Chapter Ten
Still dressed in his formfitting gray spandex outfit, Eric flexed before placing his hands on his hips and smiling down at the eleven-year-old boy at his side. “Finn of Vandorra, we have successfully given out all of the plushies and met with every child. You are indeed a worthy assistant.”
Finn smiled proudly. His parents stood nearby, beaming.
When Eric had heard that Finn had not only received his heart transplant but was home again and doing well, he’d requested that the boy be invited to the hospital to help with his visit. It was, after all, at Finn’s urging that Magnus had sought to bring Water Bear Man to Vandorra in the first place. Not every child had the happy ending Finn had gotten, but it touched Eric deeply to see that he had.
Although the media had not been allowed within the hospital, flashes from cell phones were still constantly going off. Rather than withdraw from them, Water Bear Man puffed out his chest for the benefit and amusement of the children.
Eric glanced over and saw Magnus and his father, King Tadeas, looking on in approval. Raising his voice loud enough for them to hear, Eric said, “Finn, what do you call a prince with a bad case of the farts?”
Finn’s eyes rounded, and silence fell over the corridor where they were all gathered.
With a huge grin, Eric boomed, “Air to the throne.”
Finn giggled behind his hand. King Tadeas laughed, opening the door for others to laugh along.
Eric looked down at a little girl who was standing beside Rachelle and asked, “Young lady, what does a king say when he farts?”
“I don’t know,” she said, then whispered to Rachelle, “Can he ask that?”
Rachelle hugged the child. “Water Bear Man is just having fun.” She smiled at her father-in-law as if to check his reaction, then seemed relieved. “What does a king say when he farts?”
Eric waved a hand in the air as if to dissipate a smell, then put on a comically haughty voice. “Royal pardon.”
Even Delinda, who was watching the scene from King Tadeas’s side, began to laugh at that one. She shook her head as she did, but she looked thoroughly amused. It was a good note to end his visit on.
“Boys and girls, kings, princes, princesses, and whatnots, it is time for Water Bear Man to return to his post on the moon. Sleep soundly tonight—I am watching over all of you.”
As Eric and his family walked away, children waved from the doorways and beds of every room they passed. The entire visit to Vandorra had gone better than he’d expected. The trip over with Delinda and King Tadeas had been relatively uneventful. Although a part of Eric thought it was bad for his grandmother’s already healthy ego to be courted by a king, Tadeas was a calming influence on her. He might be smitten with her, but he didn’t let her dominate him. She was softer when she was with him, as if she was able to let her guard down somewhat because there was someone she could rely on, if need be. It was nice to watch them together.
The only shadow on the day was that Sage wasn’t there. Instead she was back in London, disappointed in him and shopping for flowers with the man from the park, who could be a psycho, for all they knew. Thankfully, Reggie had agreed to follow Sage to make sure she was okay. He’d texted updates throughout the day, which brought Eric some peace of mind.
He should have been honest with her before he left. Hell, he should have told her the truth from day one. That train of thought, however, was a dark rabbit hole he would not go down. He’d learned that much from one of the counselors at the clinic. Fixating on mistakes from the past was self-destructive. All he could change from that day forward was himself.
Ready or not, when he returned to London, he would tell Sage everything—the good, the bad, the whole truth. Waiting until he was in a better situation might have cost him his chance with her.
No. He wouldn’t let that be the way this played out. They were meant to be together. She was the only thing that made sense to him.
Eric stayed in Vandorra long enough to have a meal with Rachelle, Magnus, Delinda, and King Tadeas at the castle. Rachelle asked if Eric had heard that Alisha and Brett were expecting their second child. She looked over-the-top happy to hear that Eric had received the news during a phone conversation with their brother. There was a time when Rachelle’s interest in his interaction with his sibling would have felt oppressive, but he now understood that she cared deeply for both of them. Her interest was based in love, and that put her curiosity in a favorable light.
Rachelle suggested Eric call Spencer to inquire about Skye, his adopted daughter. She retold the story of how Hailey, Spencer’s wife, had taken in her niece when the child’s parents had died in an accident. Spencer, Rachelle said, wanted his daughter to know all his siblings. The way she said it touched his heart. His family might not mesh well, but they were good people. Could one phone call make things less strained between them, or was that wishful thinking?
When it was time to return to London, King Tadeas remained behind in Vandorra, saying that he would follow in a few days, and Eric flew back with Delinda. He settled into a seat beside her on the private jet, expecting to enjoy the flight.
He knew the mood of the trip was about to nosedive when, after takeoff, his grandmother laid her hand over his and said, “Eric, there is something I need to discuss with you.”
Here it comes. What is it that she doesn’t see as up to Westerly standards now? My career? My behavior? Something I said or just me in general? “It’s been a long day, Grandmother. I’m tired.”
She pursed her lips, a sign that she was not pleased with his answer. “I wouldn’t bring it up if it weren’t important.”
Eric rubbed his hands over his face. Boundaries. If she crossed one, he would just redraw them for her. “Okay.”
