Next Door to the Billionaire (Bluebonnets & Billionaires, #1)

by Carrington, Remi

  She rolled away from him, but he caught her arm.

  Lips by her ear, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  She responded with a quick kiss, then pulled away.

  Tanner switched on the flashlight and opened the door.

  Coop grinned. “Nellie said you’d be hiding out here. Now I know why you didn’t come home.” He shined the light on the crushed vehicles.

  “No truck. No cell service. Just had to wait until someone missed me.”

  “We were starting to.” He scanned the room and raised his eyebrows when the beam of his flashlight landed on Livvy. “That other car must be hers. Didn’t know you had company.”

  “She’s a friend. Like a kid sister. So just stop.” Tanner didn’t have to turn around to know the hurt his words caused. In a selfish effort to save face and deflect ribbing, he’d wounded her.

  “Hey there.” Coop stuck out his hand as she stepped closer. “Name’s Logan. My friends call me Coop.”

  “I’m Livvy. I’m so glad you came when you did. Spending another night here would have been dreadful.” She yanked the flashlight out of Tanner’s hand and gathered her things into the duffle bag.

  Tanner stared at the floor, wishing he could rewind time.

  A minute later, she pushed past him and walked out toward Coop’s truck.

  “I interrupted something, didn’t I?” Coop glanced over his shoulder as she climbed into the passenger side.

  “Yep.” Tanner needed to figure out how to set things right.

  “Kid sister? That was cold.” Coop shook his head as he walked away and called back over his shoulder. “Come on, Romeo.”

  Most people had extended cab pickups, but not Coop. He had an old-fashioned bench seat. When Tanner open the passenger side door, Livvy slid to the center, pressing her knees together so that no part of her touched him.

  “So how do you know Tanner?” She acted as if he wasn’t even there.

  “I’m gonna marry Nellie, his kid sister.” Coop chose his words on purpose, never one to miss an opportunity for a punchline. “Sorry, I meant big sister.”

  Not appreciating the humor, Livvy stared at her hands, her knuckles white from clutching the handle of the duffle bag. Silence followed his joke. Without conversation, the drive seemed endless.

  Tanner hated the quiet. “What made you come look for me?”

  Coop’s smile fell away. “You up and disappeared after what happened with Angela. Nellie suggested I check up here. And something’s happened.”

  “Something besides Angela?” Tanner sensed a seriousness uncommon with Coop.

  “Yeah.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

  Tanner didn’t bother to hide his frustration. “What?”

  Coop glanced across the cab. “I’d rather not be the one to tell you.”

  “Seriously Coop? You had no trouble telling me my fiancée was cheating, so what is so bad that you don’t want to say?” Tanner lowered his voice when he felt Livvy tense even more.

  “Please, Tanner.” Coop didn’t take his eyes off the road.

  Tanner tried to stay calm as he ran through possibilities. “Are Mom and Dad okay?”

  Coop nodded.

  “Nellie?” Tanner didn’t have a long list to run through.

  A smile appeared on Coop’s face just like every other time anyone mentioned Nellie’s name. “She’s fine.”

  “What about—”

  “I’m not answering anymore questions.” Coop turned up the radio.

  Grandfather. Something must’ve happened. Tanner braced for the lecture on overlooking Angela’s shortcomings for the good of business.

  Coop shifted, uncomfortable with the tension. “Sorry about Angela.”

  “I’m fine. It’s over with her.” Tanner stared out the window, wanting to hold Livvy’s hand.

  “You still have to tell her that. She’s shown up at the house looking for you. Worries because you haven’t answered her calls and texts.”

  Tanner clenched his fists. “The wedding is off. Besides cheating on me, she left her ring at the diner.”

  “Sorry. That’s just—wow . . . heartless.” Coop bumped Livvy’s leg. “You the waitress?”

  She nodded.

  He grinned. “Thought I recognized you. From the diner, right?”

  Tanner focused on Livvy. “You know him?”

