A Heart's End - A Billionaire Romance Novel (Romance, Billionaire Romance, Life After Love Book 6)

by Nancy Adams

  “I know, I know,” the mother repeated, before looking up at the doctor and adding, “I’m sorry, son. Yes, I do feel better. I just found out that my grandson is coming to Colorado. Isn’t that great news?”

  Claire smiled and tears flooded her already overburdened eyes.

  “That is, Mrs. Prior,” the doctor said softly. “Very good news.”

  “It’ll be the first time I’ve ever seen him,” she went on excitedly. “I only found out about him a day or two ago, and now he’s coming here: to Colorado.”

  Claire continued to hold her mother dearly and sob, while at the door, Sam watched on with a delicate smile.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “Lift me up,” Lacey exclaimed to Paul, “I wanna see them better.”

  Paul was with Shelly and her little girl Lacey at the zoo, the monkey house to be exact.

  Doing as the little girl wished, Paul picked her waif little frame up and held her so that she could see the monkeys that were playing at the back of the den. She laughed as they watched the chimpanzees mess around, chasing each other and swinging about on the climbing frames.

  “They’re so funny,” Lacey exclaimed to Paul.

  “You know we come from monkeys very much like that,” he informed her as she gazed fixedly at the playing primates.

  “Really!?” she asked incredulously, giving him a sidelong glance.

  “Yes. We changed over millions of years until we lost most of our fur and became much more clever.”

  “That sounds silly!” the little girl said. “People weren’t once monkeys.”

  “I know it sounds strange, but we were.”

  “Still sounds silly. You mean that once upon a time we didn’t wear clothes or anything?”

  “Yes, once upon a time—as you put it—we were all running around with our behinds hanging out!”

  “No way!”

  “Yes way!”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Would I lie?” he let out with fake indignation, widening his eyes at the little girl he had in his arms.

  “You lied yesterday at the mall when you said that they recycled all the food that went in the bin and that our McDonalds burgers were probably found among the trash, cleaned and reused. You even said they had a special cleaning machine for getting all the dirt off the burgers and French fries they get from the bin.”

  “You have heard of recycling?”

  “Yeah, but not food, silly. I asked Mommy last night and she said that it wasn’t true.”

  Paul glanced over at Shelly who was standing just to the side of them with a big grin on her face. When he looked at her, she giggled.

  “I can’t have her thinking it’s okay to eat out of the trash!” she said to him.

  “No, you can’t eat out of the trash,” Paul said turning back to Lacey. “Not without the special food-cleaning machine, anyway. Which I believe your mother doesn’t own.”

  “No,” Shelly said to her daughter. “No cleaning machine equals no trash food.”

  “I wouldn’t eat out of the trash anyway,” Lacey declared. Then turning to her mom, she asked, “Is he right about the monkeys? That we came from them?”

  “I’ll let you decide,” Shelly said with a smile.

  Turning back to Paul, Lacey said, “I still don’t believe you.”

  “Well then I’ll prove it.”

  And with that he put Lacey down on the ground and began acting like an ape; stooping down to walk, banging his chest, making sounds, chasing after Lacey while grunting like an ape, the little girl hiding behind her mother’s legs, Paul pretending to pick fleas from Lacey’s hair, Shelly laughing and giggling at it all while they played.

  When they left the monkey house, they took Lacey to a kid’s adventure park and walked around the park while the little girl played among all the other children.

  “It’s so great that Lacey’s taken a real shine to you,” Shelly was saying. “I really worried about that.”

  “It’s cool. I like kids. Not in any ‘To Catch a Predator’ kinda way!”

  “I was hoping not!” Shelly said mirthfully.

  “I guess kids are on my level of sense of humor! I can relate to them because deep down I’m still one.”

  “Well, whatever it is, Lacey sure has taken to you. She wouldn’t stop talking about you last night after the mall and the cinema. Paul this and Paul that. She couldn’t wait to get ready for the zoo today. It was the first time I didn't have to bully her into the shower!”

