no idea Justin was even seeing someone who …”
Justin’s arm tightened around Leah. “What, Mom? You had no idea I could date someone who isn’t in our tax bracket?”
The scent of Justin’s sweat wafted around Leah, heavy and pungent. A small rivulet ran down his temple. In the nine months Leah had known Justin, she’d never seen him sweat like this while standing stock-still, muscles tense as if he would spring at anything that moved.
His mother drew in a long breath. Her voice slowed and sweetened, but her tone didn’t move into her face. “You never told us you were dating at all, much less this little—.” She appraised Leah with quick scoff of contempt. She changed course. “It’s a bit of a shock, Justin. Surely, you can see how awkward this makes everything.” Her word turned to a harsh whisper as she threw a look over her own shoulder at the maid, who stood several paces behind Justin’s mother. “We’ve invited Laurie Morgan’s family. How do you think that’s going to look?”
Leah took a step back as her incredulity deepened. Who was Laurie Morgan? It was becoming obvious that Justin hadn’t even told his family about her. Was he ashamed?
Whatever murky misunderstanding stood between Justin and his mother, she was not going to be discussed as if she were a punching bag on which mother and son could spar. Leah rooted herself and faced Justin’s mother. “Mrs. Stanley, Justin, can someone please explain what’s going on?”
Justin moved with Leah, but she found no relief in his stiff presence.
Mrs. Stanley threw her an impatient look. “I don’t feel the need to answer to you.”
“But you should want to answer to me, Mom. I have no interest in Laurie Morgan.”
“Oh, Justin, you know you do these things just to irritate me.” Justin’s mother reached for him. “Come now, we need to keep things on schedule if we want to get this party started on time.”
Justin clung to Leah but said nothing, and whatever opacity that had dimmed Leah’s vision of the events dissipated. This wasn’t about her and Justin’s relationship. Justin wanted to make a point, and Leah was the tip of his spear. She and Justin had sat in the same social justice class in school, and this scene was playing out like a bad vignette from one of their textbooks: the rich defending their poor friends, the rich using the poor …
Her love for Justin crumpled in unfamiliar but welcoming flames that seared something into her soul running much deeper than anything she and Justin shared. “Mrs. Stanley, I’m a nursing student. That’s how Justin and I met. I’m on track to make it to medical school. We’ve been dating nine months.” She caught a flicker of a smile from the maid standing behind Justin’s mother.
“I don’t care about any of that.” Justin’s mother waved Leah off the porch as if she were swatting at a fly.
Leah’s mouth fell open. How could Justin’s mother not see the merit in her plans to become a doctor when it was Leah’s ticket to the very life Justin’s mother was living?
Fury overcame her shock. She would not stay where she wasn’t welcome. Breaking free from Justin, she let sweet air rush where his perspiration had met her skin amid
his clutching arms. Retreating, she made her way down the brick steps.
Justin followed her, “Leah!”
Her pace quickened, but he caught her arm as she reached her car. When she turned to face him, she looked into the eyes of a man she didn’t know, had never known.
“I’m sorry for how my mother …” His jaw tightened. “I can’t believe she’d treat you that way. She can be so … so thoughtless, and, well … she’s a classist.” He bowed his head.
The fire that was kindled just minutes ago glowed white hot, mixing with the shame over the need to even have this conversation. “And you thought you’d bring home a little sweetie from the other side of the tracks to change her mind. Is that it?”
Justin leapt back as if burned. “No. It’s nothing like that.”
“Are you sure, Justin? Because let me tell you how this looks to me,” Leah began, her words pushed by a hurricane of anger and an even deeper hurt. “I’ve wanted to meet your parents for months now, but you choose the night of your graduation party, for which you tell me to be here early—I’m guessing about the time the caterers show up. When your mother confronts me, you hop to my defense in hopes of showing your mom what an ogre she is, while displaying for me your solid defense of someone different from you. Then, you spring on both your mother and me an engagement so that you can give her one last poke while expecting me to be grateful for the honor of your proposal, because I should be completely bowled over by all of this.” She hissed the last of her words, sweeping her hand toward the house and grounds.
Justin’s mouth fell open. “It’s not that at all.”
Leah folded her arms tightly across her chest. “Then tell me how it is.” She hoped for an explanation she hadn’t considered. More than anything, she wished for Justin to redeem himself so she could keep on loving the man she thought she knew.
Justin shook his head. “I should be able to love who I want, and my parents just need to accept my choices.”
The Billionaire's Family Secret (Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Book 15) Page 5
