“You don’t really have to go,” Taylor said in a low voice, so it didn’t travel outside the kitchen.
“I know.”
Reese handed him an invitation decorated with pink soccer balls, the party details neatly written in, and then returned to her dinner.
“Thanks. And speaking of invitations, my cousin Trent called me right before I came over. He’s having a cookout this weekend.” When he’d seen his cousin’s name, he almost didn’t answer the phone. Considering what was going on when the guy left, Curt guessed Trent was calling to again say he should’ve listened to him earlier. Surprisingly, no such comment came. Instead, Trent invited him to a party in Newport.
“It’ll only be family. A few of my cousins, my uncle Mark and his wife, and Trent’s in-laws. We can all drive down on Friday when you get home, spend a few nights at my condo, and come home Sunday night.”
Curt didn’t think Taylor and her family would be comfortable spending the weekend at his cousin’s house, even if there was room. And he wasn’t sure there would be anyway.
“Won’t your cousin mind a couple of party crashers?” Taylor asked.
“Nope. He specifically told me to invite you. When I mentioned Priscilla and Reese he said to bring them, too.”
“It sounds lovely, Curt, but I already have plans for Saturday,” Priscilla answered before Taylor could accept or decline. “But you and Reese go ahead. I’ll be fine alone for a few days.”
“Just family?” Taylor still sounded undecided.
He nodded. Trent hadn’t given him a detailed guest list, but if Trent expected people he didn’t consider family he would’ve told him. “It’ll be fun.”
“Okay. We’ll come. I’ll see if I can leave work a little early on Friday so we can leave right after school.”
“Will there be any kids?” Reese asked. She’d been silent on the matter so far, but her expression told him she’d heard and processed every word.
“Not your age. My cousin’s son is only a year old.”
“It sounds boring. Do I have to go?” Reese looked at her aunt. “Can I stay here with Mimi?”
Since he’d moved in, Taylor and Reese had become important to him. He wanted both to meet some of his family. “We’ll have fun. My house is right on the beach. We can try to go swimming. Maybe build a sandcastle.”
Reese didn’t look convinced.
“If Reese really wants to stay home, I’ll ask Leigh to come watch her while I go out,” Priscilla said. “But going to Newport sounds like more fun than staying here with me.”
Curt wasn’t ready to concede the battle yet. “Pirate’s Cove, the best ice cream and mini golf place anywhere, is in Newport. I’ll make sure we go.” He pulled out the big incentives. After all, what kid turned down mini golf and ice cream? “They’ve got batting cages and go-carts, too. I think you’ll love it.”
Reese scrunched up her mouth while she considered his offer. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Next to him Taylor listened, an amused smile on her face.
“Okay. I’ll come. But I’m bringing Peanut.”
Neither Taylor nor Priscilla said no, so he guessed Peanut wasn’t anything living. Just in case Peanut turned out to be a pet mouse or snake she never mentioned before, he said. “Who’s Peanut?”
“My tiger. I’ll go get him, so you can meet him.” Reese left the table, more than half her dinner still on the plate. It didn’t take her long to return, a stuffed orange tiger in her hands. “This is Peanut. Auntie Taylor got him for me my first Christmas.” She held the stuffed animal toward him. “You can hold him.”
Judging by the animal’s condition, it was one well-loved toy. “Looks like he’s your favorite.” He accepted the toy, looked him over, and handed him back.
“Reese sleeps with him every night,” Taylor said.
“Auntie Taylor won’t let me take him to school.” She took her seat and tucked the stuffed animal up next to her. “Can he come mini golfing, Curt?”
He’d once had a beloved stuffed animal. A brown dog he’d named Spot, though he didn’t know why. The toy had been solid brown. He’d slept with it every night until he’d been a little older than Reese. If the thing had ever been lost or destroyed, he would have been devastated. Taking Reese’s Peanut along to Pirate’s Cove seemed like an ideal way for it to go missing.
“Sorry, Pirate’s Cove doesn’t let in tigers. Peanut will have to stay at my house. Maybe you could bring a friend for him to stay with, so he doesn’t get lonely.” Peanut couldn’t be the only stuffed animal the little girl had.
