“Why?” she said immediately sensing danger.
“I was curious,” he replied. “What has he promised you?”
Elena said nothing.
“Money I suppose,” he went on. “You’ll be taken care of your whole life, and so will your child. I suppose I can understand why you agreed to this.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elena said forcefully.
“Oh, I think you do,” Cliff said with a sly smile. “We both know that the baby in your belly is not George Hargrove’s.”
“It most certainly is George's. The paternity test-"
“Was a fake and we both know it. I am not a stupid man, Elena. I didn’t get rich by swallowing every ridiculous story I was fed, and Neal – well, he isn’t the smartest tool in the tool shed. He was very transparent, right from the beginning.”
“Don’t!” Elena said fiercely.
“Ah,” Cliff said with raised eyebrows, “so protective. Am I to assume that this has become more than a business arrangement?”
“Get out,” Elena said, staring daggers at him.
“I think I’ll stay,” Cliff said lightly, then he laughed cruelly. “This is quite the little drama, isn’t it?”
“Please,” Elena said, trying hard to remain calm, “leave.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Neal said from the front door.
Elena spun around to see Neal standing there. Relief flooded through her, somehow. She felt as though Neal would set everything right. Neal walked inside, slamming the door closed behind him.
“Cliff?” he said rudely.
“Just getting to know your little employee here, Neal,” Cliff said cuttingly. “That’s all.”
“Employee?” Neal said, his brow furrowing.
“You are paying her for a service, unconventional though it may be. That makes her your employee.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Neal asked bluntly.
“I’m trying to say that you are going to lose this company, boy,” Cliff spat, dropping his smile. “That bastard in her belly is not going to be enough to keep your fortune.”
Neal's hands clenched into fists.
“There is no way for you to prove that,” he said, struggling to remain calm.
Cliff laughed. Then, from inside his jacket pocket, he pulled out a few post card sized photographs. He threw them onto the empty kitchen counter so that both Neal and Elena could see. They were images of the two of them, kissing one another, holding each other, making love on the couch. They were pictures of their morning together. Neal noticed that some pictures were older. There was one from a few days ago when he had kissed Elena near the kitchen. He looked up furiously.
“You know what they say about people in glass houses,” Cliff said with a laugh.
“All this proves is that I am sleeping with my brother’s girlfriend,” Neal said, noticing that Elena flinched slightly at his words, but he went on, “it does not mean she is not carrying George’s child.”
“Ah yes,” Cliff said, seemingly unconcerned, “you could very easily have started sleeping together after his death was announced. Which would still make the baby his.”
He looked from Neal to Elena and gave them a vindictive smile.
“Another paternity test should disprove that little claim,” he said confidently, “and I think you’ll find that the doctor I choose will not be so easily bought.”
Elena watched as Neal’s horror struck face calmed slowly. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she hoped he had a plan.
“Get the hell out of my house,” Neal said finally, his tone eerily calm.
Cliff chuckled at the vehemence in Neal’s voice.
“With pleasure,” Cliff said patronizingly.
He through a lascivious look in Elena’s direction and then at the pictures on the table.
“I don’t blame you, Neal," he said.
“You are a contemptible bastard,” Elena spat in his direction.
He laughed at her insult; he seemed to be amused by everything she and Neal said.
“If I’m a contemptible bastard,” he sneered at her, “what are you?”
“I’m his friend,” Elena said stoically.
“A friend?” Cliff said with a raised eyebrow. “He’s paying you, and you’re having sex with him. I call that a whore.”
Neal’s fist came out of nowhere. The force of his punch sent Cliff flying into a small cabinet pushed against the wall. Glass flew everywhere and the little miniature collectible race cars it held clattered to the floor unceremoniously. Elena stood there in shock, as Cliff picked himself off the floor. His nose was bleeding and one eye was twitching profusely.
“Get out now!” Neal spat.
Clifford’s amusement seemed to have vanished. He glared at Neal and walked towards the door, limping slightly, tiny dots of glass glinting on his trousers. He looked back over his shoulder at the entrance.
“I have the originals of those images,” he told them vengefully, “and the board is going to see them this evening.”
Then he left, leaving Elena and Neal to their broken plans. Elena knelt to clean up the shards of glass all over the floors, but Neal stopped her.
