Reluctantly Alpha (The Barrington Billionaires, Book 8)

by Ruth Cardello

  “Even his calendar?” Joanna asked with a grin.

  “Yes,” Angelina, Aly, and Connor said in unison.

  “Damn.” Joanna was such a little shit. No one took her seriously. “Well, back to the drawing board. Can I have his brother?”

  Connor snapped his fingers. “I’m glad you said that. I forgot that Dylan wanted to see the game.” He brought his brother up on video chat. “Dylan, say hi to everyone.” He turned the phone to those sitting around the bench. “Everyone, say hi to Dylan.”

  “Hi, Dylan,” the group said in unison.

  “Hi, everyone. Has the game started?”

  “Yes, and you missed a score by Whitney, but he’s on fire out there. He’ll score again.”

  “Awesome. Angelina, you must be so proud of him.”

  “I am,” Angelina said. Although she had yet to meet Dylan in person, Connor had included her in on so many phone conversations with him that she felt as if she had. “He’ll be thrilled when I tell him you watched the game as well.”

  “Looking forward to meeting him next week.”

  “Next week?” Angelina asked. “I didn’t know you were coming for a visit. Connor, you didn’t say anything.”

  Connor turned the phone toward his face. “Because it’s a secret and the key to a secret remaining one is to not blurt it out the first chance you get.”

  “Oh, fuck,” Dylan said. “I forgot. Sorry, Connor.”

  “Shut up and watch the game.” Connor turned the phone toward the field and propped it up against Angelina’s handbag. “Can you see?”

  “Yep. What number is he?”

  “Twenty-seven.”

  “That was your football number.”

  “Cool coincidence, huh?” Connor asked.

  Angelina leaned forward so Dylan could hear her as well. “Actually, Whitney looked up old photos of Connor playing football and requested the same number.”

  “He did?” Connor’s mouth dropped open.

  “He looks up to you.” It was true. Connor had an easy-going confidence that Whitney was drawn to. Since meeting him, her son had begun to stand taller, speak louder, and laugh more. Angelina had fought to hold back happy tears the day he’d told her that he no longer felt invisible.

  Invisible?

  I never knew he felt that way. There was so much he never felt he could tell me that he shares with Connor.

  Two weeks after meeting Connor, Whitney had told him that an upperclassman had started shoving him in the hallways of the school. Angelina had wanted to call the school, but Whitney had asked Connor what he’d do.

  Connor had asked Angelina for permission to show Whitney how to handle it. Since it had been important to Whitney, she hadn’t felt she could say no.

  “Does the kid pick on anyone else?” Connor had asked.

  “Yeah, Travis, a boy in my history class. He gets teased a lot because he’s ridiculously tall and still close to a hundred pounds.”

  “Invite him to come over Saturday morning. I’ll invite Bradford. We’ll show you what to do.”

  That Saturday would forever stand out as the day she knew Connor was the one for her. They’d gathered at Joanna’s house for privacy and Connor asked Bradford to kick his ass. “Just don’t mess with the face in case I need it for my next movie,” had been his only stipulation.

  Although Bradford had seemed reluctant at first, Connor had encouraged him until—Ouch, the first punch he’d given him had sent Connor stumbling back and hunching over. Winded, Connor had turned to the boys and said, “What do you do when you get knocked down?”

  Wide-eyed, they’d shaken their heads.

  Angelina hadn’t known what he’d expected them to say either.

  Connor had added, “You get back up. That’s how you win.” Then he’d said, “Bradford, hit me again.”

  The second hit had come as a roundoff kick that had sent Connor to the ground. He shook his head and rose back to his feet. “Again.”

  Each time he was hit, he stood. When he became shaky on his feet, Bradford stopped. “I think they get the point.”

  Connor turned to the boys and said, “I don’t have to punch Bradford for him to know he hasn’t beaten me. I’m not suggesting you let anyone hit you. I just want you to see that fear hurts more than pain. That’s what I learned from football. If you’re afraid of the hit, you’ve already lost. Now, Travis, shove Whitney to the ground. Then Whitney, shove Travis to the ground. Do it like you mean it. Punch like you have something to defend. It’s going to hurt like hell, but not as bad as that dick thinking he can scare you feels.”

