Resident Billionaire

by Cheryl Phipps

  “Not anymore. I have my own place. This is where Caris lives with her family.”

  “How lovely.”

  He helped her out of the Hummer and up the front steps. The huge double doors were open and from the other end of the hall, Eloise Knight appeared.

  She extended her arms and hugged his mom. “Welcome. I’m so glad to finally meet the mother of such a wonderful man.”

  His mother was blushing profusely. “It’s me who should be glad, and grateful. Thank you for taking my boy in and making him into this amazing person. I knew in my heart he would be, but you made it possible, according to Andrew.”

  “I wish I could take credit, but Andy has always been his own person. Hopefully, I provided a little guidance along the way.”

  Andy coughed. “You did more than that. Without this family, I might have ended up like my father or worse.”

  Eloise made a rude noise. “Don’t say such things. You weren’t like him in any way, and you barely drink. You’ve forged a new business and protected your country. We’re all proud of you and your achievements.”

  “You served overseas, son?”

  “I did five years,” he said, stiffly. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about. He’d lost too many friends and done things he wasn’t proud of.

  “He received a Purple Heart,” Caris added, oblivious to his ambivalence to such things.

  He felt an unwelcome flush to his cheeks. The last thing he’d intended was to be the center of attention. “All right, let’s not get carried away.”

  “It’s the truth, son. Sorry, I mean, Andy.” Eloise looked sharply at his mom at the term she’d used for years.

  It felt awkward and was not the atmosphere he wanted. “Can we get Mom sitting down please?”

  As a rule, Eloise didn’t get flustered. “How rude of me, you must be weary from the flight, on top of not feeling well.”

  “It was quite exciting, but long, and I confess my legs are still a bit wobbly.”

  Eloise led the way through to the large sitting room and positioned his mother next to her own high backed chair, a style she favored. He thought he’d heard it was something to do with how she was brought up, and having to sit up straight. Perhaps, they all had things in their pasts which haunted them.

  They sat down when the tea tray was brought in with several plates of finger food, as well as the obligatory coffee pot for Eloise.

  Caris took over the pouring duties and offered the food around. He noticed his mother took very little. Her appetite was taking a while to return, and solid food was not as easy for her. He would make sure they had plenty of soup and fresh juices at his apartment.

  Finally, with small talk having been made for several minutes and everyone relaxed, he coughed to draw their attention. “Sorry to interrupt, but Caris and I would like to tell you something else about our travels. You’ve probably been wondering how she came to be in Florida with me.”

  “I have,” said, Eloise.

  “It’s a little odd to say this aloud when we’ve known each other for so long. I hope it won’t affect the relationships I have with all of the family because I truly value them, and I hate the thought of upsetting you.”

  Eloise put her hand to her throat. “For goodness sake, Andy, now I’m really worried. Just tell me what else has happened.”

  “We’re dating,” he blurted.

  Eloise frowned. “Dating? You and Caris?”

  He nodded, every nerve in his body already in their fight or flight mode. “Yes.”

  She leaned back in her chair and grinned. “Well, you both took your sweet time about it. I was about to give up hope.”

  “Mom!”

  “Caris, did you really think you could hide all the furtive glances, or the cow eyes whenever Andy was near?”

  “Oh.” Caris blushed profusely.

  Andy almost laughed, but Eloise hadn’t finished. “Your brothers have been taking bets on it for years.”

  Her words shocked him, but the twins were particularly astute when it came to the family. Which led him to the big question. “Even Ben?” he asked, hopefully.

  Eloise tilted her head. “Now, that’s a little trickier. Ben thinks of himself as a father figure to all, including you, Andy, so it’s natural he feels like he does.”

  “Which is?”

  “He doesn’t want anything to affect the family. You know how much he likes order.”

  “He thinks Caris and me being an item will cause problems?”

  “I believe he wants to avoid the chance of that happening.”

  He thought about his friend stewing on the issue, but not having mentioned anything to him. Eloise was watching him intently. “But, you don’t feel the same way about this?”

  “How could I? I love you both. Seeing you together, looking at each other the way you do and finally out in the open about it makes me happy.”

  Footsteps could be heard coming from the front of the house. Lots of footsteps. Soon, the room was full of Knights and their partners.

  Andy stood, his palms sweating. As much as Caris did not feel like his sister, Ben was definitely like a brother in too many ways to count.

  “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my mom, Patsy.”

  “Hello, I’m Sarah and this is Christian, and our son, William.” The little boy took one look at the stranger with gray hair and held out his chubby arms.

  His mom was more than happy to take him onto her lap, oblivious to the rest of the crowd. “Isn’t he precious?” she asked of no one in particular as he giggled at all the attention.

  Sarah laughed. “How amazing. So much for William being a Mommy’s boy. Your mom must be a lovely person, for him to take to her this way. What am I saying? She’s your mom, after all.”

  Andy felt color rise in his face. Sarah rarely fussed over people, and he was pleased she’d chosen now to do so. “She’s the best. I’m lucky to have found her.” He smiled down at his mom, meaning it. A tear rolled down her face, and William raised his finger to touch it. His bottom lip quivered.

