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

by Danni Lee Nicholls

  Trev wondered how her move home was going. Would she accept his monetary gift to help with her schooling? Every day that he didn’t hear from her was an exquisite mix of optimism and fear. Obviously, she was taking his offer seriously, and with each passing day, a rogue hope grew that perhaps she’d be willing to consider the other piece of his offer: his heart. But with time, he worried that the distance and silence between them would snip at the tenuous threads that kept them bound.

  He checked the date on the bottom of his computer for the hundredth time. Today was the thirty-day deadline. Anticipation and anxiety made him jittery. He’d be hearing from Leah today, and as happy as that made him, he worried it would be their last correspondence. He couldn’t worry about that right now. Knitting his brow, he refocused on the screen.

  A knock on the door interrupted his effort. “Come in,” he said.

  Allison opened the door and walked in, softly closing it behind her. “Do you have a minute?”

  Trev shrank his screen and put Leah out of his thoughts. “Sure. What’s up? Are Mom and Dad okay?”

  Allison sat down opposite of Trev. “They’re fine. They’re down in the garden with Lori.”

  Trev nodded.

  Allison continued, “I’ve noticed how they’ve kept to the same schedule Leah created for them.”

  The sound of Leah’s name coming from his sister brought his lonely grief to the surface, but he didn’t let it show. “Yeah. I think it worked out well.”

  “They miss her,” Allison said. “In spite of everything that’s happened, they still miss her.” Allison shifted in her seat.

  Trev agreed, growing wary. Where was Allison going with this? “I think they do.”

  “You miss her, too,” Allison stated.

  Trev sat back in his chair. He steepled his hands and looked away from Allison. “You can tell?”

  “Yeah. Mom and Dad have mentioned it to me, too.”

  Trev raised his eyebrows in surprise. “And here I thought I was doing such a good job keeping that to myself.”

  Allison tilted her head. “I thought we weren’t going to have any more secrets between us.”

  “I don’t think telling everyone how much I miss Leah is sharing a secret. It’s more like whining about something that’s mine alone to carry.” He wanted to change the subject. As much as he loved bringing Leah into the present tense, her absence hurt. “Besides, you don’t exactly do a tell-all about your therapy sessions.”

  Allison smiled. “Touché.” She grew serious. “I’m sorry for how I treated her.”

  Trev proceeded cautiously. “I know the two of you didn’t get along.”

  “She didn’t tell you about our conversation?”

  Alarmed, Trev leaned forward. “No.”

  “Well, then, maybe I should.” She took a deep breath. “I saw you with her one night down by the boat dock. I watched you kiss her and give her Desiree’s ring.”

  Trev stared at his sister with heightened attention but said nothing. He tried to recall some of Leah’s last words. What had she said? Something about never being his equal.

  Allison continued, “And it made me mad, Trev. I became so angry. I couldn’t believe you’d move on from Desiree when I still missed the only woman I’d considered a sister. It shocked me to think you’d give someone Desiree’s ring or even fall in love again. I was furious. I was mad at Desiree for dying. I was mad at you for falling in love with Leah. I was angry with Mom and Dad for making us move here and keeping me from school. Something blew up in me as I watched the two of you, and I focused all of my anger on Leah.”

  Trev didn’t know what to say or what to feel. “Allison, I didn’t know …”

  His sister looked away for a moment before returning her gaze back to Trev. “It was my secret. I’ve since realized that I hid most of it even from myself, although that’s no excuse. I’m not proud of what I did.”

  Raw anger, urgent and forceful, tightened in Trev’s stomach. He placed his elbows on his desk, practically coming out of his chair. “What did you do?”

  Allison glanced at him before looking at her hands in her lap. “One day, while you were away, I had a talk with Leah. I told her that you’d never marry someone like her, that you’d marry someone who was your equal. I reminded her that she was nothing more than our parents’ caregiver, and that you’d always love Desiree, and you’d never fall in love with someone like her.”

