I didn’t have the time to unpack it, though. I was running five minutes behind due to my paranoid little drive by of the youth center. Hopefully Andrea wasn’t the type of punctual person that would ream me for being five minutes late. Either way, I had arrived at my destination. At the darkened, shoddy apartment complex without a spare light to be seen to light the footpath of anyone during the night. I turned my car off and got out, my eyes scanning the complex before I made my way up the stairs.
One flight. Two flights. Three flights of stairs.
Then I made my way to her door, lifted my fist, and knocked.
NINETEEN
Andrea
I cleaned up my apartment as best as I could, but it still looked like a wreck. Things at the youth center had been insane since we had all gotten back from Las Vegas and I felt as if I didn’t have a second to breathe. Between the budget issues and coming back to an air conditioning system not working and having to fuss with the internet company and realizing I was still down several volunteers for the summer rush? It was mania at my place of work. Granted, it was a good way to lose myself in things and not think about all the insanity from Vegas, but when I heard Everett’s voice on the other end of the line things seemed to get better.
At least, his voice relaxed me.
I made up my bed and busted out the vacuum while the water was boiling. A pasta dish sounded nice for us tonight. Especially since I had gotten home later than I had wished. A nice salad. Some Cajun chicken alfredo. A blackberry cobbler for dessert. Homemade sweet tea. It was a decent-enough dinner for something like this. I wiped down my bathroom and cleaned up the rest of the dishes in my sink, then tossed the pasta in and took the time to clean myself up. I put the lid on the noodles before I took an insanely quick shower, then I drained them while I drip-dried in the kitchen.
I looked like a mess, but I was determined to have everything done before Everett showed up.
I slipped into a nice pair of jeans and a blouse that slid off my shoulder if I tilted at the right angle. My hair was piled high on my head since I didn’t have time to wash it and I sprayed myself down with some body spray. Just in case the quick shower didn’t do it for me. I tossed the noodles in the sauce before tossing the chicken onto it, and right at seven I was setting my compact kitchen table with the food.
We barely had room for our plates, but it was fine. No need to panic.
Yet I couldn't figure out why I was panicking.
A knock came at the door and I froze. Oh my gosh. Everett was here. I cleared my throat and smoothed my hands over my shirt, then I quickly poured the sweet tea over our ice. I set it off to the side as I padded over to the door, and with a flick of my wrist it was unlocked and flung open.
And there he stood, with his messy blonde hair and his dazzling blue eyes.
“Hey there, Everett.”
“Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“It’s fine. I just got done setting the table. Come on in.”
I ushered him into my apartment, and I expected him to look around. Especially since he seemed to have such an opinion on the safety of my place. I closed my door and locked it as he headed straight for the kitchen table and sat down without a second thought. I studied him for a little while. Watched as he mindlessly sipped his tea. His massive form dwarfed the chair it was sitting in and it almost looked like a father sitting at his daughter’s little tea cup set.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I sat down.
He nodded, but his eyes told me otherwise.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Just business stuff,” he said.
“Well, I can relate. It’s been a hell of a week over at the youth center.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not talking about it unless you do.”
I watched him sigh before he leaned back into his chair.
“How much do you know about the mansion that burned down three or so weeks ago?” he asked.
“Enough. Jessica likes to talk. I know you guys were working on it and it burned down due to electrical issues.”
“No, it didn’t.”
“What?” I asked.
“The issues weren’t electrical.”
“Then, what happened to it?”
“The house was burned down intentionally.”
My eyes widened as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Say what now?”
“Chances are, it was made to look like an electrical problem, but the fire marshal ruled it arson.”
“Do you have any idea who would do something like that? Maybe it was accidental arson?” I asked.
“Not judging by the meeting I just came from.”
“What meeting, Everett?”
“Look, this isn’t important. We’re here to talk about—”
“It’s important to me.”
His eyes connected heavily with mine and held my gaze. Not even I was sure where the hell that statement had come from. But, it didn’t feel false. Which was both confusing and pressing. Why was something like this important to me? It wasn’t any of my business. Literally and metaphorically.
“Okay then,” Everett said.
“So, what happened at the meeting?” I asked.
“A friend of mine—Colton—is in the real estate investment business. He does a lot of deals, and not all of them are always good things.”
“Okay?”
“He took a trip to New York a couple of weeks before the mansion burned down and met this man who works for a company called Cinder Block Enhancements.”
“Odd name, but it makes sense.”
“Apparently, he went on this interesting diatribe about how the marketplaces in the big cities of the U.S. are reaching their ballooning peak. How they’ll burst and the real estate market won’t mean shit and how the real investment future is in the poorer states. Like South Carolina.”
“I guess the theory makes sense,” I said.
“I went to meet with Colton and he had a feeling that some other properties that had burned down in the state were linked. There’s been a couple in Myrtle Beach and a few properties at the North Carolina border that have gone down in smoke due to electrical issues.”
