Billionaires Next Door : A Contemporary Romance Box Set

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Billionaires Next Door : A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 32

by J. P. Comeau


  “This is different than River Valley, isn’t it Addison?”

  “It sure is,” she replied. “I like River Valley too. The people in California are nice.”

  “What about the people here in New York City?”

  Addison shrugged her shoulders at me. “They’re always in a hurry to be somewhere.”

  Annie and I burst out laughing. I pointed at Addison. "But, the hotdogs are amazing."

  "I had one earlier today, and for a second, I thought about making a protein bar that tasted like one."

  Addison and I both scrunched our faces, which caused Annie to shake her head. "It wasn't my best business idea."

  "She loves hotdogs," I said, chuckling.

  After dinner, all three of us went back out in the living room. Annie and Addison resumed painting, and I watched in between watching the football game on television. Something came to life whenever Annie was around Addison. I had seen it at the lake, too. It was like she had finally found someone she could look up to as a mother.

  I also had to admit that my penthouse felt like more of a home with Annie in it.

  About an hour later, I turned off the television and decided it was time for Addison to go to bed. It was a little bit earlier than usual, but I needed to discuss things with Annie.

  “Ok, sweetie. It’s time for bed now.”

  Addison pouted her lips at me.

  “But Annie is here,” she said. “Can’t I stay up a little bit later?”

  “I’m sorry, honey, but you have an early day tomorrow. Say goodnight to Annie.”

  Addison realized that she wouldn’t win that time, and so she gave Annie a hug and a kiss and then went into her bedroom.

  “I’ll tidy up out here,” Annie said, giving me the go-ahead to tuck Addison in.

  I turned around and went toward her room, but before going inside, I looked back at Annie. At that moment, as she piled all of the toys in the bin, she looked exactly like a mother.

  Addison insisted that I read her a bedtime story. By the time I came back out, Annie was staring out of the living room window. She heard my footsteps and quickly turned around.

  “Before you say anything,” Annie said, “just let me talk.”

  I put my hands in my pockets and nodded.

  “First of all, to say that I’m in love with you would be putting it lightly. But not only do I love you, Richard, but I also love your daughter. It doesn’t matter that I’ve only spent two days with Addison up until now. I understand that you’re nervous because you want what’s best for her. But Richard, I desperately want to be a part of what’s best for her.”

  "I was worried that you'd feel overwhelmed at becoming a mom so quickly," I said, "and bail on Addison. She's the one I'm worried about."

  Annie walked closer to me. "If I thought for one second that I couldn't do this for the rest of my life, then I would bow out. As a woman, I would never want to put a young girl through the pain of losing two mothers."

  It suddenly dawned on me that I had been naive as to how perfect Annie was for the job of being Addison’s mother. Hearing her say those words with such brutal honesty was everything I needed to hear. I knew that she would be a fantastic mother to my daughter and the partner I needed in my life.

  “I love you, Annie!”

  She ran over to me, and I kissed her deeply. Feeling her lips on mine again was like experiencing heaven, and I never wanted to let her go.

  That is until I heard a giggle from behind me.

  Annie and I pulled away and saw Addison peering out of her doorway. Just as I was about to put her back to bed, she came running over to us. “Does this mean Annie is going to stay with us, Daddy?”

  I looked at Annie and then back at Addison, took each of their hands, and smiled. “Yes, Addison. Annie is now a part of our family.”

  EPILOGUE

  _____

  ANNIE

  ONE YEAR LATER

  Julianna and I sat on the big white couch in the living room, both of us anxiously awaiting the results of our pregnancy tests. We hadn't planned on getting pregnant at the same time, though. She had raced down to my yoga studio a few days before, worried that she hadn't gotten her period. Since I hadn't gotten mine either, we decided to take pregnancy tests together.

  Richard and I were living at his father’s cottage on the lake while getting our mansion redecorated. I moved in with him as soon as we flew back from New York City, but his taste was a bit too industrial for my liking. So he gave me the go-ahead to make it a tad more feminine. Except for his man-cave, of course.

  He never heard from Heather after she gave him full custody of Addison. And Addison never brought her biological mother up after he and I got back together. Just like Caley, Addison was highly intuitive and mature for such a young girl. Maybe one day, Heather would come around and want to see her daughter again, but Richard and I had our doubts.

  Even though I still owned the yoga studio, I rented out the loft to Crystal. It was perfect for her, too. She loved being able to roll out of bed and go to work. Plus, on days that I was running late, which often happened since becoming a mother to Addison, I could have Crystal start class for me.

  Jake and Julianna were spending the day with us at the lake for the Fourth of July. Addison loved living there, and she was nothing short of a water baby. We often had to pull her out of the lake. Richard promised to build her a pond of her own back at our mansion. In between taking on more responsibility at his father's company, he met with landscapers who specialized in man-made ponds and lakes.

  “I hope they’re both positive,” Julianna said to me.

  It would be my first and her third baby, and the thought of both of us being pregnant at the same time was exciting. The two of us had always been so close.

