“You don’t have the right to be proud of me. You didn’t do a goddamn thing to contribute to my success.”
She winced and stole a glance at her younger son. “I know, but-”
“No, you don’t know.” Brent leaned forward, slamming his hand on the burled walnut desktop. “You haven’t got a clue. Where were you when I needed help with homework or one of us was sick or…” He wouldn’t get into it with her. It was ancient history, long forgotten. “Forget it. I said I don’t have time for you and I meant it. Get out, or I’ll call security.”
She gasped, a manicured hand adorned with diamonds pressed to her chest. “You would do that to your own mother?”
“You’re not my mother. You haven’t been for twenty-seven years. You’re just some woman who shares my D.N.A.”
“I know you may never forgive me for walking out on you, but using my family to get back at me is just cruel.”
He stared at her, trying to process her words. Her family. She was in his office to defend the people who meant everything to her against the people who meant nothing. It shouldn’t sting, but it did. “I’ll destroy your husband and son. I’ll take everything that ever meant anything to you and them. You’d better plan to sell the fancy house and cars before they come to foreclose.” He flashed a quick grin. He was enjoying himself, and he wanted her to know it. “Imagine what the neighbors will say. Oh, and the country club membership? Cancel it.”
Her lower lip trembled, her wide eyes shining with unshed tears. “When did you become so hateful?”
“When you gave me good reason to hate you.” He picked up his phone. “Calling security. Ten, nine, eight…”
“I’m leaving.”
Keith waited until the door closed before sinking into the seat across from his brother. “I can’t believe she came here to plead their case.”
“Don’t kid yourself, kid. She wasn’t here for them, she was here for herself. She sees everything she loves slipping away, and it’s killing her.” Underneath the woman raising money and chairing her causes, she was just the daughter of an out-of-work janitor who drank himself to death in a cardboard box under a bridge. No amount of money would change that.
“How many times have you seen her at events over the years?” Keith asked, glancing at the closed door.
“Plenty of times. I pretend I don’t know her. She does the same.”
“I’ve run into her a few times too. She tried to talk to me once, but I just cut her off.”
“Don’t feel guilty about that. She’s not worth your time.” Brent reached into his drawer for his car keys. He needed to escape. Thankfully, he’d driven his Mercedes. He needed to put the top down, find an old back road, and escape life for a while. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Or not.”
***
Ava was on her way out for lunch when the elevator revealed Brent. He looked incredible in faded jeans, a tight grey T-shirt, and cowboy boots. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I needed to get out of the office for a while. My housekeeper packed some lunch when I went home to change.” He smiled. “Care to play hooky with me for a few hours?”
Ava remembered that look. She’d seen it when they were in college. He was upset or stressed about something and needed to talk, but he wouldn’t admit he needed to vent until she pried it out of him. She should keep her distance since he was technically her client, but she’d never been able to turn her back on someone in need.
“Sounds good.” She looked down at her fitted blue dress and high heels. “I feel a little over-dressed.”
“No problem. We can swing by your place so you can change.”
Ava couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken off in the middle of a workday. She was usually the first one into the office and the last one to leave. She deserved a few hours of good food and relaxation in the company of a handsome man. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.” She stepped on to the elevator.
“Not at all.” He punched the button for the lobby and stared at the overhead numbers as the doors closed. “I was expecting to hear from you… about the date.”
“Tara and I were going through your options today.” She forced a smile. “I think I’ve found someone who would be perfect for you. She’s a personal trainer, owns her own gym in fact--”
“I really don’t want to talk about that today.”
She frowned at his stunning profile. “But you were the one who brought it up.”
“I know,” he said, sticking his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Just forget I said anything.”
“Okay.” They rode the rest of the way in silence, and she knew it would be one of those times when she had to pry the truth out of him. “Is everything okay, Brent?”
“Yeah.” He closed his eyes. “It’s just been one of those days. I’m tired, bone tired.”
Ava was tempted to reach out and ease the tension from his shoulders. She’d never seen him so forlorn. He was usually a dynamo, fixed on the next challenge. She wanted to ask him what had happened, but she trusted he would tell her when the time was right. “Where are we going?”
He couldn’t carry his heavy burden alone. He needed to talk to someone, and he’d chosen her. She didn’t want to acknowledge the warmth that spread through her at that realization, but it was difficult to ignore. He reached for her hand and she would have pulled away, but when she saw the uncertainty in his eyes, she couldn’t.
He said, “It’s a place I fell in love with a long time ago. I haven’t been out there in… too long.”
“Sounds intriguing.” She squeezed his hand and hoped that would earn a smile, but it didn’t.
They walked in silence until they reached his sleek, polished black car. He opened her door and waited until she was buckled in before he closed it and rounded the front. Slipping his Versace sunglasses in place, he said, “Thanks for coming with me today, Ava. I really needed a friend.”
