The Billionaire's Legacy

by Reese Ryan

  Benji inhaled deeply, and for a moment she thought he might hyperventilate. Finally, his gaze locked with hers.

  “Sloane... I...” He cleared his throat and tried again, taking her hand in both of his. “Sloane Sutton, I love you. You and the kids, you’re everything to me, and I don’t ever want to be without you. I know I gave you until the twins’ first birthday to decide whether you wanted to stay, but I couldn’t wait any longer to tell you how I feel.”

  His meek smile reminded her of the little boy she’d first met all those years ago.

  “You look stunned.” He frowned. Lines spanned his forehead.

  “Benji, I love being with you and raising the twins together, but as much as I love the family we’ve made, I can’t ignore the damage I’ve done to yours.” She wiped away tears with her free hand, and shook her head. “You’ve tried to hide it, but the pain of being alienated from your sister and your parents... It’s always there.”

  “Is the rift between me and my family what’s holding you back?” He cupped her cheek. “Honey, you can’t blame yourself for that. Besides, Delia and I talked today.”

  “I know, and I’m hopeful about our relationship, but your mom hasn’t budged.”

  He dropped his hand from her face. “Delia showed me the blog, told me about the emails. Why would you risk telling her about the money and being in breach of our agreement?”

  “Because I broke your family. Just like I broke mine.” Sloane wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I seem to have a gift for that.”

  “What are you talking about?” Benji frowned.

  “When my mother got pregnant with me, it damaged her relationship with Gramps, and destroyed my father’s relationship with his parents. And I’m the reason you’ve been estranged from your family this past year. When I heard the pain in Delia’s voice today...” Sloane shook her head. “I can’t live with being the one who destroyed the Bennetts. And as long as we’re together—”

  “You’d be willing to walk away to fix things with my family?” Benji’s voice grew quiet. “I appreciate how much you care for me, but Sloane, I’m a grown man. I made the choice to be with you, just like my mother and sister made their choices.”

  “You feel that way now, but what happens in two years when you look at me and see the woman who tore your family apart? Will you still love me then? Or will you wake up one day and hate me, the way my father did?”

  “Honey, I could never feel that way about you or the twins.” He held her in his arms as tears slid down her face, wetting his shirt. “I love you. I always have.”

  “That wasn’t love, Benji, it was a crush.” She freed herself from his embrace and turned to face him. “Sometimes I worry that’s still what this is.”

  “Sloane.” He pulled her onto his lap. “I know you don’t believe it, but I honestly have been in love with you since I was ten. Back then, I didn’t really understand how I felt. I just knew you were one of the most important people in the world to me, and that you always would be. Our past year together has only confirmed what I’ve always believed. We belong together.”

  She stared into his warm brown eyes, her heart full. There was so much she wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t leave her mouth.

  “Thank God for Blake and Savannah’s wedding, for the weekend we spent at the cabin, for the twins...” he continued, undeterred by her silence. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here, holding you and telling you the thing I’ve always wanted to say. That I love you, Sloane, and I want to be with you. No matter what.”

  “I love you, Benjamin Darnell Bennett.” She smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.

  He cradled her face as his tongue met hers, heat building between them. Sloane unbuttoned his shirt, gliding her hand along the strong muscles of his hard chest.

  Benji broke their kiss. His apologetic gaze met hers. “There’s something else we need to talk about. At the wedding, when you told Kayleigh Jemison that you had a plan to get out of debt—”

  “She thought I was talking about you?” Sloane asked incredulously. She and Kayleigh weren’t close, but they knew each other well enough for it to sting that she would believe that of her. “Is that why she’s been acting so weird whenever I see her around town?”

  “Probably, but please don’t be angry with her. She only mentioned it because—”

  “She was afraid I was taking advantage of you.” Sloane narrowed her eyes at Benji. “Wait... Is that what you think, too? That getting knocked up by a billionaire was my debt relief plan?” She scrambled off his lap and scampered to her feet.

  When he didn’t respond and his eyes didn’t meet hers, it felt like he’d stabbed her in the heart.

  “Sloane.” Benji grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto his lap when she turned to walk away. “No, I don’t believe you could be so cold and calculating. But I wouldn’t have believed you’d keep the twins a secret from me, either.”

  She lowered her gaze. “I know it was wrong, but I honestly thought I was protecting you.”

  “Like you did when you broke our agreement and revealed our financial arrangement to Delia?” His voice was tense.

  “I didn’t want her to find out from someone else, and I couldn’t stand being the reason you two weren’t talking.”

  “If you felt that adamant about it, you should’ve talked to me so we could work through it together.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “Look, I love you, Sloane. But if you want me to trust you implicitly, you need to start trusting me. We need to be equal partners in this relationship. I don’t want the kind of relationship my parents have. Where one person exerts all the control and the other is just along for the ride.”

  He was accusing her of behaving like his mother. Worse, she’d given him valid reason.

  “Benji, I’m sorry.” Sloane squeezed his hand. “I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing. That’s not what I want for us, either. I convinced myself I was only doing it for you, but maybe part of it was me trying to take back some control of my life. I went from being my own person to you suddenly calling all the shots. Maybe I was a little resentful.”

