An Agreement (Summer in New York Book 3) Read online

  “Well, we’re getting off to a great start,” I said.

  “It’s just for the weekend.” She wrapped her arm around me. “And it is sort of funny.”

  “No, it’s not.” I shook my head and glared at the pile of junk. But the longer Bailey looked at it, the more she giggled.

  “Shush,” I said, squeezing her arm. But her laughter did put a smile on my face.

  She looked at me, and for the first time in my life, I let it go.

  “All right.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Let’s go. I’m sick of standing here.”

  I put our luggage in the truck bed but then she started laughing again.

  “What now?” I walked over to the passenger’s side door.

  “It won’t open,” she confessed, trying not to giggle.

  I squeezed the door handle but it wouldn’t budge. Then I kicked it even though it hurt.

  “Baby,” she whined. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

  I was so damn mad I couldn’t even put it into words. And she knew it, too.

  “Baby, just calm down.” She touched my cheek. “I’m sure your door works.”

  “It better.” I walked around the truck and my door was jammed, too. But I was mad enough to force it open. That’s what happens when everything blows up in my face. I get really stubborn.

  “Yay!” Bailey cheered. She got in and slid across the seat, staring out the window with wonder.

  I shook my head and started the truck. It didn’t look like much, but at least the damn thing drove.

  As I took Bailey to the place I’d once called home, she sat there with her hand to her cheek. She rolled the window down and stuck her head out, her long blonde hair blowing in the wind. At first, I couldn’t figure out why she was enchanted by her surroundings. But then I realized she’d been reared in the city and irrevocably attached to New York for most of her life. Maybe she’d never seen anything like this.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” she said. “I’ve never seen so many trees.”

  “Haven’t you been in the South before? Or at least out in the country?”

  “Sure, I have. But I haven’t really spent much time out of major cities.”

  It sounded uppity. But also kind of sad.

  She looked back at me and smiled, seducing me with the look in her eyes.

  “What?” I asked, trying to keep my focus on the wheel.

  “Thank you for bringing me here. To meet your family, I mean. It really means a lot.”

  My stomach kept churning, but she seemed so happy. “Come here.” I put my arm around her as she leaned against me. She put her head on my chest and I kissed her hair, leaving one hand on the steering wheel.

  “How come you haven’t been home to visit in such a long time?” she asked.

  I felt her eyes on me. It was an innocent question. Simple curiosity, really.

  But I glanced her way and stared straight ahead. My face was rigid, and I felt my jaw begin to twitch.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “It’s okay.” I stroked the shell of her ear. “I’m just not ready to talk about it right now.”

  She nodded. “I understand.”

  I held her close and rubbed her back to show her that I wasn’t pulling away. I’d gone against my natural instincts by bringing her here. Instead of slowly telling her about what had happened, I’d cracked the surface wide open. I only hoped she’d still be around when the truth came pouring out.

  When I pulled into the driveway, my heart skipped a beat. My mouth went dry. My hands were clammy.

  But Bailey was in another world.

  The drive was a good half mile, canopied by more than a dozen old oaks. When the house came into view, Bailey gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. I slowed to a stop and looked up at the Southern Plantation where I’d lived as a boy. It was old fashioned with giant columns and a wrap-around porch. The house and the land had been in my family for generations, not that I cared about trivial little details like that anymore.

  I was afraid to look at Baily. But when I did, her expression was hard to read.

  “You’re rich?” she finally asked.

  “So are you,” I said, but it sounded like an accusation.

  “I just didn’t know, I...” She gaped at the house, her eyes glazing over.

  “I know.” I looked down. “I kept it from you. I’m sorry.”

  “Why?” She stared at me. “I don’t understand.”

  My sister ran out of the house with her arms wide open. A man was with her. He looked around thirty with a slow walk and glasses. My mother was next, climbing down the front porch steps.

  “Everyone looks really happy to see you,” Bailey said, genuinely smiling at me.

  I took a breath and warned her, “That’s not everyone.”

  BEING HOME WAS STRANGE. When I walked in, it felt like nothing had changed. I didn’t want to be here. But I’d done my best to stay away and my mother was suffering for it. She didn’t deserve that. And I knew how selfish it was for me to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It wasn’t her fault.

  In fact, the reason why I’d left had nothing to do with her.

  “Come in, come in,” she encouraged, motioning her hands.

  Bailey turned to me with a nervous smile. Right then, I fell in love with her all over again. In the beginning, I got that feeling about once a week. But now it happened every day.

  “Oh, we’re so glad you’re here!” Mom spun around and led us into the den.

  I saw deer heads mounted on the wall by the fireplace. Then there were all of those stupid trophies. Shiny and gold. Mom probably still polished them every other day. It made me angry.

  Five years of my life, and nothing had really changed.

  “Beth has told me so much about you,” Mom told Bailey.

  “I showed her the dress you made,” Beth said with a smile.

  “It is so lovely,” Mom said. “I’d love to wear something you designed.”

  “Oh,” Bailey breathed. “Thank you.”

