by Hart, Hanna
The walls were repainted with rich browns and stark white accents, with bronze sculptures and anything else that would transform the mansion into a masculine retreat.
Fiona walked through the foyer and thumbed her fingers across the plush couch and stared curiously at the corner fireplace. She dropped her single suitcase next to the sliding doors in the living room and said, "Fireplace?" she teased.
"You do know it's like, a hundred and five degrees out right now, yes?"
Beckett offered her a smirk and shrugged bashfully. "Well," was all he could say.
"Wow," she breathed, wandering from room to room in absolute awe. Beckett followed closely behind her, narrowly avoiding stepping into his son's old room, which was now a room for Beckett's piano. It was stark, with floor to ceiling windows, white curtains, a grand piano, a bench, and a single antique settee pushed up against the far wall.
He wanted as little in there as possible.
"Wow," Fiona mused, brows shot up. "You really must be rich if you have a room in your house devoted to a single instrument."
"Wait until you get to my drum room," he said, and Fiona shot him a bewildered look. He closed his eyes and shook his head, mouthing the word ‘no.’
“Most people buy the bungalows,” he said casually as he watched Fiona continue to go through his rooms. “They’re closer to the resort, which means they’re closer to restaurants, nightlife, shopping, all that.”
“But not you?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. I wanted a two-story. That means being farther down the island, but the houses are bigger, and it’s a lot quieter. Besides, all the condos match the resort. Everything is blue and white; everything looks the same. Out here—”
“With the rebels down the beach,” she interrupted with a wink in her tone.
“With the rebels down the beach,” he nodded, “your house can look any way you want.”
“Okay, I can’t even hear you anymore because what the heck?” Fiona said as she stopped mid-doorway in his pool room. The room was a mass of beige-marble. There were massive columns that went from the floor to the ceiling, a Roman-style bath, and an immense pool that was half indoor, half outdoor.
“Pool room,” he said.
“No kidding!” she laughed in disbelief. “Have I mentioned that I was living in a motel before we met?”
“You did,” he said quietly. She’d shared that tidbit with him and yet he still couldn’t believe it. He got antsy staying at the Ritz for too long, so to be stuck in a one-room motel for months on end sounded like an absolute nightmare.
“Speaking of which,” he said and pulled her hand into his.
He led her up the beige-marble staircase leading to the upper level of the manor. The upper floor wasn’t as large as the lower and curved around the grand staircase railing.
Beckett gave her a brief tour of the two bathrooms, study, and the master bedroom before stopping at the upper floor guestroom.
“Your room,” he said.
Fiona looked in wonder at him a pushed the door open. The guest room was a creamy white with floor-to-ceiling windows. In front of them were two pale pink club chairs posed on either side of a round marble side table.
The king-sized bed had ruffled white linens on it. The headboard was tufted in a deep chocolate fabric. The guest room also featured an impressive walk-in closet and private bathroom.
“This…” Fiona exhaled slowly, turning in wonder like a child might. “This is mine?”
“All yours,” he smiled. “Your home away from home.”
Fiona turned to him. He thought she might comment on the grandeur of the space or make some snarky remark about how unnecessarily rich he was—but she didn’t. Instead, she began to cry.
She sniffled quietly as solemn tears fell down her cheeks. Then she threw her arms around Beckett’s neck and said, “Thank you, Beckett. Thank you so much.”
Chapter Five
Fiona
It had only been a matter of hours since Fiona arrived on the private billionaire island and she was already overwhelmed by its absolute beauty. There were outdoor cabanas, palm trees, tiki bars, pool after pool that overlooked the crystal-clear ocean, and endless boat sails out in the water.
Coming here was like coming to paradise.
Fiona was startled by Beckett’s wealth when she had walked through his immense mansion. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know he was of the upper class. He was well-dressed, had an air of spoiled superiority, social charms, and clearly thought nothing of a four-million-dollar payout.
But seeing his wealth manifest in real life created a strange stirring in her stomach.