  “Tuesday nights. Shrimp and grits.” She almost smiled. “Comes in with—”

  “Nellie.” Coop wiggled his eyebrows. “Glad you finally listened to your mom. Nellie can’t stand Angela, either.”

  “Yeah.” Tanner laid his hand on Livvy’s.

  She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t wrap her fingers around his either. He was in a horrible mess and had alienated the one person he wanted close to him.

  Chapter 8

  Warm fingers rested on her hand. She waffled about whether to pull away as Coop stopped outside a gate and punched the button on a remote stuck to his visor.

  Tanner’s kid-sister comment played in a loop in her head. Was he ashamed of her?

  Answers to that question dotted the landscape around her. Large houses set back away from the street with cobblestone driveways sat on each side of the road. Some places had fences, others didn’t.

  Something akin to horror settled in Livvy’s chest. She’d stepped into an alternate reality, a place she did not belong. Flashbacks of her mom cozying up to anyone she thought had money flooded Livvy’s brain. Acting like Mom was something Livvy never wanted to do.

  Tanner’s reaction made much more sense. She wasn’t in his circle, wasn’t someone he would ever date.

  After weaving through streets, Coop turned down a driveway and rounded a bend. Another gate appeared. He rolled down the window and punched in a code.

  The winding driveway led to a large stone house.

  He parked in the massive circle drive.

  Lights came on in front, and Tanner climbed down and extended his hand.

  Livvy ignored it and slid out. Clutching her bag, she hung back as Tanner and Coop headed toward the front door. A woman Livvy recognized from Tuesday nights pushed it open, another woman, older, right behind.

  “You found him!” The second lady threw her arms around Tanner.

  The first woman, who had to be Nellie, stepped beside Coop. He resembled an overgrown teddy bear, except without the pudgy middle. Maybe it was his beard that made him look fuzzy. It was much fuller than Tanner’s.

  “I’m okay, Mom.” After a quick hug, Tanner motioned behind him. “I’d like you to meet Livvy.”

  With an unexpected warmth, his mother clasped Livvy’s hand. “So nice to meet you. You can call me Ruthie. Come on inside.”

  “Good thing you sent me, Nellie. Cars were smashed by a tree. They were stranded.”

  “That cabin is jinxed.” Nellie shook her head. “I don’t know why you keep it. Hey, Livvy. Small world.”

  “It is.” Livvy followed the group into the house.

  “I think it’s me that’s jinxed.” Tanner stayed next to Livvy as she walked into the house. “Is Dad here?”

  “Right here.” His dad came around the corner, an older version of Tanner, but without the beard.

  “So what’s going on? Coop wouldn’t tell me.” Tanner raked his fingers through his hair. “But first, this is Livvy—I don’t know your last name.”

  “Livvy Campbell.”

  “She needs a place to stay for a while.” Tanner’s statement made Livvy want to crawl under the rug, a rug that probably cost more than her car.

  Tanner’s dad extended his hand. “Jeffrey Davis. You any relation to Mark Campbell?”

  Breath caught in her throat. No one had mentioned her father’s name to her in years. She nodded. “My dad.”

  Ruthie slid her arm around her husband’s waist and whispered in his ear.

  Mr. Davis smiled. “I worked with your dad. He was a good man. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. Nellie, will you help
her get settled?”

  None of that made sense to Livvy. Her dad hadn’t been rich. How could they have worked together?

  “Sure.” Nellie shot her brother a look. “Right this way. I’m Nellie, by the way, but you probably guessed that.”

  “Thank you. I promise not to be a bother.” Livvy followed Tanner’s sister down the hall.

  She pushed open a door and switched on the overhead light. “There’s a bathroom right through there. It’s a Jack-and-Jill setup. My old room is on the other side.”

  Livvy glanced around at what was clearly Tanner’s old room. “I appreciate this.”

  Nellie glanced back over her shoulder. “I should get back in there. You can join us if you want.”

  “I’d like to take a shower.” Livvy didn’t want to crash the family meeting.