“I’m concerned about this woman you’ve been seeing—Sage Revere. I have heard nothing good about her or her family.”
Eric undid his seat belt roughly and stood. He needed to put physical distance between them while he processed the full implications of what she’d said. “How do you know about Sage? Are you having me watched?”
Delinda’s chin rose. “Of course I am. You gave us quite a scare. We were all hopeful when you went to the clinic, but then you began this second, secret life. Yes, I was concerned enough to have you followed.”
“But you didn’t stop there, did you? No, you wouldn’t. What else have you done? Let me guess, since you apparently don’t like her—have you threatened her yet? How about her parents? Would you even admit it to me if you had?”
Delinda rose to her feet, although she held on to the back of the seat to steady herself. “Eric, I do what I do because I love you. Do you remember when I warned you about Jasmine? You didn’t want to believe me, but she turned out to be exactly what I thought she was. I’m right about this woman, too. She supports herself by targeting wealthy people and milking them for their money. That’s why she’s with you. Do you honestly believe she doesn’t know who you are? That a press-on scar is really that good of a disguise? Of course she knows you’re Eric Westerly. She’s playing you just like she plays everyone. Only this time, she thinks she hit the jackpot.”
Her words cut through Eric’s defenses and made fresh Jasmine’s betrayal. It fed the fire of every insecurity he had about not being worthy of love on his own merit and every fear he had about people pretending to care about him. He bent over, sickened by both her assertions and his reaction to them.
Am I that much of a fool? Is Sage no different from Jasmine?
Eric walked away from his grandmother, heading to the back of the plane. Unfortunately, there was nowhere he could go that was beyond the reach of her voice. “I know you don’t want to hear this, Eric. I don’t want to say it. I just love you too much to sit back and watch you make another huge mistake.”
“Stop,” he said hoarsely. How was it possible that one woman could unravel the very essence of him? He could feel himself shutting down in response.
“Eric—”
Her face went white, and her eyes filled with tears. “I lost my husband because I didn’t intervene. I won’t lose you, too.”
“You already have,” Eric said, and turned his face to look out the window. “After we land, I don’t ever want to see you again. Don’t call me. Don’t have someone try to convince me to call you. You have a twisted version of how to love someone, and I don’t want you in my life at all. I’ll be civil for the sake of the others, but in my heart, you’re dead to me.”
Delinda gasped, and there was silence.
Blissful silence.
He glanced toward the front of the plane. She had retaken her seat and was facing away from him.
He wished he could silence the questions echoing inside himself as easily as he’d silenced her. Does Sage know who I am? Did she know all along?
He hated that Delinda’s take on Sage’s career fit what she did. Sage did seek out certain people, target them, although he hated that term, and manipulated her way into their lives. She said she did it to help them.
What was more likely to be true? That Sage was a Good Samaritan who was happiest when living month to month and had fallen for him the moment she saw him in the coffee shop? Or that she was a charlatan who recognized him instantly and had been playing him all along—because, to her, he was like coming across a winning lottery ticket?
Had he been so desperate to believe in something that he’d blinded himself to the real her, a money-hungry woman no different from Jasmine?
He hated Delinda for planting the doubt in him.
He hated himself for not knowing whether to trust his grandmother, who was often painfully correct—or his heart, which told him she was wrong this time.
He could grill Reggie about everything Sage had done while he was gone. Wealth made anything possible. He could have someone tap Sage’s phone and within days know everyone she knew as well as every move she made.
But how would that make him any different from his grandmother?
He tried to reverse his mood, yank his thoughts back to where they’d been before he’d boarded the jet. He wanted to head straight over to Sage’s apartment to confess everything.
He wasn’t sure of himself or her anymore, and he didn’t know how to change how he felt. He was gifted at pulling away, denying something bothered him, turning off his emotions. He could cut Delinda and Sage out of his life and label Wayne Easton a failed experiment—convince himself that none of it mattered anyway.
Anger boiled inside him. He didn’t want to slide back to that place, and he hated Delinda for showing him that he was capable of that fall.
She tried to talk to him once as they left the plane, but he walked away from her and the car she’d arranged to meet them.
Instead of waiting for another car to arrive, Eric walked through the airport in search of a taxi line. Distracted as he was, he forgot why he’d never done that. As people began to recognize him, they swarmed him. It started with relatively pleasant, albeit ill-timed, introductions and requests that he pose for photos or autograph something. He signed countless papers, shook hands, even held a baby while the mother took a photo of him with her child. However, without the personal security he normally would have surrounded himself with in public, he was at the mercy of a crowd that grew in size and then in enthusiasm. People began pushing and shoving to get closer to him. This could go south fast.
Airport security arrived and ushered him away from the crowd to a waiting taxi. A few of them asked for a photo with him as well before he stepped into the car. He wasn’t proud of the fact that their requests would have once annoyed him. He took the time to thank each of them, pose for their photos, and wave at the crowd behind them. It cost him nothing, and he left to smiles.
“Where to?” the taxi driver asked.
“Just drive for now,” Eric said. “I need time to think.”
