The Billionaire From San Francisco Read online

  Ophelia shook her head. “Wow. I never would have seen that coming. That’s not like her at all! I hope that she’s really happy though!”

  “Me too. I think she will be. She’s a smart lady.” Natalie shouldered her bag, and Ophelia popped the handle up on the suitcase that Natalie had brought back with her.

  “Where are the rest of your bags?” Ophelia asked, looking around.

  “This is it.” Natalie smiled at her. She had one suitcase, one small carry-on-sized roller bag, and her laptop case.

  Ophelia shook her head. “How you fit your whole life into these couple of bags is beyond me. I’m never going to understand that. I would need a trunk if I was going to travel as much as you do.”

  “If I traveled with a trunk, it would be heavy and cumbersome, and it would only slow me down. There’s not much that I really need, and to be honest, that suitcase is mostly filled with presents for you and Mom.” She laughed a little, and Ophelia laughed in surprise with her as they began to walk out of the airport together.

  Strolling side by side, they could not have looked more different. Where Natalie was a little taller and slenderer with an hourglass form and long straight hair that reached the middle of her back, Ophelia was only as tall as Natalie’s shoulder and seemed to be round everywhere, from the carefully sculpted fluffy curls of her afro to her round face and her round body. Her whole form shifted and moved as she walked, and it seemed almost like a dance. Natalie was more like a tall blade of grass, bending slightly and swaying in a gentle breeze, willowy and fluid.

  They reached the car, talking all the while about the upcoming wedding and Charisse. Their conversation drifted from the wedding to Natalie’s work and time in Vietnam, and then to Ophelia’s work and dating life in California. The car rolled along the road from the airport southward to Silicon Valley, where after forty-five minutes, Ophelia double-checked the map to make sure that she was in the right place and then pulled into a set of big metal gates that were open.

  A long and winding road led from the gates through a perfectly manicured landscape sprawling out over the top of a hill, and as they crested the hill, they both saw Wilson Brooke’s mansion for the first time.

  It was nestled into the lush greenery and towering redwood trees on the west side of the hill, just out of sight of the public road to the east. The massive home faced the ocean, which was just at the bottom of the hill, where a golden sandy beach was fit snuggly between the deep blue sea and the rolling green hillside. It was as picturesque a place as either of them had ever seen.

  “Wow.” Ophelia stared, and Natalie stared right along with her.

  “Mom didn’t tell me the house was this big. I mean… I guessed that it was big, but this is huge.” Natalie couldn’t take her eyes off of the impressive edifice before them.

  It was white brick and wood with a distinctly Victorian style, featuring a central core that was larger than any other part of it, and two slightly smaller wings that spread out to each side and arced slightly toward the sea, almost in a crescent.

  “Are you sure this is it?” Natalie asked, amazed at what was before her. She and her mother had always lived so simply that it seemed completely unreal that her mother would be living in such a grand home.

  “I checked the map. This is it,” Ophelia said quietly as she pulled up slowly to the front door.

  Just then, the front door opened, and a woman who looked very much like an older Natalie swept out from the house and practically flew down the few steps from the wide front porch toward them.

  “Natalie!” Charisse cried out excitedly.

  Both girls got out of the car, and Natalie rushed to her mother and wrapped her in a tight hug as they both laughed and cried just a little, overwhelmed with joy at being able to see each other at long last.

  When Charisse finally let her go, she hugged Ophelia and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for bringing my baby home!”

  “You’re welcome, Charisse.” Ophelia grinned at her and headed for the trunk to pull Natalie’s bags out. “Congratulations on your engagement and wedding!” She beamed at Charisse.

  “Thank you! I still can’t quite believe it’s happening, but it is!” Charisse practically glowed.

  Natalie knew then in that moment that her mother was doing the right thing, and that she had never seen her happier. Ophelia saw it too, and they shared a quick smile and a nod.

  “Ophelia, you’ll have to come back and spend some time here at the house with me after I’ve slept for a couple of days and had a shower.” Natalie hugged her best friend, and Ophelia agreed.

  “You bet. I am looking forward to it! It’s so good to have you home.” She grinned and hugged Natalie once more before waving goodbye to both of the Davidson ladies and driving off down the long lane again to the road beyond.

  “That was really nice of her to give you a ride.” Charisse smiled wide as she helped her daughter carry her bags into the house. “I’ll show you your room, and then I want you to get some rest. I know you must be exhausted. I’ll have the cook send some food to your room, and then when you’re vertical again, you can come out and visit with me and meet Wilson, okay?” Her mother looked as if it wasn’t as much a suggestion as it was a gently worded order.

  “That sounds really good, Mom, thank you. I am tired.” Natalie gave her a grateful smile.

