The Neighbor's Secret (A Secret Billionaire Romance #1)

by Kimberley Montpetit

  “Ethan is downstairs and I’m upstairs and we hardly see each other.” The last part was a distortion of the truth since they ate meals together, but her parents didn’t need to know that. “Did Erin tell you about the sheets?”

  Horror flashed over her mother’s face. “Sheets! What are you talking about?”

  Allie wanted to throttle her younger sister. “I put up sheets to divide the rooms up. Honestly, don’t fret about it. I still have my virtue.”

  “If you say so, honey.” Her mother gave her the “Mom” eye and added, “You could always move back home, you know, and leave this Ethan fellow to his house. Don’t you feel it might be impolite to stay on when the house belongs to him and his family?”

  “We worked it all out and it’s fine. I’m even going to meet his grandmother this weekend. I’m getting more interested in the history of Heartland Cove. She’s the oldest citizen alive now, did you know that?”

  “Do you mean Miss Elizabeth Stewart?”

  “The one and only.”

  “Hmm. I didn’t realize your Ethan Smith was related to her.”

  Perhaps her mother was smarter than Allie gave her credit. She could see the wheels turning inside that mind of hers.

  “It’s complicated,” Allie said, rolling her eyes at how silly that sounded.

  “How are a young man and his grandmother complicated? Do you need to tell me something?”

  “No. Forget it, Mom. Please.”

  “Hmm.” That habit of her mother’s to end an awkward conversation with a noise in her throat that indicated she didn’t quite believe you drove Allie crazy. “By the way, what do you think of Mayor Jefferies?”

  “The mayor?” Allie asked, putting on an innocent face. “I don’t even know him. I’ve been gone seven years. Why do you ask?”

  “Your father read an editorial last night with the suggestion of having a recall vote on the last election. He’s new you know.”

  “What do you mean, new?”

  “New blood. He’s not a native. I always find people who aren’t part of the original founders suspicious. Plus he’s so young. No more than twenty-five or twenty-six. How does someone barely out of university get elected mayor?”

  ”We do live in the 21st century, Mom. And I think you have Ethan mixed up with somebody else. His family has been here since the founding of our quaint little town. Almost two hundred years ago.”

  Mrs. Strickland shook her head. “We’ve never had any Smith’s here, I’m sure of it.”

  Allie let that one go. It wasn’t worth trying to explain, and the secret of Ethan’s true identity was one she’d promised to keep. If she told her mother, he might be run out of town.

  “Well, there are lots of rumors and gossip swirling this summer, honey. I just wish we had a Historical Society again. Our President died last year at the age of ninety and she wasn’t able to do much for the decade before that due to debilitating arthritis. Everybody is so busy with their busy lives and electronics nobody seems to care anymore about their heritage and the importance of knowing one’s history.”

  “People do seem to live for the future instead of the past,” Allie mused. “Hey, the first bus is coming down the hill.”

  “All hands on deck,” Allie’s father said from the rear of the kitchen.

  Late that afternoon, Ethan showed up with a ten-dollar bill and a request for double fries.

  “You’ve worked up an appetite,” Allie observed.

  “Hiking the hills of Heartland has that affect.”

  “Any new views you’ve discovered?” Allie asked with a sideways glance at her parents.

  “There’s a city council meeting on Friday. Will you be home for dinner tonight?” he asked.

  Allie stuck a finger to her lips to shush him, glancing over at her parents. “It’s movie night with Marla. But we’re on for Saturday to meet Miss Ellie, right?” She purposely made it sound like she wouldn’t be seeing him until then.

  “Saturday morning at ten. I’ll pick you up.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Good one, Mr. Smith,” she said under her breath, stifling laughter at his shenanigans. If anyone were eavesdropping they’d never know he’d be picking her up downstairs at the same address.

  Ethan gave a wave and sauntered off, cramming a hot fry in his mouth to make way for the burgeoning line behind him, but Allie figured the two of them probably weren’t fooling her parents at all.

