by Jeannie Moon
Things were changing quickly, and he hoped that nothing was going to spook her. He’d met her parents briefly at the wedding along with her sister, Tina, but he wasn’t sure what to expect at the party. These were her people, not an elegant, formal wedding. When she met his parents, they loved her, and they couldn’t have been more thrilled that the relationship was serious. From the way she handled his father to the photographs she’d taken at the farm, Jenna was the new favorite. Once they went back to his house they’d had a perfect weekend. She told him more about her ex, about her life in California, but he got the sense there was more to the story.
“How am I possibly going to keep track of everyone,” he wondered aloud. His family wasn’t small by any account. His mother had three siblings, his father had four, he had some cousins, but not like this.
“You aren’t going to,” she responded. “Do your best, and if you don’t remember someone, ask. It happens all the time. They only have you to remember, you have a hundred people.”
A hundred people. Great. “Anyone I should be wary of?”
“Marco and Bunny. Toxic, toxic. They might take shots at Owen and Kim, so be prepared for that.”
He remembered that Marco and Bunny were the ones who caused so much trouble when Owen and Kim had gotten serious. It had been a nasty weekend that sent Kim running and Owen getting drunk off his ass.
“It’s going to be fine. Fine . . .” she mumbled.
“Are you nervous?”
“No,” she said. “It’s my family. Why would I be nervous?” Her words were hitting him like machine-gun fire. He’d never heard anyone talk so fast.
“Right.” He didn’t believe her for a second. “Because I’m the one who should be nervous.”
“Are you?” she moaned. “Oh. I mean. You don’t have to go. They can be overwhelming, my family. Crazy.”
He took his hand from the stick shift of the Maserati, and squeezed her fingers tight. “I’m going. Crazy or not, it’s important I meet them. All of them.”
“I really love you,” she said, bringing his fingers to her lips and leaving a sweet kiss on his knuckles.
“Good. Because I really love you, too.”
But he was speechless when they pulled up to the restaurant. The parking lot was packed. Then he saw the sign that the restaurant was closed for a private party. He’d never seen anything like this. They closed an entire restaurant for dinner. “Wow,” he whispered to her. “This is a little birthday dinner?”
“It’s actually not bad. We’re a little late and the place isn’t full. Go park over there.” She pointed to a spot. “You might have lucked out.”
Lucked out? They made their way inside and all Nate saw were people. Lots of people. “Are you related to everyone?”
She glanced around the room. “Almost.” She went up on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thank you.”
“Gia!” Nate looked up to see short, rotund woman coming at them with her arms extended.
“My great-aunt Concetta,” Jenna whispered. “She’s almost ninety.”
“Concetta.” He repeated her name so he remembered. “She moves pretty well. She must take good care of herself.”
Jenna shook her head. “She smoked like a chimney for seventy years, puts a shot of Sambuca in her coffee every morning, and she drinks an entire bottle of red wine every day. Go figure.”
He laughed as her aunt stopped and hugged her niece. “It’s been too long, cara. Is this your billionaire?” The old woman couldn’t have been five feet tall, but her deep, raspy voice made him think of a big burly longshoreman instead. Looking around at all of her relatives, many of whom were sizing him up—The Billionaire, as Concetta said—he realized how important it was to Jenna that he be accepted.
“This is Nate, Aunt Connie. Nate Bayard.”
“Bayard? What kind of name is that?” the old woman asked.
“It’s Scottish. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand, only to be pulled in and kissed on each cheek.
“Scottish, hmm? Do you have one of those skirts?”
“A kilt. Yes, ma’am. I do. In our clan colors, in fact.”
“I wouldn’t know one color from another,” she sniffed. “I’ve been wearing black since nineteen seventy eight, when my husband died.” She blessed herself after the mention of her husband. “You look good, Gia. This man makes you happy?”
She nodded. “He does.”
Concetta looked him up and down, and then let go several, deep rattling coughs. “You be good to her, Billionaire. She was with that bastardo and he didn’t deserve her.” She looked around and whispered conspiratorially, “I put the maloccio on him, but I don’t know if it worked.”
He noticed Jenna stepped back a bit as he navigated the conversation with Concetta. He discovered malocchio is the “evil eye” and it’s considered very dangerous, even more dangerous than what his grandmother called “The Hairy Eye”. But after several minutes, Nate could see at the core of all Concetta’s bluster was a deep love of her family, and that was something he could relate to. He liked her a lot.
Seeing this side of Jenna answered many of Nate’s questions. He could see there was a dynamic that surrounded the family. Each generation was supposed to do better than the one before. Hard work and education were valued. But deference to the elders was expected in all things.
Her siblings and cousins had mastered the game . . . they knew how to keep their parents and grandparents happy while doing what they wanted. Jenna was a bit of a rebel and it got her in trouble.
Watching her now as she was playing with some of her young cousins, seeing her with children, made Nate think about having a family of his own. It wasn’t something he’d ever attached to a relationship, but someday he’d love to have that family with Jenna.
