Desiree closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A week-and-a-half ago she was here to say goodbye to her grandfather. She thought she’d put this part of her life behind her, but with all of this new information about Destiny and reconnecting with Grant, the old chapters were reopening. What at first looked like a quick few-week trip to handle affairs, maybe sell the house, was turning into a mystery she needed to solve. She owed it to her sister to find out what happened to cause her to end not only her life but that of her baby. Desiree just couldn’t comprehend what kind of pain her twin sister must have been in to make that decision, but she was damn sure going to find out. She put the key in the ignition and started the car, pulling out onto the main road and heading back to Crawford’s Corners.
As the miles passed, Desiree started to make some decisions. She called her boss in Chicago and resigned from her position; she didn’t know how long she’d be away and it wasn’t fair to him to expect her back. She called a friend to check on her apartment and take her mail until she could get it forwarded down to her. When her friend asked her if she’d be coming back to Chicago, Desiree answered truthfully: she didn’t know. So many things were up in the air right now but one thing wasn’t: she needed to know what happened between her sister and Catherine Crawford. She picked up her phone and dialed.
Grant paced back and forth on the porch of Palmer Manor. He was furious at his father but would not back down. Not this time. This time he wasn’t going to let Desi go. He’d spent the last seven years believing that she was gone for good, and now that he had a chance to make things right with her, he’d walk through fire if he had to. He stopped pacing and sat in the old rocking chair, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. What exactly was he going to do?
Without his family, Grant had nothing. No money, no job, no house, no car. True, he had his business degree from Tulane, but had never worked anywhere but Crawford Holdings. He’d have to start over again somewhere new, and it would be a while before he’d be in a position to support them both. He knew Desiree had more than enough money with her inheritance--rumored to be in the eight to ten million dollar range, not including her half of the mill—but he refused to live off of her. He was a man and it was his job to provide.
He checked his watch; Desi should be back from Atlanta by now. He called her cell and was sent right to voicemail. She must still be with the doctor. He had been just as floored as she had to learn of Destiny’s pregnancy. As far as he knew, Destiny hadn’t been seeing anyone. Of course, a lot of things had changed when their mother had died. Destiny had always been outgoing and friendly like Desiree, but after Elizabeth Palmer died, she’d withdrawn. Where Desi had leaned on him, Destiny had broken up with her boyfriend. He remembered Desi saying that Destiny had become secretive and that she’d heard her sneaking in well after two in the morning on several occasions. Obviously she’d been hooking up with someone. But who? And why would she keep her pregnancy a secret from her sister? Just then, Grant’s phone rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s me,” Desiree said, sounding upset. “Where are you?”
“I’m actually at your place right now waiting for you to come home. Are you alright?”
“I’m not really sure what I am right now. The receptionist at the doctor’s office agreed to give me some information about Destiny,” she said.
Judging by the sound of her voice, it hadn’t been very welcome news. “Like what?”
“Like your mother was the last person to see my sister before she died.”
What Desiree said to Grant was true; she didn’t know what she felt or thought right now. It didn’t make sense that Catherine Crawford had been with Destiny at the appointment the day Destiny took her own life. While their families had known each other for generations and Desiree and Grant were together all the time, Destiny never had any special ties to his parents. She couldn’t figure out why her sister had gone to Catherine Crawford before her! Then again, nothing Destiny had done for those two years made much sense.
Grant was just as surprised as she was at the news.
“There has to be a mistake,” he’d said.
“That’s what I said to the receptionist, but she was sure. Your mother was also a patient there at the time,” she’d told him.
They talked as she drove, trying to come up with plausible reasons for the connection between Destiny and Catherine, but nothing made sense. Desiree hung up the phone as she pulled into the drive at Palmer Manor. No matter how many times she made this trip, it always took her breath away when she came out of the trees to the beautiful home that was now hers. Grant was sitting in the rocking chair on the porch, looking as troubled as she felt. She parked next to his Ferrari and climbed the steps. Without even stopping to say hello, she opened the door and headed straight for the kitchen, where she poured two glasses of sweet tea and sat on the counter.
“Start from the beginning,” Grant said. “What exactly did this woman say?”
“She said that Destiny had been coming in for regular check-ups and that they struck up a friendship. The receptionist, Lauren, said she had a baby at a young age and knew what Destiny was feeling. According to her, Destiny never revealed who the father was and said that she wouldn’t. She was planning on leaving town to have the baby and put it up for adoption before anyone knew she was even pregnant. She also said that she got the impression that Destiny was afraid of the baby’s father.”
“What made her think that?”
“Because of how adamant Destiny was about not naming him. She said more than once that he could never know about the baby,” Desiree answered.
“So how did my mother become involved in all of this?”