  “And for that, I apologize.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer as he leaned back against the sofa. “Guess I was overcompensating, not wanting to be too passive like my father. I was also trying too hard to show you that I’m not that little boy you still feel the need to protect.”

  “We’ve got issues.” Sloane smiled, and they both laughed.

  “I’ll tell you what, let’s make a promise here and now that we won’t keep secrets from each other and when it comes to our lives together, we’re a team. So no more nanny ambushes, unexpected chefs or surprise interior design. Deal?”

  “Deal.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and smiled. “And you’re absolutely sure this is what you want?”

  “Never been more sure about anything.” The humor in Benji’s expression was gone. What she saw in his eyes was a love deeper than any she’d ever known. A love she couldn’t bear to be without.

  The solution to her Garrett problem was suddenly very clear. Her life in Nashville had been good, but the life she, Benji and the twins were building together in Magnolia Lake was far better.

  Sloane opened her mouth to tell Benji about the job offer, but he kissed her again. A kiss that built slowly, but ignited a flame that quickly consumed them both.

  He made love to her, and when she fell asleep in his arms, she knew without a doubt that this was exactly where she belonged.

  Seventeen

  Benji had an early breakfast with Sloane and her mother at the resort before heading back to the cabin to check on the twins. After spending a few hours with Beau and Bailey, he drove over to his parents’ house.

  He climbed the stairs of the home he’d lived in as a kid. His mother had already prepared the flower boxes on the p
orch.

  Snapdragons.

  He smiled, thinking of the bouquet of flowers he’d brought to Sloane on Valentine’s Day when he’d returned from Japan. The day he’d first learned of the twins and had felt them moving inside their mother. A day he’d never forget.

  Benji took a deep breath and pressed his thumb to the doorbell.

  His father came to the door. A slow smile spread across the man’s face and his eyes shone in the sunlight.

  “Benji.” Rick Bennett grabbed him in a bear hug and patted his back. “Son, it’s so good to see you.”

  “You, too, Dad.”

  His father had emailed him, sent text messages and made the occasional call. All of it behind his mother’s back, which had only made him angrier with his father for not taking a stand...until now.

  “Delia showed me pictures of Beau and Bailey. They’re beautiful, son.” His father’s eyes were watery. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

  “We’ll see how things go, Dad.” Benji shoved his hands in his pockets as he followed his father inside the house.

  “No.” Rick Bennett turned around and pressed a palm to Benji’s chest, halting him. “This ends today. This has been complete madness, and I’ve indulged your mother far too long on this. Regardless of what happens between you two, I’m ready to make my peace with you and Sloane. I want to see my grandbabies. Today.”

  “Okay, Dad. Relax.” Benji placed his hands on his father’s shoulders. His dad had always been laid-back. It was strange to see him so fired up. “Where’s Mom?”

  “In the sunroom, pretending she didn’t hear the doorbell.” His dad jerked a thumb over his shoulder and frowned. “Good luck.”

  Benji didn’t need luck. He’d never been so determined about anything in his life.

  As long as Benji and his mother maintained this stalemate, he and Sloane would agonize over it in their own ways. And from what Delia had told him, things were just as bad for his mother and father. So he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  When Benji entered the sunroom, his mother didn’t look up from her crocheting. He leaned against the wall by the door. “So you’re sending Parker to do your dirty work these days?”

  “Benji.” She spared him a brief glance, ignoring his statement. “I see you came alone.”

  “Why would I bring my family where they’re not welcome?” He folded his arms.

  She grimaced, as if his words had caused her physical pain. “Seems you and Sloane have created your own little family. One you prefer over ours.”

  “Only because you made me choose,” he said without apology.

  She sighed quietly, raising her eyes to meet his after a few moments of silence between them. “Sit down, please. This is still your home, you know.”

  “Doesn’t feel like it anymore, Mom.” Benji sat on the sofa across from her. “Because home, for me, is wherever Sloane and the kids are.”

  Tears welled in his mother’s eyes.

  “Sloane certainly has cast a spell on you, hasn’t she?” She set her work in the basket and turned her full attention to him. “I know you’ve always had a little crush on her, but I never imagined it would turn into something like this.”

  “I think the term you’re looking for is love. I love Sloane, I love our kids, and I love our life together. And I wouldn’t give it up for anyone or anything in the world. They mean everything to me, Mom.”

  “Sounds like you’re all quite happy, then.”

  “We are, except for one thing that keeps looming over us. Sloane loves me, Mom. And she can’t bear thinking that she’s the reason you and I aren’t talking.”

  “Well, she is,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “No, she isn’t. That was the choice that you made.” Benji scrubbed a hand down his face. “Whether you like it or not, Sloane is the woman I choose to be with. She and the twins make me happier than I’ve ever been. There is only one person who seems determined to destroy that happiness, and that’s you.”

  “I just don’t want to see you being taken advantage of by a girl like that.”

  “By a girl like what, Mom? Why is it that you hate Sloane so much? What has she ever done to deserve your distrust?”

