A Billionaire's Love: The Sherbrookes of Newport Novella

by Christina Tetreault

  “Can we put the soccer decals on my bedroom walls?” She didn’t even bother to remove her jacket before asking the question when they entered his house. “You said the paint would be dry by today.”

  He knew her teacher’s routine. Every Monday, Mrs. Wilson sent the students home with a packet of work, which was due on Friday. Students could do it all at once or a little each night. She didn’t care, as long as they turned it in on Friday. If it’d been up to him, he would’ve let Reese decide how she wanted to tackle the weekly assignment. Taylor, on the other hand, insisted Reese do a little each night. Since she was the one in charge, he made sure Reese completed one assignment before she did anything else when she stayed with him after school.

  “Homework first. You know that. While you do that, I’ll start dinner, and when you’re done, I’ll help you if you want.”

  In addition to picking up Reese on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he also prepared dinner for the three of them. Although it wasn’t uncommon for Taylor to leave work late, and then they ate without her.

  Reese’s sigh almost knocked him over, but she sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out her school folder. “I’m going to do the math tonight.”

  “Really? You always save math until the end. Are you feeling okay, short stuff?” The girl treated her math assignments similar to the way most people treated snakes. She always avoided it for as long as possible and didn’t even look at it until Thursdays.

  “We’re going over how to multiply double-digit numbers. It’s super easy because Aunt Taylor taught me how to do it last year.”

  He interpreted her statement to mean she’d zip through her work tonight, and then they could hang the decals.

  “What are we having for dinner?” Reese asked as she flipped through pages in her homework packet.

  “Steak and baked potatoes.” While they’d improved considerably since he moved here, compared to Taylor’s and Priscilla’s, his culinary skills were somewhat lacking. However, he excelled at grilling, and he did it regardless of whether it was raining or there were several feet of snow on the ground.

  “Yes, steak!”

  He’d expected such a reaction. The girl loved meat, especially steak and burgers.

  Two

  If Taylor never stepped foot in another high-end women’s clothing store until after she retired, it’d still be too soon. More than once, Taylor had insisted Judith, Curt’s mom, didn’t need to consult her on what she wore to the wedding. Actually, she’d told Mom the same thing when she asked not only for Taylor to go shopping with her but also to help her make the final decision. Much like Mom, though, Judith dismissed her comments.

  Still, she’d delayed the shopping trip with Curt’s mom for as long as possible in the hope Judith would get tired of waiting and either go alone or perhaps with her daughter or one of her nieces. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Curt’s mom or enjoy spending time with her. Taylor genuinely liked Judith. From the very first day they’d met, she’d been nothing but friendly, and she treated Reese like a granddaughter. If Judith wanted her to accompany her almost anywhere else, Taylor would have been happy to. But she hated shopping. Whenever possible, Taylor ordered what she or Reese needed from the internet. Heck, she even ordered deodorant in bulk from the internet to avoid shopping in stores.

  She’d finally caved to Judith’s requests last week. And today, as promised, Taylor left work early and met her on Newbury Street, the home to some of the most exclusive stores in Boston. Before they even left the first store, Taylor wished she’d suggested to Curt that they either elope or get married at the town hall with just her mom, Reese, and his parents in attendance with a nice dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant afterward. If they’d taken either of those two routes, she could’ve escaped weeks of shopping for everything from the perfect wedding gown to a pretty junior bridesmaid dress for Reese, a task that had been almost as difficult as finding the perfect location for the reception, because Reese hated wearing dresses.

  Thankfully, today’s shopping trip was a success, and fingers crossed, except for her final dress fitting, she wouldn’t need to step foot in another clothing store for a long time. Although considering Reese’s current growth spurt, she might need to purchase the girl a whole new wardrobe when she and Curt returned from their honeymoon. Already some of the jeans she’d bought Reese in August right before school started were getting too short. But she wouldn’t worry about future trips to the mall, shopping, or even work anymore tonight.

  “Where is everyone?” Taylor called out after entering Curt’s home. By now, Reese would have finished with her homework. Curt always made sure she tackled it right after soccer practice. So if she had to guess, she’d say the two of them were upstairs working on Reese’s bedroom, or Reese was in the living room reading. Her niece devoured books. After playing soccer and, more recently, lacrosse, reading was her favorite activity. Occasionally, when she got here on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she’d find Reese and Curt in the living room either playing video games or watching a movie. Curt had plenty of both on hand that were age appropriate for Reese. But it didn’t happen often.

  “I’m in the kitchen.” Curt’s voice reached her in the foyer.

  If he was in the kitchen, most likely, Reese had her nose buried in a book. And when she got lost in a story, she hated to be pulled out, and Taylor tried not to do so unless she had to. Rather than go in search of Reese, she turned down the hall toward the kitchen.

  She found Curt at the counter. Stepping up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder, Taylor kissed his cheek. “Hey, you.”

  Rather than give her a chance to ask about his day or what Reese was up to, Curt turned, put his arms around her, and kissed her.

  Lifting his lips from hers, he smiled. “I’m glad you’re home.”