She wasn’t sure whether to be jealous, in awe, or disgusted by the intense luxury of the beachfront home.
After their first ‘date,’ Beckett had given Fiona less than a week to get herself in order before they left for Nani Makai.
The first thing she did after accepting the job offer, besides sign a nondisclosure agreement and a prenup, was to call her doctor and tell him that she wanted to be considered for organ donation.
Dr. Harper was optimistic about her change in fortune. She now had to carry a beeper around with her that would signal if she were in line for a new heart. Now it was no longer a matter of money; it was a matter of waiting.
Fiona couldn’t believe the difference that money made in dealing with medical issues.
Not only did Dr. Harper easily transfer her paperwork to a hospital on the mainland just a few miles away from the private Nani Makai island, but he also alerted the hospitals in the surrounding area of Fiona’s being on a heart transplant list.
She no longer had to be in Georgia to get relief. Now, if a heart became available in the surrounding cities near Nani Makai, she would be alerted to it.
The only thing that had truly lowered her spirits was having to give up Ruby.
She’d spent her remaining days in Savannah with Ruby, taking her to the beach and strolling her through the historic district. They went to museums and watched the way the Spanish moss hung from the trees in the square.
At the end of the week, Fiona took Ruby to Kathleen’s house and knocked gingerly on the door.
She explained everything. Her disease, her then-upcoming impromptu marriage, and her suddenly urgent need for childcare.
To her great surprise, Kathleen agreed to watch Ruby.
Indefinitely.
“Kathleen, are you sure?” Fiona had asked with a gasp.
“I make it my business to care for little ones,” Kathleen said with a comforting hand on Fiona’s arm.
While she couldn’t be more grateful to the woman, a part of her wished Kathleen would have said no. That she would have just a few more minutes with her sweet-eyed Ruby.
Truthfully, she couldn’t believe Kathleen agreed. They had been friends at the motel, sure, but they weren’t extremely close.
But telling a dying mother she had nowhere to leave her only child probably wasn’t an easy thing to say, Fiona thought. So, Kathleen would care for Ruby until Fiona either found a new heart or succumbed to her disease.
And after watching Kathleen with her child and niece, Fiona felt a little more settled.
She inhaled a deep breath the day she had to leave and wrote out a check for three hundred thousand dollars and handed it to Kathleen.
Out of the two million Beckett would soon pay her, there would be something just shy of six hundred thousand remaining after payments on the transplant. The last of it would be put into a bank account in Ruby’s name and willed to her for schooling and whatever else she decided to use it for.
“Fiona, no!” Kathleen said with tears in her eyes as she took the crisp paper into her hands.
“Don’t cash it for a month,” Fiona said quickly. “After that, everything should be in my account.”
“Fiona, I can’t,” Kathleen said, forcing the paper back out toward Fiona.
“Please, Kathleen,” Fiona said with a hand of protest.
“You’re… you’re the only person in my life. You’re taking care of my daughter. Please. Let me do this.”
“I take care of babies,” Kathleen said, staring down at the check in disbelief. “It’s what I do.”
“Please, let me do this, Kathleen,” Fiona added with a sad smile. “I need to know she’s…that she’s going to be alright.”
Words failed her then, and Fiona erupted in a heap of tears.
“I’m putting you out!” Fiona cried. “I know that.”
“Hey, hey, what’s all this?” came Waller’s sudden interjection. He wrapped a thick arm around Fiona and began to shake her in that half-awkward, half-comforting way that a father might. “Listen to me. You’re not putting anyone out.”
“I am,” she nodded.
Because how could she not be? She couldn’t fathom that there were families out there who wouldn’t be put-out by taking care of a stranger’s child.
“I have put up with babies upon babies crying in my day. And this one?” Waller said as he pointed to his wife. “She cries at toilet paper commercials.”
Fiona laughed at that and watched the pleasant and familiar way that Kathleen whacked her husband playfully on the arm.