  Paul grinned at this report. He sincerely liked the girl. She was sweet and not shy. He liked that; liked that he didn’t have to work for her attention and found her company very natural.

  “How’re your folks?” Shelly inquired.

  “They’re good. They’ve loosened off with me now.”

  “You mean they don’t think you’re gonna do yourself a mischief?”

  Paul grinned at this comment.

  “No, not anymore. Or at least I don't think so. I guess knowing that I’m spending time with you makes them feel a little better.”

  It was Shelly’s turn to grin now.

  “They see a little twinkle in their son's eye,” she remarked in a light-hearted manner.

  “And where might you be insinuating that that twinkle has come from?”

  “I don’t know. I insinuate nothing. Maybe it’s the charming exuberance of Casselton that’s got you all twinkly!”

  “Or is it perhaps a certain inhabitant that you are referring to?”

  “Perhaps it is,” she giggled, bumping her hip against his and almost sending him over into a hedgerow. “Oh!” she suddenly exclaimed, as though she were remembering something. “That reminds me of something I saw on the news just before you came and fetched us. I was gonna say something to you earlier but I didn’t want to say anything in front of Lacey.”

  “What reminded you of what?” Paul put to her.

  “Your parents thinking you were going to commit suicide.”

  “That made you think of something!?”

  “Yeah. This morning there was a terrible story on the news about a politician who shot himself in front of his family.”

  “Whoa! That doesn’t sound nice.”

  “Call me macabre,” Shelly said, “but stuff like that always sticks in my head.”

  “Why’d he do it?”

  “They weren’t sure. The news said that he’d been arrested that morning and released on bail. He then went to where his wife and daughter were and shot himself.”

  “That’s awful. Who was the politician?” Paul asked out of genuine interest.

  “He was some mayoral candidate down in Colorado…”

  Paul heard no more. He went cold all over, his face going pale. He knew for sure that Joe Prior was up for mayor of Colorado Springs.

  “Did you catch their names?” Paul asked in a frantic tone.

  “I’m not sure. I think it began with a P. Price…or Pritchard…”

  “Was it Prior?”

  “Yes,” Shelly said, her face lighting up. “It was Prior.”

  “Oh, God!” Paul let out and he almost lost his balance.

  “Paul are you okay?” Shelly asked with a concerned expression, noticing for the first time his pallid complexion.

  Paul glanced around him and spotted a bench. With effort, he compelled his body toward it and sat down with a thud, Shelly immediately taking a place beside him.

  “Is it something I said?” she asked with worry all over her face.

  “Did they say if anyone else was hurt?”

  “Another man was shot, but apart from that only the father, who shot himself.”

  “Did they say if the daughter was okay?”

  “Yes. Like I said, only the father died.”

  Paul closed his eyes and for the first time since he was a child he openly thanked God.

  “Is there something you wanna say?” Shelly asked him as he sat there.

  “Yes,” he announced, ope
ning his eyes. He then turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes, adding, “The girl I was with for all those years, Claire, her last name is Prior and her father is the one the news are talking about.”

  “Oh, my!” Shelly exclaimed softly, raising her hand to her mouth.

  “Her father was an evil man,” Paul said to her. “An evil man.”

  “What did he do?” Shelly inquired with natural curiosity.

  “That, I can’t tell you. Not that I wouldn’t share a secret with you, Shelly Temple, but it’s not mine to tell you. I’m sure that the reasons for his arrest will soon be public knowledge and everyone will get to know what type of man Joe Prior really was, but let you find out from the press and not me.”

  Shelly paused to look at his worried, sad face for a moment and it made her feel a real warmth toward him.

  “It’s so sweet that after all the pain you suffered because of her,” she said to him warmly, “you can still be so worried for her. You must have really loved her.”

  “I did. I really loved her. And for a time, when she first left, that love made me hate her. But not like this. This she doesn’t deserve.”