  With Connor’s encouragement, two formerly peace-loving kids beat the crap out of each other then ended the session with smiles and high fives—oh, and a black eye Whitney congratulated Travis for giving him.

  It shouldn’t have worked. It was the opposite of how Angelina believed conflicts should be handled. However, when she picked up Whitney at school a few days later he told her the upperclassman had sought him out and had been about to knock the books out of his hand when he’d growled, “Don’t fucking touch me.”

  “It worked, Mom. Just like Connor said it would. I didn’t care if he hit me because I knew I’d get back up. I wasn’t afraid and he knew it.”

  And what had Connor done when Whitney had told him? He’d suggested they celebrate with dinner at the Fetters. Loving Connor was that easy—that wonderous.

  Now Dylan had spilled the beans about a surprise Connor was planning, a surprise that included a visit from his brother, and she was dying to know what it was. “Is there anything you want to tell me?” she asked Connor.

  He laced his fingers with hers then kissed her knuckles. “Nope.”

  Angelina turned and asked her friends. “Do you guys know what Connor is planning?”

  They were both horrible at lying. “No. No idea.”

  Angelina leaned forward so she could see Clay’s face when she asked, “Clay, how about you? Any idea what Connor’s secret is?”

  Clay smiled. “Only that it’s going to be so incredible I hired a film crew for it.”

  “A film crew?” Angelina studied Connor’s face. Normally, he couldn’t keep a secret either, but she had no clue what he was up to. “Does Whitney know about it?”

  There was a twinkle in Connor’s eyes. “Everyone knows, they’re just all better at keeping their mouths shut than Dylan is.”

  “Wow, sounds like a big surprise. How about a little clue? Just a hint?”

  Connor’s response was a kiss so tender Angelina nearly forgot what she’d been asking him. She was melting against him, when he surged to his feet and yelled, “Go, Whitney. You’ve got this. Yes. Yes. He’s wide open.”

  Angelina turned toward the field in time to see her son kick the ball to a teammate who scored the goal. She cheered beside Connor. Whitney looked up from the field with a huge smile on his face as his other teammates cheered as well.

  The road to where they were had been a rocky one. There were still parts of her life that needed addressing, but the past no longer had a hold over her. Names no longer had the power to affect how she saw herself. Like punches, they’d been used to knock her down. With Connor, she’d learned that getting knocked down and getting back up felt a whole lot better than running from the pain.

  She didn’t know how she’d do it, but she knew it was time to patch things up with her family back in Oklahoma. It probably wouldn’t be easy at first, but nothing worthwhile usually was.

  As she settled back down beside Connor, he leaned down and said, “I love you, Angelina Kroll.”

  “Of course you do,” she said. “I’m fucking amazing.”

  He threw his head back and laughed, then bent to give her a warm kiss. Against her lips, he murmured, “Yes, you are.”

  Connor was on his feet again, cheering Whitney on when he spotted his sister, Viviana, little Sean in her arms, standing off to the side with her husband, Grant. When he waved to her, she motioned for him to join her. “
I’ll be right back,” he told Angelina.

  She nodded.

  When he reached his sister’s side, he hugged her, took Sean from her for a cuddle, then shook Grant’s hand. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming today.”

  Viviana’s expression was somber. “Can we talk?”

  “Sure.” He scanned Grant’s face but found little there to help him determine what this was about. Still holding little Sean, Connor followed Grant and Viviana several feet away from the bleachers.

  Once out of earshot of everyone, Viviana said, “We haven’t seen you at game night lately.”

  “I’ve been kind of busy.” He kept his voice light and his eyes on his nephew’s smiling face. Little Sean pinched at his cheeks and squealed with delight.

  “I received your invitation for the Barringtons to join you in Oklahoma next week,” Viviana said.