“You think an adorable cryin’ baby is going to put me out?” Waller asked with a smile. He began to shake his head and hush, “No, no, no.”
“You guys are too good to me,” Fiona said, wiping her tears.
“You are too good to us,” Kathleen lamented, gripping the check tightly between her fingers and thumbs. “Now you go out there and make yourself a millionaire. Again. And Fiona?”
Fiona looked up.
“You get ahold of me if anything happens to you,” the woman said in a stern tone that told Fiona she meant every word. “Your health,” Kathleen clarified. “I want to know.”
Fiona nodded and handed Kathleen a file-folder full of paperwork. The transfer of custody they had signed the day before, allowing Kathleen permission to make decisions for Ruby: where she went to school, how she was handled medically. The paperwork included a copy of the will she signed, leaving Ruby in custody to Kathleen Hobbes.
Fiona had also written down the name of Ruby's father, should Kathleen need to get a hold of him.
Whatever she did with Ruby if Fiona died would be out of her hands. Contact her ex. Leave her in foster care.
The thoughts were painful. They wrenched at her whole body to the point that she didn't think she would be able to leave. She hoped and chose to believe that if anything happened to Fiona, Kathleen would raise Ruby like one of her own. That she would be loved and cherished the way she deserved to be.
"I don't know when I'll be able to come back, but you have my number. I'll never change it," Fiona said, hugging Kathleen tightly.
"I'll update you all the time, girl. I just hope you know what you're doing out there with that fine bachelor," Kathleen wink.
Fiona laughed at that, but her laughter quickly turned back into sobs as she brushed Ruby's ginger locks with her fingers and cupped her chubby cheek in her hand.
"She's in good hands, and when you get back, we'll be right here waiting for you," Kathleen said.
Fiona had spent two hours sitting on the floor with Ruby, playing and snuggling together.
Saying goodbye was the hardest thing she had ever had to do.
And now she was here, on Nani Makai, getting ready to meet Beckett’s parents and feeling utterly horrified at the thought. She wished they could have stayed on the island for a few more days getting to know each other before being given one of the most difficult tasks a new wife has—get the in-laws to like you.
She and Beckett stood in the grandiose lobby of Crystal Beach Resorts. Straight ahead of them was a reception desk where three concierges stood, waiting to be of service. To the left was a long hallway that led into a shopping mall, like something you might find in one of those ridiculously posh casinos in Vegas. The collection of stores had all the big designer names, and Fiona couldn't think of who would come to a private beach resort in order to spend money on high-end handbags.
But then again, she was never a girl who wanted to shop while on vacation. She was more interested in seeing the sights.
“Get ready,” Beckett said, slipping an arm around Fiona’s waist and slipping his hand dangerously low on her back. “The beast is coming.”
“Stop it,” she laughed, pushing him a little. “Things are going to be fine. Right?”
“Have you ever seen one of those nature documentaries where the lion chases down antelope and eats them?”
Fiona laughed harder. “Stop!”
“Or one where a lion starts randomly fighting an alligator, and then somehow he wins? And then you’re like, hey man! You’re not supposed to be eating that. How is this possible?” Beckett nudged her. “That’s my mother.”
“Okay, so you are trying to scare me off, right?” she winced.
“Hey, I’m just stating the facts,” he grinned.
Fiona liked being around Beckett. He could always make her laugh. On top of that, Fiona felt such a strong attraction to him that it almost felt palpable.
Yet, there was something so selfish and immature about him that Fiona wondered if it would become a point of contention between them one day.
“Oh!” came the sharp, shrill cry of a lovely woman coming toward them in the lobby.
The woman was Beckett’s mother, Bebe. She owned a law firm called Davies, Brown, and Associates. It was a wildly successful firm in Los Angeles that handled cases for various businesses throughout California.
The law firm was in her maiden name, Davies. Beckett said she did this so as not to compete with Colton or to use his name to get ahead. Although, according to Beckett, they were always competing with one another.
