My Once in a Lifetime

by Nicole Vidal

  “Where do you want to live?” he asks tentatively as if anywhere but here is an actual option.

  “With you.”

  Faster than I can blink, Jacob has me pinned beneath his delicious body and his lips on mine. “That makes me very happy,” he says against my mouth.

  “I hope so, you asked, and you gave me space in the closet. Can we keep that between us for now? It’s already tense; I don’t want to make it worse right now.”

  “Of course.” He pushes up to his forearms.

  “We should go help.”

  He nods, sinking back to his heels. “I want to talk about that more. Maybe Connor is free on Sunday so you can see Crescent Bay.”

  Smiling, I follow him to the kitchen.

  Jacob and William chat at the island while I assist Kelsey with dinner.

  “You good?” she asks while we have our backs to our men.

  “I am. Gen’s opinion will not impact my choices. I know what I want.”

  “Jacob,” Kelsey whispers, nudging me.

  “More than anything.”

  “I remember the day I knew Will was it for me.” A smile spreads across her face.

  “So do I.” I inhale. “Jacob not William.” Taking into consideration all the sweet things he has done over the past few years without a second thought, the clincher was my necklace.

  Kelsey giggles. “I know what you meant.”

  “Do you know what the bean is yet?” I don’t know if it’s a secret or if they decided not to find out.

  “We decided to find out on his or her birthday,” Kelsey replies.

  “Would you prefer yellow or green?”

  “Either is fine. We’re going with a wood-tone crib, and we’ll decorate after he or she is born. You aren’t coming home, are you?” Kelsey asks quietly.

  “No, but I haven’t told anyone but Jacob yet.”

  Kelsey nods and turns back toward the island. William and Jacob are staring at us in silence.

  “What were you two chatting about?” William asks suspiciously.

  “You two, of course,” Kelsey replies before rounding the island to kiss him.

  Jacob leans across the island to meet my lips.

  “Ewwwww, gross!”

  I pull away from Jacob as Kelsey and William separate to see who is disgusted by our displays of affection.

  “Do all adults kiss one another?” James asks.

  “At least ones who are married or dating, yes,” I reply. We did for two plus years before making a commitment, but I decide not to divulge that part to James.

  “I vaguely recall having this conversation before, James,” William says.

  “We did, but then it was just you, Miss Kelsey, and my parents. Now it’s you plus Auntie Kelly and Mr. Nicholas, and Auntie Norah and Mr. Jacob. That doesn’t even include the family that isn’t here, like Auntie Maggie with Uncle Grant, and Uncle Peter and Aunt Billie. The list of people who are single is much shorter. The only single family member is Uncle Scott, but I think he has someone in mind.”

  “Really? Who, James?” Kelly asks as she joins the group, her interest clearly piqued.

  “He didn’t tell me her name, just that he liked someone.”

  I wonder who Scott is interested in.

  A hush falls over the group as Gen steps into the kitchen. I busy myself in the corner of the kitchen to avoid her. I barely have enough time to settle myself before Jacob’s hands slide over my hips, clasping around me. I lean back slightly.

  “I’ve got you.”

  I drop my head in acknowledgment.

  Kelsey announces dinner is in less than thirty minutes, prompting the chatter to resume in small groups. I hear Joseph guide Gen to their room with Jackson babbling, but James stays out with everyone else.

  Dinner passes without an issue. Gen doesn’t attempt to seek me out nor talk to me, which suits me fine. I don’t plan to address her statements any more than I already have. Immediately after dinner, Gen takes Jackson into their room to put him down to sleep.

  “Norah, could I have a word?” Joseph asks.

  Jacob asks without asking if I want him to join me. I indicate no. Kelsey is setting out dessert with Kelly’s help. I’m sure there are some leftovers, but she made something new today as well. It doesn’t matter what she bakes, every single dish is delectable.

  “Sure.” I lead my brother into the office. Jacob’s office is comfortable but professional with the wall-to-wall shelves and comfy leather couch.

