Forever Now (The Barrington Billionaires Book 6) Read online

  Forever Now

  The Barrington Billionaires

  Book Six

  Ruth Cardello

  Author Contact

  website: RuthCardello.com

  email: [email protected]

  Facebook: Author Ruth Cardello

  Twitter: RuthieCardello

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  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ruth Cardello returns with an emotional addition to the Barrington Billionaire series. Sophie finally meets the son her sister stole from her.

  Kade:

  For the first thirty years of his life, Kade Thompson knew exactly who he was and where his life in Australia was going. He made tough choices he thought his family needed—even if it meant leaving behind the one woman who had his heart.

  A phone call changes everything.

  His American biological parents and family have tracked him down—so, who the hell are the people who raised him?

  Who is he?

  The Barringtons mourned for him when they thought he was dead—now they are swooping in to rescue him.

  From what?

  When everything Kade thought he knew about himself comes into question, he turns to the one person who has always been there for him—Annie. Part of him always knew he’d come home to her, but has too much time gone by for her to give him another chance?

  Annie:

  Independence and success hadn’t always been her dream. When she was younger, she imagined a much different path for herself—one that included Kade Thompson and a fairy-tale happily ever after with him. Painfully in love, she waited for him to wake up and realize how perfect they were for each other.

  She never lost faith in him. Even after he left, she was confident he would come back to her.

  He never did.

  So, she picked herself up, dusted her dreams off, and made a good life for herself without him.

  Until he walks into her parents’ pub and says he needs her.

  He’s not looking for a wife or a lover—so sleeping with him is definitely not a good idea. He’s reeling from the changes in his life and needs the friendship they’ve always shared, but she needs more than to be a comfort to him.

  Annie has finally moved on. She’s found happiness without him. Can she be there for him and not lose herself again?

  He’s not Kade Thompson. He’s not Kent Barrington. He’s somewhere between the two, trying to figure himself out. How could they possibly find their forever now?

  Copyright

  Kindle Edition

  An original work of Ruth Cardello, 2018.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  My niece, Nichole.

  When I think about my parents and the kind of people they hoped we would all turn out to be, I know they are looking down and smiling at you. Our family is every bit as crazy as those Barringtons, but you weather the storm like the rock Annie is for Kade. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become and to be able to call myself your auntie.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Author Contact

  Blurb

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  ‡

  Nine years earlier

  Pleasantly buzzed, Kade Thompson put an arm around Annie Martin’s shoulders and pulled her in for a long, tight bear hug. Friends since early childhood, she was an important part of why it felt so good to be home. His parents’ yard was overflowing with people who’d come to celebrate his recent graduation from university, but the day was also about making decisions on how to best move forward. And for that, he needed a moment alone with Annie.

  The happy expression on her face sent uncomfortable heat through him. She was his friend, his confidant, practically a sister, although he wasn’t related to her. He found her attractive. Of course he did. She was beautiful. Long, wild brown curls. Blue eyes either full of laughter or an inspiring amount of grit. It would be easy to confuse the love he felt for her with something else.

  He didn’t have much family, but the Martins had welcomed him and his parents to this town when they’d arrived as if they were long-lost relatives. His mother had been yearning for a quieter life, a small community where people took care of each other, and they’d found it in Bright, a beautiful mountain town in Victoria, Australia. The small town was nestled at the base of Mount Buffalo Park, a four-hour drive north from the bustling city of Melbourne.

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about, Annie. Something important. Can we step away for a few?”

  If possible, her smile widened. “Sure.”

  They walked in comfortable silence into his mother’s flower garden. Annie sat on a stone bench while he paced in front of her. Although he’d hardly seen her since she’d had her own graduation celebration a year earlier, time away hadn’t changed how comfortable he felt with her. They were the same age, but it hadn’t surprised him when she’d graduated first. She’d always been a step ahead of him, serious beyond her years, with a clear vision of what she wanted. Which was why he knew she was the one he needed to discuss this with. “You know how much you mean to me.”

  Annie nodded, looking oddly excited and emotional.

  “Graduation is a turning point in life. Everything kind of changes from here on out. We have to step up to the plate, become adults, and start planning for our future.”

  “Yes, we do,” she said breathlessly.

  He sat beside her and took one of her hands in his. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to talk to you about something that has been on my mind for a long time.” Her fingers trembled. He frowned. Was she cold? Sick? Upset about something he’d missed? “Everything all right?”

  She smiled brightly. “Of course. Sorry. It’s just so good to see you again.”

