Forever Now (The Barrington Billionaires Book 6) Page 13

  “Your call,” Connor said like a boy who had glimpsed a jar of cookies only to be told he couldn’t have any of them.

  Dylan shook it off. “We’ll rescue Kade’s company like the three musketeers would.”

  “It doesn’t need to be rescued,” Kade rushed to assure. “All I need is someone there making calls to get coverage. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

  Clay smoothed his ruffled clothing. “All joking aside, I’ll have your office running smoothly and be back well before the wedding. I practically run Dax’s company when he’s away.”

  “Really?” It was difficult to imagine Dax handing the reins of his company to his eccentric friend. Dax had said, however, that Clay was a good one to have in his corner. So, maybe he was more responsible than he appeared. “Okay. Normally nothing would stop me from going back, but—”

  “Say no more.” Clay raised both hands. “Boys, pack your bags. This is going to be fun.” With that, he stepped out of the car.

  Dylan and Connor scrambled out of the car and sprinted into the lodge. Kade stepped out of the car and called to Clay.

  Clay turned.

  “My father started the tour company. It’s important to me.”

  Looking serious for once, Clay nodded before walking up the steps of the lodge.

  Kade stood beside his car, questioning the sanity of his decision. Under any other circumstances, he would have flown back to his office himself. For a long time nothing had been more important than its success. Today he wanted to see Dale on his feet, and if he was up to it, he wanted to show him around Bright.

  He also wanted to hear from Annie, but so far he hadn’t. He’d almost texted her a hundred times since their conversation the night before. He’d handled it badly and wanted to make sure she was okay. If that was all he wanted to say he would have sent that text. He wanted to tell her she was wrong. There was no reason they couldn’t be together while he got to know his family.

  She was right, though.

  It wasn’t fair to be with her while he didn’t even know his own fucking name. She was smart to call it off. If she’d ended up a casualty of this confusing time, he would never have forgiven himself.

  It sucked though.

  He’d fallen asleep with her on his mind.

  Woke up remembering what it was like to wake up to her.

  Showered without her.

  Kenzi came flying down the steps with Dax at her side. He greeted her with a kiss to the cheek.

  Dax said, “Kade, I spoke to Clay. Do you want me to call him off?”

  Kade blanched. In comparison to everything else going on, did it really matter? He’d run damage control after the dust settled. “No, he’s excited to help. I’m sure he has experience in all types of businesses.”

  Dax shrugged but didn’t confirm nor deny that.

  Kenzi turned at the sound of a helicopter landing on the lawn beside the lodge and rushed to meet it. Kade whistled at the size of it. Nothing but the best for the Barringtons. “Impressive.”

  Dax gave Kade an odd look. “It’s Annie’s. She’s taking the ladies to Melbourne for a day of shopping.”

  “That’s Annie’s?” Kade looked the chopper over with fresh eyes. He’d known Annie was doing well and that she shuttled business people now, but she’d obviously come a very long way. His chest swelled with pride for her. “Good for her.”

  “Surprised? We were all under the impression you knew Annie really well.”

  Without taking his eyes off the chopper, especially as the motor cut and Annie stepped out of it, Kade said, “We’d drifted out of each other’s lives until I met her again when I came home to meet all of you.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Not really, I practically grew up at her house the same way she did at mine. When I felt like my life was being turned upside down, it made sense to talk to someone I could trust.”

  As soon as she cleared the blades, Annie straightened, looked up, and met his gaze. With a pained smile, she raised a hand in a curt wave then turned away to greet Kenzi and the women heading down the steps toward her.

  His reaction to her arrival was complicated. Part of him wanted to rush over, pick her up, swing her around, and kiss her until they both forgot why she’d called it off. Part of him wanted to remind her that she was the one who said she didn’t want to see him. If she wanted it to be over, what the hell was she doing with his family?

  Dax cleared his throat. “Are you going to say hello?”

