The Faithful One: Billionaire Bride Pact Romance

by Checketts, Cami

  Mr. Keller chuckled and it sounded so much like Zander she found herself clutching the phone tighter. “Zander made the suggestion and I really liked it. Actually, if it was up to him he’d give you the house outright.”

  Oh, Zander. If he cared that much about her, why didn’t he tell her he was coming back now that his race was over?

  “I’m going to send you some paperwork after the lawyers finish with it. Look it over and if it meets your specifications, sign it and send it back.”

  “Okay,” she managed.

  “Basically I’m making you part-owner, giving you profit-sharing and bonuses based on profitability.”

  “Wow. Okay.” She knew the bed and breakfast was profitable. There was no debt on the property and the rooms rented for a substantial amount each night.

  “But, you need to get some help hired, today. I want the maintenance man and gardener replaced, but I especially want one or two housekeepers on staff as well as someone to man the desk so you can take a break. Oh, and give Moriah a raise and I want her to focus on baking, cooking, and learning management skills from you so we can move her into a management position at Cloverdale or one of my other properties. Make sure she doesn’t need to work overtime and let’s figure out some bonuses she can earn. From what Zander says she deserves it. I’ll increase your employee budget, but leave the details up to you.”

  Zander. He must’ve had quite the talk with his dad about the Cloverdale.

  “Thanks for your dedication. I trust you, Trin and you’ve done a wonderful job.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Keller.”

  “We’ll be in touch soon.”

  The phone call disconnected but Trin didn’t move from the grass. Mr. Keller had just given her part ownership of her grandparent’s house. He trusted her. She glanced at her house. Her house. It really was now. Zander wanted her to have the entire house. Oh, she liked him.

  Moriah leaned out the kitchen door. “What are you doing laying in the grass?”

  Trin jumped to her feet and ran to her friend, hugging her then pulling back and grabbing her hands. “Mr. Keller made me part-owner and he’s giving you a raise and bonuses! You’re going to bake, cook, and learn about management.”

  Moriah jumped up in the air. “Yeah, baby!”

  “You have to only work full-time though.”

  “Oh, thank the good Lord. I want to be home with my boy more.”

  “Plus, we’re hiring a lot more help. That’ll be the tough part. I hate finding good help.”

  “Didn’t Zander tell you to hire more help weeks ago?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed and smiled at her friend. “I think Zander is behind all of this.”

  “You gonna give him a kiss of gratitude or should I?” Moriah winked.

  “We both can if he ever comes back.”

  “Oh, he’ll come back. I saw the way he checked you out, girl, and you got nothin’ to worry about.”

  Trin laughed and squeezed her friend’s hands. “We’ll see. I’m going to ignore the leaves and start calling around to some employment services. I wonder if the college might have some students looking for part-time.”

  “Good idea. Get to work finding us some help so I can get home to my boy.”

  “First, I need to send Zander a quick text thank you.”

  “Don’t you think that should be a phone call?”

  “Wish I was that brave, but no.”

  Moriah rolled her eyes and headed back inside. “Your loss. Hopefully he’ll be here soon and you can give him lip to lip thanks.”

  Trin warmed at the thought of that. She pulled out her phone and texted,

  Talked to your dad. Thank you! Wish I could thank you in person. I’m walking on clouds here.

  His text back was almost immediate.

  You deserve it. Congrats! I’ll talk to you soon.

  So what was soon in his mind? Trin knew keeping this place running with just her and Moriah as well as interviewing and training would keep her busy, but she’d rather see Zander than anything else on her to-do list.

  Chapter 13

  Chapter

  Zander’s plane landed in Montgomery late Friday afternoon. He should’ve been back a couple of days ago, but he’d let his body recover before taking the long plane ride back. Even in first class accommodations, there was nothing as miserable as traveling when your body ached from a hard race. He grabbed his luggage and rental car and drove straight to the bed and breakfast.