“My pleasure.” She knew what needing someone felt like, and she wanted to be there for him for reasons she couldn’t begin to understand. He turned the music on and navigated the busy afternoon traffic. Within a few minutes, they pulled into her parking lot.
“Do you want to wait here?” she asked when he parked near the front doors. “I won’t be more than a few minutes.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come up?”
She smiled and pointed to his phone in the cup holder. “I’m sure you’re dying to check your messages by now. Have at it. I’ll be right back.”
Ava returned less than ten minutes later wearing a summer dress and flip-flops. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she felt younger and more carefree than she had in ages.
Brent’s head was tipped back against the headrest when she slid into the passenger’s seat. She thought he may be sleeping, but he said, “You look beautiful.”
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
“No problem,” he said, starting the car.
“Did you have a chance to check in with the office?” She should probably do the same.
“Whatever’s going on there can wait until tomorrow. I just need time to decompress.”
Whatever was bothering him clearly wasn’t routine stress that came with managing a large company. Ava believed it was personal. “You know you can talk to me, right?”
He shifted to face her. “I know. That’s why I brought you.” He slid his finger down her cheek. “I just need a bit of time to think things through first. Are you okay with that?”
“Of course, whenever you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen.”
Chapter Seven
They were stretched out on a blanket, admiring the waves crashing into the shore, when Brent popped a grape into Ava’s mouth. They’d only been there an hour, and he already felt his problems drifting away. She’d always had that effect on him. No matter how bad things seemed, she always made him believe they would get better.
“This is such a beautiful sp
ot,” she said, looking out over the twenty acres of waterfront land.
“I bought it about seven years ago. It was the first big real estate investment I made.”
“Will you build a house here someday?” she asked, topping a cracker with smoked salmon and cream cheese.
“That’s the plan.” He leaned back and admired the view. He’d always been drawn to the water, and he could hardly wait to dock his boat in his little piece of paradise… when the time was right.
“What are you waiting for?”
“My princess.” He grinned when she looked surprised. “What? Didn’t I mention I’m a hopeless romantic?”
“Yeah, right.”
“I am, Ava.” He slipped his sunglasses up so she could see his eyes. “I know how important love is. It’s the foundation of everything. My love for my brother and father is what motivated me to build my business, so I could help them.”
She wiped her hands on a napkin and said, “I really respect that. My family is so important to me too. Did I ever tell you that I was adopted?” She placed the fruit, cheese, crackers, bread, and cold meats back in the basket before topping off their wine glasses.
“No, I don’t think you did.”
“Probably because I never think about it. My parents are my parents, that’s all there is to it.”
“Do you ever think about your birth parents?” he asked, shifting his weight to one elbow so he could look up at her face. “Wonder what they’re like?”
“Actually, I know my birth mother. She and I are really close. She couldn’t tell me much about my birth father. He was just passing through her life.”
“Huh.” He slipped his glasses back in place when the sun shone in his eyes and impaired his view of her. “How’d you find her? Or did she find you?”
“She was friends with my adoptive parents. Lena was only fifteen when she got pregnant with me. She couldn’t care for me, but she didn’t want me to end up in the system like she did, so my parents decided to adopt me.”
“Did she ever have any more kids?”
“Yeah, she and her husband Dom have two girls. Tweenies,” she said, smiling.
Brent had met Jay and Victoria Cooper several times when he dropped Ava at home after class. They obviously adored their only child. He’d often wondered what it would be like to have a mother who felt that way about him. That’s why he was so committed to choosing the right life partner, a woman who understood the importance of family and forever. “It sounds like things turned out the way they were supposed to.”
“I think so.”
He longed to caress her smooth, bronzed skin, but they were getting along so well, he didn’t want to risk ruining it. “You told me once that you’re a black belt in karate. Is that true?”
She laughed. “Yeah, why would you think it wasn’t?”
“I seem to recall you had had a few drinks before you said it. I thought you were imagining you had super powers.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “No, I really am a black belt.”
“When did you get into karate?” Martial arts had always been one of his passions, but he hadn’t listed it as one of his interests on his intake questionnaire because he didn’t want her to think he was trying too hard to impress her.
“My dad got me into it when I was about six. He and my mom have been crazy about karate forever. In fact, that’s how they met. He hired her to manage one of his studios.” She smiled. “Martial arts was kind of non-negotiable for them. They wanted me to be able to defend myself.”
“They were right. It makes me feel better knowing you can take care of yourself.” Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, he asked, “Do your parents still have karate studios?”
“No, they sold them last year. They were ready to retire. Managing twenty-five studios was getting to be too much for them.”
“Smart. That’s my plan. Retire and take the time to enjoy life while I’m still young and healthy.”
Ava raised an eyebrow. “You’ve thought about retiring?”
Brent chuckled. “Not for a long time. I’ll know when the time’s right.”