  Kade pocketed his hands. “I don’t want to make things awkward for her.”

  “I believe they already are,” Dax said before stepping away to speak to Kenzi who was smiling and excited.

  Kade pushed off and walked over to the enthusiastic group. Sophie gestured for him to come to her side. “Are you taking your father out today?” she asked for his ears only.

  “Yeah, I thought I’d show him around Bright. Nothing too far or too strenuous.”

  She glanced at the other ladies then back. “I hate to miss that.”

  “I can do it again tomorrow. It’s not that big, but a little sunshine will be good for him.”

  Her face lit with a smile even as her eyes misted with tears. “There was a time when I didn’t think I could ever be happy again. I did my best to go on, but a part me was missing. Every time I see you, I’m impressed with the man you’ve become, and I put more of that sadness behind me.”

  He didn’t know what to say to that, so he simply hugged her and assured her he’d take good care of Dale. When he looked up he caught Annie watching him. She quickly turned away, but not before he saw longing in her eyes. Then why—why end it? Would he ever understand her?

  He released Sophie and greeted the rest of the group and finally Annie. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself,” she said with an overly bright smile.

  He flicked his chin toward her helicopter. “It’s good to see you doing so well. That’s a real step up from what I remember you flying.”

  “Thanks.” Her cheeks flushed. “My clients like to arrive in style.”

  He didn’t like how little he actually knew about her present life or her clients. Were they all men? Was she in a relationship with any of them? Was that why she’d called it off with him? “Well, it looks like you certainly provide that for them.”

  She frowned at his tone. He felt like an arse because he was being one, but he couldn’t stop. He wanted to demand she forget about his family and go somewhere with him so they could talk. Funny that the last thing he’d wanted to do the night before felt imperative right then.

  He needed to know why.

  His brothers arrived, some with babies in hand, and there was a flurry of farewells. Annie assured them she’d have them back early. Willa joked, “Not too early. I see a mimosa or two in my future.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Ready?” Annie asked.

  “Annie,” Kade called out urgently when she turned away.

  She stopped and turned back.

  His mind went absolutely blank. For a moment there was only her and a primal desire to have her, to grab her close and not let her leave his side ever again. It didn’t make sense, but it was undeniable. I walked away from her once, how do I avoid losing her this time? “Thanks for doing this for my family.”

  She nodded, shook her head, then turned away to lead the group onto the helicopter. Flanked by his brothers and their children, he watched her seamlessly take off and disappear over the treeline.

  Ian spoke first. “Dad’s almost ready. Do you want any of us to go with you?”

  “No, we’ll be fine. We’re not going far.” Both Asher and Grant had already walked Kade through all the possible things that could go wrong with Dale’s condition and how to address each. He wasn’t eager for round three.

  Ian ran a hand across his forehead. “If he goes pale or sweaty or shaky—”

  Grant broke in. “He knows.”

  “I just want to make sure if anythi
ng happens—”

  “I have all of your numbers, the list of medications he’s on, the list of medications he’s allergic to, the phone number of the doctor who last treated him, as well as the contact information for his physician in the States.” Kade stopped long enough to take a breath before adding, “I’m also trained in CPR as well as basic emergency medical procedures.”

  Juggling his two children on either hip, Lance joked, “That’s more prepared than I’d be.”

  Asher cuddled his sleeping son against his chest. “We could send Andrew with them.”

  “No,” Andrew said then turned on his heel and walked away. Looking concerned, Dax followed after him.

  “Or not,” Asher said with irony. Once Andrew was out of earshot, he added, “Kade, when you get back from taking Dad out, you might want to have a sit-down with Andrew. He’s taking this harder than I thought he would.”

  Easier said than done. “I don’t get what his problem is with me.”

  “You’ll have to ask him,” Asher said, soothing his child with a bounce or two when he stirred.

  “I’ve tried,” Kade insisted.

