His Billion Dollar Baby

by Lea Nolan

  He might as well have sliced her with a sword. Determined not to let him see how deeply his words had cut, she backed away, repulsed by his twisted words. “You’re deluded.” Nausea churned her stomach. She could tell him just how wrong he was, about everything, but there wasn’t any point. Based on the withheld proxy papers, his sickening accusations, and revolting words, he wasn’t worth her time or energy. There was one thing, however that was worth saying. “You’re an asshole.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Gwen tore down the hall that connected the east wing to the main house, tears streaming down her face. For a moment, she thought about retrieving her gown, shoes, and bra from Carter’s bedroom floor, but decided against it. Carter had bought them, he might as well keep them, too.

  She raced past the kitchen, hoping Loretta wouldn’t notice her in only a tuxedo shirt and panties, then headed through the main foyer and up the winding staircase. She needed to get out of this house, away from everything that reminded her of Carter and the Anderson’s money.

  She stormed across her room, threw open the closet door, and grabbed her duffle bag, then shoved all the clothes she’d either brought with her or purchased since moving into River View. It wasn’t much but it was all she needed. After yanking on a pair of pants, she threw off Carter’s shirt and replaced it with a bra and a top of her own, then slipped on socks and sneakers.

  Wiping hot tears from her cheeks, she made her way back downstairs and charged toward the big double doors before she froze. She couldn’t leave without saying good-bye to Judith and Rocky. They’d always been kind to her, generous but understanding of her need to pay her own way. They deserved some kind of an explanation. But how could she explain what had gone on? That their son’s past had damaged him beyond all repair, leaving him an ice-hearted, suspicious bastard who’d never allow himself to love again? There was no need to explain any of that. Judith already knew it and Rocky probably did, too.

  Plodding across the foyer, Gwen made her way to the dining room. As expected, they were seated at the table having breakfast. Now that he could move his arm, Rocky could feed himself and share quality time with his wife. It had been a gigantic step forward for his self-worth and dignity.

  Judith looked up. “Ah, Gwen, how was last night?”

  Gwen gripped the molding on the doorway for support, wondering how she could possibly utter the words in her head.

  Judith’s smile fell. “Are you all right?”

  Batting back a fresh round of tears, she nodded. “I’m fine. Things didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. I’m sorry, but I’m leaving. Right now.”

  Rocky’s face crumpled with grief. “No!”

  Judith rose to her feet. “That’s ridiculous. You live here. We don’t want you to go.”

  “You’ve been absolutely wonderful and more generous than anyone could ever expect you to be. But I can’t stay any longer. Our arrangement has been misinterpreted in the most repulsive way and I don’t have the energy, or frankly, the desire to explain anymore. I can take care of myself. I should have been doing it all along.”

  “Where will you go?” Judith’s normally composed expression cracked, revealing her concern.

  “I’ll…figure something out. I’ll be all right.”

  “But…the baby.” Judith’s skin was ashen.

  “The baby will be fine. Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you, just River View. You’ll still get to see her after she’s born. I would never deny you the chance to get to know your grandchild. But please, for now, respect my need for space. I’ll miss you both, more than you know. But I need to get my head straight.”

  A single tear streamed down Rocky’s face. “Sad.”

  That one word said it all. She was sad for everything, how much she cared for Carter, how much he’d hurt her, and for what they could have had if only he’d allowed himself to trust her. But he was incapable and she wasn’t going to spend her life constantly proving herself worthy of his non-existent love.

  But she couldn’t leave Rocky like this. She crossed the dining room to his wheelchair, gripped his good shoulder, then leaned down and kissed his cheek. “You be good while I’m gone, Mr. A. Keep up your exercises and don’t slack off. We have a deal, remember?” Her throat choked with emotion. “You need to be able to hold this little pumpkin when she’s born.”

  “Okay.” He nodded and reached his hand to squeeze her fingers.