  He’d kept the texts to Trin to a minimum, even though he missed her horribly and wanted to be with her. Her impulsive kiss on the front porch was one of the few indicators that she wanted him in her life. He didn’t have enough experience with real relationships to know how to proceed in a way that wouldn’t be too much too fast. He had to go with instinct and his desire to be with her and hope she felt the same and they could work out their differences.

  Parking in a visitor space, he saw Trin’s Accord parked to the side of the house. She was here. He smiled to himself. Of course she was, he’d never met someone who loved their work this much, besides his dad, but he also assumed that was because work was the only thing that helped his dad forget his mom.

  He jumped from his rented sport utility and climbed the stairs with a spring in his step. He’d be seeing Trin any minute. Pushing through the front door, his smile faltered for a second when it was Moriah not Trin at the desk. Turk was pushing a truck around on the floor behind the desk. The little man had short black curls and a smile as large as his mom’s.

  “Hey, Moriah. What’s up, Turk, my man?”

  Turk’s head came up and he dodged around the desk and gave Zander a pound. “Throw?” he asked.

  Zander lifted him up and tossed him into the air, amidst peals of laughter. Zander joined in the laughter and threw him a few more times before holding him against his side.

  “Thanks, Zander. He misses my big brother teasing with him.”

  “Anytime.” Zander turned Turk upside down and held him by one leg.

  Turk giggled. “Up, up!”

  Zander complied, lifting him above his head and using him for some triceps extensions.

  “Why are you working so late?” he asked Moriah, who was beaming at her child. “I thought Trin hired more help.”

  “She did and they’re working out great, but everybody else needed the night off tonight, and if Turk can come with me, I don’t mind doing a night once in a while.”

  “That’s great of you. So Trin isn’t working tonight?” He gave Turk one more toss and a brief squeeze then set him on the floor.

  “Thanks you, sir,” the toddler said.

  Zander chuckled. “You teach them sir and ma’am young.”

  “Yes, sir.” Moriah smiled.

  “Where’s Trin then?”

  “Um, she’s downtown. I think at the Riverwalk. There’s some Christmas activities going on.”

  “Oh, good, she finally listened to me and is taking a break.” He just wished she was taking it with him. He’d go find her. He couldn’t wait any longer. “I’m glad the new staff is working out well.”

  “Couldn’t be better, thank you and thank you for the raise.”

  “You deserved it. I’m going to go find her.”

  “Okay, um, maybe you should just wait and see her in the morning.”

  Moriah was definitely not acting like herself, but it’d been a couple weeks since he’d been here and maybe she was just surprised to see him show up without warning. “I can’t wait.” He smiled at her. “I didn’t even ask. Do you have a room for me?”

  “Yes. We had someone check out this morning.”

  “Great. Thank you.” He handed over a credit card.

  Moriah finally chuckled at him. “That’s kind of counter-productive. Paying for a room at your own place.”

  “It’s not my place. It’s my father’s and Trin’s.”

  “She’s very happy about it.” She handed him his card back.

  “I’ll see y
ou in a little bit.” Zander waved to Turk and hurried back out the door. He drove downtown, parked at the garage next to the Riverwalk and hurried across the ramp and down the stairs. Couples were walking along the river, Christmas music was playing, and vendors were selling nuts, popcorn, hot cocoa, and coffee. The weather was still nice, definitely not like Christmastime at home in New York, but there was a festive feeling in the air and Christmas lights and decorations strung around.

  He searched for Trin, but didn’t see her until he’d passed the spot where the Harriett II Riverboat was docked, a different Christmas song streaming from her decks as people disembarked from their dinner cruise.

  Leaning against the railing was the unmistakable deep red hair and long, lean body of the woman he’d been dreaming about for the past two weeks. She looked so good, he could hardly restrain himself from running to her. She stared into the water, not looking at anyone around her.

  Zander approached her from the side and softly spoke her name, “Trin.”

  She whirled to him and her eyes widened. “Zander! You’re back!”

  He grinned and couldn’t resist wrapping his hands around her waist and sweeping her off her feet. She put back her head and laughed and Zander wondered how he’d ever left her.