  “You didn’t try hard enough,” Asher said in a low tone. “I’m heading in to put Joe down.” Then he walked into the lodge.

  Lance handed his daughter Wendy to Grant. “Willa just fed them so I’ll need a second set of hands soon, and you could use the practice.”

  “Wendy, you wouldn’t make a mess for your uncle to clean, would you?” Grant raised the baby over his head, cooed, then brought her down for a quick nuzzle that made her laugh. “She says she’d never do that to me.” He walked off with Lance and the infant.

  It was a softer side to his brothers that was heartwarming to see. They might disagree, but they obviously cared about each other as well as their wives and children.

  Alone with Ian, Kade rocked back on his heels. At first meet, Ian had come across as pompous and controlling. The more time Kade spent with him, though, the less happy he seemed. The rest of his siblings were paired up and starting their own families. Could that be his problem?

  “You’re welcome to come with us if you want to,” Kade offered.

  “No, all set.” He motioned toward the lodge. “I have calls to make.”

  “What exactly do you do?”

  Without blinking, Ian said, “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  Kade chuckled until he realized Ian wasn’t laughing along. “Right. Okay, then. I’ll go get Dale.”

  Ian’s expression tightened. “Could you do us all a favor and call him Dad? I get that you don’t want to go by your old name, but I want to throw up every time I hear you call them Sophie and Dale. Not only are they your parents, but they’ve mourned you. They suffered while you clearly did not. It’s time to make an effort to bring them peace.”

  Standing straighter in the face of Ian’s criticism, Kade shook his head. “I hadn’t realized I wasn’t.”

  “The blood test came back positive. There’s no denying you’re Kent—”

  “That’s a relief,” Kade countered with sarcasm.

  “But I don’t trust you. Who has your allegiance? The Barringtons or the Thompsons?”

  What the hell? “Does it have to be one or the other?”

  “One day it might. If that day comes, which family would you choose?”

  “Why?”

  Ian leaned in and in a dangerous, cold voice said, “Because I don’t yet buy Pamela’s version of what happened. For me, it’s not enough that you’re back. I’m looking into what happened that night, and you can tell your mother that if I discover she was involved in the plot to take you—I will make her pay dearly.”

  Ian strode off before Kade had a chance to assure him that Pamela’s version was the truth, the only truth he could handle. “Good talk.” He took several deep breaths. Part of him wanted to drag Ian back and warn him to stay away from his parents. Another part of him was tired of verbally sparring with his brothers. Kade wouldn’t let anything happen to Pamela and Dave. They’d been too good to him for too long.

  It was sad, though, to see he hadn’t progressed as far with the Barringtons as he’d thought. Lately each step he took forward sent him two steps back.

  Even with Annie.

  What am I missing? How am I supposed to be handling this?

  Deep in thought, he didn’t realize Dale had joined him until he was standing at his side. “What’s troubling you, Son?”

  Kade met the older man’s gaze. Calling him anything but Dale didn’t feel right. He was still very much a stranger. “Nothing. Are you ready to go?”

  Dale rubbed a shaking hand across his jaw. “I wasn’t always this man. There was a time when I trusted my instincts. I believed I knew what was best for my family. My children are stubborn and proud because I have been. Everything that once made sense to me doesn’t anymore.”

  Nodding, Kade said, “I understand that feeling well. Dale, I can’t begin to know how my disappearance affected all of you, but it brought no harm to me. While you were mourning for me, I was happy. I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel guilty about that or downplay it . . .”

  Dale wiped a tear from the corner of one of his eyes. “You have nothing to feel guilty about, and I want to hear every happy memory you have. I haven’t slept right since I first heard you might be alive. Endless unspeakable possibilities haunted me. To see you now, to know that Pamela brought you somewhere safe and raised you the way she did, to learn the kind of man you’ve become—you don’t know what that means to me, to us.”