Taylor squeezed his leg again and mouthed, “Thank you.” Turning to Reese she said, “Curt’s suggestion is a good one.”
“Okay. I’m going to start packing.” Reese slipped from her chair again.
“You’ve got plenty of time. You don’t need to start now,” Taylor said, stopping her niece in her tracks.
“But—”
“I need your help with dessert. I can’t eat a whole chocolate chip pie alone,” Curt said, hoping to distract the girl.
“We have chocolate chip pie?” Reese sat back down. “Can I have whipped cream on mine?”
***
Taylor came back outside and watched Curt dribble the soccer ball across the backyard toward the soccer net. Reese chased after him, trying to get the ball away. She almost succeeded, but at the last moment he moved to the left and she missed. Smiling, Taylor sat down in a patio chair. She’d played when they first came outside, but the phone call she just ended had pulled her away. Neither Curt nor Reese seemed to miss her, so while she could she’d enjoy watching them interact.
“Everything okay?” Mom asked. She’d followed them all outside after dessert, too. While Curt and Reese ran around, Mom worked on a crossword puzzle.
“Oh, yeah. Mary had a question about this morning’s interviews.”
Mom set aside her puzzle and watched the two players. “He’s really good with her.”
Mom would get no argument from her.
“I still can’t believe he’s Curt Sherbrooke,” Mom whispered loud enough for Taylor to hear. “I really thought you were playing some kind of joke earlier.”
Again, she couldn’t disagree. She was still digesting the truth.
“I’m glad you didn’t let his little fib ruin your relationship. I stand by what I said before. He’s a keeper.” Mom leaned closer and dropped her voice more. “And it’s obvious he loves you.”
She couldn’t confirm or deny his feelings. But she did know hers. Even before today he’d captured a large part of her heart. Tonight, he’d breached the rest when he suggested Reese bring along a friend to keep Peanut company. How could she not love the guy after that?
Mom glanced at of her watch. “Yikes. It’s after eight.” She gathered up her crossword book and empty glass. “Reese, time to say good night.” She looked at Taylor as she stood. “Don’t worry, I’ll help her get ready for bed tonight.”
“Just a little longer, Mimi. Please.” Reese stopped in the middle of the backyard.
“Not tonight. It’s after your bedtime already, and you still need a bath.”
Reese gave the ball a hard kick and sent it flying into the net. “It’s not fair. I wish I could stay up later.” She grumbled but walked toward the patio, leaving the ball behind. Curt retrieved it and followed her over.
“I need go to bed soon, too.” He dropped the soccer ball on the patio and sat next to Taylor.
“Can we play again this week?” Reese asked.
“You got it.”
Reese hugged Taylor. “Good night, Auntie Taylor. I love you.” She let go and put her arms around Curt. “’Night, Curt.”
Taylor held her breath and waited for Curt’s reaction.
As if he did it every night, he hugged Reese back then ruffled her hair. “See you later, short stuff.”
Reese giggled. “That’s a funny name.”
If she hadn’t loved him before, she certain
ly did now.
She waited until the slider closed behind them, indicating they were alone. “Are you sure you don’t have children?” She hadn’t intended to sound suspicious, but that’s the way came out.
“No kids.” He touched her cheek, and she instinctively leaned toward him. “If I had them, believe me, I’d tell you. I don’t want any secrets between us.”
“Neither do I.” Choosing not to tell him she was falling in love him wasn’t keeping a secret. It was more like withholding a final verdict until she’d gathered more evidence.
Chapter Thirteen
“Are we there yet?” Reese asked the one single question children had probably been uttering since the first horse-drawn cart was invented. Taylor understood. Long car rides got boring no matter your age. Even short ones could be annoying when you were eager to get somewhere. She’d made sure Reese took a book and her tablet so she could read or watch movies during the two-plus-hour drive. The book held Reese’s attention until they hit the interstate. The movie had lasted slightly longer, and a short nap had filled in a good thirty minutes. She’d woken up over twenty minutes ago, though.