  Turning to Judith, she felt the urge to hug her, but sensing that was somehow too intimate, held back. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be in touch when I can.”

  With that, Gwen hiked her duffle bag over her shoulder and left her baby’s shell-shocked grandparents behind. Outside of River View, she saw the Jaguar and remembered her purse was still on the front seat. She wouldn’t get far without her car keys and license. Luckily the door was unlocked. The last thing she wanted was to ask Carter to open it for her. Snatching up her purse, her heart ached at the sight of the teddy bear on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Last night had been flawless, and he’d had been so generous. How could things have gone from idyllic to disastrous in just a few hours?

  But then she thought about the proxy vote agreement and wanted to vomit. It had all been a ruse, hadn’t it? A way to entice and distract her, set her off balance and get her to sign away something she didn’t want in the first place. Was it worth breaking her heart over?

  At least she knew his true character now and what he really thought of her. It was too bad she had to learn that after she’d been rendered so “receptive.” Swallowing her humiliation, she slammed the car door then shuffled to her Civic. As long as she lived, she’d never put herself in this situation again. Carter could keep his beloved Anderson fortune to himself, hoarding it like a miser for the rest of his lonesome, desolate life.

  …

  Judith strode into Carter’s study. “What happened?”

  It was only a matter of time before his mother showed up. At least he’d had time to shower and cleanse himself of Gwen’s lingering scent and change his clothes. He couldn’t bear the reminder of how magical the night before had been, or how absolutely complete he’d felt with her in his arms. It only made this morning’s betrayal cut even deeper.

  He sighed. “Mother, you can save your breath.” Carter tucked the proxy share agreement into his briefcase.

  Gwen had probably run straight to Judith, crying on her shoulder. If that conniving temptress thought he’d change his mind, she had another thing coming. After her little tantrum this morning, he was even more convinced he’d been right to suspect her all along. Sure, he’d screwed up by not discussing the proxy vote sooner, but she’d taken her grudge too far by rejecting the Walk It agreement and bitching about the royalty split. It only proved how greedy she was. And incredibly short-sighted.

  Just last night he’d been ready to commit to dating her exclusively, and open himself up in a way he’d never thought possible again. But she ruined it over, what? That he’d waited too long to ask for control of the baby’s shares? That was insane. Gwen wouldn’t know what do to with that kind of power. She, herself, admitted not knowing anything about the business.

  Judith squared her shoulders. “I’ll do nothing of the sort. I’ve got something to say to you.”

  “Then your speech will fall on deaf ears because I don’t want to hear it.” He placed the briefcase on the floor, then left the room.

  “Don’t walk away from me.” His mother followed him down the hall, through the living room, and into his kitchen.

  He opened the refrigerator and pulled out the orange juice. He’d much prefer the bottle of cold beer next to it, but since it was only nine o’clock in the morning, he thought he’d pass. At least for another hour. “Mother, I don’t know what she’s told you, but I can assure you it’s a pack of lies.”

  She crossed her arms. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Trust me, she’s a gold digger. Always has been, always will be.” He shook the bot
tle to disperse the pulp, then poured himself a glass.

  Judith set her jaw. He’d seen this look before, like when he told her he might have to sell off his stock to get rid of Deandra. No doubt Judith was marshaling her strength to remain composed and not go nuclear. “What did that sweet woman ever do to make you think that?”

  “I know you don’t see it, but she was draining you dry, taking from you and dad, living off Anderson largess and getting you to buy a whole truck load of baby things she couldn’t possibly ever use. I bet she’s planning to hock it all and make herself a tidy little profit. Not to mention how she turned down a very generous offer for her shoe design, even after I increased it.” He took another drink and shook his head ruefully. “All because I asked her to sign over the baby’s proxy votes in the company. Believe me, I’ve seen the writing on the wall. She was destined to be Deandra II.”

  Judith clutched her chest. “You asked her to sign over her control of her child’s shares? Without discussing it with me first?”