  Trev was speechless as he recalled how he’d treated Leah like an employee as she’d tried to tell him about Allison’s abuse. That must’ve cut deeply after Allison’s words. Between him and his sister, they’d given Leah a one-two punch. He’d tried to apologize for his part, but he didn’t have all the necessary pieces. With Allison’s confession, everything fit. Leah’s reticence to rekindle their relationship made perfect sense.

  Trev tightened his jaw. “I love her, Allison. And she loves me. We’ve told each other as much.” Trev’s voice was sharp with rage.

  Allison’s eyes filled with tears as she met Trev’s hot stare. “I know that now. I see how you’re not complete without her, and how much you miss her. I even see it in Mom and Dad. I’m so sorry, Trev.”

  “Why are you telling me this now? What’s the point?” His eyes bored into hers.

  Allison looked away. “In therapy, I’ve come to realize what I’ve done and how much misery my actions have caused everyone, even myself.”

  “Look at me, Allison.”

  Allison met her brother’s eyes.

  Trev held Allison’s gaze with his own icy stare. “And what are you going to do about all of this? Because I can only fix it so far.”

  Allison nodded. “I’d like to talk with Leah. I need to apologize for what I’ve done. I don’t know what the outcome, but I want to do my best to make this right.”

  Trev let out a pent-up breath. “How do you plan to do that?”

  “I’m not sure. I thought of calling her, but I doubt she’d take the call, and I don’t want to leave an apology in a voicemail. That’s kind of chickenhearted, and she’d catch on to that quick.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Trev agreed.

  “I want to see her. Do you know where she lives?”

  “Not anymore. She’s moved back home, and I don’t know where that is.” He leaned back and opened a desk drawer. “But I know someone who does.” Eagerly, he riffled through some papers. Maybe there was still hope for all of them. “On her application, she gave her sister’s number as an emergency contact.” He wrote Paige’s phone number on a piece of note paper and handed it to Allison. “I don’t know what kind of response you’ll get, but please promise me that you’ll try.” Desperate urgency laced his words.

  “I promise. I’m out of my depth with this, but I’ll do my best.” She stood to leave.

  Trev hated the uncertainty that faced Allison and his own hope. But he couldn’t help his tentative optimism. “Will you tell me what happens?”

  Allison smiled. “Every word, unless Leah asks me not to share it with you.” She stopped. “No. I’m not playing the secrets game any longer. I’ll tell Leah that I’ll be sharing our conversation with you, so she knows from the beginning that you and I are talking.”

  Trev sat back in his seat, relief weakening him. “Yes. That’s a good choice. Thanks.”

  Several minutes later, Allison’s Audi TT purred out of the driveway. Trev stood at the window to watch his sister leave. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually driven anywhere, but now a fresh and bright desire of his rode with her. He turned away from the window. For Allison, he wished full redemption. For himself, he held on to an outside hope that Leah would return to him.

  Chapter 32

  Leah chopped the carrots with ferocity as Paige spoke over the speakerphone. “She said she needed to see you, that she owed you an apology, so I told her where to find you.”

  Leah’s anger grew into a fury as the knife sliced through the carrot, making a thwacking sound ag
ainst the cutting board. “You didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did.” Paige’s voice took on a defensive tone. “Allison Michaels called here asking for you, and I told her where you are.”

  “You had no right to do that, Paige. How could you?” The carrot lay in round pieces.

  “Why not?” Paige stopped talking. “Wait. Are you cutting something with a knife?”

  “Vegetables,” Leah pinched out.

  “Put that down,” Paige demanded. “I can tell you’re mad, and you shouldn’t be chopping vegetables.”

  Leah quickened her work. “And you shouldn’t be handing out the family address to anyone who asks.”

  “It’s not just anyone. It’s Trev’s sister. What happened between the two of you, anyway? She told me she needed to apologize to you for something she’d done, and she didn’t want to do it over the phone. Plus, she was worried that if you knew she was trying to find you, you might avoid her.”

  Rage snapped in Leah like cut electrical wires. She brushed the carrot into the pot before grabbing a bunch of celery. “She’s got that right. This whole thing has been hard enough without Allison showing up on the scene. I was just starting to feel better about breaking up with Trev.”