  It was an emotional moment for both of them. Kade was overcome by a need to comfort his biological father so he hugged him tightly, like a son would after a long time away from a parent. “We’ll get through this,” he assured Dale when he released him.

  Dale sniffed and composed himself.

  After a long pause, Kade asked, “Would you like to meet the man who raised me? I’m sure he’s free, but I could text to confirm he’ll be around.”

  After blinking a few times, Dale nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

  “Sophie said she didn’t want to miss anything, but we could do that tomorrow. I could invite my mu—Pamela, too.”

  Placing a hand on Kade’s arm, Dale said, “It doesn’t bother me to hear you call her your mother. The more we get to know you, the more grateful we are to her. Sophie feels the same way.”

  That was a relief to hear. Hopefully, Ian would begin to see it the same way. “Then let’s get our tour started.”

  They walked together to Kade’s Ranger and climbed in, as Ian and Andrew watched from the lodge. Had they been there the whole time and witnessed the emotional exchange? If so, I’m sure they’d say I handled it poorly. Kade waved in farewell. Neither waved back. Whatever.

  Kade thought Dale had missed the exchange, but halfway down the driveway he said, “Of all my children, I worry about those two the most. They keep everything bundled up inside. It’s not healthy. On the other hand, no one ever has to wonder what Asher is thinking.”

  Kade coughed out a laugh. “So true.”

  “Grant lets it out in another way. He’s a mother hen. When he asks to go over your stock investments with you, it’s his way of taking care of you.”

  “I’ve heard that about him.”

  “Kenzi was my perfect little girl, but she had her own struggles along the way that she hid from us. Meeting Dax, though, brought out a strength in her that has been inspiring to watch bloom. I’m so proud of her. All of my children have chosen well with their partners.”

  “That definitely has been my impression.”

  “We almost lost Andrew, but Helene brought him back from a dark place. Whatever else you hear about her or her family, she’s one of the best things that has ever happened to ours.”

  Without looking away from the road, Kade frowned. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Where was he going with this? It felt like he was leading toward something.

  “Andrew
would be lost without her and her parents. They gave him something he didn’t find with us—his purpose. I’ve never seen him happier than with her working on their large animal rescue in Florida. If he comes across as cold, he’s not. He’s afraid.”

  “Of what?”

  When Dale didn’t answer, Kade said, “I know. That’s for him to tell me. Hopefully he decides to one day.” His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Do you have a suggestion about how to reach Ian?”

  “Ian’s a tough one. He’s the one the others call when they need rescuing—even Asher. That’s a heavy weight to carry. What is he saying?”

  “Nothing in particular.” Although it was tempting to vent his anger about how Ian had threatened Pamela, Kade didn’t. Dale didn’t need the stress, and Kade wasn’t afraid of Ian. If he came for anyone Kade cared about, he would kick his arse all the way back to Boston.

  Kade glanced at Dale and saw him watching him. “It’s hard to pin down which of your brothers you remind me the most of. You’ve got an easygoing side that reminds me of Lance. Every now and then, though, you get a look in your eye that reminds me of Asher.”

  Kade smiled at the thought. “I’ll take both comparisons as a compliment.”

  “You should. You’ve also worked hard to provide financially for Dave and Pamela the same way Grant would.”

  “Does he really know where everyone’s money is?”

  Dale chuckled. “Everyone except Ian.”

  That doesn’t surprise me. Kade parked in front of a large glass and brick building with a playground and several sports fields. “That’s the school I went to, which has kindergarten to year twelve. Less than five hundred students total. Everyone knew everyone—which was a blessing and a curse.” He pulled back out onto the road. “Life here is slower than you’d find in Melbourne. People open their gardens to their neighbors and call it a festival. We’ll celebrate almost anything. In fact, if we’re not biking somewhere, hiking up some mountain to paraglide down, we’re either fishing or kicking back a beer with friends. If more than ten people gather we call it an event. Hell, it might even make the town calendar.”