“You’re beautiful!” Bebe said, cupping Fiona’s cheeks in her hand.
“Oh, thank you,” Fiona said with a flush to her cheeks. “So are you!”
Bebe was a tall, thin woman with blond hair pulled up into a tight, tiny bun. She wore a white jumpsuit and white flats. She was the picture of sophistication.
“She’s beautiful,” Bebe repeated, looking between her husband and daughter Magdalene, and then back to Fiona. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“She’s great, mom,” a dark-haired girl who Fiona could only assume was Magdalene said.
“I’m Fiona,” Fiona introduced herself an
Upon hearing that Magdalene was getting married, Fiona had assumed they would be around the same age. But seeing her now, it was clear that Magdalene couldn’t be any older than nineteen or twenty years old. Not even old enough to drink.
She was a beautiful girl, with dark hair and impossibly green eyes, like her brother.
“We’re so, so, so happy to meet you!” Bebe said as she threw her arms around Fiona.
Fiona awkwardly returned the gesture and accepted more hugs from Colton Davenport and Magdalene as they exchanged their hellos and other pleasantries. Eventually, they sat down at a sleek black table in a round booth inside the restaurant.
“You’re going to love this place, Fiona,” Colton said in a confident tone as he ordered a bottle of wine for the table. “I know the chef. I trained him for years at my restaurant in Vegas.”
“That’s amazing,” Fiona said. “I’m looking forward to going to your restaurant soon.”
“You haven’t taken her?” Colton said, eyeing Beckett. His son shrugged, and Colton let out a hearty laugh. “Geez. Well, you’re gonna love that too. But let me tell you, you don’t start at the top. If you ate at Rendezvous, I guarantee you wouldn’t enjoy any other restaurant on the island.”
“What a sell!” Fiona giggled, and Colton looked pleased with himself.
“But you’ll get a taste for it soon, I’m guessing. Since Beckett will take his position as chef up soon enough.”
“Is that so?” Beckett said, looking beyond pleased with this information. It was exactly what he’d been hoping for, Fiona sup
posed.
“Oh, enough shop talk! Fiona, I’m so sorry we weren’t able to do this properly,” Bebe said apologetically as she fussed with her napkin. She spread it across her lap in a ‘just so’ manner and then locked eyes with Fiona. “Getting to know you, I mean. Meet your parents, come to the wedding.” She laughed. “You know, the normal things.”
“Me too,” Fiona said nervously. “But we just wanted, you know, to be married.”
Her words sounded ridiculous and dumb, even to her.
“Plus,” she added hastily, “we didn’t want to step on Magdalene’s ceremony.”
“Well that’s a first,” Magdalene snorted, shooting her brother a pointed stare. “This one loves to steal other people’s thunder whenever he sees the opportunity.”
“It was fifth grade, Maggs,” Beckett began to laugh. “Get over it!”
“That was my play!” she argued back. “If that night had gone differently, I could be a world-famous actress right now.”
Beckett tipped his head to the side and smiled at Fiona, as though she knew what was going on. Then, he explained, “It was a five-minute play about a vegetable patch in the summertime.”
“A…” Fiona giggled but said nothing more.
“That’s right,” Beckett teased, “A vegetable patch.”
“And I was cast as the tomato!” Magdalene argued petulantly.
Beckett raised his brows and said, “Which, in her world, means she was cast as the lead.”
“Oh, not this again,” Colton said with an amused breath.
He and Bebe slurped their oysters and sipped on champagne as their children argued, both looking contented and happy to be sitting together as a family again after so many months of Beckett being away.
Their parental pride was obvious, and it made Fiona feel closer to them already. While Ruby was only one year old, Fiona had already felt moments of tremendous pride for her little daughter.
“He knew it was my opening night,” Magdalene began. “I was so nervous, all I needed to do was see my parents in the front row. But the golden prince over there was so annoyed that mom and dad were paying attention to me and not him that he pretended to be sick!”
