The Billionaire's Legacy

by Reese Ryan

  “That’s why you didn’t answer my call,” his mother said, her face lighting up when she saw him. “You planned to surprise me.” She hugged him tightly.

  “I actually do have a surprise.” He shoved his hands into his pockets when she finally released him. “Not that that’s what I’d intended, it’s just that it all came as a shock to me, too.”

  “What are you babbling about, Benji?” His sister trotted down the stairs and hugged him. “And don’t wake your niece. I just put her down for a nap.”

  “Perfect, because I need to talk to you guys about something.”

  “What is it, Benji? You’re scaring me.” His mother frowned.

  “Why don’t we have a seat in the sunroom.” He guided his mother to her favorite space in the house, a room filled with light that faced the pool.

  “This is gonna be bad, isn’t it?” His mother looked to his father for confirmation.

  “Relax, Connie. Whatever Benji has to tell us, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” His father took a seat beside his mother on the sofa.

  Delia squinted at him, her head cocked. “Oh...my...God.”

  “What, what is it?” His mother was in full panic mode.

  “You knocked someone up, didn’t you?” She was practically giddy with delight.

  “How’d you know?” His face stung with heat and his heart raced.

  “That’s the same look I had on my face when I had to tell Mom and Dad I was pregnant with Evie. Halfway between extreme nausea and gut-wrenching terror.”

  That pretty much summed up how he felt. Which was ridiculous, because he was a grown man with more money than he knew what to do with. He glanced at his parents.

  “So, it’s true?” His mother pressed a hand to her cheek. “We’re going to be grandparents for the second time?”

  Benji held his forehead. “And third.”

  “Wait, you’re having twins, too?”

  “What do you mean, too?” His father, who’d barely reacted to his news, turned to his sister. “You’re not pregnant again, are you?”

  “No, I’m not.” She practically sang the words. “But a friend is.”

  “Benji, I didn’t realize you were dating. Did you meet someone while you were in Japan?” his mother asked. Suddenly she turned toward Delia. “One of your friends is pregnant with twins? Why haven’t I heard about this before?”

  “I was too busy working to meet anyone while I was overseas,” Benji assured his mother. “And, no, I haven’t exactly been dating.”

  “She wasn’t prepared to share it with the world because she’s not with the guy,” Delia responded almost simultaneously.

  “So you’re not in a committed relationship with this girl.” His mother frowned. “What if she won’t allow us to spend time with the kids? And, worse, what if she’s only done this to get money from you?”

  “Why does everyone in this family automatically assume that if a woman gets pregnant, it’s part of some nefarious scheme?” Benji paced the floor. “Some things just happen.”

  “Benjamin Darnell Bennett.” Delia folded her arms and pinned her stare on him. “Who is it that you just happened to knock up six months ago, before you left for Japan?”

  The recognition was there in his sister’s eyes, before he uttered the name. “Sloane Sutton.”

  His mother, father and sister all spoke at once. His mother looked like she was going to faint, his father was at least mildly interested in the entire conversation and his sister was fit to be tied.

  “Benji, how could you sleep with the Sutton girl, and at your cousin’s wedding?”

  It wasn’t like he’d taken Sloane on the dessert bar amid the miniature peach cobblers and strawberry-rhubarb pies. But he didn’t think his mother would appreciate his sad attempt at humor, so he didn’t respond.

  “Isn’t she quite a bit older than you, son?” His father almost seemed impressed.

  “Half of the single women in town were after you that night. Yet the one person you chose to sleep with was my best friend?” Delia looked as if her head were about to explode. “And then you both lied to me about it.”

  “We didn’t lie to you,” Benji corrected her. “We didn’t tell you, because it wasn’t any of your business.”

  “When I asked Sloane about her babies’ father, she said it was a meaningless hookup. That it had been a huge mistake. Was that a lie, too?”

  His sister had hurled Sloane’s words back at him, knowing that they’d pierce flesh and nick bone like a sharpened blade. He gritted his teeth.

  “None of that matters now, Delia. The only thing that matters is that I’m going to be a father.”

  “I don’t trust that girl.” His mother’s voice trembled. “Never did.” She turned to his father. “I told you we shouldn’t have had Sloane over. We should’ve forbidden Delia to see her.”

  “You’re really going to blame this on me?” His father rubbed a hand over his balding head. “Besides, it seems to me that you tried that, and it didn’t work.”

  “Why would you say that, Mom?” Benji winced. “Sloane has never given us reason to distrust her.”

  “Like mother, like daughter.” Benji’s mother shook her head. “She barely came back to town while her grandfather was sick. Then she comes to Blake’s wedding and she’s all over you? I’ll bet this was her plan from the start. She gets herself pregnant and she never has to work another day in her life.”

  “I can’t believe you would say that about Sloane, that you’d even think it. She was right, you’ve never liked her.”

  “She’s a better judge of character than I thought.”

  “Delia, Connie, I know you’re both upset, but you’re being much too hard on the girl. Regardless of what you might think of her mother,” his father objected, “Sloane has always been smart and independent. A hard worker. Doesn’t sound like the kind of woman who’d set a honey trap for some unsuspecting man. Least of all, Benji.”