  “I know better than to apologize for Gen. It needs to come from her. You were correct; I did force her to come here, so for that I apologize. I gather the safety concerns are more dire than you have led us to believe.”

  “Thank you. I didn’t sugarcoat the danger I’m in. I won’t share any more details with you or anyone. I won’t risk it. I hope to be out of this mess soon.”

  “Are you going back to work?”

  “All I know for sure is it won’t be at Quinn Sterling. I don’t trust anyone there.”

  “Fair enough. How long have you been dating Jacob? I feel as if I missed a ton of signs.”

  “You didn’t miss any signs. There weren’t any. Jacob and I have been seeing each other for over two years, but we weren’t dating until very recently.”

  Joseph sits back in the chair and considers my statement. If anyone understands not wanting to commit, it’s my brother. After choosing his trust fund over Gen, he allowed our father to steer appropriate women his way until he met Stacia, James’s mother. After that, he opted to ignore our father’s warnings regarding his trust fund and took Gen back.

  “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for my part in ruining our visit.”

  “Thanks.”

  He leaves me in the office, presumably to find Gen. My excitement for this visit was genuine. Now Gen’s sharp tongue and blame placing spoiled Jacob’s incredible gesture.

  Chapter 58

  Jacob

  On one hand, I know bringing her family for the holiday made her happy. Circumstances out of our control turned the visit into an uncomfortable family event. Early this morning, her family and friends leave to return home. Not only is she relieved, but sad as well. Her goodbye with Kelsey and Kelly lasts longer than anyone else.

  Armed with a cup of coffee and surrounded by the Moretti files, Norah tucks her feet underneath her and focuses on work. Watching her work is mesmerizing, even without her lower lip pulled between her teeth.

  “Any progress?” I ask a few hours later.

  “Not really. I mean, I know what the numbers aren’t. I missed the deadline, but did Blaine have any luck getting access to Sergio and Rosita’s accounts?”

  “I have a suspicion that deadline wasn’t firm, considering those were Stan’s words. Either whoever had him didn’t like him giving you another week or Stan was making a last-ditch plea to save Delores. He failed. Plus, we didn’t get another video.”

  She nods.

  “I haven’t heard back from Blaine about that.”

  “How trustworthy do you think Robert is?”

  “What are you thinking?” I ask, settling next to her on the cozy leather couch in my office. I’m willing to hear her out. Her observations are more on point than any other client Blackthorne has ever had. She isn’t just a client, but either way I appreciate her insight.

  “I’m fairly confident those two numbers will open a file. The bar code is likely Stan’s access ID. The numbers from the bonus check is the admin access to a file. I already had the Moretti file number.”

  “Okay. Connor and I are working on a file to make sure there are no holes. It’ll be handled properly.”

  “I understand.”

  “What else, gorgeous?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Norah.” Reaching out with my hand, I turn her gaze toward mine. “Whatever it is, we can handle it.”

  “I’m ready to move on from this. I know it isn’t over, but I feel stuck. That sounds horrible. We have made decisions,
but we can’t act on them yet. It sucks. That’s all. I’ll be fine.”

  I draw her into my arms, holding her snuggly against my chest. “What else do you need to do with those files?”

  “I’ve examined them again like I did before Stan took it from me. There isn’t anything else for me to do unless or until Blaine comes through.” She sighs. “I found all there is to find.”

  “Let’s assume you could do anything you want, what would you do?”

  “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I won’t let you, Connor, or Christoph take any extra risks for me.”

  “Why did you say only Christoph and Connor?”

  “They are the only ones local at the moment, right?”

  “Your analytical skills are off the charts. Yes, they’re the only ones not on assignment right now. Please tell me anyway.”

  “I would go for a horseback ride on a white sand beach. Salty breeze, warm water, no other people.”

  “Not even me?” I feign dejection.

  “Only you, always you.”

  Bringing my lips to hers, I lock her request into my memory. I can’t make that happen right now, but I can once she’s safe.