Taylor glanced into the back seat. “Almost.” She guessed, anyway. They’d passed a sign welcoming them to the city of Newport. She’d visited only a handful of times, so she didn’t recognize exactly where they were.
“Another ten minutes and we’ll be at my house,” Curt called from behind the wheel. Since he knew the route better, they’d taken his SUV. “We’re going to stop for the pizzas Taylor ordered first.” They passed the Tennis Hall of Fame, and he turned into a public parking lot. Pizza By The Court was right across the street.
“If you want to wait here, I’ll be right back,” he said.
Taylor had her door open before he pulled the keys from the ignition. “I put the order in my name. You wait. I’ll get them.” She left before Curt could mount an argument. The man hated to let her pay for anything when they went out.
True to his word, a short while later Curt punched in a security code and two massive gates opened, giving them access to a private residential community. She watched the gates begin to close after they drove through and waited for Reese to comment.
“Those are cool. How did you get them open?” Reese asked. She turned her whole body so she could peer out the back window. “Do you use a remote like the one for the TV?”
“If the guard isn’t here to open it, I have a special code I type in,” Curt answered. He drove them down the tree-lined road.
“Like Auntie Taylor uses to unlock her phone?” With the gates no longer in view, Reese turned around so she sat properly in her seat.
Special codes and security gates reminded her well with whom she rode. The man behind the wheel was not just some average Joe. She hadn’t thought much about it since learning the truth Monday. Funny how something as mundane as a gate could remind you.
“Same basic idea,” Taylor answered.
They passed two condos, or what he called condos. Actually, each looked larger than her house. He slowed as they passed a particular one. “My cousin and his wife live there.”
“And that’s where the party is tomorrow?” Taylor asked.
“Nope. Different cousin. Trent has a house on Ocean Drive. He’s the one having the party. Derek lives here.” He pointed toward the condo and kept driving. “Several of my cousins have homes in the area. At least for the moment, Derek and his wife, Brooklyn, are the only ones who live here full time. They’ll probably be at the party tomorrow.”
Curt drove past five equally beautiful condos before stopping at the final driveway. With the press of a button the garage door opened, revealing two vehicles parked inside. “How about pizza first? After that we can check out the beach. Or will it be too late?”
She tried to figure out what model of cars they’d pulled in next to. One resembled something she’d seen in a recent James Bond movie. The other was a complete mystery. Whatever they were, they belonged to Curt. She understood why he’d left them here instead of taking them to Pelham. Either of these vehicles would call attention to themselves.
“We should have time,” she answered.
Taylor had left work early this afternoon and got home before the bus dropped Reese off. After Reese ate a quick snack and used the bathroom, they hit the road. Despite being a Friday afternoon, they’d made good time on the drive down. Assuming Reese didn’t linger over dinner, they could take a walk on the beach and still get Reese into bed at a decent hour.
She carried the three pizza boxes inside, while Curt took care of all the bags except for Reese’s backpack. The night before, she’d stuffed it with friends so Peanut wouldn’t be lonely tomorrow when they left him behind. Peanut naturally hadn’t made the backpack. Instead, he’d been strapped in next to her for much of the ride. The rest he’d spent on her lap.
“Make yourselves at home. I’ll bring these upstairs and meet you in the kitchen.” Curt left them standing in the entranceway and carried their things up the staircase.
“Let’s find the kitchen.” Taylor’s comment gave Reese the go-ahead to move around and explore.
A room with a high ceiling took up much of the first floor. Glass doors lined the outermost wall, giving anyone in the room a perfect view of the ocean and beach. A large royal blue sofa faced two extra-large blue-and-white-striped chairs. Two dark coffee tables sat between the sofa and the chairs. Off to the right, a large opening led into an airy kitchen filled with windows. The barstools at the kitchen island matched the coffee tables in the living room. The whole place looked like it’d been plucked straight out of an interior-decorating magazine.