  “They say that Sam Burgess was reported to be at the scene too. It was one of his security men that got shot.”

  Paul bit his lip for a moment before saying, “And that’s who she left me for.”

  “Oh, my!”

  Shelly looked at his forlorn face and smiled compassionately, before leaning forward and kissing him gently on the lips. As she did, a light passed through Paul and washed all the shadows away, and he took ahold of her and the kiss became passionate, a fire building between them both.

  “UHH!” came the voice of Lacey and the two parted.

  Looking up, they saw the frowning face of Shelly’s little girl and both smiled.

  “That’s gross,” the little girl let out, screwing her face up even more. “You know you can catch things?”

  “I’ve been extra careful,” Paul announced to the little girl. “I brought gum.” He took a tube of gum from his pocket and showed her.

  “Can we eat now?” Lacey asked, ignoring Paul’s playfulness.

  “Of course,” Shelly replied.

  “Can you carry me there on your shoulders?” Lacey then inquired of Paul.

  “I don't see why not.”

  And Paul got up from the bench and lifted the little girl up onto his shoulders, before the three of them went off in the direction of the burger bar, a happiness shining through them.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Claire and Sam were standing holding hands at the helipad, awaiting the arrival of the family. Both their hearts fluttered the moment they saw the craft loom into view, and they took in deep breaths. Soon the helicopter was landing and, once it had, the door slowly opened, the anticipation in both of Claire and Sam almost overwhelming. The first to walk out was Jules, who immediately eyed his surroundings with suspicion. Having surveyed the environment with unease, he turned back to the open door of the craft and appeared to beckon someone out of it. Gradually Claire and Sam saw Juliette emerge, her frightened eyes appearing to make neither head nor tail of any of it. In fact, she’d only recently awoken from the sedatives that the doctor had given her for the flight.

  Once she was out of the door, Sam and Claire got their first look at their son. He came out right after Juliette and immediately placed his arms protectively around her waist, his little blue eyes searching the place with wonder.

  After the family, the next to emerge was the doctor and John Ryan. Sam went straight up to Jules and offered him his hand. The latter looked down at it for a moment, before gazing back up into Sam’s eyes.

  “What the hell is this all about, Mr. Burgess?” he wanted to know.

  “Sam, please.”

  “Then I repeat: what the hell is this all about, Sam?”

  “All in good time, Mr. Lee.”

  “Jules.”

  “I’m sorry!?” Sam let out, as though he hadn’t quite heard or understood what Jules had just said.

  “If you’re Sam,” the old man went on, “then I’m Jules.”

  “Okay, Jules,” Sam corrected, “it’s like I said to you earlier over the phone; I will explain everything once we’re settled in the house. My doctor will look after your wife and my daughter will take care of your son, so we can talk in private. You’re back safely and that’s all that really counts. Now if you’ll follow me inside the house, we’ll go through everything and you will then know every detail.”

  The whole time they spoke, Claire stood to the side, unable to take her eyes off of David. There he was: her son. And something in her heart rose up at the sight of him and compelled her to rush forward that instant and take him in her arms. But she stopped herself, and merely waited for everyone to make their way to the house before venturing on to any true introductions.

  Looking the billionaire square in the eyes, Jules finally took the proffered hand and shook it firmly, before Sam moved on to the other members of the family. When he held his hand out to Juliette, she merely gazed at him incredulously, Jules watching her worriedly the whole time. Eventually, she reached out her hand, but rather than take his, she instead raised it and touched his face, as if she didn’t think he was real.

  “Are you here to save us?” she asked in a withered tone.

  “I hope so, Mrs. Lee,” he answered softly.

  “Her name’s Juliette,” Jules put to him in a gruff tone.

  “And who is this?” Sam asked, looking down at David, a benevolent smile across his lips, a warm glimmer to his eyes.

  The boy looked up at him and didn’t say anything, his hands still wrapped around his poor momma’s waist.