“I don’t know, and neither did she. She said she came in one morning and saw Destiny with another woman in the waiting room. She couldn’t hear their conversation but could tell that both were upset. She thought at first that Destiny had finally told a family member about the baby but then realized it was your mother. She thought it odd because your mother didn’t have an appointment that day and assumed they had come together. They were really busy that day and Lauren didn’t have a chance to talk to Destiny. She found out the next day that Destiny had killed herself the night before,” Desiree finished.
“I just don’t get how my mother fits in. I mean, obviously she and Destiny knew each other, but enough for Destiny to go to her with something this big? Something she was adamant that no one, including her twin sister, know about,” Grant puzzled.
“Well there’s only one way to find out,” Desiree said. “We need to go to your house and ask her.”
“There’s only one problem with that,” Grant started. “I’m not welcome there anymore.”
Chapter Two
“What do you mean, you’re not welcome there anymore?”
“I had a run-in with my father this morning and I left.”
“Because of me,” Desiree guessed.
“It’s not really important right now, what’s important is that we get some answers,” Grant brushed off her question. “I’ll call my mother and see if she’ll meet us.”
There was a knock at the door as Grant picked up his phone to call his mother. Desiree slid off the counter and walked into the ornate granite foyer with its massive oak door. She opened the door to find a tow truck in her driveway, the driver on her porch. He looked rather uncomfortable and cleared his throat several times before speaking.
“Um, uh, I’m here to pick up the Ferrari, ma’am,” he stuttered. “I’ll need the keys too.”
Grant walked up behind her, handed the driver his keys without a word, and shut the door before the guy could say anything else.
“What the hell?” Desiree ‘s mind could not seem to catch up with everything going on around her.
“I hated that car anyway,” Grant muttered as he walked into the den and sunk into the leather couch.
“Grant,” Desiree said softly, sitting beside him. “You didn’t just leave, did you?”<
br />
Grant ran a hand over his face and sighed deeply. “No,” he said finally.
“It’s because of me, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” he answered, not meeting her eyes. “Look, Desi, I told you before, nothing is going to keep us apart anymore. He wants to kick me out and take everything from me? Let him. I have you and that is all that matters to me anymore.”
Desiree was truly touched by the gesture. She now understood why he had left before. She could see how troubled he was by his father’s actions as a grown man; she could only imagine how it had scared him as a nineteen-year-old kid. “I can’t let you give up everything for me,” she said.
“It’s my choice, Desi. I made it,” he said. “I have some money set aside in an account my father doesn’t know about. It’s not much, but it will get me through until I figure things out.”
“You’ll stay here,” Desiree said. “I hate being in this big house all by myself anyway. It feels so lonely.”
“Desi-”
“No arguing about this. I won’t take no for an answer,” she said firmly.
Grant sighed, clearly hating that she was taking care of him instead of the other way around. “Fine,” he said. “Thank you.”
“Welcome. Now, were you able to get ahold of your mother?” Desiree asked.
“She left this morning for one of her spa weeks,” he answered. “She won’t be back until sometime next week. I tried to ask her about it and she said that the receptionist must’ve been mistaken. She claims she was never there with Destiny.”
“But Lauren was sure that it was your mother,” Desiree said.
“It was seven years ago, Desi, maybe she isn’t remembering it correctly. Maybe it was someone who looked like my mother,” Grant offered.
Desiree ran her hands through her hair and leaned back against the counter. She was tired and frustrated. Ever since she’d found that paper this morning, she’d had the feeling that this was the missing piece that would lead her to why her sister had taken her own life. Grant walked over to where she stood and pulled her into his arms.
“You look exhausted,” he said into her hair.
“I am,” she replied, sagging against him. “I’ve buried my feelings over Destiny’s death for so long. Being home brought it all back. I’ve been re-thinking everything; wracking my brain for old clues. How could I not have known she was in such a bad place?”
“You can’t blame yourself, babe, no one saw it,” Grant assured her. “We all just thought she was dealing with your mom’s death in her own way.”
“I have to know what happened Grant. I have to know who the father of her baby was and who was with her at the doctor’s office that day,” Desiree said.
“We’ll figure it out, Desi. Together we’ll figure it out,” he said, stroking her hair. “But tonight there’s nothing more we can do. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” she said. “I haven’t been to the grocery store, but there are about twelve casseroles in the freezer people brought after the funeral,” she laughed.
“Why don’t you go take a hot bath while I heat something up?”
“I have a better idea,” Desiree said. “Why don’t you join me?”
Catherine Crawford picked up her drink, her hands shaking slightly. She’d been rattled by Grant’s phone call and was trying hard not to let it show. He’d asked her if she’d been with Destiny Palmer the day she died. She’d denied it, told him the receptionist at the doctor’s office had been mistaken. She sipped her Vodka tonic and closed her eyes, thinking back to that day. Truth was, she had been there with Destiny and they had argued. She couldn’t very well tell Grant that.
Why was Desiree snooping around all these years later? She’d left after her sister’s death and the break-up with Grant and hadn’t looked back. Why was she so interested all of a sudden? And why was Grant calling on her behalf? Mason had alluded to Grant and Desiree spending a lot of time together over the past week-and-a-half. Were they getting close again? She’d have to put an end to that; she couldn’t have their families entangled again. Some things were just better left buried. Like Destiny Palmer.