  “That farm of theirs has been bleeding money. Now suddenly Benji comes to town rich and she’s carrying his children? I don’t believe it. Not until I see proof.” His mother turned toward him. “We need to hire an investigator to find out exactly what Ms. Sloane has been up to since your night together. See if she’s ever pulled this before. And the moment the babies are born, we’re doing a paternity test.”

  “That isn’t up to you, Mama.” Benji strained to remain civil with his mother. “I’m not seeking your permission. I’m giving you an update on what’s going on out of courtesy and respect.”

  “We appreciate that son—” his father was saying.

  His mother interrupted. “But obviously, when it comes to Sloane Sutton, every ounce of the good sense you were born with flies right out the window.”

  “Sloane said you all would react like this. I didn’t believe her, but she knows you better than I do.” Benji laughed bitterly.

  “Or maybe we know her better than you think you do.” Delia’s eyes were shiny with tears.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Ask Sloane what she said would be the solution to all of her financial problems?”

  His skin vibrated with anger. His jaw clenched so tightly it ached. “Why don’t you tell me, since you seem so eager to?”

  “About a year ago, she and I were joking that a couple of rich husbands would be the solution to all of our problems.” Delia swiped at the corner of her eye. “I guess she wasn’t joking, after all.”

  “Stop it. Both of you.” Benji looked from his mother to his sister. “Whether you like it or not, Sloane Sutton will be the mother of my son and daughter. And I’ve invited her to move into the cabin at the lake with me.”

  Delia and his mother started talking at once.

  “I don’t want to hear any more about this. I’m not investigating her, I don’t need a paternit
y test and she is moving into the cabin with me. So, if you’d like to meet your grandchildren and your niece and nephew, I suggest you find a way to treat her with respect, beginning with an apology.”

  Benji turned to Delia. “Maybe Sloane didn’t handle this the way she should’ve, but I believe she did it for what she thought were the right reasons. She’s your best friend, Delia, and she’s always had your back. Too bad she can’t say the same of you.”

  He left, slamming the front door behind him.

  Four

  “Thank you again, Benji.” Sloane shifted in her seat, adjusting the seat belt as they made the drive from Nashville to Magnolia Lake. She was grateful, of course, for everything Benji had done for her and her family.

  As promised, he’d gotten on the phone right away, contacted his accountant and made arrangements to pay off both properties immediately. Then he’d gotten on the phone with his cousin Cole Abbott to see if he could either send a small crew to Nashville to work on Sloane’s condo renovation or recommend a local crew.

  That night, he’d helped her pack her luggage and hired movers to pack up the rest of the space and put her furniture in storage.

  Within forty-eight hours, a crew had started renovating her condo. Benji had put her up at a hotel while he flew to Vero Beach to see his parents.

  Sloane was grateful. How could she not be? But there was also a part of her that hated that she’d allowed Benji to do any of that for her. That she hadn’t been in a position to do it herself.

  The older women back in Magnolia Lake had called her independent, as if it were a bad thing. She carried that designation like a mantle of honor. She was glad they thought of her that way. The very opposite of how she’d always viewed her own mother.

  Abigail Sutton had been dependent upon one man or another her entire life. Sloane’s father. A succession of live-in boyfriends. Sloane’s grandfather.

  Sloane had vowed that she would never be like her mother. Though she loved her, she’d found it hard to respect her once she’d become a teenager and truly understood her mother’s relationships with her boyfriends. She’d accepted their poor treatment as long as they’d paid the bills.

  Sloane would never be that woman, yet the arrangement she had with Benji made her feel that she was teetering dangerously close to becoming just like her.

  “I was happy to do it, Sloane.” Benji’s response brought her back to the moment. His words were kind, but he’d been in a foul mood since he’d returned from Florida. He refused to talk about what had happened with his parents, other than to say things had gone badly.

  He’d advised her not to bother calling Delia. But Delia had been her best friend since they were ten. She was her only close friend. So she’d tried calling anyway. Each call had gone straight to voice mail.

  Her friend hated her, Benji was at odds with his family and all of it was her fault.

  “I know you said you don’t want to talk about how things went at your parents’ house—”

  “Still don’t.” His jaw tensed, and he gripped the wheel tighter.

  She had the overwhelming desire to hold him and whisper in his ear that everything would be all right. But aside from the constraints of the car he’d rented, there was the reality that they weren’t in a relationship and didn’t share that kind of emotional intimacy.

  It was just as well.

  In her experience, that kind of intimacy made one incredibly vulnerable. She’d been ass up in stirrups at least once a month since she’d learned she was pregnant. That was more than enough vulnerability for a lifetime.

  “Let’s talk about baby names instead.” A smile curved the edge of his mouth, the first she’d seen since he’d returned from Vero Beach. “We need a boy’s name and a girl’s name. Got any prospects?”

  She shrugged. “Not really.”

  He furrowed his brow. “I’m no pregnancy expert, but I thought that dreaming up baby names was one of the things moms-to-be spent their time doing.”