“And how are they connected to the mansion?”
“We’re not sure. What we do know is that Cinder Block Enhancements just purchased a mansion a couple of blocks down from ours that burned down and that the homes that have burned down in the state this year have all been due to faulty electrical issues that burned the houses completely to the ground.”
“Like yours.”
“Yep. And the homes at the North Carolina border have just been proven to sit on a massive natural gold field below the town’s surface,” he said.
“So, this company is burning down properties in wealthy places to snag the real estate investment game?” I asked.
“That’s the theory. My friend says he’s got someone on the inside of this shady company and thinks his friend can prove just that, actually.”
“Oh my gosh. Everett, are you serious?”
“Very. Another thing that makes me nervous is that when my friend went back for his second trip to the city, this man who is part of this company mentioned our family by name. He specifically asked about the Wilder family with regard to the real estate game in South Carolina.”
“You think he’s targeting you guys,” I said.
“Oh, yeah. Especially my father.”
“Why would someone want to target you guys?”
“My knee-jerk reaction is to take us out of the competition. But, if someone is looking to take us to court in order to sue us for something, if they were successful they’d be looking at a payout of billions.”
I choked on my sweet tea and began to cough.
“What did you say?” I asked hoarsely.
“If a successful enough sabotage were staged and someone tried to take us to court, theoretically they could sue us into the ground. And between my paren
t’s real estate business and the business I have with my brothers, they could potentially see a payout of four billion.”
“Dollars?”
“Yes. Dollars,” he said, chuckling.
I started reaching for food and putting it onto my plate. Anything to keep from staring dumbfoundedly at Everett. He followed my lead and began stacking his plate high with food and I did everything in my power to keep my eyes off him. Holy shit. I knew the Wilder family was loaded. It was obvious from the Vegas trip. But billionaires? All of them?
That made me nervous. Not his money, but all of the stipulations and assumptions that came with it. They were the top of the class in the country. The wealthiest of the wealthy. They were what wealthy people aspired to be one day. They were it. What if Everett thought I somehow married him for his money? I couldn't even remember the wedding to begin with! Oh my gosh. What if I somehow tricked him into marrying me? What if the uncontested divorce didn’t go as planned and I had to take some of his money? Holy shit, would he take me to court? Would he sue me into the ground? Would he assume I was a gold-digger or something?
“Your mind is shouting at me, Andrea. Say something.”
I whipped my gaze up to his face and cleared my throat.
“I’m really sorry all of that’s happening,” I said.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
I watched him take a bite of my pasta before he hummed his appreciation.
“Very good,” he murmured.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“So, talk to me. What’s on your mind?” he asked as he swallowed.
“Just… work.”
“What about work?”
“I walked into a shitstorm this week,” I sighed.
“Tell me about it. I just told you about the shitstorm I weathered before I got here.”
“Wait, that meeting took place today?”
“It ended a few minutes ago.”
“No wonder you walked in so flustered.”
“Was I flustered?”
“If you had a petticoat to ruffle, it would’ve been in tatters on the floor.”
The two of us shared a laugh before I took a bite of my salad.
“So, what’s going on at the youth center?” he asked.
“Well, I walked into an air conditioning that didn’t work.”
“Yikes.”
“In the South. In the middle of summer. In Charleston.”
“Oh, that hurts.”
“Yeah. And then internet started acting up and that dips into a budget I didn’t plan for. Which means more money out of my pocket. And then there’s the issue of being short volunteers this summer for the youth center summer activities.”
“How many are you short?” he asked.
“Two or three volunteers, depending on where the head-count of children solidifies itself. Right now, it’s bouncing between forty and fifty kids for the summer.”
“How many do you usually need?”
“Five, usually. The legal ratio is one adult for every eleven kids, so fifty kids requires five adults on staff while they’re around. And then, there’s always the last-minute drop-ins with money and permission slips and I never have the heart to turn them away. Single mothers, single fathers, and single grandparents still work, after all.”
“Understandable. Now, what’s this thing you mentioned with pulling money out of your pocket?”
“Oh, it was just a statement. I’ll have to take a look at where our budget really is before I know if I’ll have to dip into my own account to fix the air and fight with the internet company. I haven’t called the internet company yet, so I don’t know if that’ll take money to fix. But the air conditioning? I think it’s beyond my expertise.”
“You fix air conditioning systems?”
“I’ve tried to fix almost everything in the building. YouTube videos are great for that kind of thing. I know how to fix most basic problems, but once I get into having to take out and switch out major parts, it gets beyond me. I can clean them down, exchange smaller things, take it apart and diagnose. Things like that.”
“Wow. That’s impressive, Andrea.”
“It really isn’t. I’ve got the spare time usually, so why not save the money?” I asked.
“Makes sense. What do you think is wrong with the air?”
“It’s not blowing,” I said coyly.