  “No wonder my son never calls,” Mom said. “I had no idea he’d met a beautiful young fashion designer!” She shook Bailey’s shoulders, a little too eager that I’d not only come home for the first time in years, but I’d brought a woman with me. “I’m going to tell everyone in Louisiana about you!”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Boudreaux,” Bailey said.

  “Please, call me Sally.” Mom gave Bailey a hug. And it was one of the most honest things I’d ever witnessed in this house. Mom had always been the one with empathy. I’d really missed that.

  “Okay.” Bailey gave a nervous little giggle when Mom released her.

  “Mom, stop.” I pulled Bailey under my wing. “You’re smothering her.”

  “I’m sorry.” Mom looked at us. “It’s just been so long since you’ve been home.” She gave me a small smile, the kind she wore when she was sad. Tears filled her warm brown eyes. So I gave her a hug and hoped I hadn’t broken her heart. I’d never wanted to leave home. I’d had to.

  Beth hugged me next and whispered in my ear. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

  “Yeah, me too.” I crossed my arms. “Was that your new guy out front?”

  “Yeah.” Beth lit up. “Evan. He’ll be back. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

  I turned to Bailey as Mom talked a mile a minute. Bailey grinned and laced her fingers through mine. It felt so good to have her here with my family. Part of me wanted to get down on one knee and propose right then, but something made me hesitate. So we took a seat on the couch instead.

  “Would you like a cookie?” Mom set a tray of ginger snaps on the table.

  “Oh, thank you.” Bailey nibbled on one as she looked around the room.

  Mom sat down in the arm chair across from us. During my time away, she really had aged. It was in her face—wrinkles and lines that weren’t there before. But she still had the same dark hair, slim figure, and sweet smile. Mo
m had always been a gem. And I hated myself for abandoning her.

  “How was the flight?” Mom asked.

  “It was good,” I said. “No delays.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful,” Mom said.

  I heard footsteps in the distance.

  “Oh, that must be your father.”

  Great. Bailey looked at me, and I squeezed her hand.

  “Robert, come meet Bailey,” Mom said.

  I held Bailey’s gaze and she seemed to understand me, reading the terrible thoughts in my mind.

  “Bailey? Bailey who?” He walked in the room with an air of confidence. He thought he owned the place. And while that may have been true, he also acted like he owned everything and everyone inside of it.

  “Hi.” Bailey stood up and faced him, sticking her hand out. A brave woman. “I’m Bailey Lewis.”

  Dad looked straight through her. That’s the only reason I got up. To protect her from him.

  “Well, it’s about time you showed your face around here,” he said. “Is this your latest interest?”

  Bailey dropped her hand and swallowed, backing away. I put my arm around her so she wouldn’t run. He didn’t have a right to do that—make her feel like she wasn’t welcome. I wouldn’t let him.

  “Bailey is a fashion designer from New York,” Mom chirped. “She’s very successful.”

  Bailey blushed, turning bashful and shy.

  “Yeah,” he grumbled, flicking his eyes to me. “Sure.”

  I glared and clenched my jaw, pulling Bailey into me. She lowered her lashes and stared at the floor.

  “You got anything to eat around here?” he said to Mom. “I’m starvin’.”

  “Yes.” Mom scurried into the kitchen. “Dinner is almost ready.”

  Dad looked between Bailey and me. “Good. Why don’t you help my wife in the kitchen?”

  Bailey left my arms gracefully, jumping at the first chance to leave the room. Truth be told, I couldn’t blame her. Whether he knew it or not, my father was walking on thin ice. If he kept this behavior up, I was going to lose it. And it wouldn’t be pretty.

  “Son, we need to talk.” He walked down the hall without looking back. That’s how he was. He spouted off orders and expected everyone to obey. I balled my hand into a fist and followed him into his office.

  There was a picture from my wedding day. Vanessa looked so beautiful. Just as I remembered her. I stood beside her smiling like a dope, because I’d been head over heels crazy about her. And Dad knew it.

  “Take a seat.” Dad smirked. A wicked grin that always made my skin crawl. He was such a jerk.

  “Well,” I said after a while. “What do you want?”

  “It sure took you long enough to come home,” he said.

  “Well, I’m here. Aren’t I?”

  He turned his back to me and looked out the window. “Why did you decide to come?”

  I sighed. “I don’t know. Beth kept bothering me about it. I wanted to see Mom.”

  “But not me?” He chuckled. “It’s okay. I know what I said.”

  I took a breath and crossed my leg over my knee. “What do you want to talk to me about?”

  “Business,” he said, matter-of-factly. He sat down in his leather chair and lit a cigar.

  “Do you have to smoke in the house?” I said. “You could think about someone other than yourself for a change.”

  He looked shocked, yet pleased. He put the cigar out and narrowed his eyes, scanning me like a newspaper. “You’re different,” he said.

  “You haven’t changed.”

  He pressed out a frown. “You haven’t spent any of the money in your trust fund.”

  “That’s because it’s not my money,” he said.

  “I don’t think your great grandfather would appreciate that.”

  “And what would he appreciate? Me turning into you?” I snapped.

  “If you don’t want the money, I’d like to donate it.”

  “To what?” I asked.

  “Charity,” he mused. “A good cause.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s no point in it just sitting there. You’re letting millions go to waste.”