  Connor’s mood took a quick dive. If his sister was there to say he was once again an embarrassment to her, it was time to set her straight on a few things. For over a year he’d done everything he could to appease her. He didn’t want to live that way anymore. If that meant pulling back from the Barringtons, that was a path he was okay with. He wanted his sister to be happy, but he’d found a way to be happy also. “And?”

  Viviana’s eyebrows rose at his curt tone. He felt bad, but he was also beginning to think he should have pushed back long before this. “I understand why you invited them through me, but I don’t feel good about it.”

  “Then don’t pass the invitation along to them.” Really? What did she want him to say? As if sensing his mood, Little Sean began to fuss. Grant offered to take him, but Connor settled him onto his hip and made a silly noise to him that had the little one smiling again. He understood kids, they didn’t overthink things the way adults did.

  “No,” Viviana said in a rush. “You don’t understand. I don’t feel good about what that says about how I’ve been behaving. My whole life you and Dylan have done nothing but support me. No matter what I wanted to do. When I went to the city, you told me I could do anything I set my mind to. When I came home pregnant, you tracked down Grant to threaten him . . . but you never judged me. I didn’t see I wasn’t doing the same for you until Sophie took me aside and opened my eyes.” She reached out and laid a hand on her son’s head as she spoke. “I never meant to make you feel like you needed to change. I was so worried about not fitting into Grant’s family that I couldn’t see how much they love you too. I’m here to say I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you.” At his mother’s touch, Sean decided he wanted her back, so Connor handed her back. “Not all the changes you asked me to make were bad. My movie career is taking off—Claire helped make that possible. I’m taking my first college class because I’ve learned it’s never too late to better yourself. You helped me see that.”

  Grant put an arm around Viviana and son. “Your sister cares about you more than you know. So do I. My family had forgotten how to be silly and laugh together. You reminded us that life doesn’t always need to be serious. I’m grateful Sean will have an uncle like you. When I see Asher allowing his son to tackle him to the ground, I credit you for reminding us how lighthearted love can be.”

  Connor smiled. “Little Sean is awesome. I love my Big Man, too. Asher cracks me up as well.”

  Viviana pursed her lips before saying, “You have your own relationship with Asher, with Sophie and Dale, and all the Barringtons. You shouldn’t feel that you have to run an invitation through me. They’re your family as well. I hate that I ever made you feel like they weren’t.”

  It was almost enough to bring tears to a man’s eyes. Instead, Connor hugged his sister, then her husband. When he stepped back, they were both smiling and Sean was clapping happily. “We’re good,” he said.

  Viviana wiped the corner of her eyes. “I’m glad. By the way, I told everyone about the invite and they’re all planning to be there.”

  How could he not smile at that? “Any of them going to participate?”

  Grant said, “Andrew and I are in.”

  Viviana tucked herself against her husband’s side. “Are you sure?”

  “I am,” Grant said, flexing his hands in the air. “Who knows, a scar or two might be good for my image.”

  Connor chuckled. “We’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  Viviana added, “Lance is bringing Willa and the twins, but he’s just going to watch. He’s anti-anything that might involve snakes. Asher said he’d do it, but he has a thing against standing in water where he can’t see his feet. Dax was a hard no. Ian said he’d rather be shot at.”

  “Kade and Dylan said they’d team up, though,” Grant said. “Although I wonder which one will be the spotter and which will be brave enough to use his hand as bait.”

  “My guess is not Dylan,” Connor said. “Although, he says he’s doing his own stunts now, so maybe.”

  A cheer erupted from the bleachers. Connor turned and scanned the field. Whitney was high-fiving another player, but it was impossible to know which had scored. “Hey, I don’t want to be rude, but let’s get back to the stands. I don’t want to miss another moment of this.”

  “Mind if we join you?” Viviana asked.

  Connor offered to take Little Sean back. His nephew went to him happily. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

  As they walked toward the bleachers she said, “We don’t want to miss another moment of this either.”