  “You ain’t gonna take my momma away are you?” the boy asked sweetly, his crystal blue eyes shimmering as he did.

  Sam knelt down to him, Claire smiling as she watched from the edge, and said softly, “I’m gonna make sure that your momma gets looked after better than anyone in the whole world ever got looked after before.”

  A smile pursed David’s lips, a result of the stranger’s reassuring words.

  “You promise?” the boy asked.

  Sam struck his heart with his fist and announced, “On my word, I promise.”

  The boy’s smile grew larger and Sam stood up.

  “So if you’ll follow me into the house,” he stated to them.

  Now that the introductions with Sam were at an end, they walked away from the helicopter, David glancing over his shoulder as they did, taking in one last glimpse of the craft. When they came to Claire, she introduced herself with an awkwardness that Sam found sweet. She too knelt down to David when she came to him, and Jules gave her an odd look as she stretched her hand up and took the boy’s face in the palm of it. He was sure that he saw a teardrop fall from her eye, which she quickly concealed by turning her head away from them and discreetly wiping it from her face. Jules felt a suspicion of something arise in him then, and it stayed with him as they made their ways to the house, where a little girl with red hair was waiting at the entrance.

  It was Jess, of course, and she smiled widely at the sight of David, little brother David. She was under strict orders not to mention anything to the boy, but she couldn’t help rushing forward to him the moment she saw her long-awaited little brother coming toward her.

  “Hello,” she said, approaching the boy with fervor.

  “This is my daughter, Jess,” Sam said to them as they continued into the house.

  “Would you like to come and play, David?” Jess asked the boy as she walked alongside him.

  “I can’t leave my momma,” the boy replied. “She’s real sick.”

  Hearing this, Juliette looked down at David and said, “It’s okay, Danny, you can go and play with this little girl.”

  “I’m Jess,” the little girl announced.

  “Hello, Jess,” Juliette replied, her speech a little slurred from the aftereffects of the sedatives.

  �
�Can I, Ma?” David asked.

  Witnessing this, Jules said, “It’s okay, Davey, you go along with Jess.”

  The boy trepidatiously let go of his mother and went off with the girl, glancing forlornly over his shoulder every now and then as he did, unsure whether he should leave his momma.

  The doctor came up to Sam and said, in a discreet tone, so that he shouldn’t be overheard by the others, “Mrs. Lee is under slight sedation and shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Will she be okay to have a meeting? Do you need to be there?”

  “I don’t think so. The husband is very good with her and can deal with her if she gets excited for any reason.”

  “Okay, then you wait in the lounge with John.”

  Claire, Sam, Jules and Juliette went off to Sam’s large study. When they were inside, they all sat down opposite each other on two leather-bound sofas, Juliette nestled into Jules’s flank on one side, his wife’s glistening eyes unsure of what to make of it all.

  Jules, however, kept his steely eyes fixed on Sam.

  “Now, you gonna tell me what this is all about?” Jules inquired firmly.

  “Firstly, I want to say that I am completely sincere in wanting to help your case,” Sam stated.

  “But why?”

  “You see,” Sam began, but Claire stopped him, placing her hand on his arm.

  He looked at her and she said in a solemn tone, “I think we should get straight to the point. I’d like to tell them my way, if that’s okay?”

  Sam smiled and replied, “Sure.”

  Claire turned her eyes on Jules and Juliette and began. “Nearly six years ago I was volunteering in a hospice and I met this man here…”

  Claire continued to explain her sad story of how she and Sam found each other, the sadness of their original parting, followed by her pregnancy, even her struggle with her conscience over a termination, and then the subsequent adoption. After that came their reunion a month ago and how the truth about David finally came out.

  “But can’t you see,” she went on, “that it is fate that has brought us together. Fate that it should have happened like this. You were in need—you were lost and needed light—and, at that exact moment, Sam found out about David. And if there’s one man in this world that can help you, it’s Sam.”