***
Nate sat in the meeting with the lawyers and his business partners about the possibility of taking Reliance public, but he couldn’t get his mind off the mare who was ready to have her foal, and the three kids they had going to their first schooling show this weekend. His parents had left for the Hamptons because Reliance was having a big Independence Day party at Kylemore East next week.
He should care about the numbers being thrown at him, and the proposals, but he couldn’t; he thought about the barn, his family, and Jenna. Always Jenna.
He’d survived meeting her very large family, and the day after the party, the feedback was that he passed muster. All good news considering he wanted to make things permanent with Jenna and the Albaneses were going to be stuck with him.
“Nate!” Owen’s booming voice snapped him back. “Keep your head in the game, man.”
“Sorry, I can only listen to the same numbers over and over for three hours and I think right now, we’re going on hour four.”
“You don’t have to be a jackass.” Owen threw his pen on the table. “I just want to be clear about what we’re getting ourselves into. It could take the business into the stratosphere.”
“Or, it could be a disaster,” Nate said. “There’s risk. No doubt about it.”
“No risk, no reward,” Tristan responded. With his constant presence, Tris was becoming part of the Reliance culture. They all trusted him and involved him in the day-to-day operations as they moved toward this new milestone. He knew his shit, no doubt there, and because they shared a common love for horses, the financial whiz was becoming his friend.
“Are we done?” Nate rose from his chair and closed his laptop. He’d had enough of the numbers, enough of the endless talk about the same thing, enough of the stress. He had an errand to run and he figured a walk through town was better than losing his shit.
Everyone was tense, but Owen especially was driving them crazy. Even Harper, who was the most hyper-focused of the group, was getting a little fed up. Owen was pushing hard for the IPO. Jason
and Harper were being cautious, and Nate had no desire for things to get any more out of control.
“Yeah,” Owen said. “Let’s meet again around four to see if there’s anything else we need to explore before we bring in the firm that will be handling the offering.”
Nate wondered if he could get a plane booked and ready for a quick getaway before four o’clock rolled around.
“Owen, can we give this a few days to simmer? It’s a lot to take in and I want to think about it.”
“What’s to think about? We’ll talk later.”
Jason, who’d been pretty quiet, finally said something. “It’s not unreasonable to table the discussion for a few days. Nate’s right. There’s no rush.”
Exasperated, Owen grabbed his laptop and portfolio and without a word went through the door that led to his office. The Reliance campus had been designed with collaboration in mind. In this wing, the executive suite took up most of the square footage. Each of the partners had an office, and there was a central bullpen for their assistants and a clutch of offices for middle managers and staff. The wing on the opposite side of the building housed human resources, operations, the gym, the nursery, and the medical suite. The ground level, which had a wall of windows looking out on the harbor and opened to a landscaped courtyard, was where research and development, marketing, and sales lived.
Nate was exhausted. Scrubbing his face with his hands, he thought about what an IPO could mean. It would change the culture of the business. It would change expectations and he didn’t know if he wanted it.
They’d built a business that had been written up, examined, and used as a model for entrepreneurs. He was an incredible success, but it felt hollow, and taking the business public wasn’t going to change that. All these meetings and conferences were helping him realize he wasn’t where he wanted to be.
Nate had been asked back to Duke, his alma mater, more than once to speak to different groups at the business school. He’d endowed a scholarship. He did all the things a young, rich billionaire was supposed to do with his money and success . . . except enjoy it.
Jason was the one who had gone all in, with his houses, yacht, the apartment in Manhattan, and the lifestyle that was off the charts. But even with all that, his wife kept her teaching job and they juggled childcare.
Owen, a Naval Academy grad, shook all the expectations when he stayed in the Marine Corps Reserves and did several tours in war zones while being the CIO of the company. He was type A all the way, and Nate hoped Kim was going to slow him down. His house and boat were modest, but for some reason he was stressed and intense about going public. Being the best was always important to him.
Nate had had a privileged upbringing. The wealthy horse set on the Island were his people. His parents ran in the right charity circles, but the truth was, he’d grown up mucking stalls and picking hay out of his hair.
The Bayards had money. A lot of it. Nate never aspired to have a multibillion-dollar business on top of that. He wanted to continue the tradition of Kylemore and grow its operation. He’d ridden the Reliance juggernaut with his friends, content to let the business run him since he didn’t have much of a life. But now that his relationship with Jenna was serious, he was ready to rethink his priorities.
He wanted to marry her. They’d spent the entire weekend together, just enjoying time with each other. He’d taken her riding again, they’d stocked his kitchen, watched movies, and fallen asleep spooned together. She’d told him part of what went down in California and he wished he could help take away some of her worry about commitment.
He knew he had to give them a little more time, but Nate could see the future with her. He’d loved everything about Jenna from the minute he’d met her, and now he’d fallen in love with her. He’d bought a ring. He’d wait a few months to give it to her, but she was the one. And there was no doubt in his mind about that.