  Nellie gave an understanding nod and stepped into the hall. “Towels and stuff are in there. Just holler if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” Livvy dug her phone and charger out of her purse. While waiting for the phone to charge enough to turn on, she pulled clothes out of her bag. Her fingers brushed the fuzzy elephant that had somehow managed to survive the storm, and she slipped it out of the bag. Clutching it against her, she dialed her mom’s number.

  “Livvy? I’ve been so worried. I thought you were dead.” Her mom was prone to drama.

  “I didn’t mean to worry you. I was stranded at a friend’s place without power after the storm. Couldn’t call until now.” Livvy gathered her nerve to give the news about moving out. “Also, I found another place to stay. This couple I know offered me a spare bedroom. Their kids are grown up and moved out.”

  Silence filled the next forty-five seconds.

  Livvy wondered if she should hang up. “Mom? You still there?”

  “If you’d rather live somewhere else, I can’t stop you.” The hurt in her mother’s voice was unmistakable.

  Any explanation of why Livvy chose to leave would heap guilt on her mother, but moving back in wasn’t an option. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll talk to you later. Love you, Mom.”

  The line went dead, and the world became a lonelier place. Livvy closed her eyes, stuffing emotion deep inside. Accepting the place to stay made her feel rotten inside, like the waitress begging for a handout.

  After sleeping soundly in that stupid cabin, going back to the library—and wondering who would walk up while she rested, who might take her stuff—held no appeal.

  After a gloriously hot shower, Livvy perched at the edge of the bed, wondering how the family meeting had gone. Lost in thought, she jumped when someone knocked on the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s me. Can I come in?” Tanner spoke in that same tender voice he’d used on the porch.

  “Yes.” Livvy had no idea what she wanted to say to him. Being angry with him wasn’t easy, but it was easier than imagining that she could be a part of his life and his world.

  From the moment they drove past the guarded gate, Livvy had been identifying all the reasons it would never work. Like a kid sister flashed in neon at the top of the list of reasons. The massive houses all around her heaped on a few extra.

  He closed the door behind him and kept his voice low. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

  “It’s okay.” She stared at the floor.

  He stepped closer. “No. It’s not.”

  “Were you just toying with me all weekend, hoping I would behave exactly as I did?” She shook her head, trying to shake the images of the hours they’d spent laughing and talking. “Or am I really like a kid sister? Why are you sorry?” So much for letting it go.

  “I shouldn’t have said that to Coop, but I also shouldn’t have ...” He wiped his eyes.

  She softened her tone when she noticed his tears. “What’s wrong?”

  “My grandfather died this morning.”

  Anger melted away, and she threw her arms around him. “Oh, Tanner, I’m so sorry.”

  He tightened the embrace. “It was completely unexpected, and my life just became way more complicated.” His bitter laugh caught her by surprise.

  “I don’t understand.” She pulled back and wiped tears off his cheek.

  “I just need time to think.”

  His arms still around her, Livvy pushed away from him. “Don’t worry. I’m not expecting anything from you.”

  “Livvy, don’t. Please just ...” He opened his arms.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” She didn’t belong in his world.

  Sadness settled in his brown eyes. “Livvy, please.”

  She spun around, hoping she could hold back tears until he left the room.

  “I’ll go.” He closed the door as he walked out.

  As soon as the door hit the frame, she let herself cry. She’d let herself feel too much for him in just one weekend.

  But away from the cabin, he had a lifestyle, a status. She was a homeless waitress. After tossing the bag on the floor, she slid under the covers, clutching Snuffy.

  She needed the day to be over.

  Chapter 9

  Tanner shoved his hands deep in his pockets and leaned against the wall. What is wrong with me? Livvy still felt the sting of the kid-sister comment. Guilt piled on his grief and made breathing strenuous.

  He wasn’t ready to take the helm at the company, but what choice did he have? He’d do what needed to be done. With Grandfather gone, Tanner could continue to grow the company. But transitioning from Grandfather’s methods to Tanner’s wouldn’t be an overnight event.