“Ha. Ha. Ha.”
“Hey, you asked.”
The two of us grinned at one another before we went back to eating. It fell silent between us for a little while, but the silence was comfortable. Everett praised my dinner with his hums, though I knew it wasn’t as good as anything he ate on a regular basis. With being a billionaire, his portable snacks were probably more gourmet than this entire spread for dinner. But, it didn’t matter. He went back for seconds before he started easing back into his seat with a full stomach. So, I considered that a mission accomplished.
“That was a great dinner,” he said.
“I’m sure it’s not as fancy as you’re used to, but I’m glad you liked it.”
“Are you assuming I have a chef that cooks for me all day every day because I have money?”
“All I know is I’d have a chef that cooked for me all day everyday if I had money.”
He chuckled and the sound spread a smile across my cheeks.
“So, I came here originally to talk about this whole marriage thing,” he said.
“Then maybe we should get to talking about it,” I said.
“Well, I guess in the grand scheme of things, there isn’t much to say.”
“Why not?”
“Well, things have been pretty hectic since I got back. I’ve gotten phone calls back from the three lawyers I left messages with over the weekend, but I haven’t had the time to get back with them.”
“Do I need to call someone on our behalf?”
“No, no. I can do it. And from the sounds of it, nothing sounds too bad. But, I did have an idea.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“One lawyer can’t represent us both. Even though it’s an uncontested divorce, it’s still a conflict of interest. So, I thought about hiring each of us a lawyer so we wouldn't have to appear in court back in Vegas.”
“I’m not sure if I can afford a lawyer, honestly. I could afford splitting one with you or something. But one on my own?”
“Did I ask you for money?”
My eyes met his as he took a sip of his sweet tea.
“Really good tea, by the way. I’d like your recipe, if you don’t mind,” he said.
“I didn’t marry you for your money,” I blurted out.
His eyebrows raised up onto his forehead as a flush of embarrassment quickly permeated my cheeks.
“Well, I should hope not. Especially since we don’t remember it,” Everett said playfully.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… I didn’t understand that you and your brothers had so much money and now I’m scared you think I somehow roofied you and convinced you to marry me because you’re rich and I don’t want you paying for my side of the lawyer just because you’re rich and now I’m being all paranoid and—”
I felt his hand come down over mine and it halted my rambling. His thick fingers wrapped around the edges of my palm before picking it up and settling his other hand underneath it. My hand was trapped between his. No, not trapped. Engulfed. Devoured. His hands dwarfed mine, and the warmth from his skin shot tingles up my arm.
“I don’t think anything like that, Andrea,” he said.
My eyes fluttered up to meet his as I drew in a deep breath.
“It’s simple. I hire two lawyers. One for you, and one for me. One of them fills out the paperwork, faxes it over for us to sign, a copy goes to the other lawyer, then they meet in court on our behalf without us ever having to step foot back into Nevada. Simple process, and by the sounds of it from the lawyers’ messages on the phone? Shouldn't take more than six or so weeks.”
I nodded my head as my fingertips curled into his palm.
“Take a breath, Andrea. I could never think anything like that of you.”
“That I would be a gold-digger or that I would try to drug you?”
“Both?” he asked.
I giggled and shook my head before a heavy sigh escaped my lips.
“How did we get into this situation again?” I asked.
“Tequila.”
“Damn that empty bottle to hell.”
“Satan can have it.”
“All of it.”
“He’d probably enjoy that though.”
“Satan would be a gold-digger.”
“Of the hottest proportions,” he said, chuckling.
I closed my eyes and swallowed deep as the warmth of his hands trickled all the way up my neck.
“I’ll give the lawyers a call and set up something at the beginning of next week. I can give you a call when things get up and running.”
“I really want to try and pay you something,” I said.
“I’m not taking your money. From the sounds of it, the youth center is going to need it.”
“Oh my god,” I groaned.
My head fell to the table as Everett released my hands.
“That place is going to be the death of me somedays. I mean, I love it. Don’t get me wrong. I love the kids and the atmosphere and what we do there. But sometimes, it feels as if—ooooh, yeah.”
Everett’s thumbs pushed deep into my muscles as his hands came down onto my shoulders.
“What was that?” he asked.
I grunted as he massaged my shoulders, my body quickly succumbing to his ministrations.
“Huh?” I asked.
He chuckled as he slowly worked his thumbs down the edges of my spine. I hummed my appreciation as he slid down and slowly slid back up.
“Relax, Andrea. You’re wound a little too tight.”
“I don’t know how you’re not wound tighter after your meeting to—ooooh, that’s the spot.”
His chuckle filled my ears as his massive hands splayed across my back.
“I could reach better if you were lying down,” he said.
I felt my nipples pucker against my bra as my knees grew weak.
Accidentally Wild: An Accidental Marriage Romance (The Wilder Brothers Book 2) Page 16