  “At least my life won’t be a waste,” I said.

  “In my position, it would be nice if I had a son to leave things to.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want anything that ever belonged to you.”

  “One day, I’d hoped to give you my seat on the board.”

  “Why? So I can sit in a big office and talk about oil all day?”

  “I’m trying to reason with you, son.” He folded his hands.

  “Reason with me?” I stood up. “You don’t know how to be reasonable. I don’t want to live here. And I don’t want any part of the family business. I want my own business that I can control. I have that in New York. I’d never have that here.” I turned and headed for the door.

  “It’s that girl, isn’t it?” he asked.

  I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling my heart beat in my chest.

  “I don’t see what’s so special about her.”

  “Don’t talk about her,” I said. “You don’t know her.”

  “I’m surprised you brought her here.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “You haven’t mentioned anyone since Vanessa.”

  “And?”

  “Is she just a distraction? Something to keep you in New York?”

  I glared at him, breathing heavy. “She’s not a distraction. She’s the woman I intend to make my wife.”

  “Your wife? What about Vanessa?”

  “That was five years ago! Just because I loved her doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to live my life. Vanessa would want me to be happy. I think I’ve lived in torment long enough.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “I don’t care what you think! I’m in love with Bailey. And I’m going to marry her if she’ll have me.”

  “Make sure you get her to sign a prenup.”

  I chuckled. “Her father is a billionaire. He has more money than you ever will. So I don’t think getting her to sign a prenup is going to be a problem.” I stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind me.

  Then I went outside and stood on the front porch for a while, trying to cool down. About that time, Evan walked up with a bag from the store. “Hey, man. I’m Evan.” We shook hands. “You’re Beth’s brother, right?”

  “Yeah, Carter. Nice to meet you.”

  “Sorry I left when you got here. No offense, but your old man is kind of intimidating. I had to get out of there so he’d stop interrogating me.”

  I huffed. “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

  “So what happened?” he asked, picking up on the situation.

  “Let’s just say you weren’t the only one being interrogated in there.”

  “Didn’t you bring your girlfriend?” he wondered.

  “Yeah, she’s inside.”

  He adjusted his glasses and looked me in the eye.

  And then it hit me. Without me around, Bailey was vulnerable. Just like Evan had been.

  My father was the type to make you feel like you were on trial at the Spanish Inquisition.

  “I think I’ll go check on her.” I went inside and held the door open for him. Bailey was in the kitchen with my mother, which was a relief. I introduced her to Evan, a tall, geeky type who wasn’t bad looking. If he made my sister happy, that was all that mattered. Beth smiled when she saw him, and he kissed her cheek.

  “What did you get from the store?” Beth asked.

  “Bourbon.” Evan showed her the bottle.

  “Thank you, Evan,” Mom said. “I can’t believe we ran out. Now the chicken will be perfect.”

  The four of them talked while I stood off to the side, watching Bailey. Mom already loved her, I could tell. And Beth had been a fan from day one. They were really making her feel included, letting her help with dinner.

  When she caught me staring, I held
my breath. I thought about the night we met all the time. I’d never dreamed she would want to be with me. She was so sweet and beautiful, like an angel. I adored her.

  “Hey.” She found me in the corner and smiled. “What is it?”

  I took her hands and shrugged. “Nothing. I’m just really glad you’re here.”

  She grinned, revealing those adorable dimples. I wanted all of our children to inherit that gene, so they’d look like her when they smiled.

  “Me too.” She curled her hands around me and stroked the nape of my neck.

  I shut my eyes and groaned, wanting to devour her. She ran her fingers through my hair and put her head on my chest. I wanted to kiss her, but with my whole family around it probably wasn’t a good idea. With the way she had me feeling right now, if I tasted her mouth, I might not be able to stop.

  “Carter, why don’t you show Bailey up to your room?” Mom said. “I’m sure she’d like to unpack.”

  “Yeah.” Bailey leaned back in my arms. “That would be great.”

  “Okay.” I went into the foyer and grabbed our bags. Bailey carried one over her shoulder and followed me upstairs. I stopped in the hallway before we reached my bedroom. Then I put my hand on the door, wondering what it would look like on the other side.

  “Are you okay?” Bailey sweetly whispered.

  “Yeah.” I bit my lip. “It’s just been a long time.”

  There was no way I could have done this without Bailey by my side. I loved her so much, more than she would ever know. That’s what scared me. I was so screwed up, deep down inside. I was worried I might lose her.

  I opened the door and sighed with what must have been relief. My room looked exactly as I had left it. A single bed pushed against the right wall. Baseball posters. A small desk in front of the window.

  “This is your room,” she said.

  “Yeah.” I sat down on my bed, remembering what it felt like to live under my dad’s rule.

  But Bailey was my focus now. She gravitated towards a collage of pictures on my wall. In no time, her face fell. She crossed her arms over her chest and sniffled, eventually taking a deep breath.

  “Sweetheart.” I stood up and put my hand on her shoulder. Then I realized why her mood had taken a sudden dip. All of the pictures were of me and Vanessa. We were laughing, smiling. We were happy.