  “No one has ever accused me of being typical.” She laughed bitterly. “And I didn’t say I hadn’t given their names any thought. It’d be nice to call them something other than Little Dude and Buttercup. What I said is that I don’t have any prospects, as in I haven’t settled on anything.”

  The one male name that Sloane felt strongly about was Benjamin. But back when she’d intended to keep Benji’s paternity a secret, there was no way she could’ve risked naming the baby after his father without creating speculation. Now that their families and the entire town of Magnolia Lake would know, there was no reason Little Dude couldn’t be a junior.

  “What names have you considered?”

  She was quiet for a moment. “For her? Scarlett.”

  “As in O’Hara?”

  “As in Johansson.”

  Benji nodded thoughtfully. “I do like a woman who can play a badass Marvel superhero. What else you got?”

  “Vivian.”

  “As in Leigh?”

  “No, as in Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman.” Sloane grinned. “Do we need to talk about your obsession with Gone with the Wind?”

  “It’s my mom’s favorite movie.” Benji shrugged, frowning at the mention of his mother. “And do I need to spell out the reasons I’m diametrically opposed to naming my daughter after a character that was a prostitute?”

  “Hey, sex workers are people, too.” Sloane poked his bicep. “But point taken. What about Bailey?”

  “I love the name Bailey for a girl.” He nodded. “Let’s stick a pin in that one. And for Little Dude?” He gave her a sarcastic grin.

  “Phillip, Beau or maybe Benjamin.” Sloane looked straight ahead, but her cheeks warmed as Benji looked over at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.

  “I’m honored that you’d propose making him a junior. But I’ve never liked the idea of putting additional pressure on a boy to be like his father. I want our kids to do or be anything they want. And I’m grateful they’ll have the resources to do that.”

  “Me, too.” She glanced over at him, realizing for the first time how grateful she was that her children would never struggle like she and her mother did.

  He squeezed her hand and gave her a warm smile before putting his hand back on the wheel and changing lanes. “I like Beau. It goes nicely with Bailey, don’t you think?”

  “Beau and Bailey.” She repeated the names softly. “What do you think, Little Dude and Buttercup? Do you think you can deal with Beau and Bailey? Think carefully before you answer. You’re going to have those names your entire lives. Unless you become actors or strippers.” When Benji’s eyes widened, she laughed. “Relax, I’m kidding.”

  He sighed, shaking his head. “If your way of cheering me up is supposing that our daughter might become a stripper, I’m gonna need you to work on your cheering-up game.”

  “Who said I was talking about her? I could’ve been referring to him. Just think, our son could grow up to be the next Magic Mike.”

  “If you weren’t carrying Beau and Bailey, I’d put you out on the side of the highway and make you walk the rest of the way to Magnolia Lake.” He laughed.

  Both the babies moved.

  “They just responded to the sound of your voice,” she told Benji, then spoke again, projecting her voice down toward her belly as she placed her hands on either side of it. “Does that mean you two like your names?” When there was no movement, she told Benji, “Say their names again.”

  “Beau and Bailey, this is your father. You two okay in there?”

  Beau seemed to stretch his legs and Bailey responded by doing the same.

  “I think we have a winner.” Sloane rubbed her hand in a circle over the babies, her heart full and her eyes stinging with tears. “Beau and Bailey, it is. Though I think it should be something like Beaumont. Beau should just be his nickname.�
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  “I like it.” Benji nodded, his handsome face animated with a genuine smile. “And since their first names begin with the same letter as mine, we should pick middle names that begin with the letter S.”

  “I like that idea.” Sloane smiled. “God, please tell me that co-parenting will be this easy for the entire eighteen years.”

  Benji looked uneasy. He shifted the conversation to a different topic. “So about the twins’ room. I thought, while we’re at the cabin, that they could share a room. That would make middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes easier. That’d also leave one guest room and a room for the nanny.”

  “A nanny?” Sloane laughed. “I’m not really the nanny type, Daddy Warbucks. Besides, I’m not working right now, so I can handle it.”

  “I’m renting some space and setting up a satellite office in town, but I’ll try to be there as much as I can in the beginning. Still, I think you’re underestimating how challenging it is to take care of one baby, let alone two.”

  “Delia managed with Evie.”

  “She only had one baby to deal with.” The corners of his mouth tugged down at the mention of his sister. “And my mother lived with Delia and her new husband for the first two months to help out. If you ask me, she helped them right out of their marriage.”

  Sloane refrained from agreeing with Benji, though there was some truth to what he’d said. “Their relationship was never on solid ground because they got married for the wrong reason.”

  Delia and Frank’s marriage had been strained and volatile from the start. He’d resented her family for pressuring him to marry Delia once she got pregnant. She’d been angry because their life together wasn’t the domestic fantasy she’d been dreaming of her entire life.

  “True.” And just like that, Benji was back to growling one-word answers.

  “If you don’t want to talk about what happened down in Florida for me, then do it for Little...for Beau and Bailey. This silence and the suspense are completely stressing me out. Which means it’s stressing the twins out, too.”