“It might get pricey fast,” the driver warned.
“That’s fine.”
They were quiet for several miles before the driver spoke. “My daughter’s a doctor.”
Eric made a guttural sound in place of a response.
“Want to see a picture of her?” The driver held up his phone and showed a photo of a beautiful dark-haired woman. “She’s a hard worker. Now my son, he’ll keep me in this cab another decade. He’s taking his time graduating from university.” He went on to share much more about both of his children.
Eric nodded, half listening. Even though his head was still spinning, there was something soothing about hearing about normal people living normal lives. The pride in the man’s voice as he talked about his children was moving.
Finally, Eric interrupted long enough to give him his address. The man whistled at the size of the gate, then swore at the size of Eric’s home.
“What’s it like to live in a house like that?” the driver asked when he parked.
“Not as amazing as you’d think.” Eric paid his fare with a generous tip, then stepped out of the car, taking his overnight bag with him. “Thank you for sharing that. You gave me something to smile about on a day when I didn’t feel I had one.”
“There’s always a reason to smile. If you can’t find one—be one. Have a good day.”
Eric walked into his home with those words still with him. He took out his phone and typed in the name of the taxi driver as well as his children. When Brett’s assistant arrived, he had another name to add to the list of people who should unexpectedly have something wonderful happen. Full scholarship for his son? A grant his daughter could use to buy supplies for those in need?
Reggie asked him how his trip went.
Eric shook his head and walked away. He was done—for that day, at least.
Chapter Eleven
Early afternoon the next day, Delinda stood outside the door of her library. “Is he here yet, Michael?”
“Yes. I have him waiting in the parlor. Would you like me to bring him in now or give you a few minutes?”
“Is everything ready?”
“I believe so.”
“Then give me a moment to settle, but no more.”
“Understood.”
Delinda walked to a corner of her library where a technician had just finished installing a huge flat-screen television as well as a new computer system. The young man looked proud of himself as he stood beside it. Delinda didn’t thank him. Her appreciation would be shown in his compensation. Instead she had him walk her through how it worked again, then dismissed him from the room.
She had sent a text message to several members of her family, along with instructions on how and when to join her. She cued each of them up on different boxes on the screen. Brett and Alisha were in one, Rachelle and Magnus in another, Spencer and Hailey on still another. She smiled when her good friend Alessandro appeared on the fourth. If it worked as the technician said it would, they would all also be able to see each other.
“What is this about?” Brett asked.
“Is everything all right, Grandmother?” Rachelle chimed in.
“Cool conference setup,” Spencer said with a smile. “Of course, I’d like to upgrade you to virtual reality.”
“This won’t work if you all talk at once,” Delinda said. “Patience, please. We’re waiting for one more person.”
“Mr. Reggie Pines,” Michael announced.
Delinda turned toward her guest. “Reggie, come closer so everyone can see you.”
Looking like he wasn’t sure what the heck was going on, Reggie walked to stand beside Delinda. He scanned the screen and waved at each of them. “Good to see you all. I can honestly say this is a surprise.”
Delinda sighed. “It was this or fly everyone here, and I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.”
Spencer coughed.
Alessandro chided him to be nice.
Gathering her courage
, Delinda raised her chin and said, “I asked you all here because I need your help. This is an intervention of sorts.”
Reggie frowned. “Hang on, is this about Sage Revere?”
“It is,” Delinda answered.
“Who is Sage?” Alessandro asked.
At the same time, Reggie raised both hands. “I’m out of here.”
Delinda grabbed his arm as he was about to turn away. “Wait. You don’t understand.”
“I understand enough to know that I want no part of this. I have been kicking myself for convincing Eric to see you. One day with you and he looks like he was hit by a Mack truck. Count me out.” Reggie tried to shake himself free of Delinda, but she held on.
Rachelle said, “Grandmother, why do you think Eric needs an intervention? He looked like he was doing so well.”
Still gripping Reggie’s arm, Delinda said, “The intervention is for me.” She released Reggie. “I’m the one who needs help.”
“What did you do, Grandmother?” Brett asked.
Delinda lowered her eyes. “I was concerned for Eric, but I may have overstepped.”
“May have?” Reggie asked.
Throwing her hands up in the air, Delinda said, “Okay, I did. I went too far. I’m not perfect. I don’t have all the answers. I’ll probably drive all of you away again and die alone.” She paused for emphasis. “Or you could help me fix this.”
“Why don’t you start from the beginning so we know what you’re facing?” Hailey asked.
“You know why I’m in London. I know you all think that one visit to a clinic solved Eric’s problems, but we don’t know what he might still be struggling with. All I wanted to do was make sure we would know if he started to slide—so I hired someone to follow him.”
“Not that Alethea woman again,” Alessandro groaned.
“No. No. I learned my lesson with her. This was someone who would just follow him and report back about what he did.”
“Only . . . ?” Rachelle covered her face with one hand, as if what she’d heard caused her pain.
Hollywood Heir (Westerly Billionaire Book 4) Page 14