“Let’s just sit down for a bit,” he said, leading her away from it.
“Neal…"
“It’s OK, Elena,” he said calmly, “it’s going to be OK.”
“You have a plan?” she said in relief.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “There’s no plan anymore. This is over, Elena.”
Elena looked at him in disbelief.
“You’re just going to give up?” she asked incredulously. “I’m pregnant, Neal. I’m pregnant with your brother’s baby!"
“You’re pregnant with my baby,” Neal said, his voice strong and resolute. “That child is mine, and now I can admit it freely. I can admit that I want this child to know that I am its father. I want the world to know I am the father of your child.”
“Neal-"
“It’s over, Elena,” Neal repeated again, “and I have to admit – I’m relieved. Losing the business will be hard, but the harder path is losing you. Losing our future together. Losing the chance to be a real family. No lies. No deception. Just you and me, and our baby.”
Elena smiled up at him, letting his words sink in.
“You’re sure this is what you want?” she asked quietly.
“I want you,” Neal replied honestly. “I want you to move in with me, so that we can have this baby together.”
Elena looked at him searchingly, but all she saw in those clear hazel eyes, was sincerity.
“I love you, Neal,” she said.
He smiled. “I love you too, Elena.”
He leaned in and kissed her. When they broke apart, they looked at one another for a second and laughed out loud.
“We’re really doing this?” Elena asked in awe.
Neal nodded. “Who would’ve thought?"
The loss of Hargrove Brothers was still there, still a thing to be mourned, but it did not weigh as heavily on him. It was bearable. It was something Neal could put behind him, knowing that he had done everything in his power to try to save it. Neal looked at Elena and felt whole again. As though the thing he had been missing his whole life had finally found its way back into his life. He was staggered by the strangeness of it all. Out of the pain of his brother’s death, he had the woman who had taken the lost boy that he used to be and turned him into a man.
He felt the loss of his brother like a knife in the heart, so similar to how he had felt when his mother had died, but somehow he was better equipped to deal with loss now. With Elena’s hand holding fast to his own, he was keenly aware of one fact.
After almost thirty years, he had finally learned to survive.
The Final Chapter
“Aren’t you going to answer your phone?” Elena asked, trying to block out the sound.
“It’s Harry,” Neal explained, “calling again to
try and convince me not to give up my shares.”
“You’re still sure you want to sell them to the board?” Elena asked again.
“I know the changes they have in mind. They intend to break the company up, and I have no way of stopping them. Majority rules, and since I don’t want to be a part of Clifford Stanley’s mission to desecrate my family’s company, I have to remove myself from it.”
Elena nodded and dropped the subject. She continued unpacking her things. The pool table had been moved out and Elena’s art supplies were being moved in, but the phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Sighing, Neal went to answer it. The number was Harry’s, just as he had expected.
“I’m not changing my mind, Harry, I already-"
“Neal… Neal!” was all Harry seemed capable of saying.
“What is it, Harry?” Neal asked impatiently.
“Neal… the most amazing thing has happened!”
Neal rolled his eyes. “Are you going to tell me? Or do I have to guess?”
“It’s George!”
Neal felt his body go cold.
“If this is some kind of sick joke-"
“He’s alive Neal,” Harry said, his voice lifting.
Everything in Neal stopped and was still. “I… how? Are you sure?”
Elena walked back into the living room, drawn by Neal’s urgent tone. She watched him carefully, filling out the conversation as it continued.
“He’s been in a hospital off the coast of Rabat for the last few months.”
“Rabat,” Neal repeated in astonishment, “as in Morocco?”
“Yes,” Harry confirmed. “He was classified as the Moroccan equivalent of a ‘John Doe’. He was in a bad way for a while. When he finally started recovering, they managed to find out who he was and how to contact his family.”
“So why didn’t I get the call?” Neal demanded.
“The accident… it affected his memory. He couldn’t remember things.”
“Is there permanent damage?”
“Neal, I spoke to him a few minutes ago.”
Neal was silent for a moment.
“He’s OK?” he asked, suddenly scared.
“He’s the same George that left us,” Harry said. “A little shell shocked, but still, he’s suffered no permanent damage.”
