The Billionaire's Heart: The Complete Series (Romance, Contemporary Romance, Billionaire Romance, The Billionaire's Heart Book 7)

by Nancy Adams

  Mr. Mitchell shrugged his shoulders with what I would call a sardonic grin on his face. "Beats me, Albert. And as for why you didn't know these details, I'm afraid that falls back on Charles. He's our liaison with your department." He looked at Charles. "Any comment, there, Chuck?"

  Charles Davidson looked like he wanted to hide under the table. I'm fairly sure that he knew there was no excuse for not giving us all of the details, and I would just about bet he was going to get reamed and raked over the coals when he got back to his office.

  "Gentlemen," I said, "we don't have time to worry about what's already taken place." I turned to Burnworth. "Let's skip past all the BS, and talk about a reasonable settlement. On the off chance that the court will actually be willing to hear this case, which I seriously doubt, we would end up spending a bit of money on the defense. That being the case, I'd be willing to make a settlement, if the numbers become a whole lot less crazy than what you've thrown out so far."

  Burnworth simply shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose we might settle, depending on what you have in mind. Care to throw an offer out?"

  I looked at Albert. "Albert, how much are we looking at spending on something this frivolous?"

  Albert was doodling on a notepad, so he scribbled a number and shoved it over to where I could see it. I looked back at Mr. Burnworth.

  "Mr. Burnworth, if we can settle this right now, with no more crap, I'm willing offer four million dollars. That is a one time offer, I'll not come up off of it, and it is only open for the next 5 minutes. I suggest you get someone on the phone and either get them to accept, or be prepared for the countersuit we're going to file for frivolous litigation."

  Burnworth did his best to look unruffled, but there was something in his demeanor that made me think I had struck a sore point. I had a sneaky hunch that this whole lawsuit have been his idea, probably pitched to his Daddy as a way to move up in the company. My offer was an insult when it was compared to the ridiculous figures they were asking in damages, but I didn't care. The whole lawsuit was an insult to our company, and to my father's good name. I had decided right then and there that I was not going to let it go unpunished. My reference to filing a countersuit for frivolous litigation was not an idle threat, it was simply me expressing my intention as CEO of the company.

  Burnworth was on the phone for about two minutes, and I could tell that someone on the other end was not happy. Most of what he said simply "Yes, sir," or "No, sir." When he hung up, he looked at me and I could tell that he was nervous.

  "That was my father on the line,” he said, "and he said to tell you that we'll see you in court this afternoon."

  "Very good, I'm glad,” I said. "Now, where's breakfast? Wasn't it supposed to be here already?”

  Almost as soon as I finished asking, three waiters came in pushing carts. When they uncovered the trays on the carts, we saw that breakfast was indeed ready, and absolutely delicious looking. We were served sunny side up eggs, with slabs of ham so big they took their own plates. Very nice breakfast.

  Katelynn

  Chapter Six

  Don't Stop Believing

  * * * * *

  Angelina was fantastic! I don't know how in the world I could have expected to do all this without her. Within an hour after we met, she had a reception hall ranged that could seat fifteen hundred, and we were on the way to meet with caterers who could feed so many people. Mom and I were thanking God that Nate had suggested this.

  Over the next few days, she managed to put together so many details in so little time that we were absolutely amazed. From decorations to invitations to everything else that needed to be done, this girl was on top of it!

  We took her with us when we went back to looking at wedding dresses, and her suggestions and advice were invaluable. I couldn't believe how much easier she made it to make a choice.

  The dress I finally chose was one that Mom said reminded her of grander days. It went from my neck to the floor, with some of the most beautiful embroidery work I have ever seen. From my neck to my cleavage, I was covered in the most delicate lace I could imagine, and the embroidery on the bodice actually showed a man proposing to his lady, down on his knees while she stood with her hand extended to him. I have never seen such a beautiful dress in my life. The train was more than thirty feet long, and I didn't know where we were going to get the people who would help keep it up behind me.

  Nate's mother, Katherine, I got involved as well. With her help, we managed to select all of the decor for both the church and the reception hall. Her eye for detail beat mine and Mom's, and Angelina even asked if she could call her in as a consultant from time to time. Katherine was thrilled.

  The four of us became fast friends. Our lunches were not just about the wedding, but were celebrations of life and love. I got to listen to Mom and Rebecca tell the stories of how they had been wooed, swept off their feet by the men they ended up marrying. It was a delightful time, and when Angelina begin to talk about her own fiance, a man she'd known since junior high school, the sense of love and wonder that we all felt just permeated the whole atmosphere.

  The wedding was to be held in Nate's church, one of the largest baptist churches in the San Francisco area. We drove down to look at it and I was simply overwhelmed. I knew that Brother Jimmy would be thrilled to perform our wedding in such a fantastic and historic building. The church could seat three thousand, so there was plenty of room for everyone who might want to attend.

  Every day was another adventure during this time of planning the wedding. Every day brought me new surprises, new insights into my mother and new mother in law, and even into myself. I was learning things about my own desires and preferences that I had never considered. It scared me a bit, almost made me afraid that suddenly being wealthy would change who I was.