  Although she and Reese didn’t technically live there yet and wouldn’t for a couple more weeks, on multiple occasions, Curt told them he wanted them both to consider this home. In the beginning, she’d found it a little awkward. She’d only ever called two places home: the apartment she’d lived in for a short time in Boston before becoming Reese’s guardian and her parents’ house where she’d grown up and had been living again for the past several years. Reese hadn’t suffered from the same feelings. She’d taken Curt’s words to heart and acted the same way here as she did next door. And that even included leaving her shoes in the middle of the living room floor for people to trip over.

  “Did you and Mom find a dress?”

  “Yep.” She stepped out of his embrace and opened a cabinet door. “Fingers crossed, except for finishing the seating arrangement and my last dress fitting, everything for the wedding is done.”

  Not long after they’d first met, she’d attended his cousin Gray’s wedding in Newport. Even though they’d left before the ceremony actually started, she’d seen the number of guests in attendance. So, from the moment she accepted Curt’s proposal, she’d prepared herself for a lot of negotiating because her ideal wedding didn’t involve having hundreds of guests on hand.

  In the end, the only thing they’d negotiated on was the menu for the reception, because Curt suggested they have a small, or at least small by Sherbrooke standards, wedding from the start. Rather than invite every acquaintance he and his family had like many of his cousins had done, they’d only added his aunts and uncles as well as his cousins and a handful of friends to the guest list. She hadn’t blinked an eye at his suggestion to include his cousins. In the year and a half they’d been together, she had spent enough time around his family to know how close he was to all of them.

  Taylor poured a can of soda water into her glass before adding a splash of cranberry juice. “Where’s Reese?”

  “Living room. Right after she finished putting the decals up in her room, she grabbed a book from her backpack and disappeared in there. I haven’t seen or heard from her since.” Curt moved to the other side of the kitchen and opened the oven. “But dinner is done if you want to
get her.”

  Taylor didn’t need to hear that twice. Her stomach was in the process of eating itself, and the sooner she got food into it, the better.

  Taylor never complained when Curt grilled. Actually, she never complained when he cooked because she was glad to be able to come home at night and not worry about making a meal for her and Reese. However, Taylor much preferred when he prepared dinner on the grill. Maybe it was just her, but she found almost everything tasted better when cooked that way, including most veggies. The steaks he’d made tonight were as delicious as always. The same was true of the portobello mushrooms he cooked on the grill and the oven-roasted rosemary potatoes.

  What had been unlike usual, though, was Curt himself. After being together for over a year and a half, she could read him. And the look he’d worn tonight, she’d seen countless times. While he contributed a little to the conversation, his mind had been elsewhere. More than likely, it’d been on his current manuscript. He’d helped a lot during his uncle’s campaign and had fallen behind. Ever since election day, he’d been playing catch-up, so he’d meet his deadline.

  Taylor turned on the dishwasher and returned to the table. “Did you hit another snag with the book?”

  Except for in the most general terms, although she asked about them, they didn’t discuss his writing projects with Reese around. While his novels weren’t X-rated or anything, they were suspense books and included some violence. But with Reese once again in the living room reading, they were alone for the moment.

  “No, I got a lot accomplished today. I should finish it on time.”

  “Oh, then is something else wrong? You weren’t exactly mentally here during dinner.” Prior to her relationship with Curt, she hadn’t realized how beneficial talking to someone could be when something bothered you. And since he shared everything with her as well, she guessed he found it just as helpful.

  “Sorry. Nothing’s wrong. But there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  “Go for it. I’m listening.”

  Resting both his elbows on the table, Curt clasped his hands together. “You know I love Reese like a daughter. I can’t even imagine my life without the two of you.”

  If this was what he wanted to discuss, there was no need. She knew how Curt felt about Reese. From the very beginning of their relationship, he’d showered her niece with love and attention. And in all the ways that mattered, he acted like Reese’s dad. “I know how much you love her, Curt. So does she.” Not only did Reese know how Curt felt about her, but she loved him too.

  “I want to adopt her. I’d like to legally be her father and for her to take my last name,” he explained.

  Taylor considered herself an astute individual. However, she’d never expected to be having this conversation with Curt. Instead, she’d assumed the only thing that would really change after they got married was where she and Reese lived—at least until they had children. Yet here they were, and once again, she wondered how she’d gotten so lucky.

  “Obviously, I want to adopt her because I love her, but it’s not the only reason.” Curt continued while she processed his previous statement. “If she’s my daughter when we have children, they will be her siblings. And if something ever happened to you, legally, there would be no question about who would take care of her.”

  She wondered how long he’d been considering this decision because clearly he’d put a lot of thought into it.

  He didn’t give her a chance to offer an opinion or ask a question. “This afternoon, I spoke with an attorney. According to him, since you are her legal guardian, the adoption process would be more or less the same as if you were her biological mother and I wanted to adopt her after we got married. He said it wouldn’t take long.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “The attorney’s name is Christian Stratford. He specializes in family law and adoptions. He said you can call him anytime if you have any questions.”