  * * *

  When she woke up Saturday morning, Allie yawned and stretched, arching her back like a cat after a twelve-hour nap. A calico kitten curling up at her feet would make a perfect addition to this Victorian house.

  She parted the lace curtains at the window, basking in the morning sun. She found that she was looking forward to the day. And the time off from work. Erin had agreed to take her shift, the silly girl. If only her baby sister would keep her mouth shut and not poke her nose into Allie’s business.

  What would Sean think if he knew there was a man sleeping and showering and shaving just below her? Despite that, it wasn’t much different than a man living in an apartment house on the floor below.

  Except Ethan cooked.

  And she could already smell breakfast. Bacon . . . yum.

  Allie jumped into the shower and then blew out her unruly hair, leaving it down rather than tying it up in a ponytail which she did on normal workdays. After dressing in jeans, a yellow lace blouse, and sandals, she was ready for the day, and ready to eat.

  Trotting downstairs, she jumped the last two steps, feeling like a kid. She’d slept better last night than she had in the past three weeks. No tears, just a good book to banish the shadows of Sean’s betrayal.

  “Smells divine,” she said when she entered the kitchen.

  Ethan turned to smile at her. “You look great,” he said, his eyes skimming over her with appreciation before he reluctantly turned his attention back to the waffle iron.

  Allie felt a skip in her stomach. It was nice to be admired, and it was also very nice to feel no pressure, just camaraderie turning into a friendship she would never have expected.

  It was easy to be with Ethan—at least when they weren’t arguing over life or Heartland Cove and the darn highway. She pictured bulldozers tearing up the lawns, the roads, maybe demolishing an old Victorian here, a modest family home there.

  Frustration rose in her chest so she focused on the sunlight streaming in through the French doors that led to the back garden and then gazed upon the table which was already set with china and napkins and tea cups.

  Syrup was steaming in a pitcher, the butter was soft, and a platter of hot bacon ready for diving into.

  “How’d you learn to cook so well?” Allie asked, closing her eyes in ecstasy at the first bite of waffles smothered in strawberries and whipped cream. “You should patent this,” she added. “Seriously.”

  “My grandmother,” Ethan said simply. “She partly raised me. My mother had to work a lot.”

  Curious as to what happened to Ethan’s father Allie started to ask questions but then closed her mouth when Ethan jumped up from the table to retrieve the next waffle, ending the conversation when he began to muse about fixing up the yard.

  “If you had unlimited resources, what kind of a yard would you put install?” he asked.

  Allie set down her fork. “Gosh, let me think. I love wildflowers and benches and a swing and fruit trees and maybe a gazebo.”

  “That didn’t take long to think through,” Ethan teased. “But excellent choices.”

  “An old-fashioned flower garden to go with a Victorian house would be perfect. But it would take a full-time gardener to weed and fertilize. I’ve lived in apartments the last seven years and have a brown thumb.”

  “Not even house plants?”

  “I kill them almost instantly,” Allie said with a sigh, then laughed at herself. “One of these days I’ll have my own home and gardener, just you wait.”

  “I believe you.”

  Th
e kitchen nook went quiet while they finished eating, and then Allie rose to clear the table. Ethan’s eyes were on her face. She wondered what he was thinking, but didn’t want to ask. There were moments she felt horribly self-conscious around him.

  Allie glanced down at her blouse. “Do I have bacon grease dripping down?”

  Ethan shook the hair out of his eyes. “I didn’t mean to stare. Just noticing the sun on your hair through the window. You have a few reddish tints when you turn your head just right.”

  “You mean I get to be a blond and a redhead?” she joked, setting the dishes into the sink.

  “Hey, I’ll do those later,” Ethan told her. “We’ve got a date to see Miss Elizabeth Stewart in half an hour. I spoke with her secretary.”

  “She has a secretary? You didn’t say.”

  “I didn’t? Sorry, I got distracted admiring my stunning roommate.”

  Allie stuck her non-soapy hand on her hip. “Keep that up, buddy, and I’ll be kicking you out into the yard in a tent, pronto.”