  I didn't want that to happen, but the more I got used to seeing such wonderful things unfolding, and knowing that it didn't matter what it cost, we could afford it, the more I started to worry that it would all go to my head. I've never been one who really cared that much about money, and I didn't want to become that person now. Money, as my mother had said is just the way to keep score in the game of life. I didn't mind playing, but I didn't want the game to become important only because of the score. I always believed that it doesn't matter whether or not you win, as long as you play the best you can.

  I talked to Nate about my feelings and my fears, and he was very reassuring. He told me that he'd seen it before, when friends of his had suddenly come into money, and in his opinion it was something everyone went through that would pass before long. I prayed he was right, and just decided to do my best not to let the money change me.

  I found myself looking around the city a lot, looking at the people who are less fortunate than we were. Katherine caught me watching, and took me aside one afternoon.

  "Katelynn," she said, "I see that look in your eye, that look that says you're worried about wealth going to your head. I don't think you need to be too concerned; frankly, you're just too nice of a person to let it get out of hand. But anytime you start to feel like being wealthy makes you better than someone else, or you feel like you're looking down on someone, here's what I would suggest. Stop and think for a moment about what it would be like to be in that person's shoes. Think about what their life is like, and imagine yourself trying to live it. If you do that, I think you'll find that it isn't hard to keep your focus where it belongs, on doing your best to just be you. And remember, having money brings with it responsibilities. I know that Nathaniel would never be upset with you if you decided to support a cause. Whether it's a single person, or a program to benefit the whole city, Nate would understand.”

  I thanked her. She'd seen exactly what I was thinking, exactly what I was worried about, and helped me to keep my head straight. Once again, I considered myself blessed, because I now had two wonderful Moms, two fantastic Dads and the greatest husband any woman could ever hope to have.

  The only thing in the weddin
g planning that seemed to really be a problem was selecting the music. There were literally hundreds of wedding bands available, from small bands to full orchestras, and it was hard for me to make a decision. Personally, I would have been happy to have a country band, but because we were looking at having so many high society types there, I felt that the orchestra would be a better choice. That didn't mean we couldn't have a singer or two, and Angelina happened to know a few who were fantastic. It took a few days, but finally we narrowed our choices down and chose an orchestra and two singers.

  Oh, it was such an exciting time. I was living the life that every little girl dreams of, being able to pick and choose the things I wanted for my wedding without even bothering to think about what they might cost, or how difficult they might be to obtain. One of the things that Angelina suggested, and that I absolutely went nuts over, was that, instead of a limousine, we leave the church for the reception hall in a special carriage drawn by a team of beautiful white horses.

  I was absolutely blown away when she took us to reserve the carriage. I had been expecting the kind of white carriage you see in movies, with two horses drawing it and an open top, but this was something altogether different.

  This carriage had a top over it, though the sides were open, and was designed to carry only two people in absolute luxury. The driver sat high up on top of the whole thing, completely out of view of the passengers, so that they were not distracted. There were even curtains that could be lowered, to afford a little privacy to the newly married couple. I probably blushed when I looked at the curtains, and if you don't know why, then you're too young to be reading about this anyway.

  What a wonderful time I was having! It was so exciting, so much fun, that I begin to wish that Corie were with me. She'd been my best friend for as long as I could remember, and it almost seemed wrong not to have her there. On the other hand, she had taken over my job as manager of the store back home, and she was smack in the middle of her training, so it would have been hard for her to take time off just to run around San Francisco with me. These are some of the things you have to deal with in real life, no matter how you may have fantasized about it when you were young.

  Sometimes it's hard to believe that life can turn out so perfectly. I mean, who would ever have guessed that poor little Katelynn, the grouchy girl who always required everyone else to stand up and face their responsibilities, would end up marrying a man so wealthy that if I chose, I could literally lay around and let servants do everything for me.

  Luckily, that sense of responsibility was one thing that wasn't going away. I didn't have to worry about that, so there was very little chance that any servants were going to work themselves to death trying to take care of me. More likely, I would end up so fond of the servants that I'd be trying to take care of them!

  However, life is what you get, and then you get to decide what to make of it. If this was going to be my life, I was hoping and praying that I would make something so good of it that someday I'd be remembered as more than just another Mrs. Simmons. I hoped that someday I would be known as a woman who had left the world a little better than she found it.

  Meanwhile, Dad and Nate were getting ready for some legal problem in New York city. They had explained that they were going to have to fly out to the city that weekend, and while we had been back on a plane since the crash, it still made me nervous to think of Nate being on a jet and flying away. I couldn't help but wonder what I would do if something happened to him.

  On the other hand, if there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that Nate Simmons was not a man who would ever go quietly into that good night. Anything that was going to take him away from me would have to drag him kicking and screaming and fighting the whole way, and I felt the same. While I might not be an ex-marine, or as tough or as good a fighter as he is, anyone who wanted to hurt Nate would have me to deal with, as well.