Neal let out a breath of relief.
“When is he coming home?”
“In a few weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“His body is still very weak,” Harry explained. “He has to be strong enough for the flight back, but he will be back.”
“And the company?”
“Will be staying the way it is,” Harry said triumphantly. “No one can do anything now that George has been proven to be alive and well. He will retain control of Hargrove Brothers and Company.”
Neal hung up and sank to his knees. He found himself crying for the second time in a few short months, but this time, his tears felt wonderful. They felt like a second chance. Elena lowered herself to the ground in front of him.
“He’s alive?” she said softly.
Neal nodded. “My brother is alive.”
Elena gave him a brilliant smile. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Epilogue
Elena cleared the plates as George and Neal discussed what they liked to call George’s ‘Moroccan adventure’. Now that some distance had been put between the suffering and the recovery, both brothers were willing to talk for long stretches of time about their last few months.
George had been amazed by Neal’s plan to retain control of the company and he had been exceptionally impressed that he had managed to convince Elena to go along with it.
Elena liked listening to them. They had such an easy flow of conversation. She watched them carefully, always observing, hoping she could mimic that easy conversation with her own sister, at least one day. She had taken active steps towards re-building that relationship, but she was happy to find that she did not feel out of place or unwanted when Neal and George got together. She fit perfectly.
She had never really experienced that feeling before. She had always been the outsider. This new sense of inclusion was enough to make her feel giddy at times, but that was most probably just the pregnancy. Elena’s stomach had ballooned suddenly in the last month. She patted her stomach, thinking about her doctor’s appointment that morning.
“Penny for your thoughts?” George asked, interrupting her musings.
She smiled. “I visited the doctor this morning.”
Neal looked up with a start. “You didn’t have an appointment scheduled for today.”
“I know,” Elena replied. “I was feeling a little strange… so I paid Dr. Lanter a visit.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Neal demanded.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Elena said, touching his cheek, “but I do have some news.”
“You’re having twins?” George said with a wink.
Elena knew he was joking. She winked back and nodded once.
George’s smile was replaced with shock. The brothers exchanged looks of amazement.
“Are you serious?” Neal asked.
Elena laughed. “We’re having twin boys.”
Neal just looked at her and shook his head. ‘This is unbelievable.’
Elena nodded happily.
***
After Elena had gone to bed, Neal sat up with George in the living room.
“George,” he began seriously, “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Raising your stipend now that you’ve got two extra mouths to feed?” George asked with a wink.
“Actually,” Neal said, “I wanted to talk to you about a job.”
George raised his eyebrows, “Where?”
“Hargrove Brothers, of course.” Neal said lightly.
“Really?”
“I think it’s time I learned the family business.”
“But you’ve never shown any interest,” George said in mild shock.
“Because I was scared to mess it up,” Neal admitted freely.
“And you’re not scared anymore?”
“Oh, I’m still terrified,” Neal said with a chuckle, “but I still want to do it.”
“Wow,” George breathed, “Elena’s really made a difference in you.”
“She has,” Neal said sincerely, “but it’s more than that. I want to do this for Dad, and I want to do it for myself.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” Neal replied.
“The job will be hard,” George warned.
“True, but I’ve already got one thing going for me.”
“What’s that?” George asked.
“My boss already loves me,” Neal said with a wink.
Together, they laughed.
THE END
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Book8
THE COWBOY'S
SECRET BABY
MONICA CASTLE
Summary
2 years ago, one night of passion changed her life forever. Now it is time to change his life too...
After a one night stand with wild cowboy Jonathon Tanner, Maggie Wilson found herself pregnant. However, by the time she found out her lover had already left town in order to travel the world and there was no way to contact him.
Now, he is back in town and Maggie has to tell Jonathon that he is a father. She has no idea how he will react.
Is it possible that Jonathon would be interested in forming a family with her?
Not if his new fiance has anything to do with it....
Chapter1
It was a dark night in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and every star in the heavens shone down on the little mountain town, glittering like a hidden gem in the deep va
lley of the Teton mountains. It was a warm summer night, and cool breezes drifted through the evergreen pine trees, over the river, and through the festival that was reaching its peak in the town square.
The Baby Shower Page 79