  It was good. He’d already forgotten half the people he’d spent time with at uni, but Annie and his friends in Bright would always be home to him. The thought of building a life without them was daunting. He took a deep breath. “I’m considering expanding my father’s tour company to a town in the foothills of the Wabonga Plateau Alpine National Park.” His father had built Thompson Tours into a steady business that had strong local support. People came to the area, year after year, for the personalized tours he designed for them. Whether they were looking to scale the side of a mountain or sip champagne by a waterfall, his father made it happen. With a sigh, Kade closed his eyes while holding Annie’s hand tightly in his own. “It would mean starting over, putting down new roots. I hate the idea of it because everyone and everything I care about is here.” He opened hi
s eyes and met her gaze. “Staying doesn’t make financial sense, though. This market is tapped out. If I go to Wabonga and build our business there, we could maintain our employees here and my dad could finally retire.”

  “We?” Annie’s eyes seemed to light up.

  He nodded. “Yes, my father and I. He’s not ready to retire yet, but he’s getting older, and I want to do this for him. I will do this for him.”

  She searched his face as her eyes dimmed. “It sounds like you’ve already made your decision.”

  He tilted his head back and looked at the white, fluffy clouds making their way across the sky. “I guess I have.” He sighed. “So, my question is: how do I tell my mother? You know how she worries. If she could, she’d Bubble Wrap me and keep me here forever. This won’t be easy for her.”

  “Your mother loves you, so of course she doesn’t want you to go anywhere,” Annie said quietly. She withdrew her hand from his and stood. “But if this is something you need to do, she’ll understand.”

  “I hope so.” Kade stood and pocketed his hands. “I do need to do this. This might sound crazy, but I feel like there’s something out there calling to me—something I need to leave Bright to find. Ridiculous, right?”

  She didn’t answer, but the excitement he’d sensed earlier was gone from her eyes. “No, not ridiculous.”

  “I knew you’d understand. If I don’t do this, if I simply stay here, I’ll always wonder.” With a sigh of relief, he pulled Annie in for a hug. “Thanks for talking it out with me.”

  “You’re welcome, I guess.” Annie quickly stepped out of his hug. Her eyes glistened and she rubbed them as she said, “Something must have blown into my eyes.”

  “Let me look.” There was nothing there but sadness, which was rare. Her happiness and positivity was one of the things he loved most about her. She’d never liked change, though. He gave her another hug. “Don’t worry, I’ll always make time for my Annie.”

  Chapter Two

  ‡

  Present day

  Kade walked into The Tap House, the pub owned by Annie’s family in Bright, Victoria, and called to the man behind the bar. “G’day, Harrison. Annie here?”

  “G’day, mate,” Harrison Martin answered with a welcoming wave before checking the time on the clock behind him. Two years younger than Kade, Annie’s brother had always felt like his brother as well. “She was in earlier to see Mum, but she had a chartered flight to Melbourne ’round lunch time. We might see her again soon for dinner. You’re welcome to stick around and join us.” He poured their signature pale ale, a favorite of Kade’s since Annie’s family introduced their children, along with Kade, to the art of quality-tasting beers at their family’s main business, a beer brewery. That was back when the three of them, Kade, Annie, and Harrison, had been inseparable.

  Expanding his family’s tour business had kept Kade busy. Visits home had become less frequent and more rushed. In the beginning, he’d sought out the Martins and his local mates, but over time, his life had begun to revolve around where he worked and his life there. He hadn’t allowed himself the luxury of thinking about how much he missed his friends in Bright. He’d been determined to make a success of the expansion, and he had. Funny how one phone call from his mother had made all he’d achieved seem instantly unimportant.

  “I just might. How is she?” Kade settled onto a barstool, greeting the man on his right then the couple on his left. Bright was a tourist town, but the families who lived there were a tight-knit group—many had been in the area for generations. His parents couldn’t have chosen a better place to raise him.

  “Annie or my mum?”

  “Both.” Kade took a refreshing swig of beer. After the day he’d had, he was tempted to lose himself in a keg of it, but it was probably better to have his wits about him considering what the next day had in store for him. “I saw your parents last Christmas, but Annie—damn, it’s been too long since our paths have crossed.” Harrison gave Kade an odd look. Or maybe he didn’t. Kade was still in a state of shock, trying to get his bearings.

  After pouring a beer for another patron seated at the bar, Harrison said, “Mum and Dad are same as always. Dad’s on a solar kick at the factory and so proud of himself you’d think he invented the technology himself. Ma is crunching the numbers and preparing for the changeover. Their goal is zero emission.”

  “That’s great. Mitch has been talking about wanting to do that for as long as I can remember. And Annie?”

