Bedeviled (Beguiling Bachelors Book 3)

by Madison Michael

  “Once Aubrey met Adam, keeping our past in the past was more important to my mother than ever. She was afraid that anything but a squeaky clean background might be an excuse for a U.S. Senator to prevent a wedding. I never understood why it needed to be a secret, but I love her, guys, and I love Aubrey, So I kept her secrets all these years. And believe me, it wasn’t easy. Other than immediate family, you are the only ones who know. Charlotte knows I am hiding something, but she doesn’t know what.”

  “Hey, we get that it wasn’t your secret to share, man,” Tyler spoke for them all. “But we appreciate you coming clean now. I hate the idea of us keeping stuff from each other.”

  “I can’t believe we never figured anything out,” Randall shook his head in disbelief. Wyatt remained silent and Alex could see that he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  After rushing through the story of his childhood, the confusion of trips to stay with a stranger for vacation, Alex moved forward with his tale. “There were advantages, then and now. I learned to love the water. I was a beach bum when I was out there. I learned to be a pretty good surfer and once I was in college I really reconnected with my dad. He’s a great guy and a brilliant mind. My choosing his school was a bond, and we started to get along during those four years. He became active in my life and we have been great together ever since.”

  “Now we know where you get your brains,” Wyatt observed. “Okay, so what’s going on now? When are you going to tell these guys who your father is?” Alex spun to look Wyatt full in the face and the knowing grin that met him was all the answer he needed. Wyatt knew who Zack was.

  “Well, Wyatt, since you asked…” Alex began with a smile, “my family is fighting over controlling interest in the multi-billion dollar company my father and his sister started. That would be the company I have been managing the last several years.”

  “What?” two voices asked in unison, while Wyatt just smiled more. “Your dad started the bank?”

  “Not the bank, you idiots,” Wyatt couldn’t resist.

  “Yeah, I thought that might catch your attention. No, not a bank. This bank I run,” Alex offered, trying to drag out the suspense a bit, “they have exactly one client, Maverix.” He sat back, picked up his drink, clinked glasses with Wyatt and the two waited while the information sank in.

  “Maverix, the chain of stores?” Tyler asked.

  “I thought they owned some sports channels. Aren’t they are media company?” Randall asked.

  “I thought they were a clothing line,” Tyler reiterated, confused.

  “Yes, the stores, clothing company, media people. That Maverix. It started as a surfboard company back in the ‘80’s. They are ubiquitous in California, Hawaii, Australia. They are also a $115 billion, worldwide conglomerate and I am about to become their CEO. That is if my father has his way.”

  Alex looked smug as he sat sipping his bourbon and watching the shocked and wondrous expressions move across the faces of his friends. “My father is stepping down from the company he founded and handing the reins to me. He has been grooming me for years.”

  “That’s fantastic, Alex.” “That’s amazing.” “Congratulations,” his friends offered in unison.

  “Oh my god,” Tyler added, the light finally coming on for him, “your father really was a stoner. He was famous for it. You are talking about Zack Fairchild.”

  “Yep,” Alex acknowledged, unashamed.

  “Zack Fairchild. It was obvious. I cannot believe you two didn’t figure it out,” Wyatt taunted, “Geez, they have written enough books about him. Wild life, unbelievable surfer, rags to riches story.”

  “No rags. There was always some family money but he ignored it when he was young. When he became a father he decided he needed to take things more seriously. The family was in the HVAC business, not interesting to him, so Zack decided to make some money off his passion. I think he thought he would win my mom back but he was too slow getting there. But he did start the business, with his sister, Joan.”

  “I fail to see a problem here,” Randall cut to the chase. “You are running the largest company of its kind, raking in the dough and close with your father again. Where is the downside in all of this?”

  “Yeah,” Tyler added, “and you get a great dad in Charles, too.”

  “Well, it seems that I have a cousin, my Aunt Joanie’s kid. Greedy little S.O.B. who wants to stop me from gaining controlling interest in the company. I guess we kept the secret too well, because this little shit thought he would inherit alone. We kept him in the dark for too long. The good news is that we also kept the business world – and my mother’s friends – from hearing that a hostile takeover was brewing.“

  “Do they have a legitimate claim?” Wyatt asked, jumping into the business, ready to problem solve immediately.

  “I have 55 percent, he has 45. He wants to flip that. If that happens, I might get to stay president but cannot move to CEO. He is a VP now, and wants to be CEO himself. I think if he got the job he would work to oust me over time.”

  “I can’t see any legal issue here,” Tyler observed, putting on his legal hat.

  “My father is losing his memory. Early signs of dementia,” Alex explained. “Or he fried too many brain cells in his younger days. So my cousin is threatening to sue for power of attorney to gain control of my father’s affairs and of course, his shares. The bank, i.e., me, has that power now. It’s a disaster really. It is tearing apart the family, making a lot of lawyers rich – no offense, Tyler – and starting to drive down the company value.”