She placed the pizza boxes on the counter. He told us to make ourselves at home. She hadn’t remembered to ask for paper plates when she picked up the food. The glass cabinet doors made locating plates easy. She took three of them down and left them near the pizzas. Glasses followed, although she didn’t know what they’d drink. They hadn’t brought any food or beverages with them, and he’d admitted he hadn’t been at the condo in months. Why someone would have a place with a view like this and not come more often made no sense to her.
“Can I start eating?” Reese climbed onto a barstool and opened the top pizza box. “Yuck. This has sausage on it.” She closed the cover and moved it out of the way.
“You know better, Reese Walker. We’ll wait for Curt.”
“No need. I’m here.” He walked in and went straight to the refrigerator. “What do you want to drink, Reese? Looks like we have apple juice, lemonade, and milk.”
“Apple juice,” Reese answered, pulling open another pizza box for a peek inside.
Okay, how had he managed that? “Did you have a maid or someone go shopping for you?” The place appeared spotless. Not a speck of dust in sight. No house remained closed up for months and dust-free, too. It even smelled clean and fresh. Houses left empty for long periods of time got this stuffy smell to them. Curt’s place smelled slightly of lemons and the ocean.
“Derek. Having a cousin as a neighbor comes in handy. I asked him to fill the refrigerator for me. He got us some hard lemonade as well.” He twisted the caps off two bottles and handed her one. “Whatever we don’t use this weekend, I’ll get rid of when we leave.”
She helped Reese get a slice of cheese pizza, her niece’s favorite. “Did he clean, too?”
“He doesn’t know one end of vacuum from the other. I called the service I always use to come in and touch things up. It handles the cleaning for most of the condos here.”
She vacuumed and cleaned bathrooms because she had to. If she had access to a company that handled it, she’d call them in every week.
Dinner progressed much the same way it did at home. Reese gave them the full scoop of her day at school, and occasionally Taylor had to remind her to not only talk but eat, too. Later, they walked along the private beach she’d viewed from both the kitchen and living room. The ocean water lapping against her feet wasn’t cold, but she needed
the air temperature a little warmer before she went swimming in it. Neither Reese nor Curt seemed to mind the temperature. He held Reese’s hand as they waded out far enough for the water to hit her knees before rolling back out.
Although still on the early side, only one other person sat outside enjoying the cool breezes off the ocean. Since Curt merely waved as they passed, she assumed the woman wasn’t his cousin’s wife. A few of the homes even looked empty. No lights appeared on inside, and at two of them the patio furniture on the deck remained covered up.
Before heading back inside, they walked the entire length of the beach in both directions. Reese managed to collect half a dozen seashells and watched the sky above them turn a gorgeous shade of pink as the sun went down. When the stars became visible, Taylor herded her niece inside and upstairs.
“Your bag is in here.” Curt flipped on the bedroom light, revealing a room at least twice the size of Taylor’s room at home.
“I get a TV?” Reese asked, her eyes wide. She walked in, carrying Peanut and the backpack holding all of Peanut’s friends. “What’s in here?” She opened a closed door and turned on the light. “My own bathroom!”
Taylor went straight for the bag and searched for the toothbrush and toothpaste she’d packed. “And why don’t we use it to brush your teeth.” She handed Reese the items as well as her pajamas. “Change while you’re in there, too. I’ll wait right here.” She closed the door and turned. Curt lounged in the doorway, his shoulder against the frame and his arms crossed.
“I put her in here so you’d be close by. My room is right across the hall.” She must have made a face because he straightened up and moved into the room. “There’s a third bedroom if you want it instead. Or you can stay in here, I guess.”
She hadn’t thought about sleeping arrangements when Curt invited them. Faced with the three options, only one appealed to her. “No, I’ll stay with you. I’ll just make sure I’m up in the morning before her.”
Dating a woman with a child brought up issues he’d never considered before, like sleeping arrangements. The few girlfriends who’d stayed with him here or at one of his other homes always slept in his room. There had been no reason for them to sleep anywhere else. Taylor’s hesitation made sense. Reese had probably never seen anyone in her aunt’s bed. And despite her ability to carry on an intelligent conversation, Reese was not even seven years old, way too young to know anything about adult relationships.
The Billionaire Next Door (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 10) Page 14