Ava brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “When is enough going to be enough for you? You’ve made more money than your grandchildren could ever spend. What motivates you now?”
“Until today… revenge.” He’d brought her out there because he needed to talk to someone about his mother’s visit. He’d been waiting for years to bring down his mother and stepfather, but with it on the verge of happening, he wondered if it had all been worth it. Revenge hadn’t given him the thrill he’d thought it would.
“Revenge?” she asked, tucking her legs under her as she turned to face him.
“I’m taking over my stepfather’s company. It’s been in the works for a long time. I’ve been buying stock for years.” He thought back to the first shares he bought nine years ago, when he put his plan in motion. The company had gone public only three months prior, and his mission was to buy as much stock as he could get his hands on, no matter how long it took. “I’m making a deal that will make me the majority shareholder. Then I plan to disassemble it. Whatever shares he still owns won’t be worth anything.”
“Won’t a lot of people lose their jobs if you do that?”
“That’s business, Ava.” He smiled when she frowned. “Honey, I buy and sell businesses. It’s what I do. Some have to be rebuilt from the ground up so they can thrive, and that means restructuring. People get laid off, but I create more jobs than I eliminate, so I can sleep at night.”
In spite of what she may think, he did have a conscience. He’d gone to bed hungry too many nights, and he would never forget what that felt like. Brent didn’t want to be the reason some other kid had to have the same experience.
“You said something happened today…”
“My mother came to see me.”
Ava eased down beside him so only a few inches separated them. “How long has it been since you spoke to her?”
“Years.” He picked a blade of grass and twirled it. “I see her and her husband at charity events around town, but I always keep my distance.”
She took the grass from his hand and let the wind carry it away, forcing his attention back on her. “What did she want?”
He laid on his back, staring up at the cloudless blue sky. It was a perfect day, warm but not hot with a gentle breeze that made the trees whisper. “I guess she wanted to plead their case. She doesn’t want me to destroy their lives.” He clenched his jaw as a lifetime of resentment bubbled up inside him. “But she never thought about what she did to our lives when she walked out.”
Ava curled into his side, resting her head on his chest. “Did you want her to apologize for leaving you?”
“No.” He stroked her hair, savoring the closeness he didn’t even know he needed. “Even if she had, I wouldn’t have believed her.”
“It must be painful having so much hatred toward your mother. You loved her once. You must remember what that felt like.”
He’d tried so hard to replace that love with anger and resentment, but he couldn’t deny sometimes the odd memory drifted though his mind and made him feel something he thought he’d obliterated. He would hear her singing him and Keith a song as they drifted off to sleep or the smell of chocolate chip cookies would assail him when he walked into his favorite café and he was reminded of all the times she’d baked them because they were his favorite. Her act of kindness always earned her extra kisses before bed.
“You can’t turn your feelings off,” Ava said softly. “No matter how much you might wish you could.”
“Don’t I know it.” If he could, he might have turned off his intense need to get closer to Ava years ago. He hated rejection, and she was the only woman in his life, other than his mother, who’d rejected him.
“If things could be different with your mother, would you want a relationship with her?”
He pulled her ponytail holder out of her
hair so he could slide his hands through the silky strands. “No, too much time has passed. You just can’t heal wounds that run that deep.”
“But if you could, would you want to?”
He sighed. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe.”
“You can’t have a healthy romantic relationship until you put this thing with your mother to rest.”
Brent knew she was right. He’d never had a functional relationship with a woman. When he started to care and the feelings of jealousy and possessiveness arose, he usually stepped back before his fear suffocated the relationship. Jamie had been the only exception, and he couldn’t forget how that turned out. “How can I put it to rest, Ava? How can I forgive her or forget what she did to us? What kind of woman just abandons her kids in favor of some rich guy?” His hand drifted down to her waist.
“Maybe she loved him,” Ava said quietly. “Maybe leaving you was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, but every day without him was hell for her. Did you ever consider that?”
He sat up. “I can’t sit here and listen to you defend her. There is no excuse for what she did.”
“I’m not saying there is, but I’m not a mother and I’ve never been in love like that, so who am I to judge?”
Ava was being so reasonable, so rational. He just wanted someone to agree that his mother was a bitch for leaving them and that she deserved the wrath of fury he was bringing down on her. He wanted to feel justified, not torn and confused.
Ava sighed, obviously accepting that she wouldn’t make him see reason. “I’m meeting up with some friends at Jimmy’s tonight. You should come.”
Brent chuckled. “Jimmy’s isn’t really my kind of place, but thanks for the offer.”
She looked at his attire and smiled. “I don’t know about that. You look like you’d fit right in.”
He hadn’t been a blue jeans and cowboy boots guy in a long time. He wore his Armani suits as a status symbol. They let the world know he wasn’t the same kid who grew up wearing second-hand clothes and living in a three-room, rat-infested apartment.
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