  She didn’t say it, but he knew that ‘this’ wasn’t just the soccer game. He and his sister had been closer before she married Grant. For a while, she’d seemed to need boundaries between Connor and her new family. He’d done his best to respect that. She was saying something different now. “When we get back from Oklahoma, I’d like to start bringing Angelina and her son to game night at the Barringtons.”

  Viviana hugged his arm then smiled at her husband. “If you hadn’t said that, we were going to suggest it.”

  They all sat back down on the bleachers. Viviana chose to sit next to Angelina. A moment later they were laughing and chatting about something and Connor felt another piece of his happiness puzzle click into place.

  When he’d met Angelina he’d been confused about more than just how to talk to people. He’d lost sight of who he was. She’d helped him find his way back to himself.

  He hoped his surprise did the same for her.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A week later, Angelina gripped the arms of her seat and tried to calm her nerves as their small plane circled the airport. Her stomach had been doing somersaults ever since the pilot had announced they were about to touch down at a private airport outside of Tonkawa, Oklahoma.

  Connor was taking her home—to her home.

  Whitney appeared remarkably calm about the whole thing considering it was his first trip back. It wasn’t the first time he’d meet his uncles and grandparents, but he’d been much younger the last time they’d come to New York for a visit.

  Connor leaned down and gently asked, “Nervous?”

  “I want to lie and say no, but I might vomit and reveal the truth,” she answered.

  He kissed her cheek. “Don’t throw up. It’s going to be great. I guess I can tell you now that your parents and brothers are meeting us at the airport. They’re really excited.”

  “You’ve been talking to them?”

  “Twice a week since you told me you missed them. They’ve missed you too.”

  Angelina covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God. I don’t even know what to say to them. I feel so bad about not contacting them myself. So bad about—” She stopped and swallowed hard. “So many things.”

  Connor nuzzled the side of her head. “So do they, Angelina. They’ve spent a lot of years beating themselves up for not protecting you when you found out about Whitney, for not knowing how to show you it was safe to come home. They love you. Whitney’s biological father never became a man he should meet, but he and his family have moved away. Those who stood w
ith him against you—well, they’ve had time to grow up and regret how they behaved. When you get off this plane, you do it with your head held high . . . and you go give your mother the hug she’s hoping you will. Cry if you want to, but know that they’ll cry right along with you if you do.”

  Angelina sniffed and wiped tears from her cheeks. “I’m not going to cry.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  From across the cabin, Whitney said, “Don’t ruin your makeup, Mom. There’s a film crew documenting all this.”

  Angelina let out a shaky breath and met Connor’s gaze. “Why?”

  He smiled and shrugged. “Clay says we’ll want to remember this day. I tried to refuse the offer, but you know how he is.”

  Angelina nodded then asked her son, “How are you feeling about seeing everyone again?”

  Just like Connor, he shrugged and smiled. “I’ve been talking to them too. They needed to know all the things you’ve done right and who better to tell them than me?”

  Looking back and forth between the two most important men in her life, she shook her head in wonder. “I should probably be upset with you two for keeping this all a secret, but I’m so damn grateful to have you both in my life. How did I get so lucky?”

  Puffing up and donning a British accent, Connor said, “Albert Einstein said, ‘In the middle of every great difficulty lies opportunity.’ I didn’t understand what he meant when I first read that, but I think I get it now. If the people in your town had never mistreated you, you would have never left Oklahoma. You wouldn’t have known your aunt Rudi or Aly or Joanna.” He smiled. “Or me. Before Viviana met Grant I was perfectly happy with my small town life. I had to be pushed, shoved really, out of that comfort zone to see that I could be so much more. I don’t regret trying to be the man I thought I had to be. I’m a better man because of it. I probably should have asked you if you wanted to take me home to meet your parents, but I hope you see an opportunity in how difficult I made it. Hang on, that sounds bad when I say it like that. What I mean is—”

  She laid two fingers lightly over his mouth. “I get it. And I love that you did this.”