  “Sorry.” Ethan had the sense to look remorseful, and then his tone turned businesslike. “But yes, Miss Ellie has a couple of people who help her out and keep a calendar, that sort of thing. Hey, I’ll drive. Just grab what you need and I’ll meet you outside.”

  Allie quickly cleared the table and made sure the milk was back in the fridge before retrieving her purse and locking the front door. Was it a good idea that she go to meet his grandmother? It had the appearance of a serious relationship between the two of them—which she didn’t intend at all.

  At the same time, Allie couldn’t stop the jump that rose in her stomach every time Ethan’s eyes followed her across a room. The smiles he gave her were shiver-inducing, and those warm chocolate eyes delicious.

  Last night they’d done the dishes together, hands brushing, arms bumping and Allie thought she might come unglued by her attraction to him.

  She couldn’t fall for Ethan Smith or Whatever His Real Name Was. It almost felt like a betrayal to her ex-fiancé, but perhaps that was only due to the many years she’d spent with Sean. Like they’d already been married—but without the benefits of a shared bed or checking account or vacations and chores and a hundred other things.

  Sudden tears burned behind Allie’s eyes as she strode down the driveway toward Ethan’s BMW. Sean’s rejection still hurt like a thousand needles driven into her heart.

  “You okay?” Ethan asked when she slid into the passenger’s seat. He reached out to touch her hand, solicitous, intuitive. So much more than Sean had ever been.

  “Fine, perfectly fine,” she said, blinking back the aggravating emotion. Wow, she was a mess. “So where we going?”

  “Miss Ellie lives in the next county. We’re going to drive through Musquash Bridge on the way.”

  “Ah, Heartland Cove’s bridge rival. Gosh, I haven’t been to Musquash in years.”

  Just then, Ethan’s mobile rang. He answered and listened for a moment. “Of course,” he replied. “Right. Tell her we’ll see her in an couple of hours or so.”

  “What’s up?” Allie asked when he clicked off his phone.

  “Grandmother’s caretaker, Helen, says she had a slow morning getting up so asked if we’d come a little later than planned.”

  “Oh, poor thing.”

  “Believe me, my grandmother is anything but a poor thing. Yes, she’s getting elderly, well into her eighties, but a spitfire and still runs her household.”

  It was Allie’s turn to be puzzled. “Household? I thought she was in a nursing home.”

  Ethan’s smile turned a little bit guilty. “You’ll understand when we get there.” Quickly, he changed the subject. “Since we already ate breakfast I can’t take you out for a meal. Have you been to Hopewell Rocks since you got home?”

  “Nope. Too busy over the hot fryer.”

  “What do you say for a bracing walk along the beach?”

  “That sounds nice. I could use some fresh ocean air.”

  “Is that a subtle way of putting down the company you’re currently keeping?”

  “Don’t turn my words upside down!” Allie reached out to punch him on the shoulder. “Drive, Ethan Smith.”

  Chapter 13

  The next thirty minutes were spent maneuvering the car along winding cliff roads until they reached a flat outcropping and a place to park.

  Even though it was Saturday, it was still early enough that not many people were there yet. An SUV was parked further down and Allie spotted an older man along the shoreline down below the cliffs, head bent while studying a tide pool. The cliffs rising from the ocean floor were stunning and the horizon mesmerizing. It had been too long since she’d seen the sea.

  The wind was brisk, but not too wild when Allie climbed out of the car. Without any hesitation, Ethan took Allie’s hand in his firm, warm grip and they climbed down onto the golden sandy beach.

  “I should have worn runners.” Quickly, Allie ripped off her sandals, letting the cool damp sand squish between her toes. “When I was a kid Dad used to bring me here on Sunday afternoons after church, just to get away for a little while when he could sense I was going stir-crazy.”

  “You have a perceptive father,” Ethan said. He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and Allie found herself gripping his arm, hyper-aware of his solidness, his warmth, as well as his relaxed, confident demeanor.