  “Imagine if we go into delivery on the same date,” I said. “Our children will be cousins with the same birthday!”

  Jake and Richard were outside at the lake, getting everything ready for the barbecue later on that day. Just like Julianna and me, Jake and Richard were exceptionally close. He often told me how his life had changed for the better since Jake moved back home. They were constantly doing guy things together, such as working on their cars and even fishing.

  Addison had become quite close to Caley. The two of them had a lot of playdates. More so at our place than Julianna and Jake’s because of the lake.

  Jude was finally learning how to walk, and the older he got, the more he looked just like Jake. If I ever had a son, I knew he’d have their classic Truman features.

  I looked out at the kids through the window, smiling as Addison and Caley started playing on the swings. Jude was just sitting on a blanket, babbling to himself while Jake kept an eye on him.

  “Caley has been so good with Addison,” I said.

  “She’s happy to have a family member that’s about her age,” Julianna replied.

  I got up and went to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with some coffee.

  “Is this decaf? You know, just in case.”

  I laughed and nodded. “Yes, but I read that pregnant women are allowed one cup of coffee per day. There’s no way I’m going nine months without caffeine, Julianna.”

  I scrolled through the notifications on my tablet and immediately opened an email from our interior designer. Even though I wasn’t sure that I was pregnant, Richard and I wanted to move forward with building a nursery. We had given the designer some ideas, but he liked to check in from time to time.

  “I always get anxious waiting for these damn tests,” Julianna said, nervously sipping her coffee.

  “Relax,” I replied. “I’m sure you’re pregnant. Since Richard is so much older, I’m the one who should be worried.”

  “Are you kidding me? Richard might be in his forties, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. He takes good care of himself, Annie.”

  She was right. Richard had the body of a Greek god.

  Addison and Caley burst through the do
or and came running into the cottage.

  “Mommy, can Caley and I play with water guns?”

  “Yes,” I said, “but only if you promise to hit Daddy.”

  They both ran away, giggling. “This should be fun.”

  My holistic lifestyle line was booming, too. The investor had made triple his money back, and to keep expanding, he had joined my company. Since we had been trying to get pregnant, I launched holistic food just for women who are expecting. The food had ingredients expecting mothers needed more of, and pregnant women across the country were leaving rave reviews.

  The most popular protein bar flavor was pickles and ice cream, which was more common in the pregnancy craving department then I actually thought it would be. I really thought it was just a saying.

  I had also started a pregnancy yoga class. It had the most significant enrollment out of all of my classes, and one woman had even gone into labor while doing yoga.

  Richard and his father had taken his company across the ocean, and little by little, they had expanded into different countries. Just like Jake, he had been working from home most of the time to be with his family.

  Julianna put her coffee mug down and went into the bathroom.

  “We still have another few minutes,” I shouted at her.

  “Sometimes, these things work fast,” she said, waving her hand at me.

  I rolled my eyes and went back to the email from the interior designer. He had asked me about a blue and white pattern that I wanted on one wall and suggested that we hold off until we know the gender. I wrote back that it was a soft enough blue for either a boy or a girl, plus I wasn’t big on gender stereotypes.

  I stood up and walked over to the window, and watched Caley and Addison squirt their dads with water guns. Everybody was having so much fun outside. Even though I considered Addison to be my daughter, I instinctively put my hand over my stomach. I wondered if I’d have a baby of my own in a year.

  “We’re pregnant!” Julianna screamed so loud that everyone outside stopped playing. “We’re pregnant! We’re pregnant! We’re pregnant!”

  She came running over to me, and we hugged each other tightly, crying into each other’s shoulders. Jake and Richard came running in.

  “Annie,” he said with tears in his eyes, “is it true?”

  I turned to him with emotions high, and he picked me up. Jake looked surprised as Julianna showed him the test.

  “I didn’t even know we were trying,” he said, shocked, “but this is wonderful!”

  All of us burst out laughing.

  We spent the rest of the day outside, talking about being pregnant at the same time, boating, grilling, throwing frisbees around, and just having a good time. Addison was adorable when she helped Jude walk a few steps, gently picking him back up and having him do it again.

  When it came time for the fireworks, all of us sat down on blankets to watch. Julianna, Jake, Caley, and Jude were on theirs, and Richard, Addison, and I were on ours. Suddenly Richard and Addison stood up, walked in front of us, and they each got down on one knee.

  I looked over at Julianna and Jake with my eyes bugged out, but they just smiled and turned back to Richard and Addison.

  Before the fireworks started, right in front of the full moon, Richard pulled a box out of his pocket and held it out to me. After opening it, Addison looked at me and said, “Annie, will you marry us?”

  I jumped up and hugged both of them, nodding and choking out the word ‘yes’ through my tears. The fireworks started, and we stood there, all of us hugging, with red, white, and blue lighting up the sky. Everything had turned out better than I ever imagined. I finally got my happily ever after just like Julianna, but this was only the beginning of the Truman’s family story.