  Taylor glanced down at the slip of paper Curt held, but she didn’t reach for it.

  “You don’t have to decide today or even this week. But if you agree, I’d like to get the process going as soon as possible.”

  If he’d given her a chance to talk, he’d already have his answer. “Can I speak now?”

  He set the paper with the name and number down in front of her. “Yeah, of course, but you don’t have to make a decision now. It’s not like I’m going to change my mind. And no matter what you decide, it won’t change how I feel about Reese.”

  Under the table, she nudged his foot with hers. “You said I could get a word into this conversation, so zip it.”

  Curt pretended to pull a zipper across his lips and then toss an imaginary key over his shoulder as if he was a kid.

  “There’s nothing for me to think about. I love the idea. I kind of wish I’d suggested it to you. Whenever you’re ready to get the ball rolling, let me know, and I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

  He pretended to tug at the end of a zipper.

  “Yes, you can speak again.”

  That was all he needed to hear before he unzipped the imaginary zipper keeping his lips closed. But before he managed a single syllable, Taylor placed her index finger over his mouth.

  “I love you.” She should have told him so right after he announced his desire to adopt Reese, but better late than never.

  “I’m—”

  She didn’t allow him to finish. “Did you seriously think I would say no?”

  Grabbing the back of her chair, he pulled it and her closer to him. “For the most part, I expected you to agree, but I knew you might have some reason why you’d rather keep the situation between you and Reese as it is.”

  And you might need to have your head examined sometime soon. Considering the seriousness of their conversation, she refrained from sharing the thought. “What’s the first step?”

  “Talking to Reese. I want to make sure she wants me as her father.”

  She expected something more along the lines of having a meeting with the attorney. “You’re kidding, right? Reese loves you, and I am pretty sure she considers you her father now. There is no way she won’t want you to adopt her.”

  Her niece had never said she viewed Curt that way, but her actions did. She’d even given Curt the Father’s Day gift she’d made in school back in June. Ever since Reese started making such gifts in school, she’d always given them to her. This year, she’d insisted Curt get the present.

  “You’re probably right.” He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. “But I still want to ask her. I think she deserves a say in the matter.”

  She didn’t doubt for a moment that Reese would agree. Still, she couldn’t fault him for wanting to ask Reese her opinion. “Do you want to talk to her tonight before we go home, or would you rather wait?”

  Taylor liked to get Reese into bed by eight on school nights, not that her niece went to sleep then. Most nights, Reese stayed up for at least a half an hour reading. It was already closing in on seven thirty, so any conversation needed to take place soon.

  “I’d like to do it tonight. And if she says yes, I can call Christian back in the morning. But if you want me to wait until we have more time, I’ll talk to her about it tomorrow.”

  Since Taylor expected an immediate yes, Curt could get the answer he wanted, and she could still get Reese home and into bed on time. “Do it tonight. I’ll go get her.”

  She found Reese curled up in her favorite oversized armchair in the living room. Reese loved it so much that Curt had purchased one, just in a different color, for Reese’s bedroom at his house. It would arrive this week along with the rest of the furniture Curt and Reese picked out—furniture Taylor had insisted Reese didn’t need. Her niece had a perfectly good bedroom set at home. Instead of buying an entire room’s worth of furniture, she suggested he let Reese pick out a few extras such as a desk or some bookcases, since her new bedroom was much larger than her current one. He’d disagreed. He’d argue
d that finding pieces to match what she already had would be difficult. Curt had also pointed out Reese would need someplace to sleep when she had overnights with her grandmother. At least on that account, she’d had a counterargument. Even if they moved Reese’s furniture over, hers would remain, and Reese could easily sleep in Taylor’s old room.

  In the end, Curt took Reese shopping and, not surprisingly, let her pick out whatever she wanted. The man loved to spoil her niece.

  “How’s the book?” Taylor asked, stopping alongside the chair. Reese had started the book she was reading last night. It was the third in a five-book series.

  Reese didn’t even look up from the paperback. “Okay. The first one is still my favorite.”

  Taylor had read none of the books, so she didn’t have an opinion. “Curt wants to talk to you before we leave. He’s waiting for you in the kitchen.”

  “Can I finish this chapter first? I only have four more pages.”

  “Nope, what he wants to talk to you about is important. You can finish the chapter when you go up to bed.”

  With a sigh only a nine-year-old could conjure, she rolled her eyes as she stuck the bookmark between the pages and stood up. “Do you know what Curt wants?”

  “Yep, and I think it’s going to make you very happy.” No way was she spoiling Curt’s surprise.

  Taylor’s personal cell phone rang as they entered the kitchen, and she pulled the device from her pocket rather than retake her seat at the table. Unlike her work phone issued by the DEA, few people called her private number, so even before she looked, she expected to see the name Mom on the screen.

  “Hi, Mom. Is something wrong?”

  Mom was familiar with their Tuesday night routine, which meant she knew they’d be home soon. If she was calling, perhaps she’d gotten another flat tire. She’d gotten one last month, and rather than wait for the auto club to come and change it, Curt had driven over to the library and done it for her.