  “She was a bad influence on Delia.”

  “Seriously? You think Sloane was the bad influence?” Benji laughed bitterly. “It’s time you and Delia have a heart-to-heart talk. If anything, you should be thanking Sloane for keeping Delia from getting in a lot more trouble than she did.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “Talk to Delia, then get back to me.” He stood up and headed to the door. “One more thing, Mom. The woman you believe is a gold digger... I asked her to marry me the day I learned about the twins, but she turned me down cold. And as recently as last night, she was prepared to walk away rather than come between you and me. That’s love.”

  His mother seemed genuinely stunned by both revelations. “Benji, what about Beau and Bailey? I’d really like to meet them.”

  “Once you’ve apologized to Sloane, I’d love for you to meet the twins.” He turned back to her, his jaw tense and the sound of his heartbeat filling his ears. “That hasn’t changed.”

  “Benji.” She grabbed his arm before he could turn to leave, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I let this feud between us get out of hand, and I’m sorry, but you’re my baby and... You’ve always had such a big heart. I just didn’t want to see anyone take advantage of you.”

  “I know you only want what’s best for me, Mom.” The tension in his jaw eased a little. “But you need to trust that I know what that is.”

  She nodded, dabbing tears away. “Do you think tomorrow morning would be convenient for Sloane and I to talk?”

  Benji gave his mother a quick hug and sighed. “Yes, I think that can be arranged.”

  * * *

  Sloane paced the floor in the great room. She’d given the twins their baths, fed and dressed them. Now Livvie was entertaining them in the nursery.

  Benji had offered to cancel his conference call so he could be there to give Sloane moral support. She’d insisted that he didn’t need to coddle her. She’d be just fine. But now she wasn’t so sure.

  The doorbell rang and Sloane took one last deep breath before she opened the door and smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Bennett. Come in. Have a seat, please.”

  It felt odd welcoming the woman into the cabin they’d once owned.

  “The renovations Benji made really do make it look completely different now.” The older woman glanced around the space. “Cole’s crew does excellent work.”

  “They certainly do. They did a fantastic job renovating my...” Sloane paused, realizing that wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss with the woman who already thought she was only with Benji for his money.

  “About a year ago, my sister inadvertently mentioned that Cole had sent a crew to renovate a condo in Nashville. I suspected it was for you.” It seemed to pain the woman not to make further comment about it. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

  Sloane offered Mrs. Bennett coffee, water or sweet tea, but she declined. They both had a seat on the sofa in the great room.

  “Look, Sloane, I was wrong,” Benji’s mother began without preamble. “And I fear I’ve always been wrong about you and your mother. I was so sure that you were going to bring my girl down. But from what Delia tells me, you were my secret ally, reining her in as much as you could.”

  “Delia was like a sister to me. It was my job to look after her,” Sloane said, once she got over the initial shock of the apology.

  “And as Benji’s mother, I was only trying to do the same when I feared that you were taking advantage of him.” The woman looked weary.

  “I would never do that to him or to anyone.” Sloane sat taller, determined to keep her cool.

  “Benji believes that’s true, an
d I’ve promised to trust his instincts about you.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Bennett. That means a lot.”

  “It appears that you and my grandchildren mean the world to him.” She smiled faintly. “Benji’s never stood up to me like that before. I truly do believe he’s been in love with you since he was a little boy. Leave it to Benji to find his soul mate at the age of ten.”

  “He told you that?” Sloane laughed, even as tears welled in her eyes.

  “He did. I’ve learned quite a bit in the past twenty-four hours, and I’ve gotten to see you in a whole new light. Perhaps, I have been too hard on you all these years. I can’t promise I’ll change overnight, Sloane. But I do promise to give you a fair chance.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Sloane wiped away her tears. “By the way, I’ve spoken to Benji, and I’d really like to do a paternity test on the twins to put to rest any lingering doubts you may have.”

  “I appreciate the offer, Sloane,” she said with a tight smile. “But I’ve seen pictures of Beau. He’s the spitting image of his father. So please, don’t go to any extraordinary lengths on my account.”

  Sloane nodded, her heart beating rapidly. She felt fiercely protective of her babies and a little nervous about Connie Bennett finally meeting them. Sloane stood, wringing her hands. “Would you like to meet the twins?”

  Fat tears welled in the woman’s eyes, too, as she nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

  Sloane went to the nursery and she and Livvie returned with her sweet babies. “Constance Bennett, I’d like you to meet your grandson and granddaughter, Beaumont and Bailey Bennett.”

  Benji’s mother took them both in her arms and hugged them, her face wet with tears.

  Eighteen

  It had been more than a week since Benji’s mother and father had met the twins. Two days ago, his sister and Evie had come to visit them, too. His niece had been enamored with her younger cousins and he’d never seen his sister or Sloane cry so many happy tears.

  Benji checked his watch. He’d sent Sloane on an errand to Gatlinburg to give him time to finalize a few arrangements. Now, he’d been pacing the floor for more than twenty minutes and he’d already changed his shirt twice.