  “Oh, no. Don’t be upset, William. These are happy tears, my love.” She smiled and kissed his cheek, then blew a raspberry into the folds of his neck, while William dissolved into giggles.

  “Thanks, Sarah. You can’t imagine how holding him feels to me.” She looked up at Andy with regret.

  Sarah smiled, ruefully. “Don’t thank me, I’m happy to have another babysitter in the family.”

  “I’d love to watch him anytime, once I’m stronger.”

  Andy’s heart was swelling meaning he had to change the subject if he didn’t intend to blubberlike a baby. This had been an emotional roller-coaster for days, and he was ready to get off the ride. But first, he had to man up and share the news for the second time to a potentially tougher audience. At least one of them would be.

  “I appreciate you all coming by to meet my mom, but I have something else to discuss. This is a weird subject which I hear is not really a surprise. We wanted to keep it to ourselves and would have if things were different. If we weren’t …you know?”

  Caris got up when his words ceased and stood beside him. “What Andy is not so eloquently saying is that he and I are an item. I went with him to find his mother and see if what we’ve been feeling lately is real. Turns out, it is.”

  “Thank goodness for that. The angst was all but making me ill,” said Matt, and Aimee poked him in the ribs.

  Ben gave him a penetrating look which Andy couldn’t read. “I sincerely hope you two have given the ramifications of this a lot of thought.”

  Caris put her arm through Andy’s, her chin jutting out. “I’d imagine in anyone’s books that eight years is enough time to come to grips with what this means,” she said in the same tone.

  “Eight years?” Ben scoffed.

  “It’s seriously how long I’ve loved this big lug for. Since I was sixteen. I remember each detail of the moment it hit me.”

  Andy was startled. “That’s whe
n I felt something for you, too. That’s why I joined the army.”

  “To get away from me?” she asked, with a wry look.

  “Hell no. To get away from me, wanting to be with you.”

  Caris sighed and stood on tiptoes, silently demanding that he kiss her in front of the family. So, he did.

  “Get a room,” Matt called out.

  Eloise slapped his arm. “That’s enough from you.”

  Caris was smiling, and he felt like there was a glow about her which had begun as a small flicker since Florida. Whatever it was, he liked it. “I know it’s not what you want, and you can be happy or upset about us, Ben, the choice is yours. But we’re together now, and I’m thinking we can make it work. Hopefully, you’ll be okay with it in time.”

  Ben frowned. “Does it matter what we think?”

  “It matters a great deal. You know that. But I love Caris, and I’ll do everything in my power never to hurt her,” he said with the utmost sincerity.

  “Sometimes love is the only thing that does matter, Ben. Or have you changed your mind?” Jenna had arrived just prior to his speech, and now she wrapped her arm around Ben’s waist.

  He looked down at her for a moment, then squeezed her tight and returned his gaze to Andy. “If you make sure to keep Caris safe and happy, then I hope you’ll both be as contented as we are, my friend.”

  Having Ben onboard was all Andy needed to feel ten feet tall. The day couldn’t get any better. His life couldn’t get any better.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Eloise had insisted they both stay at the house so that the cook could make things to tempt his mother’s appetite. After a few days of eating at the Knight’s table, his mother had begun to gain a little weight and more energy. She could walk unaided, but still tired quickly.

  Andy was ashamedly glad about the offer. When he was alone with his mother, the awkwardness he felt lingered. Having people around eased that. Perhaps the time apart had been too great at such a vulnerable age. Although he felt love for her, it wasn’t quite the same as it had been.

  He and his mother were out on the patio, watching Sarah and Caris ride in the field beyond the pool, which was directly in front of them. They were both exceptional horsewomen and looked great in riding gear. Especially, Caris.

  William was asleep on the daybed to Andy’s mother’s right. She watched him devotedly, enjoying every moment she could spend with the cute baby. It gave Andy a buzz to see her so contented. He only wished she hadn’t missed out on so many years of happiness. He still had the chills when he thought of the timing. If he’d been a few days later in finding her…

  “I can hear you worrying from here, son. Come and sit beside me. We need to talk, and I feel like you might be avoiding that.”

  He winced. For a man who prided himself on being aloof and inscrutable, this was an epic fail. He took the seat next to her. “The thing is, I don’t know what to say.”

  His mother laughed. “After all this time? You must have more questions, or did I answer them already?”

  “I guess I’m a little weirded out about the kind of questions I had in my mind for all these years. They were based on the lies I’d been told, and what I believed to be true. To be honest, I’m still angry about my acceptance of those lies.”

  “We were both subjected to your father’s treachery and lies. Perhaps if I tell you my story, you might have new questions? Or, perhaps some answers?”

  She looked so hopeful that Andy nodded. “I guess it might help. I would like to know your side of things.”

  Leaning back into the cushion behind her, she took a deep breath. “I married your father right out of college. He was a good-looking football star, going places. I was pathetically starry-eyed and flattered when he picked me from all the other girls. He had choices, but I think I was a challenge since my father was a strict man. It turned out my father was right to be pessimistic.”

