“Brandon, what’s going on?” Paige asked.
He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, here’s the thing—”
“Brandon? Is that you?”
Paige turned to see Emma standing behind her, eyes wide with surprise.
“Emma,” Brandon said.
They shared an awkward embrace and Emma said, “What are you doing here?”
“Long story.”
Now Paige was totally confused. “You two know each other?”
“Of course we know each other,” Emma said.
“But…we talked about him last night and you never said anything about knowing him.”
Now Emma looked confused. “We did?”
“Yes, this is Brandon Dilson.”
“Paige, this is Brandon Worth, my brother.” Her brother? Paige looked up at Brandon for an explanation.
“Like I said, it’s a long story.”
Emma gasped suddenly. “Oh, my God! My brother is the father of your baby?”
Paige blinked. Brandon Dilson was really Brandon Worth? Not an uneducated ranch hand, but heir to the Worth millions? All this time he’d been lying to her?
“I—I don’t understand,” Paige said.
“I know, and I can explain everything.”
“Brandon,” Ana said, rejoining them. “We need you on stage. Now.”
“On stage?” Emma asked. “Did you make a contribution to the foundation?”
Brandon looked from Paige to Ana, then back to his sister. “It’s really—”
Emma held up a hand to cut him off. “A long story.”
Brandon turned to Paige, gripping her upper arms firmly. “This isn’t the way I wanted you to hear this, but do me a favor. No matter what, don’t leave until I’ve said everything I have to say up there.”
“Of course.” She wanted to know what the hell was going on.
He gave her a quick, firm kiss, then followed Ana. Paige and Emma both pushed their way closer to the stage. Rafe was at the mic, and when he saw Brandon approaching he made his announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased and honored to present the recipient of the Hannah’s Hope Outstanding Achievement Award, Mr. Brandon Dilson.”
The crowd broke into applause as Brandon crossed the stage to the mic, with the confidence of a man who was used to being the center of attention. He and Rafe shook hands, but when he held out the plaque Brandon was supposed to accept, Brandon shook his head. Rafe frowned, looking confused, and around her, Paige heard baffled whispers.
Brandon stepped up to the mic. “Thank you Mr. Cameron, but I’m afraid I can’t accept this award.”
Quiet gasps filled the room.
“As some of you may have figured out by now, my last name is not Dilson, it’s Worth. I was, until a few months ago, heir to Worth Industries. I’ve spent the past four months posing as Brandon Dilson, an uneducated ranch hand, for the sole purpose of infiltrating Hannah’s Hope and discrediting the foundation and its founder, Rafe Cameron.”
The crowd erupted in chatter and Rafe advanced in his direction, but, nonplussed, Brandon held up a hand to halt him.
“Please,” he said over the din, “allow me to explain.”
A hush fell over the audience.
“When I learned that my father’s company was bought by Cameron Enterprises, in what some have termed a hostile takeover, needless to say I was concerned. Anyone familiar with our families knows there’s history there. Then rumors began to circulate that Mr. Cameron’s intention was to break the company into pieces and sell it to the highest bidder, which everyone here knows would devastate the economy of Vista del Mar. That factory has been this city’s lifeline for generations. And because I chose not to take my rightful place by my father’s side, I held myself personally responsible. I vowed to discredit Rafe Cameron, to give the people of the city a chance, and Hannah’s Hope seemed the way to do it.”
Brandon’s gaze fixed on the audience to the right of where Paige stood, and she glanced over to see Ronald Worth, Brandon’s father, standing beside Emma. The two men locked gazes, and there was a hurt in their eyes that was almost palpable.
Paige had heard things mentioned about Ronald Worth’s estranged son. Never in a million years would she have guessed that it was Brandon.
“I did it for the people of Vista del Mar, and for the factory employees, but I’ve also come to realize that even more than that, I did it for myself. To reconcile the guilt I’ve felt for abandoning my family. And I did abandon them.”
Beside Paige, Emma sniffed and dabbed at her eyes, and her father slipped an arm around her shoulders. If there was one thing Paige knew about Brandon, it was that he was a proud man. Pouring out his heart in front of everyone couldn’t have been easy for him, and his family seemed to appreciate that.
“I have spent the last four months investigating every aspect of Hannah’s Hope. I’ve dug through city and county records, exhausted every resource available, and I am here to report that Hannah’s Hope is one hundred percent legitimate. The service they have provided to the people of this community is beyond reproach. In the time I’ve been working with the organization, I’ve seen men and women whose lives have been transformed by the mentors who selflessly volunteer their time. I for one will be pulling out my checkbook for a substantial donation, and I encourage you all to do the same.” Brandon turned to face Rafe. “I hope that Rafe and Ana and the mentor who sacrificed his own time to tutor me, will accept my most heartfelt apology. I also want to say I’m sorry to my family for…well, for more things than I have time to list.” His eyes settled on Paige. “And Paige Adams, who just so happens to be the woman who single-handedly planned this outstanding party, I just want to say that I love you. And though I know I screwed up, and I have no right to ask this, I hope you’ll give me one more chance.”