  Undaunted, he met her gaze. “Yes. Luckily she did it before she could manipulate me into changing my mind.”

  Judith’s eyes narrowed and her mouth turned down. “What happened to you, son? You used to be open and giving. But now you’re so cold I hardly recognize you. The Carter I knew would never operate behind my back, scheming for absolute power and control.”

  It stung like a slap across the face. “Yeah, well, I may not have acted completely above board, but at least I protected our family. The business was nearly destroyed once. I won’t let it happen again.” His eyes burning, he looked away and swallowed years of pain.

  Judith’s face softened as she reached out to cup his cheek. “You’re so busy fighting the ghosts of the past you can’t see what’s so clearly before you.”

  “I see all too well.” He set his jaw. “Gwen isn’t who she pretended to be.”

  Judith sank onto a stool at the black granite counter. “Gwen paid rent for every month she stayed here and contributed toward the grocery budget. As for the baby supplies, she only allowed me to buy them if I agreed to donate them to the D.C. Home for Girls when the baby outgrew them. She’s moved out and she didn’t take those things with her to sell. They’re upstairs in the nursery. See for yourself.”

  The floor disappeared beneath his feet. Could it be true? Had Gwen really paid her own way and sought to benefit her former foster home? If so, he’d made a terrible, likely unforgivable mistake.

  Not that he doubted his mother, but he had to see for himself. Pulse pounding, he charged out of the study, raced up the stairs, and headed straight for the nursery. Opening the door was like a kick to the stomach. The room was littered with items piled on the furniture or still packed in boxes and bags.

  He dashed to Gwen’s room next door. The closet stood open, hangers and shelves empty.

  Gripping the doorframe, he braced himself as a sickening sensation threatened to drag him to his knees. He’d misjudged Gwen badly and abused her trust in the most despicable manner. His head spun, as his cruel words about her past replayed in his ears. How could he have been so wrong?

  It would take a lifetime to make amends. If only she’d let him.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  “Hi Gwen, it’s me again,” Carter spoke into the phone in his study as he rapped his fingers against his broad cherry desk. “Calling to say how sorry I am for how our morning ended the other day and for all the horrible things I said. I’d really like to talk to you, so could you call me back? Please?” He slammed the receiver down, threw back a shot of whiskey, then chased it with a long draw of beer.

  Her cell had gone right to voicemail. Again. It was the tenth time he’d called today, the thirtieth time in the last three days. Of course, he hadn’t left that many messages. That would be overkill. Five a day were enough to express his regret and attempt to make amends. Plus, she’d get the notice of all those missed calls. If they didn’t grab her attention, maybe the giant bouquet of foxglove, lavender, and shamrocks he’d sent to the physical therapy office would. Or maybe the giant stuffed panda with the pink bow he’d sent on Tuesday, or the necklace with the mother and daughter pendant he’d sent just that morning.

  Despite his gifts, all he’d gotten was stony silence. It was driving him mad. So much so, had he known where she’d moved, he might have gone there, held a boombox above his head and blasted a pathetically melancholy song to beg for forgiveness. Fortunately for her neighbors, Gwen hadn’t given Judith a forwarding address. But his security firm was on the case so he’d likely have it soon.

  Until then, there was one last, whiskey-inspired resort. Show up at Walter Reed, bare his soul in front of a bunch of wounded soldiers, and soften her heart. But the smarter, less drunk side of him cautioned against this desperate plan. Gwen was nothing if not private. She’d die of embarrassment if her private business were broadcast to her clients and co-workers. Better instead to give her a few more days to cool off, let her listen to his voicemails, and hear the sincerity and urgency of his voice.

  Eventually she’d change her mind, wouldn’t she?

  …

  Emerson flipped open the Style section of the Washington Post. “Ooh, lookie what made the front page.” Her new roommate shoved the newspaper across the break room table. Since she’d moved into his townhouse, they’d spent every waking hour with each other. Thankfully, he’d seen the light and his break from Sebastian had become permanent.