***
The Cove Deli was Jenna’s go-to place if she needed a great sandwich and a view to go along with it. She was going to stay at the cottage for lunch and take some time for herself, but Kevin had an off day, then Harper came home, and the kinetic energy level in the house went off the scale. When it was that way at the house, it was everywhere. It was a lot less stressful to come to town, get a sandwich, and go eat in the park. It was a gorgeous warm day and she didn’t have to deal with the questions about her and Nate. They’d been together for six weeks, and it seemed like every one of their friends had an opinion about the relationship. Harper was one of the most vocal. There was no doubt that Harper was a good woman, and she cared deeply for her friends, but sometimes she cared too much and Jenna felt smothered. Today she needed some time. She needed some space.
She had a lot of thinking to do.
Taking her turkey sandwich and water across the street, Jenna headed to Harbor Park. This wasn’t her first time here and she had a favorite bench near the water, where she settled in to have a quiet lunch. All in all, she liked her job. Harper and Kevin were great people even though they lived a high-maintenance life. She loved Anna. The little girl was bright and fun, but demanding to the point of exhaustion.
And “exhaustion” wasn’t even a sufficient word to describe how she was feeling. So here she was. The salt air helped her clear her head. She’d gone into a total zone-out when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned around to see Nate smiling down at her.
“This seat taken?” he asked, motioning to the space next to her.
“No, not at all.” She scooted over. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled again and pulled a sandwich and drink out of a lunch bag. “Looking for you.”
Looking for me? Jenna’s heart skipped a beat when he sat down. He was so gorgeous. His tan chinos, blue-and-white-striped button-down, loafers, and Ray-Ban aviators made him look like he’d stepped right out of a Banana Republic catalog. But it was his smile, his presence, something uniquely him that made her toes curl.
“I stopped by the cottage to take you to lunch and Harper told me you come here sometimes. What’s up?”
Jenna sipped her water and looked out at the harbor. “Ah, you know, good view. Helps me think.”
He took a bite of sandwich, and looked at her, intensely. Once he’d swallowed, he continued. “What are you thinking about? Me, I hope.”
Jenna chuckled, he knew her so well. Even though they’d only been together such a short time, he knew exactly what to say. “I always think about you,” she said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m thinking about how I’m going to handle something that’s happened. Something difficult.”
He nodded. “Does it involve anyone I know?”
“As a matter of fact, it does,” she responded.
He took off his sunglasses, rested an elbow on the back of the bench, and looked right into her eyes. Jenna couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. His gaze froze her in place. Brushing a piece of windblown hair from her cheek, he smiled. “Put it out there, Jen. Nothing you want to talk to me about should be difficult. I love you, and whatever it is we’ll work through it.”
She kissed him, right then and there. The magic, the connection they’d forged over the past month and a half was stronger every day, and as much as Jenna had been worried about what she had to tell him, she knew it would be okay. Nate would make it okay. Then, a voice broke the trance.
“Jenna?”
Pinching her eyes shut, she cringed. How could she have forgotten? Her mother and aunts had been walking around the park on nice days for exercise. So much for peace. So much for talking to Nate.
“Hi, Mom.”
“What are you doing here? And you’re not alone. Hello, Nate.”
Nate stood, a gentleman to the core. Taking her mother’s hand, her guy charmed Mom with a look. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Albanese.”
“I forgot you all have b
een walking. The weather is sure good for it.” Once Jenna came to grips with the fact that she’d just lost all her privacy, she gave each of the women a peck on the cheek. Her aunts, God love them, were trying to be cool about the fact that she was here with “The Billionaire”.
Mama glanced at Nate, and then at Jenna, and back at him. Finally, her mother fixed her gaze on Jenna’s face. First there was confusion and then awareness sparked in her mother’s eyes. Oh, God. She knows.
The moment of clarity passed quickly between them, and her mother kissed her cheek. “You call me later,” she whispered in Jenna’s ear. “Come on,” she said to her sisters. “Let’s leave them alone. It was nice to see you again, Nate.”
Like a whirlwind, they were off. Jenna was relieved she’d avoided the big family scene that so often came when her mother and aunts traveled in a pack, but now she was back to Nate. And he also knew something was up.
“Are you going to tell me what happened there?” He took her hands and brought them both back to the bench and what was left of their sandwiches. “From what I’ve seen of your family, I got off way too easy.”
He’d been to one family party and he already had them figured out. How was she going to tell him? Her heart was skipping beats. Was he going to think she was trying to trap him? He’d said he loved her, but that was a long way from a permanent commitment.
“So what’s the deal? Your mother and your aunts should still be interrogating me.”
“That’s true. I guess my mother sensed we needed to be alone. I have something I have to tell you.”
***
Nate actually felt pressure in his chest. What the hell was going on? Whatever she had to tell him had her spooked, then without any warning, Jenna drew a long, shuddering breath and tears spilled onto her cheeks. One and then another. She was crying? Jenna didn’t cry.