Tears stung the corners of Paige’s eyes. He’d told her he loved her, and managed a pretty awesome plug for her company in the same breath.
Brandon turned to Rafe to shake his hand, and for several seconds Rafe only glared at him. The crowd waited in tense silence, and Rafe looked so bitter that for a horrifying moment Paige thought they might come to blows. Finally, Rafe took his hand for a brief, brusque shake, and the audience erupted in applause. Brandon said a few brief words to a shell-shocked Ana, then exited the stage and walked over to where Paige still stood with his sister and father.
“Brandon,” Ronald said, shaking his hand, then he pulled him into a slightly awkward, but heartfelt embrace. “It’s good to see you, son.”
“You, too,” Brandon said, and Paige saw that both men’s eyes had misted over.
They parted and Brandon said, “You look good.”
The older man smiled. “I feel good. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of retiring, but I think it was time. This is the healthiest I’ve felt in years.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You’ve earned the right to relax.”
“Things are going well at Copper Run?”
“Great. You should visit some time.”
“I’ll do that.” He turned to Paige and said with a grin, “And this must be Paige Adams, the woman responsible for this outstanding party.”
Paige could see where Brandon inherited his charm. She shook his hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“My daughter tells me that you two are expecting a child.”
Paige nodded. “January twenty-second.”
Brandon looked down at her and laughed. “You’re kidding.”
“That’s Brandon’s birthday,” Emma said.
“And mine,” Paige told her.
Brandon shook his head. “What are the odds?”
“Astronomical.” She smiled up at him. “I guess it’s fate.”
“I hope this means you’ll visit more,” Emma said. “I want to see my niece or nephew.”
“And I want to see mine,” Brandon said, patting her belly.
“So, are there any wedding plans in the
future?” Ronald asked.
Brandon took Paige’s hand. “Actually, that’s something that Paige and I need to talk about.”
“Then we should leave you two alone,” Ronald said.
“We’ll talk,” Brandon told him.
Ronald nodded. “I think it’s past time, don’t you?”
Emma pulled Paige into an embrace and whispered, “Welcome to the family.”
After they walked away Brandon said, “Let’s go somewhere a bit more private.”
“That was a good thing you did up there,” she told him as he led her toward the French doors.
“It was the truth,” he said. “It wasn’t easy getting up there and admitting I was wrong, but I had to do it.”
“You probably won’t like this, but the rumour is that Rafe stills plans to break the company apart and sell off the pieces. I heard someone say that there’s going to be a front-page article about it in the Seaside Gazette tomorrow.”
He looked more resigned than angry. “Unfortunately, at this point there isn’t anything anyone can do. And right now, our relationship is my number one priority.”
She felt exactly the same way. Her career, and those goals she’d worked on so hard for so many years to achieve seemed inconsequential now.
He opened the door for her and they stepped out onto the slate patio, lit only by the full moon and a sky full of stars, and her heart started to beat like mad. He said he loved her, and he wanted to talk about marriage. And this time she wouldn’t screw it up and say the wrong thing.
As soon as the door shut behind them he pulled her into his arms and just held her. “I missed you so much.”
She closed her eyes and hugged him hard. “Me, too.”
“I’m so sorry that I lied to you.”
She looked up at him. “You were doing what you thought you had to.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“But it’s forgivable. And I forgive you.”
“And the other day, at the motel, I wasn’t fair.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s done.”
“I told you we should get married because it was what was best for the baby. What I should have said, what I was afraid to admit, is that I want to marry you because I love you.”
She reached up and touched his smooth cheek. “I love you, too. I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just did.”
“My head is telling me that you were right to say no. That it’s too soon to be making that sort of commitment.”
Her heart sank.
“It’s telling me that we should give it some time, get to know one another.”
A very logical course of action, so why did she feel so lousy?
Brandon reached up and touched her cheek. “But my heart, that’s telling me that you’re the woman I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with, and a couple of months won’t change that. So, Paige Adams…” He sank down on one knee. “Would you—”
“Yes!” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Brandon laughed. “So I guess that’s a yes.”
“Definitely.”
“Then you’ll probably be wanting this,” he said, and pulled a diamond solitaire ring from his jacket pocket. A huge, gorgeous ring.
She gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
“Before I put this on your finger, there’s a disclaimer. This was my mother’s ring, and anyone will tell you that she was a little kooky. So I’m giving you the option. You can wear this, or we can go out first thing tomorrow and buy you something new.”
She knew he wouldn’t have asked her to wear it if it didn’t mean a great deal to him. Besides, what ring she wore didn’t matter, she was his, and he was hers. For better or worse, richer or poorer.
She smiled and held out her hand, and he slipped the ring on….
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Michelle Celmer
for her contribution to The Takeover miniseries.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0190-3
EXPOSED: HER UNDERCOVER MILLIONAIRE
Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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*Royal Seductions
†Black Gold Billionaires
Exposed: Her Undercover Millionaire Page 16