Hero

by Samantha Young

  Oh yeah, that was good tabloid fodder.

  Not so good for my family.

  To his credit, Grandpa had stood by me throughout the whole ordeal. Perhaps part of it was to make amends for his involvement in covering up Caine’s mother’s death, but I knew it was a difficult time for him because my grandmother had left him. Their relationship remained strained and distant up until Matthew’s hearing, where it was decided we had enough evidence against my brother to go to trial. My grandmother started to see sense then and she and my grandpa worked on patching things up.

  She still refused to meet me, but I didn’t need her in my life. If her rejection stung a little, I only had to remind myself that I was used to it, and I’d learned some time ago to only want the people in my life who mattered, who cared.

  Vernon Holts and Matthew’s case went to trial seven months ago. Holts was convicted of three counts of assault and one count of attempted murder. Six weeks later he was sentenced to twenty-eight years in a maximum-security prison. Matthew was advised by his lawyer to plead guilty because the evidence against him was significant. Not only did we have Holts’s witness statement, but there was also the jewelry that Holts had pawned. Every single piece led back to the Hollands and Matthew’s wife’s family. These were expensive pieces—pieces that were secured in the Hollands’ vault where only family members had access to the code. There were witness accounts from my grandfather’s staff that saw Matthew removing jewelry. But the real stinger was that he’d stupidly confessed the crime to his father-in-law when Holts got out of control. For whatever reasons, whether it was to protect his daughter and grandson from his son-in-law’s stupidity, or his sense of justice, Matthew’s father-in-law came forward as a witness in my case.

  Matthew was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced a month ago to twenty years, a reduced sentence because he pleaded guilty.

  I was just glad it was finally all over.

  And as promised, Grandpa had taken me out of his will.

  As for my father and me, just as I suspected, we’d lost touch since the trial ended. I intended to send a birthday and Christmas card each year so he knew that he was in my thoughts … but I couldn’t forge a relationship with him. As sad as it was, sometimes there really was too much damage between people. Sometimes we were better apart than we were together.

  My father seemed to be a better man on his own.

  That wasn’t the fairy tale, but it was real.

  And it was okay.

  I gave my husband a coaxing smile. “Do this tonight and I promise tomorrow I’m yours.”

  “All day?” He raised an eyebrow.

  I raised my eyebrow right back at him. “You’re free all day tomorrow?”

  “I’ll make myself free.” He caressed my knee and I shivered at the heat in his eyes. “I’m sick of quickies. I want to take my time.”

  “Well, you better switch off your phone. Otherwise Rick will pester us all day.” Rick was the young business graduate Caine had hired to be his PA. Yes, he was better than some attractive young female working closely with my husband, but only marginally. He had a giant stick up his ass, and sniffed haughtily at me any time I surprised Caine with an impromptu lunch. Apparently I was, and I quote, distracting him. “I dislike your PA.”

  Caine grinned. “He’s good at his job.”

  “He’s a pain in the neck.”

  “That is good at his job.”

  “He doesn’t like me very much.”

  “Good,” he said, his voice husky as he slipped his hand under my skirt. “If he liked you I’d have to fire him.”

  I stopped his hand before it could reach his destination. “If you start that we won’t stop,” I whispered, already hot and bothered.

  He removed his hand only to cup my face so he could press a tender kiss to my lips. His countenance was suddenly serious as he gazed into my eyes. “For the longest time my company is what got me up in the morning. It was what motivated me every second of every day. Since the moment you started working for me, you are what has gotten me up in the morning. You are what motivates me every second of every day. And still I want more from you. Tomorrow the day is all ours, because I want to talk to you about something.”

  My pulse fluttered. “About what?”

  He kissed me and then released me. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  “No, mister.” I grabbed his arm and hauled him back down onto his stool. “You can’t just say something like that and then think I’ll be able to get through an entire day without knowing what the hell you’re talking about.”

  He sighed. “I’d prefer us to have time to talk. We both have to be at work”—he glanced at his watch and frowned—“five minutes ago.”

  “Caine,” I warned, “you tell me now or I will think the worst.”

  “It’s not bad.” He rested a reassuring hand on my knee. “Baby, it’s not bad at all. I just … I’ve put off discussing it because you’ve been so busy, but I’m beginning to realize that you’re going to be busy right up until the wedding and that’s still four months away.”

  I smiled curiously at the consternation on his face. “What is this about?”

  “I want a kid.”

  I froze at his abrupt announcement.

  “I want our kid.” He grabbed my hands, searching my face as he attempted to read my reaction. “I want to try to have a baby with you.”

  The sudden rush of emotion at his declaration overwhelmed me. Any response was strangled in my throat as I fought to fight tears.

  “Lexie?”

  For the past year I’d pondered the idea of having a baby with Caine, until the pondering became more insistent, until it became a longing. With our schedules I hadn’t known how to bring it up. Back in the beginning of our relationship, Caine had mentioned kids in an offhand manner, but we’d never really discussed it, so I didn’t know when it would become an option. We’d gone through so much in the last few months with the trial that it just didn’t ever seem like the right time.

  So his words that morning meant everything to me.

  It meant that Caine and I, God willing, would finally have a family.

  “Is this real?” I grinned, causing tears to spill down my cheeks.

  Caine hauled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed the tears away and held me tight. “Baby, it’s real.”

  It was so real.

  Finally.

  I had what I’d always wanted.

  And Caine … he had what he’d always needed.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  From the moment Alexa and Caine’s story came to mind, I was swept up in it, so I must first thank all my friends and family for putting up with my absence and absentmindedness—much more so than usual. It can be frustrating living inside another world you’re so captivated by and have the people around you not quite understand. That’s why when the book is finished and it’s in their hands, it’s a lovely feeling to sit back, relax, and say, “This is where I’ve been these last few months … Hopefully you get it now?” The wonderful thing is that my friends and family always do. I love you for your understanding. I’m very lucky to have you!

  In particular I want to thank my friend Shanine for traversing across an ocean to visit and research Boston with me so I could fall in love with the city that Lexie and Caine call home. And I did. Hopefully that fondness comes through in the story.

  As always I have to thank my fantastic agent, Lauren Abramo, for believing in me, often more than I believe in myself, for always having my back, and working so hard to make sure my stories find their way into the hands of the readers. Also a huge thank-you to my publisher, Kara Welsh, my editor, Kerry Donovan, and the entire team at New American Library for your incredible support. I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know!

  I must also thank experienced ER nurse and avid reader Angela Phillips Lovvorn. Thank you for all your advice and information—it was invaluable to Lexie’s story.

 
Finally I want to thank you, my reader.

  You are my hero.