  After clearing up the files, we sit at my desk and order some groceries, and Norah orders more clothes, boots, lingerie, and shampoo. Her shampoo is not available in the grocery store here.

  We rummage through the fridge and decide on cheeseburgers and fries for dinner. I watch her cut the sweet potatoes into thick slices and bake them. While I handle the burgers, she makes a small salad as well. After eating, we start a fire and sit on large chairs in the backyard. Hours later, we turn in.

  Ideally, Blaine will come through soon. I would prefer to have every angle buttoned up before approaching the authorities with what we have uncovered. It took Blaine over a week to access the bank accounts. That isn’t a complaint. I’m sure he was acting as quickly as possible within the parameters he can work with. Since then, Norah has been poring through them for hours each day. While she works tirelessly with that, Connor and I are assembling the presentation for the authorities. We have been working on it here in my home office for the last few weeks.

  “When do you think we should involve Robert?” I ask Connor who is pacing behind me.

  “If we can get someone above Agents Brown and Morse who is willing to hear us out, I think we get everyone to one place and present the evidence. Giving Robert Quinn and Gustavo Moretti time with this information without the authorities present isn’t the best plan.”

  “I want stacks and stacks of evidence to prove everything that has happened was at Sergio or Rosita’s request. That Norah wasn’t aware of Stan helping Sergio. Proof that Sid and Carlo confronted Norah in the parking garage. Evidence Morse was at her townhouse. Proof that Sergio or Rosita hired Iris to abduct Norah but instead took Maia. I don’t want to tip off Robert too early. If he knows where the ledger is, presumably so does Gustavo. We might lose our leverage against Sergio or he might bolt, especially if his father gets a hold of him.”

  “Perhaps William could be of assistance there.”

  I place a call to William, leaving a detailed voice mail. Connor and I go over the timeline and supporting evidence incident by incident. We’re only missing a precise accounting of the monies that Sergio and Rosita have funneled away from the Moretti Family Brands. Norah is working on it. I know better than to ask how long it will take. She’s ready to move forward with her life, and I don’t blame her. I also know that she worked for six months to find the discrepancies that brought her here in the first place. It has only been a week. She’ll sort the data and find the money.

  The three of us take a dinner break; afterward, Connor leaves for the day. Norah and I watch another classic movie before turning in for the night. I spent six years feeling guilty. That isn’t true. I spent four years completely alone, wallowing in guilt. Then I met Norah. At the beginning, I took the easy route, no strings attached. Now it’s time for me to have it all, with her. First, I need to clear her name.

  Chapter 59

  Norah

  Blaine came through with the bank records for Sergio and Rosita. There are seven accounts in total. I have been poring over them for the last week. I don’t think Stan realized he was assisting me when he scanned my work onto the server. The pattern that Stan used to siphon the money also guides me to how they moved the money.

  There are seven different accounts at several banks in the Cayman Islands. Either Sergio or Rosita owns each account with one other family member. I assume the other family members are unsuspecting. It’s smart. Never say criminals aren’t crafty and clever. They likely plan to use the accounts as leverage against the family members who decide to come clean or plan to turn them in. Somehow Jacob saw this wrinkle coming or at least something like it.

  I have two more companies to go through. I have accounted for almost thirty-six million dollars. Missing dollars here and there is one thing when you are accounting for a multibillion-dollar conglomerate. Millions and millions are something else. Millions means malfeasance. I glance out the window as my stomach rumbles.

  “Hey, gorgeous, could you come here?” Jacob calls from the kitchen.

  “Everything okay?” I ask, entering the kitchen.

  He’s leaning against the island, a water in hand and his forearm tight.

  “Yes, everything is perfect. I have a surprise for you. Could you get dressed to go outside?”

  “Is it people?” I attempt to mask my sadness. Surely, I failed. It isn’t Jacob’s fault things went sideways during the holiday.

  “No, it’s not people.”