  Sean Carter was almost never calm. Never content to just be. Always talking, always planning, always restless, always on his mobile, sending texts, updating his calendar.

  Several weeks of being away from Sean was giving Allie a new awareness of her life. And the awareness was unsettling, despite the pain he’d caused her and all those sleepless nights and crying jags.

  “You okay?” Ethan’s voice was soft when he bent his face toward hers.

  Allie stared at his profile. As if she were coming out of a dreamlike trance. They were facing the ocean now, the tide beginning to roll closer, but not threatening yet.

  “You seem a million miles away,” he added.

  She shook her head. “Just taking inventory of my life, such as it is.”

  “It’s all going to be okay, Allie, I promise.”

  “How can you make that kind of a promise?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe I have the same intuition as your father. I just feel like you’re going to be alright. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit. Besides, it’s a gorgeous day and I get to be with a gorgeous woman for most of it.”

  “Come on, Ethan, cut it out.” But Allie’s protest was feeble. This man honestly made her feel better, more tranquil and at peace. Right now, her worries seemed far away, and she couldn’t help liking the compliments, too. Sean hadn’t given her one in so long she couldn’t even remember the last time.

  “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “It’s not that exactly,” Allie tried to explain. “I’m just not used to it, I guess. Been awhile.”

  Ethan’s eyes widened. “You were about to get married and you can’t remember the last time Sean complimented you—the woman he vowed to love and cherish forever?” He shook his head and Allie could tell he wanted to say more, but was trying to refrain. At last, he burst out, “So the guy is a no-show on the most important day of his life . . . that just proves it all, doesn’t it?”

  “Please, I can’t talk about him. I don’t want to think about him. Let’s—let’s just enjoy the waves.”

  “I honestly don’t want to cause you pain,” he said softly.

  Allie nodded tightly, appreciating his silence while they finished their walk along the shoreline. She carried her sandals in one hand while Ethan kept her other hand tucked into his arm. It was a gentlemanly gesture, and she loved the feel of his warm strong fingers wrapped around hers.

  Why was she so moved at this man—this unexpected, endearing, and kind man?

  “The tide is coming in faster,” Ethan said. “I didn’t check the time table for today, bu
t we probably have at least a half an hour before this place is ten feet underwater.”

  Allie didn’t want these quiet moment to end. “Guess we’ll have to come back to explore the tide pools.”

  “Let’s sit down on those boulders under the cliff overhang for a few minutes.”

  The wind was turning more brisk with the incoming tide. “Wish I’d brought a sweater,” Allie said.

  Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her closer, shielding her from the breeze.

  “I wasn’t hinting,” she said, making a face.

  “I’ve been looking for an excuse and you gave me one. Well-played, I’d say.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “I know,” he admitted, but his smile was fading a little.

  “What’s up, Ethan? I sense that you want to tell me something.”

  “I hate to spoil this great morning. I was going to tell you after we saw my grandmother, but now . . .” his voice trailed away.

  Allie turned sideways to face him straight on. His arm slipped away and she moved closer to capture his body heat, holding down her hair with one hand while it whipped about in the wind.

  “Tell. Now,” she demanded.

  “I need to move out of the house,” he said bluntly.

  “Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting that.” She took a gulp, not wanting to think about him going away if his work in town was done. “Are you leaving Heartland?”

  “No—what I meant was that I’m going to try to get a room at the B&B. Or somewhere. Somewhere else, I mean.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. We already live in our own apartment, me upstairs, and you downstairs.”

  “No, it’s not, Allie and you know it. It’s killing me when I’ve hear you cry at night over, even though I know you’re trying to hide it.”

  Allie bit at her lips, not realizing he’d heard her. Maybe those walls were thinner than she’d thought. “Not so much anymore,” she said shakily.

  Ethan exhaled and glanced out at the ocean before fixing his eyes on hers again. “I hate that he hurt you so deliberately, so cruelly. The truth is, Allie, I’m attracted to you and I’m having a hard time controlling my emotions.”