  His phone buzzed, and he groaned.

  Angela texted: I heard what happened. Want me to come over?

  No. I’ll be fine. He wasn’t revealing that he knew about Daryl over text.

  Tanner tucked his phone in his pocket and ignored the buzz that followed his response.

  Nellie poked her head around the corner. “You okay?”

  He shook his head. “Don’t really want to talk about it.” Giving her his back, he paced up the hall.

  “Is this because of Grandfather?”

  He marched back up the hall and shrugged.

  Realization sparked in her eyes. “It’s her.” Nellie kept her voice low as she pointed at the bedroom door. “What happened in the cabin?”

  “Remember the turquoise bike? Same girl.”

  “She grew up.” She raised her eyebrows. “That’s why you’ve been having pie at the diner every Friday.”

  “No. Maybe. How did you know? Did Livvy tell you that?”

  Nellie laughed. “You mentioned to Coop about having pie on Friday. I just guessed that it was at the diner. And I guessed that you went more than once.”

  Tanner glared at her. He didn’t need her teasing. He’d already dealt with that from Coop. “I need some air.” Tanner brushed past her, through the house, and out the back door.

  Dad slipped out a minute later. He pulled a chair next to the pool and sat down without a word.

  “Mom okay?” Tanner watched the water ripple as the wind blew.

  Dad nodded. “She’s worried about you.”

  “I’ll be fine. Just didn’t expect it. He was fine three days ago.”

  “I’m proud of you, Tanner.” He stood and patted Tanner on the shoulder.

  “I’m gonna crash in Nellie’s room tonight.”

  “You know where the keys are if you need to borrow a car.”

  Chapter 10

  When a knock sounded, Livvy ignored it, but then thought better of being rude in someone else’s house. “Yes?”

  “May I come in?” Nellie’s voice came through the door.

  “Sure.” Livvy sat up.

  Nellie looked back down the hall before closing the door. “Hey. Sorry things are so weird. Tanner probably told you what happened.”

  “I’m sorry. That must be hard.”

  “Yeah, well. Thanks.” She pointed at the foot of the bed. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Go ahead.”

  Sitting near the edge, she cr
ossed her legs. “I’m not sure what happened with you and Tanner, but there are some things you might want to know.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not here to cause trouble for your family. After tonight, I’ll go away and leave y’all alone.”

  “Oh my! I’m not even going to ask what he said to you.” Nellie pinched the bridge of her nose. “God forgive me for speaking ill of the dead, but here goes. My grandfather’s death makes life easier for everyone, except Tanner.”

  Livvy glanced up, interested in where the conversation was headed.

  “He just inherited a couple billion dollars, maybe more than that.” There wasn’t a trace of sarcasm in Nellie’s voice.

  Livvy’s head swam. Billions? “Wouldn’t that belong to all of you?” She felt nosey for even asking the question.

  “It’s not like Mom and I won’t get anything.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “With grandfather, there were always expectations. When I didn’t live up to those expectations, Tanner stepped up. I’m convinced he did it to buffer me from Grandfather’s disapproval.”

  Livvy sat quietly, waiting for the rest of the story.

  “Grandfather didn’t like Coop—said he wasn’t from the right sort of family, wasn’t good for business.” Nellie sighed. “My own grandfather fired me when he heard Coop and I were engaged.”

  “How awful.”

  “Yeah. Tanner had already been at the company, but that was the day he became the heir apparent. I felt horrible.” She stared at the comforter, tracing the pattern with her finger. “Kinda how I felt when grandfather announced his engagement to Angela.”

  “A good business decision?” Pieces fell into place, and Livvy began to understand how Tanner had ended up with someone like Angela.

  “Ugh. I can’t stand that woman. Anyway, Tanner isn’t like my grandfather, but he’s having a hard time. I know it sounds like I’m making excuses for him.”

  “I still don’t understand why you want me to know all this. I promise that I’m not after Tanner or his money. And I’m not trying to get between him and Angela.”