  “None taken,” Tyler responded. “But AJ, if you have POA I don’t see how your cousin can take it away.”

  “He is claiming my father was not of sound mind when he signed it over to me. It’s completely ridiculous. He did the paperwork ten years ago and immediately started grooming me in the business. Under his direction, I have been progressively taking on more and more responsibility. The paperwork has been in place for ages, since we set up the bank a decade ago.”

  “Yeah, why the bank?” Randall asked.

  “As a front to protect my mother and sister. It takes some digging to put the bank and Maverix together and then it is still a leap to connect the family dots. This protected everyone’s secrets.”

  “Well, they can have no embarrassment that you run a huge and successful company, can they?” Wyatt asked.

  “Unless someone asks how he came to run it,” Tyler answered for Alex.

  “Exactly.”

  “So, the wedding is over. Just come clean and take the bastards to court before they take you.”

  “Great plan, Randall. Of course, technically I am the bastard.“ They all laughed at the weak joke, breaking some of the tension that had built around the table. “In truth, that is what I would like to do. But it would break my mother’s heart, might mess up the business and then there is Charlotte.”

  “Charlotte? What does she have to do with any of this?”

  “Well, how do you think your father would feel, Wyatt, if Regan brought home her prospective bridegroom - a bastard child who was running a company started by a famous stoner? Yeah, there is wealth, but is that the bloodline he wants for his grandchildren? Charlotte comes from a Mayflower family. They are wealthy, influential, old New England stock. I can only imagine how they would feel. They would never look at me as acceptable husband material for their only daughter.”

  “Husband?” Wyatt gasped. “When did I miss all this? Did you ask Charlotte to marry you already?” Three sets of eyes were boring into Alex in surprise.

  “No. Not yet, but I would like to think things are moving in that direction. We have a lot of issues to work through still, including this one, and it’s major. I promise, I will not keep a proposal secret if it comes to that.”

  “Absolutely no more secrets,” Randall ordered, looking each man in the eye for agreement. They all nodded heads.

  “I really like her,” Tyler admitted. “I do not think she is the
snobby type, AJ, despite her blue-blooded ancestors. In fact, she is more down to earth than any of us. She doesn’t act like a blueblood at all, if you ask me. Have you seen her? She cooks and cleans, she told Sloane she always takes the bus. She’s cautious with her money. I think she is the least snobby rich girl I have ever seen. Besides, If she loves you, she won’t care.”

  “Well, I think I am about to find out if you are right. After that call today, I don’t see how we can keep this fight out of the courts or the press. It will be the lawsuit of the decade,” Alex told them dejected.

  “Especially with 24-hour news and Twitter,” Wyatt agreed sadly. “I just know it will be all over Twitter. This is that business story that crosses over to news, like messy divorce stories. Sorry AJ, but I don’t see how you avoid the sleaze factor.”

  “You know, I think Charlotte has secrets of her own,” Alex continued, ignoring Wyatt’s gloomy prediction. “I have been surrounded by family members keeping secrets from each other – me obviously, but my mother has kept this from Aubrey all these years and my grandparents were willing accomplices, pretending my father was dead. I am not sure how much Charles knows either.”

  “I am so sick of secrets and lies,” Alex stated vehemently. “I am not sure if I will ever completely forgive my mother for insisting I be her co-conspirator in all of this. It’s exhausting, unethical and frankly, it puts up a wall between people that only honest, open communication can tear down. I wonder if Charlotte is even capable of that kind of open communication and I wonder if I can get past it if she isn’t. You know what I mean?”

  “Sure,” Wyatt sympathized. “Of course we know what you mean. After having secrecy your entire life, you must crave honesty in ways we can only imagine.”

  “You know,” Randall added, “I knew exactly what I was getting with Sloane.” The men groaned, remembering Sloane’s manipulative ways, teasing Randall about how she tried to get the upper hand repeatedly, first with Wyatt, then with Randall.

  “I still don’t understand how you managed to work things out,” Wyatt admitted.

  “But back to Alex,” Tyler reminded them. “Either you get to a place where you can trust Charlotte or you have to move on, man. Trust is critical.”

  “Especially for me,” Alex added. “But enough. That is my saga, the good, the bad and the ugly.”

  “You will have celebrity status, AJ,” Randall told him, gleefully adding, “like when Anna Nicole Smith died and they fought over her daughter.” The guys groaned at the tawdry reference sending Randall into guffaws at his own joke.

  “I am sure you have a slew of fancy lawyers, bro, but I would love to help where I can,” Tyler offered, getting back on track despite Randall’s continued laughter.

  “And I will spare him for the task,” Wyatt added.

  “Oh yeah,” Tyler looked sheepish, “I guess I should have asked first, boss.”

  “Thanks, Ty, that means a lot to me. I will let you know if I need you. So you guys aren’t mad about the secret?”

  “Of course we are,” Randall answered, all signs of laughter stopping abruptly. “But, we’ll forgive you as soon as you pay for the next round.”