  “Which I still don’t understand. Does it have something to do with his sister?”

  “Yeah. It does.” She yanked the celery apart and began chopping with the same wrath. “And now you’ve told Miss Snob where we live. I can’t believe this is happening. If she makes one condescending remark about anything around here, I’m sending her packing, and you and I are going to have a serious talk about boundaries.”

  “She didn’t sound snobbish on the phone.”

  “Lucky you.” Leah’s tone was sarcastic. She put down the knife. “I’ve got to go. Maybe I can get out of here before she comes to the house.” She pushed the celery into the pot. “Really, Paige, if anything like this happens again, you need to check before sending someone to see me.”

  “I’m sorry, Leah. I didn’t think of it like that. She said she needed to talk to you and offer an apology. She’s Trev’s sister, and I guess I still hold out hope that the two of you can work this thing out.”

  A fragile wish tried to rise in Leah, but she squashed it flat. “That’s not going to happen.” Paige began to talk, but Leah stopped hearing her sister as a car pulled in the drive behind her yellow VW. “She’s here. I’ve got to go.”

  She clicked off the phone and peeked from around the kitchen out the front window. Sure enough, Allison Michaels was unfolding herself from a flashy red Audi TT. Leah mumbled under her breath. Instead of bawling out Paige, she should’ve moved her own car down the block. With the VW in the driveway, it was obvious Leah was home. Frustration made Leah’s ears ring. Paige had no business giving this woman her address. And Allison had a lot of guts showing up here unannounced.

  Leah wiped her hands on her apron and squinted at Allison, who was standing outside the Audi. She’d taken her sunglasses off and was gazing around the neighborhood.

  “One derogatory comment …” Leah muttered. She looked closer. Allison wasn’t the same young woman she remembered. She wore a pair of cut-offs and sandals topped with a T-shirt. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun that truly looked like she’d thrown in some pins five minutes ago. Gone was the carefully orchestrated look of fashionable disarray, caked makeup, and dangling jewelry. Did the change go deeper than her skin?

  Leah took in Allison’s expression. The smirking sneer Leah remembered was gone along with all pretense. Her eyes were bright and full of some new presence and demeanor. This girl standing in her driveway was pretty, and without all of the cosmetics, she looked soft, approachable, and surprisingly like Trev, with the same lake-blue eyes and perfect nose and cheekbones. Leah dropped her earlier anger as a thousand questions popped up. What had happened to Allison? And Trev? What about Trev? Suddenly, her curiosity propped up a new gratitude. Maybe Allison would tell her how Trev was faring.

  Leah waited for the doorbell to ring before once again wiping her hands on her apron and answering. Leah wanted to gasp as she greeted Allison. Close up and without the trappings of materialism, the young woman looked so much like Trev, it was like getting a glimpse into the soul of a familiar stranger. She dialed back the shock, reminding herself that she needed to keep her wits. “Paige told me you’d called.”

  Allison nodded. “I’m glad she gave you a little heads-up.”

  Leah kept her hand on the doorknob. Did she want to let Allison in? In spite of the changes in Allison and Leah’s mounting desire to hear about Trev, she wasn’t sure how close she wanted to be. “You could’ve called, you know.”

  “I thought about it, but I was afraid you wouldn’t see me or talk to me.” She looked around Leah’s shoulder. “Can I come in? It’s killer hot out here.”

  Leah widened the door. It’d be just as easy to kick her out if it became necessary.

  As Allison walked in, the smell of the lake wafted by Leah, bringing back memories of Trev and The Cove. Bittersweet longing pulled at her.

  Leah closed the door and stood, her arms crossed. Just a week ago, Leah had hoped for a do-over with Allison, and here was her chance. She kept herself aloof. “What brought you here, Allison?”

  Allison took a deep breath. “I came to say I’m sorry for how I treated you. I was awful.”

  Leah’s stiff resolve wouldn’t let Allison off so easy. “Yeah. You were.”

  Allison’s voice tremored. “I’ve learned a lot since then, though. And I have you to thank for it.”