  “What are you up to?”

  “Just go, beautiful. The sooner you add some layers, the sooner you will find out.”

  The nicknames, seriously. They make me all mushy, but never with any other man. I rise on my toes and kiss him before hurrying down the hall. Less than five minutes later, I return to the kitchen. Jacob is standing by the island with a huge grin on his face. Taking my hand, he brings it to his lips before leading me out the front door into the barn. When I step inside, I’m floored. There are two gorgeous horses, one black and one brown. I reach up, setting my hand on the muzzle of the black one while Jacob pets the brown.

  “How did you…? What am I going to do with you?” I cover my mouth with my hand to contain all my emotions. If I sat down and wrote all the qualities I would want in my forever, Jacob surpasses the list by miles. Everything from the sweet notes, morning coffee, and coming when I need him. That doesn’t even begin to cover all the things I have learned since this started, like his ability to refurbish a house, his love of exemplary wine, and the vulnerable Jacob just beneath the soldier exterior that only I see.

  Surrounding me with his strong arms, he says, “I don’t have white sand here, but I will take to you some as soon as I can. Will you ride to lunch with me?”

  “I’ll go anywhere with you.” I kiss him tenderly.

  He threads his fingers together, I slip my left foot in, set my hands on his shoulders, and push up to the saddle, grabbing the horn. “What’s his name?”

  “His name is Midnight, and his partner here is Sedona.” Jacob mounts his horse next to me.

  I lean over to kiss him again. “You don’t have to do all this for me.”

  “I know. That’s exactly why I do and I want to.”

  “Lead the way.”

  I’m itching to feel the wind whipping around my face and the sound of Midnight’s hooves crunching the snowy ground. Jacob kicks Sedona who moves forward out of the barn. Turning left, he heads down the driveway a bit before turning right toward the shore. Once there is some space on either side of us, I kick Midnight, urging him faster. I’m just feeling him out, gauging his comfort zone. He moves up to a trot, and we pass Jacob and Sedona easily.

  “Did you fail to tell me you’re an experienced rider?” Jacob shouts from behind me.

  “Not a ringer, but I know my way around a horse. I rode a lot
when I was younger. One of my middle school friends was uber rich, and she had a few horses. I took care of them when she went away. I always wanted one of my own.”

  “You should get one. We have plenty of room. You might need a fenced area though.”

  We, he said we. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  He pulls back on Sedona’s reins, stopping. I walk back to him, searching for any sign of wavering.

  “You can do whatever you want inside or outside of the house.”

  “I’ll consider it. There’s one thing we should do right away.”

  If he is concerned, he hides it well. Not a flicker, a grimace, nothing to indicate his feelings. Note to self, don’t play poker with Jacob.

  “We need bigger towels.”

  “We don’t need bigger towels. I’m a fan of you using the small towels.” He smirks. “Truly, that’s all?”

  “Jacob, you created a gorgeous, comfortable home with plenty of room. It doesn’t need anything except maybe some shelves for my shoes.”

  “I’ll make that happen.”

  I smile, turn Midnight, and trot away. After a few hundred yards, I increase up to a gallop toward Jacob’s favorite spot. He and Sedona are close behind me. We tie the horses to a tree and eat our lunch on the platform.

  “Thank you. This is perfect.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  After eating, we ride side by side to the edge of the property where the alarm went off before racing back to the barn. Both horses are fast. Sedona is a bit faster, so Jacob wins this race. It doesn’t matter; I’ll get the next one. No one is keeping score.

  After a wonderfully long lunch, I tackle another Moretti company and find an additional fourteen million dollars over the last eight years. I consider tackling the last one, knowing I’ll finish tomorrow but decide against it. Armed with that knowledge, I seek out Jacob.

  Connor and Jacob are painstakingly going through a stack of papers.

  “Hey, Connor.”

  “Hi, Norah.”

  I round the desk as Jacob pushes his chair back to kiss me.

  “Did you finish?” he asks.