  “You’re back,” she said again.

  “I’m back.” He lowered her body against his and stared at her beautiful face. “I missed you.”

  She smiled almost shyly. “I could tell by all the phone calls and texts.”

  “Sorry. I’m horrible with communication.”

  “Not every form of communication.”

  “Really? Which part am I good at?”

  “Mouth to mouth.”

  Zander let out a surprised laugh, but took the hint very literally, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. Trin sighed and her mouth parted. He wasted no time bringing her closer and increasing the pressure of the kiss.

  “Trin?” A deep voice came from the side.

  Trin jerked back and Zander was forced to release her mouth, but he kept one arm around her.

  “Um, hey, Harrison,” she said. “You’re … back.”

  The huge, good-looking black man held aloft two Styrofoam cups. “Should I have bought three?” His face was solemn as he regarded the two of them.

  Zander looked from the guy who had just bought his girl a cup of cocoa back to his girl, awaiting some kind of explanation. He was gone a little over two weeks and she was dating someone else? Why the kiss, the excitement to see him? He stepped away from her and extended his hand. “Sorry. I’m Zander Keller. A friend of Trin’s.”

  Harrison shifted both cups to his left hand. His palms were definitely large enough to hold more than two cups. He shook Zander’s hand with a firm grip. “Nice to meet you. That’s a very friendly greeting you two were having.”

  Zander looked to Trin, but she was staring at him like he should salvage the situation. He felt a bit of anger stir up in him. “We haven’t seen each other in a long time.”

  The younger man smiled. “Glad to know you’re so friendly, Trin.”

  Zander’s anger flared. She’d better not even think about being friendly with anyone but him.

  “Harrison plays football for Auburn.”

  Zander’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Isn’t that ironic.”

  She nodded. Harrison handed her the hot cocoa cup and she clamped her hands around it. “He’s also Moriah’s brother.”

  “Oh.” Zander turned to Harrison. “Moriah’s great. I know she’s very proud of you.”

  “Yeah.” The kid ducked his head. “She and my mom take proud to a new level.”

  He suddenly seemed very young to Zander, but he guessed Harrison was closer to Trin’s age than he was. What a gut punch, to find her, kiss her, and then find she was on a date with someone else.

  “They should be proud of you,” Trin inserted.

  Zander glanced back at her. Was she serious about this guy? He seemed like a great guy, but he was still in college. Didn’t Trin want a man?

  “Harrison’s going to graduate in the spring as an accounting major. He’s already got a job secured with Jackson Thornton.”

  “If I pass my CPA,” Harrison inserted with a shy smile.

  “You will. You’re smarter than anybody I know.”

  Zander could not get a read on this situation. Was she dating Harrison or did she look at him like a little brother, okay a huge little brother, but still.

  The silence kind of stretched and Zander knew he was worse than a third wheel. He was a third wheel who wanted to steal the guy’s date.

  “It was nice to meet you, Harrison.” He turned to Trin. “Will I see you back at the bed and breakfast?”

  “Sure, we’ll talk in the morning. Harrison and I are going to A Christmas Carol tonight.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, you two kids have fun.”

  Trin’s eyes flashed at him.

  “Thank you.” Harrison extended his hand again and Zander was forced to shake one more time. “It was nice to meet you, sir.”

  Sir. Zander suddenly felt like he was twenty years older than this kid and definitely not in the running for Trin’s attention.

  “Goodbye, Zander,” Trin said.

  Zander couldn’t find it in him to say goodbye. He nodded to them, turned, and strode away. That had not gone anywhere close to the way he thought it would. What was it with Trin? The past two times he’d seen her she’d gone willingly into his arms and kissed him, but both times she’d told him goodbye. Not see you later or see you soon. Goodbye. Such a final word.

  Zander drove back to the bed and breakfast, more depressed than he’d been in a long time. He should go crawl in bed. He hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in two nights, but he was too wound up. He grabbed a sweatshirt from his room and sat on the porch swing. Not sure what he was waiting for or what he would do when it came, he waited anyway.