  Leah furrowed her brow, taking in Allison’s fear. It showed in her blue eyes and how she wasn’t quite sure how to stand. Leah tilted her head, softening. Allison was doing a hard thing. “What do you mean?”

  “I know Trev was upset about the APS report. We all were, but it ended up being the best thing that could’ve happened. The report has gone through, and because I’ve chosen to go into therapy, they’ve closed the case. I’m seeing a therapist now, who’s helping me understand why I’m so stuck and angry.” Her shoulders sagged. “And none of it’s your fault, even though I blamed you for everything.”

  Leah blinked as her earlier defenses dropped. “Allison … I don’t know what to say.”

  Allison’s eyes were wide with apprehension and worry. “I hope you’ll forgive me for this.”

  This was not what Leah had expected. Allison’s apology knocked her off course from her earlier stoic determination. She recalled her own apology to her father. Allison’s actions took courage and bravery, and Leah admired her for it. “Of course. Yes. I appreciate you making this effort. It must be difficult.”

  Allison offered a timid smile. “It is, but your willingness to talk to me makes it a little easier.”

  “Do you want to sit down?” Leah asked. She hoped Allison would stay a few minutes so they could talk about Paul and Rebecca, but most of all, Leah wanted to hear about Trev.

  Allison shook her head. “I came unannounced, and I don’t want to keep you.”

  Leah laughed. “I was just killing some vegetables in the kitchen.” She grew serious. “How are your parents?”

  “They’re fine. They miss you. We’ve hired a new caretaker. Her name is Lori. My folks were adamant that they keep to the plan you mapped out for them in June. Lori’s in complete agreement.”

  A twinge of jealousy pinched Leah, but she refused it entry into the conversation. “I’m glad. I love your folks.” She paused. The next question flooded her mouth, and she couldn’t stop the words: “And … how is Trev?”

  Allison cocked her head. “Not the same since you’ve gone.” She stopped. “I should tell you that I’ll be sharing with Trev what we discuss. We’re trying hard not to keep secrets. I think at some point, we’ll be able to separate what’s private and what can be discussed, but for now, I’m sharing quite a bit of my journey with him.” She wrinkled her nose. “Well, not everything. I only share a little about my sessions.”

 
; “Good. That’s good,” Leah murmured. Questions rose to the surface of her mind. Just mentioning Trev’s name in the present tense satiated some thirsty part of her. “What do you mean, Trev isn’t the same?”

  “He misses you, Leah. He told me that he loves you, and I believe him.”

  Leah searched Allison’s face. Nothing in her demeanor mocked her or Trev’s feelings. More than anything, Leah wished to share her own feelings for Trev. If Allison was talking to her brother, she might tell him. But could she really trust Allison to tell Trev the truth? Maybe. Yes. She’d risk it. “And I love him, too.”

  “I know. I saw the two of you that night, and there’s no denying how much the two of you felt for one another. I had no right to interfere, and I hope you won’t hold it against him.”

  The old hard despair crept into Leah. “I appreciate you saying so, but there are so many differences between us, I’m not sure we really have a future. We grew up differently, and I won’t go where I’m not welcome.”

  “I can’t change how you feel, Leah. I can only tell you that you’re welcome now. I know I’ve been hard on you, and I made your relationship with Trev about things that were none of my business. I’m ashamed of that. I’d like to start again, although I have no idea what that means.” She paused. “I also know all couples have their issues, but I hope that whatever choices you make won’t be wrapped up in me. It wouldn’t be fair to Trev … or you.”

  Leah smiled gently, Allison’s words flowing like a balm over her aching heart. “Thank you for that.”

  Allison returned her smile. “Well, I’ll let you go and get back to your murder and mayhem in the kitchen.” She moved toward the door before turning around one last time. “Thanks for seeing me.”

  Leah wished Allison wouldn’t go, although there wasn’t any reason for her to stay. The resolution between them was a lovely thing, and Leah wanted to bask in it for a minute, but she had nothing to hold Allison. “Thanks for making the effort. Your visit means a lot.”

  With one last smile, Allison stepped out of the house. Leah went to the window and watched as Allison climbed into the Audi and backed out of the drive.