  She paused, with a far-off look in her eyes, but she wasn’t finished. “He promised me the moon, and I thought having fun meant he loved me. I hadn’t had a lot of that and was incredibly naive when it came to men. I certainly didn’t imagine he would take out his failed plans on me physically, and then try to make me feel as if it was my fault.”

  It cut him to the quick to see her pain. “You don’t have to go on, Mom.”

  “But I do. If I had been more intelligent and less gullible, I might have known he would take you from me. You were the one good thing in my life. I didn’t understand love until you were born. So, when I wouldn’t let him bully me anymore, he found the one way to truly hurt me. He waited until I’d gone to work. I was doing the late shift, and you were asleep when I left. I didn’t have a clue until I got home and went to check on you. By that time, you’d been gone for eight hours.”

  So much pain caused by one hateful man. “I heard he owed money.”

  She nodded. “I went to his job to find out he’d been fired weeks earlier for turning up drunk and abusive. People were too scared of him to tell me, even my so-called friends. But I did get a couple of visits from debt collectors. Not that they got much from me, simply because I had nothing. I couldn’t even afford the rent.”

  “What about the police?”

  “They weren’t interested because he was your father, and they put it down to a domestic thing.” She shrugged. “Even the lawyer, who took nearly every cent I earned, turned out to be useless. I wish I’d recognized he had problems so I could have tried elsewhere and not put my faith in him to find you. People like me trust people like that. At least, I did.”

  “It sounds like he had enough smarts to pretend he was okay. The issue I have is with the firm. His co-workers and partners must have known something was amiss. A person doesn’t go from making a few mistakes to total dementia, do they?”

  “Living in such a horrible place, you see people in all stages, but you’re right, they don’t forget everything in one go.”

  “I thought not. I did a bit of research on it and the experts agree, so I called the firm, but each time they’ve been very cagey and not wanting to admit liability in writing. I’ve been thinking, if you’re okay with it, we should take the story to the papers.”

  She gasped. “The papers?”

  “Unless it would distress you too much?” he back-pedaled.

  “Not at all. I just wish I’d thought to do something like that when you went missing.”

  He could see this upset her, and he smiled encouragingly. “I’m sure you did your best.”

  “I thought I had at the time, but now I’m not so sure. Looking after your aunt was a major distraction, and I guess I used it to mask the pain. Have you ever done something because it was right, but you don’t remember the day to day of it?”

  “I think I know what you mean. Like driving somewhere and not remembering how you got there?”

  She nodded. “Exactly. That’s been most of my adult life, and I feel like I wasted it, by not being with you.”

  He shook his head, trying to think of a way to ease her guilt, as well as his own. “Don’t say that. Of course, I would rather have had you with me, but if the choice was the life I had or having you beaten, then hands down, moving to San Francisco wins.”

  “Truly?” her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  “I had a few bad years with Dad, but I had all the rest with this family,” he pointed at the portraits on the walls through the open doors. His own standing proudly alongside. “They’re a great bunch of people to be attached to. They were good years, for the most part.”

  “I can see that. I’m so thankful to them for looking after you.”

  He smiled at her sincerity. “They did more than that. So much more, I can’t find words to describe it.”

  “Everyone seems so nice.”

  “Because they are. Especially, Caris.”

  “Yes, that’s obvious. So, she wasn’t included with the others as a sibling, as far as you were concerned?”

  Andy willed him
self not to blush, as he explained the circumstance behind their relationship. “There’s a significant age gap, and we were like night and day. I grew up rough and she was kind of a nerdy princess. We didn’t dislike each other, but we spent as little time as possible together. Then one day everything changed.”

  “I’m so glad for you. I haven’t met the other son, Evan, but they all seem to love you too. It must have been wonderful to have brothers. Did you always get on so well?”

  Andy laughed. “No. Mr. Knight encouraged us to fight for what we wanted, in a non-physical way, and we’re all fiercely competitive. Apart from none of them following me into the army, we’ve fought to be top dog in almost every situation, including Sarah.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “But she’s such a sweetie, and a mom.”

  “They’re not necessarily exclusive.”

  She shook her head. “I guess I’m from a different world. I grew up knowing that there would be little chance for a career, and marrying your father who had staunch views of a woman’s place wasn’t an oddity. I listen to Eloise and I’m in awe. For a woman to raise five children single-handedly is a worthy feat, in and of itself, without running a business as well.”

  “She ran Knight Stables before her husband died, so she wasn’t new to business. Horses are her true passion, but the business was special to her husband, and she had to choose between them. Matt was the only one not to agree to it because he shared her love.”

  “You tell it so well, Andy.”

  They swung around to find Eloise at the door. She walked towards them and continued. “It was like choosing between your children, which none of us would do, but in the end it proved to be an easy decision. Knight Industries was flourishing, and my ‘winners’ were still too few to provide the lifestyle we’d come to appreciate.” Her mouth twitched in a smile. “Forgive me for intruding.”

  Andy made it a policy not to discuss the family, so he was embarrassed to be caught out. His mother was beet-red. “This is your house, and I apologize for discussing you so openly.”

  “What better way to do it? And, it must mean we can discuss Andy’s life in the same manner.” She sat on the other side of William, her eyes twinkling like Caris’s did when she was teasing. Should he be worried?