  * * *

  Harrison rushed around to open Trin’s car door when they reached the Cloverdale. “I can see your momma raised you right,” she teased.

  He grinned and Trin was struck that he had grown into a very good-looking man and they’d had fun tonight, but it was just too odd to be on a date with her best friend’s older brother. Moriah had such high hopes that they would hit it off, but she set them up mainly so Trin would take a break from work and “get over the fine-looking Richie.”

  Maybe if Trin hadn’t met Zander she’d be interested in Harrison. It was pathetic that even a handsome, talented, and courteous man couldn’t take her thoughts away from Zander. She hadn’t even been able to enjoy A Christmas Carol as she replayed that dynamite kiss in her mind over and over again and the fact that Zander was back. She wanted to sing and dance rather than watch somebody do it.

  “You know my momma,” Harrison said. “She would kick my tail if I wasn’t a gentleman.”

  Trin giggled because she did know his momma. As round as Moriah was thin, she kept her children in line with lots of love, laughter, and a swift smack if they ever dared mouth off.

  He offered her his elbow and they walked slowly up the path to the front porch. The light was on and a shadow moved on the porch swing. Trin jumped and Harrison immediately stepped in front of her.

  “Trin.” Zander stood from the swing, and just looking at him made her want to melt in a puddle at his feet. How could he do this to her?

  “It’s okay.” Trin touched Harrison’s forearm which was taut like he was ready to fight. “It’s my … friend, Zander.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Harrison nodded to Zander, but the frustration was evident in his eyes. “Nice to see you again, sir.”

  “You too.” Zander’s voice didn’t leave any question that he definitely wasn’t pleased to see Harrison again.

  Harrison turned to Trin. “Thank you. I loved going out with you.”

  Trin’s eyes shifted to Zander, who was glowering with his arms folded across his chest. “No, thank you. I had a wonderful time too,” she sa
id, refocusing on Harrison.

  “Could we go again sometime?”

  “I’d like that.”

  He gave her a brief hug then turned, nodded to Zander again, and walked to his beat-up Chevy sedan.

  His door had barely shut and his engine fired when Zander strode across the porch and planted himself in front of Trin. “What was that? You’re dating children now?”

  Trin’s breath puffed out in anger. “Children? Harrison is a full-grown man. If you didn’t notice, I sure did.”

  Zander gritted his teeth and spit out, “He’s a college student.”

  “Who is getting his master’s degree because he redshirted a year and has been on scholarship for five. Plus, he’s a superstar. An amazing outside linebacker for Auburn.”

  “Isn’t that … nice?” Zander’s muscles were bunched around his neck. “I fly back from Australia as quick as I can to be with you and you’re on a date.”

  “It’s none of your business who I date and what right do you have to be waiting on my front porch like my parent?”

  Zander closed his eyes and unclenched his fists. He let out a deep sigh. “Trin. I missed you. I want to be with you. Obviously you don’t feel the same.”

  Trin took a step toward him. “Zander. I feel more for you than I’ve ever felt for anyone, but you left and you hardly texted and you could’ve been back days ago.”

  “You wanted me to come back?” Zander’s eyes lit up and he also stepped forward.

  “Of course I did. The weeks you were here were wonderful. Being with you every day.”

  “Are you trying to say you’ve fallen for me a little bit?”

  “Maybe.” She bit at her lip and looked at him from underneath her eyelashes. She wanted Zander, but there were still a lot of issues they needed to work through.

  Zander grinned and gathered her into his arms. “Part of the reason my race was pathetic was Moriah’s cookies. Most of the reason was I didn’t train or race as hard because I didn’t care. I wanted to be with you.”

  Trin trembled from his touch. She’d missed this, him, so terribly. Zander bowed his head and softly kissed her a few times. The kiss quickly became heated and he lifted her closer to him, taking full command of her mouth, her body, her every thought. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re more addictive than any chemical, Trin.”