  Gwen scanned the headline. “Mary Poppins Helps Kids.” Dread inched up the back of her scalp. It had to be a feature on how much had been raised for the children’s hospital at the gala. She unfolded the paper to find what she most feared. A full color spread of some of the biggest donors at the Kennedy Center function, including a shot of her and Carter, hand-in-hand, with her obviously pregnant belly on full display. The caption named him and referred to her as his mystery date. She winced at the evidence of their once-abundant happiness.

  Emerson sighed. “Well, I’ll say one thing. You two looked great together.”

  Overwhelmed by sadness, she tore her eyes away from the page and the image of her once joyous face. “Yeah. Too bad it was all part of the plan.”

  Why had there been a plan at all? Why couldn’t Carter have simply been up front from the beginning, asked for the right to control the company shares, and avoided all the deception? It would have saved them both a lot of time and heartache.

  More than a week later, that pain still burned like hellfire. She’d thought some time and distance might ease her wounds, but as much as she tried to force Carter from her mind, her thoughts wandered to replay all the time they’d spent together and how good she’d felt with him. He’d seemed happy, too. Loose and relaxed, open to experiencing new and spontaneous things. Had that been manufactured as well, just a part of his plan? If so, why was he trying so hard now to get back on her good side, sending extravagant gifts as if she’d never declined Anderson money? Probably only because his parents were furious at him for driving her to move out.

  She swallowed a sob. Not for the hurt she’d felt when she’d left River View for good, but because of what could have been between them, if only Carter hadn’t been so distrustful. But he was damaged, probably beyond repair, and he’d never realize what he could have had.

  Her cell phone rang again, the caller ID flashed an all too familiar phone number. Sighing, she hit the cancel button and sent the call straight to voicemail.

  “Was that him?” Emerson asked.

  “Who else would it be? No one besides you and Stan ever calls. I swear this phone hasn’t had this much activity for as long as I’ve had it.” A moment later a chime rang alerting her to the waiting voicemail message.

  “Are you going to listen to it?”

  “Why should I? It’s probably just more of the same. ‘I screwed up. Please forgive me.’” She imitated his voice, then shook her head. “Sorry, it’s too late for that.”

  How could she ever trust his motives or
believe anything he ever said again? He hadn’t trusted her, and for that, alone, she couldn’t excuse him. Ever.

  “I’ll never forgive him for what he did to you,” Emerson said. “I still don’t understand why you don’t cancel the whole Walk It thing and stop the research trials. He doesn’t deserve your effort.”

  “I’m not doing it for him or his stupid company. I want to see this through for the soldiers and other amputees. If the shoes work like I think they will, they’ll make a real difference.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re too good for him.”

  She forced a smile. “Thanks. You’re sweet. But it doesn’t do me any good to dwell on his massive shortcomings. I’m moving on and I’m already happier without him.” The lie singed her tongue.

  “Uh huh,” he said, without meeting her gaze, then flipped past the Style section page.

  A commotion erupted in the hall outside the break room.

  Kelley’s voice echoed, “Sir, you can’t go back there.”

  “I just called her,” Carter’s voice boomed, determined and defiant. “She’s expecting me.”

  The hair stood on the back of Gwen’s neck.

  Emerson’s eyes popped. “He’s here. Do you want me to deck him? I’d love to have a reason to touch his face, even if it’s to punch him.”

  She stood. “No, I’ll deal with him. Obviously he can’t take silence for an answer.”

  Stomping out into the hall, her heart seized. It was Carter all right, but he didn’t look like himself. In his customary Armani business suit he looked drawn, his skin pale, and he hadn’t shaved in days.

  “Carter? Are you all right?” Despite her solemn promise to hate him forever, she couldn’t help but be concerned for his welfare. Though she wouldn’t reach out and hold him, to try and make it better. He’d caused whatever pain he was enduring. He could wallow in it.