She took another sip of her drink, picked up her phone, and dialed.
“Hello, it’s me. We have a problem.”
Chapter Three
Grant woke the next morning to find Desiree gone from the bed. He pulled on his jeans and went looking for her. He checked all of the usual places she might be but didn’t find her in any of them. He came back upstairs and noticed the attic door slightly ajar. He went up the steps and found her sitting in the middle of the pile of boxes where she’d discovered the evidence of Destiny’s baby. She now had several stacks of papers scattered around her and was studying them so intently, she hadn’t even heard him come up the steps.
Grant went down to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. He leaned back against the counter and wondered at the events that had unfolded over the past two weeks. He’d gone from the heir to the richest family in Georgia to homeless and damn near penniless (by his standards anyway). Desiree had come back into his life, something he’d never thought possible, and though he had been kicked out of his family home and fortune, he felt happier and freer than he ever had. He didn’t live under his father’s borderline-tyrannical rule any longer and he was free to be with the woman he had loved for his entire adult life.
The only thing truly troubling him right now was the mention of his mother’s involvement with Destiny. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it. His mother denied that she had been at the doctor’s office that day, but according to Desiree, the receptionist was positive it had been her. His parents were not hard to recognize, Grant knew. They spent enough time and money, in Atlanta to be known to most people there. But why would his mother lie to him about it? What reason would she have to deny it?
Catherine Crawford had been raised to be a society lady; to marry a wealthy man and host dinner parties for his business associates. She played that role perfectly. She was seen, but rarely heard, and spent most of her time attending luncheons and teas with the other ladies in town. When Grant had broken his engagement to Desiree, she had seemed genuinely surprised but had fallen back on her “father knows best” beliefs.
Desiree mentioned the other day that his mother had actually avoided her in public places, refusing to meet her eye. He originally chalked it up to his father’s belief that Desiree’s family was tainted by the scandal a suicide brings to a small town like this. But now he wondered. He needed to find out for sure if his mother was lying to him, he just didn’t know how to go about it. Before he could form any plan, Desiree walked into the kitchen. She inhaled deeply, a smile spreading over her face at the rich aroma of the brewing coffee.
“You learn to cook bacon and I might just keep you around,” she said playfully as she rose onto her toes and planted a kiss on his lips.
“I’ll get right on that,” Grant said in return, pouring her a cup of coffee. “You up in the attic again?”
Desiree rolled her shoulders and stretched. “Yeah. Just going through those boxes to see if I can find out anything else about what my sister had been up to.”
“Any luck?” Grant asked, sipping his coffee.
“Not really. I found a box with Destiny’s old diaries in it but she stopped writing in them right after mom died. It’s like she literally just stopped living her life and became someone totally different. It’s so frustrating,” she said, shaking her head.
Grant pulled her into his arms and felt her sink against his chest. “Why don’t we do something else for a bit, get our minds clear and make a plan of attack?”
Desiree took a sip of her coffee and nodded. “You’re right,” she agreed. “ A clear head and a plan sound perfect. Any ideas on how to do that?”
Grant took the cup from her hands and set it on the counter, leading her upstairs to the bathroom adjoining her room. He turned on the shower and shed his clothes before turning to Desiree and undressing her. T
hey stepped under the warm spray and Grant leaned down, catching Desiree’s mouth with his, and slowly, sensually sliding his tongue along hers. She gave a soft moan and he was instantly hard. His hands skimmed her rib cage and came up to cup her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her pert nipples. He bent his head low to take one into his mouth and suckled while rolling the other between his thumb and forefinger. Desiree began to roll her hips against him and reached between them to close her hand around his shaft.
Abruptly, Grant broke away from her and turned her around so that she faced away from him. He was determined not to let this moment get away too quickly. He poured some shampoo in his palm and began to lightly massage Desiree’s head as he lathered her hair. She moaned at the sensation and intimacy of the act, making it hard for Grant to concentrate. He could see the tension melt from her shoulders as he worked. As the last of the shampoo rinsed from Desiree’s hair, Grant could hold back no longer; his primal need to be inside her took over. He ran his hand down the center of her back and pushed her forward so she bent at the waist. His eyes traveled to her perfectly round bottom, now up in the air. Unable to ignore his building need, Grant slid his throbbing erection into Desiree’s slick heat. He unleashed a loud groan as she immediately clamped around him. His rhythmic thrusts had Desiree’s head swimming, begging him for more. She bent down further, placing her hands on the shower floor, giving Grant more access, which he took without hesitation. As the orgasm washed over her, she called his name loudly, feeling him shudder inside her as he joined her in climax.
Grant withdrew and helped Desiree stand upright. She turned toward him and pulled him into a deep kiss.
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Southern Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) Page 4