  I would never have guessed that those words would come back to haunt me so soon.

  Nathanael

  Chapter Seven

  The Eye Of The Tiger

  * * * * *

  Since there was no way to settle the issue, we spent the rest of morning getting ready to go to court. The case was indeed quite frivolous, and it wasn't likely that the judge would be willing to put it any further than this preliminary hearing, but we needed to be prepared just in case.

  When you're meeting in federal court, you don't take chances on being halfway ready. You make sure you're prepared for whatever comes, put up the best fight you can and then pray that the judge has a brain in his head.

  Jim, Albert and the other attorneys and I all arrived at the courthouse just before time for the hearing, which was one o'clock. We thought we were pretty well prepared and not too worried about the outcome, but when it comes to court you just never know what a judge might do. We went into it with our eyes open, but our hearts and prayers working hard on swinging things our direction.

  Luckily, the judge in this case was pretty intelligent. Judge Martha Leadham came in and took the bench, called the case and then immediately demanded to know why the case has been filed in the first place. After reading over the complaints and briefs, she said she couldn't find any reason to believe that anything untoward had taken place. I let myself get excited, but didn't start jumping up and down until she turned to our attorneys and asked if we had a rebuttal.

  Grayson stood up and took the floor, presenting the argument that such minor similarity between our documents and theirs simply did not justify an accusation of plagiarism. It took all of five minutes for him to lay out our position, and then the other side was given a chance to speak.

  They spent more than forty minutes trying to show that there was some reason behind their filing, but they seemed to fail to impress the judge. She gave them ample opportunities to make a point that had any logic behind it, but finally stopped them and said there was just no way she could see any sense in the suit at all. She dismissed the case summarily, and literally dared the plaintiffs to try to file it again.

  I was delighted, and all of the lawyers on our side of the room were congratulating each other on a job well done. The case was closed, and Jim and Albert and I could go home. We planned on staying overnight one more time, and then flying out early in the morning. That would put us back home early Tuesday afternoon, and I'd be back with my baby.

  We were about to leave the courtroom when the building was shaken, and my first thought was of 911. There were explosions and vibrations that made me think of what it must have felt like when the planes struck the twin towers. Suddenly the power was out, and people were screaming and running, trying to get into elevators that wouldn't work, then crashing through fire doors into stairwells. Even the lawyers begin panicking, and trying to find a way out, but Jim Burke and I grabbed hold of those with us and held them back.

  "Albert, hold on!" I said. "We don't know what's going on, and it could be dangerous to rush blindly down the stairs. If there's fire below, we've got to find another way out, anyway. If not, we'll make our way out after the panic subsides."

  Jim nodded his head. "That's good sense," he said. "Hang in with us, Albert, and the rest of you guys and girls. We don't know what's happened. I know it sounds like a bomb went off, so it could be a terrorist attack, or it could be nothing worse than a car crashing into the building. Let's wait and see, and not put ourselves directly in harm's way."

  While Jim was speaking, I had gone to the nearest window and looked out. There was smoke rolling from down by the street, but I couldn't tell if it was coming from our building or not, because it was too dense. I tried other windows, but with no greater success.

  I went back to the other lawyers. "Did anybody manage to get in here with a cell phone?" I asked. Standard procedure in many courthouses now, including federal courthouses, is to deny any type of electronic device that might possibly be used for recording. Since that included ninety-nine percent of the cell phones in existence today, most of us had to leave
our phones somewhere else. mine was in the security locker on the ground floor, and it turned out everyone else had the same problem.

  "I have one," I heard, and I turned around to see who was speaking. It was the judge herself, and she grinned at me. "I'm not sure what's going on, either, but you seem to be thinking more clearly than anyone else here. I just tried calling my husband, and can't get through. If you've got someone you can call for help, here's my phone."

  I reached out and get from her, smiling my thanks. I dialed 911, but all I got was a very loud and rapid busy signal.

  I tried the number of the hotel where we were staying, but got the same result. "Seems like the city's phone system is pretty jammed up right now. Let me try going outside the area." I dialed Katelynn's number immediately from memory, and it began to ring.

  "Hey, Baby," I heard as she answered.

  “Babe, where are you right now?"

  "Well, at the moment, we're at your Moms kitchen table. We're going over color choices for napkins and such and..."

  "Turn on TV news, or grab the computer and check CNN. We're not sure, but it seems like there's been an explosion here in the courthouse, and we can't get any information locally. There may be something hitting the major national services already, so I need you to check, see what you can tell us.”

  "An explosion? Oh, my God, baby, are you alright? Where is Daddy?"

  "We're together, and right now we're safe as far as I can tell, but there's smoke rolling from down by the street level and I don't know whether to go down or up. It's possible if we go up, rescue choppers could pull us off the roof. If there's fire down below, we've got to be very, very careful. Check and see if there's anything on the news right now that you can tell us."

  "We've got the TV on now, and waiting for the news channel to come in. Should be just a second—Oh, God, Baby, I'm so scared! You've got to get out of there, you've got to come back to me!"