  WE’RE JUST PRETENDING

  1

  _____

  CRYSTAL

  I shook my head as I lifted the banking and credit card statements off of the stack of bills sitting on my kitchen counter. It was hard to believe that I had amassed so much debt in so little time, but I couldn’t ignore the numbers any longer. Attending college in Hawaii had been a once in a lifetime experience. It had given me many fond memories — and student loan payments that left room for very little else in my budget. There were a million other things that I’d rather be doing, but if I ever wanted to own my own home or condo, then I couldn’t put off reevaluating my finances any longer.

  After pouring myself another cup of coffee, I sank to the couch and peered out the bay window. If Annie hadn’t allowed me to live in this apartment rent-free, I would have had to work an extra part-time job to keep a roof over my head — as if I’m not already working enough.

  Now that Annie was married into the Truman family, her yoga studio had become so popular that I was teaching back to back classes all day long.

  Several months ago, after Annie and Richard had ironed things out between them, she moved into his mansion and was enjoying being the best mom ever to his daughter, Addison. I had to admit, the arrangement was working out great for me, too, since I was saving money on transportation. Plus, there was nothing like going from your bed to work in less than fifteen minutes.

  Living above my job had its perks, but it still didn’t feel quite like home.

  The kitchen stove had two burners. The countertops lacked space for a microwave, and the mini-fridge could only hold the bare essentials, like coffee creamer and yogurt — that was about it. I had gone from cooking for myself every night to protein bars and takeout.

  As if having a cramped kitchen wasn’t bad enough, there wasn’t even room for a small table and chair. Most of the time, I ate in front of the living room window that looked out over the quaint downtown area of River Valley, California, like I was doing right now.

  “You should be grateful for this place,” I whispered, trying to convince myself, and I was, to a point.

  One of the benefits of living on the West Coast was the sunshine. That was the main reason I chose to attend school in Hawaii. I had lived in a studio apartment that was located right by the crystal-blue ocean. Every morning I walked outside and inhaled the fresh air, then had breakfast as I admired the waves crashing against the shore. My studio was located on a large estate whose owner only rented to college students for a small fee. I had been grateful that it also had a spacious backyard, where I often practiced yoga, watching the sunrise.

  The closest thing I had to a yard in River Valley was a small, circular park at the end of the street.

  My beautiful, beautiful studio in Hawaii was all I could think about as I stared at the pile of bills. Most people didn't miss the way they lived in college, and yet I would have given anything to keep experiencing that lifestyle post-graduation.

  Lately, the reality of my situation had become a daily reminder of my student loan debt.

  Despite my best efforts at lowering the interest rates, it would be years before I could afford to pay them off and purchase a home of my own. The financial representative had suggested that I put more toward the principal balance, but that would mean having to eat nothing but sodium-packed noodles.

  I cupped my chin with my hand and let out a sigh. “I’ll never dig myself out of this hole.”

  Then my phone went off and jolted me back to reality. One of the only people who called more than they texted was Annie.

  “Hey, Girl!”

  “I hope I didn’t wake you, Crystal.” Annie knew how I loved to sleep in on my days off.

  “Not at all! I was going over some paperwork and needed a break anyway. How’s everything going?”

  “Let’s just say, Julianna and I are getting our things together for tonight. I can’t wait. Already so many gifts have been delivered. Actually, I’m surprised so many people are getting stuff for Julianna too since this is her third child.”

  “Well, it is a gender reveal/baby shower. That’s what you two decided on. No, pink and blue stuff… remember that was what was on the invitations.”

  Annie,
giggled, and I heard her lips smack. “What are you eating? It sounds sooo good.”

  “A chocolate donut…I know, I’m bad. They were supposed to be for the kids.”

  My stomach grumbled at the mention of donuts. “Yum, I’m surprised it’s not one of your donut flavored protein bars.”

  “How’s it going today, you know? How are you feeling? Yesterday, you were so worried about your bills… and…what to do with your mom’s stuff.

  I sniffed. “I struggle with it every day, Annie. I can’t believe that Mom didn’t tell me about her cancer for so long until it was too late.”

  I choked back tears as I remembered those final few months.

  “You know how your mom was, though. She didn’t want you to worry about her. Especially toward the end when she was in so much pain, Crystal.”

  “I know. I still find myself reaching for the phone to tell Mom about my day.”

  “Well, at least you have lots of friends here in River Valley. Anyway, you know Julianna and I love you and are looking forward to seeing you this evening.”

  I eyed my to-do list that was sitting on the kitchen counter. “I have a few errands to run, and then I’ll be heading your way for your awesome party. I think that’s so cool you two got pregnant at the same time.” I cleared my throat, “Although, it doesn’t make it easy on my credit card. I mean…”

  “I told you, girl, not to buy us presents. You’re helping Julianna and me with the party means more to us than anything.”

  “Stop it. I’ll see you in a few hours,” I told her, before ending the call.

  My eyes stared at the pile of bills on the coffee table. Annie had to know there was no way I would show up at their party empty-handed. Annie was practically like a sister to me, and I had become close with Julianna over the years, too. But they were now Truman’s, and I was sure their baby registry had the most expensive version of everything a baby could ever need.

 

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