  “She’s busy with her charter business. Remember her first broken-down helicopter? The one we all thought she’d sell as soon as that phase passed? Well, she has a fleet now of top-of-the-line helicopters that fly back and forth to Melbourne for some corporate bigwigs. I thought she was in it for the adventure, but now I tease her that she runs a glorified limo service. You should see her; she even has a uniform. Very serious stuff. And you? How’s it going? It’s been too long since we’ve seen you ’round.”

  “Snowed under with work most days. Can’t complain. It’s better than no business.”

  “I guess. Never thought I’d see more of your dad than you. He looks a little lost since he retired.”

  “It was time. After his health scare last year—no one wants to see him trekking up a mountain alone or as a guide. I tried to get him to stay in the office, but you can imagine how that went.”

  Harrison nodded and wiped a towel across the bar. “He’s real proud of you, Kade. You’ve done all right by your parents.”

  “Thanks.” Although they weren’t meant to, Harrison’s words stung. He had no idea how complicated Kade’s life had recently become. Kade was no longer the hard-working son of a good man. He didn’t know what he was. Two days ago, his mother had called to tell him that nothing he’d thought he knew about himself was true. His mother and father were not his biological parents. Had it been a simple case of adoption, he could have handled the revelation. No, it had to be some far-fetched story about revenge and murder. At first he’d thought it was a joke, some kind of prank even though his mother had never been one for those. Stolen from a rich family? Hidden halfway around the world until they discovered the truth? Bullshit. That couldn’t be his story. His parents were too normal, too nice. Until that phone call, Kade would have said his parents had never lied about anything. Now he had to accept that his mother—at least—had lied about everything. A realization like that shook a man to the core. None of that, however, was a topic for the curious ears around them. “How have you been?”

  “Good. Busy. Dad spends more time fishing with your father than working the bar, but I don’t mind. I used to dream of moving away, but the older I get the more I can imagine raising my own family here.”

  “Good for you. I had no idea you were even seeing anyone.”

  “I’m not.” Harrison took a glass from a drying rack, flipped it in the air, then filled it with water and ice. “But the unexpected happens every day.”

  That was for damn sure.

  Harrison smiled. “Hey, while you’re here, make time for a Mystic Park run.” He gave his still-flat stomach a pat. “I’m getting fat without you to drag my ass down those bike trails.”

  “You’re on.” Kade was in the best physical shape of his life. Even though he had employees who could do it, Kade still guided tours through the mountains. Nothing like the workout of setting up and breaking down a mountainside picnic for city folk who could barely carry themselves up the trails. Kade savored his next gulp of ale.

  Coming to see the Martins had been a good choice, particularly in the face of the craziness going on. They would be a safe harbor and sane sounding board while he figured out how to handle the next day. He had other friends, but it was Annie he needed. Sweet, sensible Annie and her easygoing family.

  Just then Mitch, Annie and Harrison’s father, entered and called across the room. “Well, look who wandered home. Is that Kade, or are these old eyes imagining things?”

  Kade stood, turned, and greeted the
older man with a back-thumping hug. “Hey, mate.”

  “It’s good to see you, Kade. Real good. You staying for dinner?” Harrison was the spitting image of Mitch, apart from the curls. Mitch had started buzzing his hair short as soon as his hairline began to recede, but he still looked much younger than his sixty or so years. Martins aged well—Mitch joked it was all the beer. And who could argue with him? Although Mitch was a third-generation brewer, at his family’s urging, he’d studied medicine at uni. He’d even opened his own general practice in Melbourne until he came home and was served a beer by his family’s new accountant, Hazel, who had agreed to work the bar one night as a favor. One favor. One drink. One woman for the rest of his life. Mitch said he was in love with not only Hazel, but the idea of applying what he’d learned about medicine to the family business. That’s the way the Martins lived and loved—with everything they had. They were the kindest, most loyal family Kade had ever met, and he felt lucky to have been raised alongside them.

  They also made a damn convincing argument for how a good brew added to a person’s quality of life.

  “I’d love to if there’s room at the table.” Warmth filled Kade, pushing back some of the panic that had been rising within him before he’d sought out the Martins. Not everything in his life had been a lie. This was real.

  “For you, Kade, always. Hazel was asking about you the other day. You kids are all so busy now; it’s hard to keep up.” He waved for Harrison to pour two beers then motioned for Kade to follow him to a table off to the side. Once seated, Mitch took a healthy swig then asked, “Your dad said you came back because of family issues, but he didn’t say more. Anything you need?”

  Kade opened his mouth to answer but instead raised his beer and downed the entire glass. Mitch’s eyes rounded.

  “That bad, hey?”