  Alex laughed and did just that.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Charlotte disembarked in the overcast November afternoon, looking around the Providence airport for signs of friend or foe. Thankfully, there was no sign of Gil, but her parents were present, waving like mad from the other side of the security checkpoint. Charlotte broke into a run as she grew close.

  “Mi Palomita,” her father said, hugging her tight against his broad chest and smothering her in his thick coat.

  “Papa, I can’t breathe,“ she told him gently after a moment stepping back as he reluctantly loosened his grip. She immediately wrapped her arms about her mother and held on fiercely. It had been almost six months since Charlotte had last seen her, the longest they had ever been apart.

  Her mother, her hair grayer but otherwise unchanged, held her at arms’ length and looked her over carefully. “You look tired, Carlotta. Tired and fat.”

  “Gee, thanks, Mama,” Charlotte said laughing and hugging her mother again before taking the handle of her roller bag and moving them toward the exit.

  “She’s not fat, Mama. Don’t be unkind. But Carlotta,” her father conceded, “you do look a little chubbier.”

  Taking no offense from the honest statements, Charlotte explained to them. “I stopped running, but I haven’t stopped eating. I will take the weight back off by the spring.” She had gained seven pounds, and on her lean frame it showed. Her delicate features were surrounded by fuller cheeks and her middle was a tiny bit softer, not that they could see that hidden beneath her winter layers.

  “Is this any way to welcome your prodigal child?” Charlotte continued, teasing them as they walked toward the parking lot. “I thought you would be happy to see me, but if I am an embarrassment…”

  “Not at all, Little Dove, not at all,” her father assured her, wrapping his arm around her.

  “Are you kidding?” her mother asked in her accented English. “I am never letting you go back to that terrible city. You stay away too long.”

  “How do you know it’s terrible if you never visit?”

  “Who has invited us?” her father asked pointedly. Charlotte had the good grace to blush furiously and stammer something about being busy settling in.

  “You must be busy. You never call anymore either,” her mother commented. “So, what’s his name?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about,” Charlotte lied.

  “Of course you do, Pequena. You call every day for months. Then suddenly you call once or twice a week if we are lucky, and you can’t talk long. You never say where you go, who you spend time with. I am your mother, Carlotta, and I am not stupid. It’s must be a man.”

  “We weren’t born yesterday,” her father added in Portuguese under his breath.

  “I know you weren’t, Papa. Okay,” Charlotte conceded, throwing her hands in the air. “I have been seeing someone, but it’s still very new. It may be nothing, and besides, I thought I would just wait and tell you all about him when we were together.”

  “Is he Catholic?”

  Count on Mama to cut to the chase.

  “Mama, could we at least get in the car before you start grilling me?”

  “Ach, he is not Catholic,” Charlotte’s mother whined to her father, as if Charlotte were not there.

  “So, where are the boys?” Charlotte asked, hoping for a reprieve. “I thought they would come to the airport. It feels so good not to be sneaking around.” Charlotte had contacted both the courts and the local Providence police about being in town, wanting to assure that Gil could not violate her restraining order. She could only hope now that it would be enough.

  “Go ahead. Change the subject for now. We can discuss this later,” her mother promised.

  “Your brother, Jacabo, is at the factory today and Donato won’t be home until tomorrow. We are all going up there for his graduation, Carlotta. It better be on your calendar.”

  “It is, Papa. I promise. I wouldn’t miss his big day for anything.”

  “Will you bring your fancy new boyfriend?” her mother asked pointedly. “Or maybe you could bring him for Thanksgiving?”

  “Mama, would you just lay off? He’s not my boyfriend and he’s not fancy. And I am not sure I can come for Thanksgiving.”

  Please, God, forgive me for lying straight to my mother’s face. Oh yeah, and for the thousand other lies I have told lately.

  “You stayed away to avoid Gil, but he obviously knows where to find you, Carlotta, so I think with or without your man, you better be home for Thanksgiving.” Her mother was certainly an expert at laying on the guilt.

  They spent the congested I95 drive from the airport to their Fox Point neighborhood home discussing both Charlotte’s new job and current activities at the Old World Foods plant. Business was booming and the online
business had doubled again this year. The biggest issue concerning her father was that they were growing too fast. It was a realistic concern. If they could not handle orders in a timely manner and continue to manage quality, their reputation would be on the line.

  “Jake understands all of this, Papa. I am sure he has it under control.”

  “Don’t you think he would do better if you helped, Palomita? You have those impressive Harvard degrees, after all. What about your man? Is he well educated?” her mother tossed in.

  “So does Jake, Mama. He can handle it,” Charlotte responded a bit too sharply. Her mother’s interrogation was getting under her skin. She should have seen this conversation coming from a mile away, but she was surprised and allowed a bit too much irritation to creep into her voice. “Sorry, Mama. You are right, It would have been nice if I could help, but I had to get away and we all know it.”