  Charisse walked her through a large foyer and down a big open hallway that led off into other rooms. At the end of it, there was a sitting room with a big glass window that looked out onto the beach and the ocean beyond. The room, like the hallway and the foyer before it, was mostly white. There were pretty white wicker chairs and sofas thickly cushioned and all turned to face the breathtaking view out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. A variety of plants were set about here and there in the corners of the room and on a couple of tables, lending a natural feel to the space. Two doors led off of the sitting room, and Charisse took the one to the right.

  “This is your room in here,” she said lightly as she walked through the doorway, and Natalie followed her.

  She found herself in a big room with windows all along the side of the room facing the sea, complete with a set of glass doors. The rest of the room was elegantly decorated, leaning toward a minimalist style. There was more than enough to be comfortable, with a king-sized bed and a beautiful wingback chair and matching ottoman, a small sofa, and a few tables set in recessed places, accessorized with vases of fresh flowers. On the side of the room furthest from the wall of windows, there was a walk-in closet and a big bathroom with a sunken jetted tub, a stone walled shower, and a double sink. There was also a small steam room and a small sauna.

  “I feel like I’m in a hotel with a spa!” Natalie marveled as she gazed in wonder at all of it.

  “I know just what you mean. I’ve been here almost a month, and I still can’t quite get used to it, though it does feel like home to me now.” Charisse set the bags down and pointed to a large drawer in the closet. “That’s for your laundry. The maid will be in later to get all of your clothes that need laundering. Just put it there, and she’ll take care of them and put them away for you when they’re cleaned.”

  “A maid?” Natalie asked in surprise.

  “Yes. We have a small staff of people who work around here. I know it must seem otherworldly to you. I’m still getting used to it too. There are two maids, a butler, a chef, a gardener, and a chauffeur and pilot on call. I think that’s it. There may be more that I am unaware of yet, but that’s what I know right now.” Her mother laughed.

  “Mom… how are you living in a place like this?” Natalie asked, looking around the room and then meeting her mother’s gaze again. “It’s so… different from everything we’ve ever known.”

  “I know,” Charisse agreed. “It is different, but I’m not here because of any of it; I’m here because I love Wilson, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. The rest of all this… the big house, the staff here, the cars and plane and boats and th
ings… that’s all just part and parcel of it, I guess. He comes with it, so here we are.” She gave her daughter an encouraging hug.

  “You’ll get used to it too, in time,” Charisse reassured her.

  “If you say so.” Natalie laughed a little then. “I don’t care where you’re living, as long as you’re happy, Mom.”

  “I’ve never been so happy with any other man.” Charisse was glowing again. “But we can talk about all of that later on. Right now, you need to rest. I know how tired you must be. Go shower; it will make you feel nearly human again, and I’ll have the chef whip something up for you. Then, you get some sleep, and I’ll see you when you wake up.” She hugged Natalie tightly again and then held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

  “I’m so glad to have you home, my darling.” She grinned and kissed Natalie’s cheek and then let her go.

  “I’m glad to be here with you; thank you, Mom.” Natalie waved as her mother disappeared out of the door, and then she turned and looked incredulously at the huge room she was in, turning slowly in a circle as she took the whole thing in, wondering how any of it was real.

  Then, with a tired sigh, she followed her mother’s direction and headed for the stone walled shower. She was really glad to see that there were shower heads and body misters on three sides of the shower walls, and as the hot water and steam sprayed out at her from almost every direction, she felt her weariness begin to wash away right down the drain.

  Her muscles loosened quite a bit, and when she stepped from the shower and toweled off, she found a thick, soft robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, and a pair of cushy slippers nearby. It felt like a wonderful indulgence to put them on.

  She walked back out into the bedroom and saw a tray filled with healthy food, sitting on one of the tables nearest her bed. There was a small salad, a plate of cheese and another of fresh fruit, there was a bowl of hot soup and a turkey and cheese wrap, and a few small squares of dark chocolate to one side.

  Natalie grinned and laughed. “I could definitely get used to this,” she said quietly to herself as she picked up the wrap and took a bite. She sat in a chair at the table and ate a good portion of the food before she was satisfied. Then, she brushed her teeth and headed to the bed, pausing only a moment to smile as she noticed that the bed had been turned down for her. Sliding under the duvet, she nestled her head down into the thick, soft pillow and fell fast asleep.

  When she woke, she felt totally disoriented, and she had to think for a moment to remember where she was. She had woken up in various places in Asia for two years, all of them humble, all of them the basic offering of what could be had. It was surreal to her to be surrounded by so much wealth and comfort, and she felt almost like a princess in a dream as she stepped from the bed. She had been asleep for more than fourteen hours, and she felt as if she hadn’t been so rested in longer than she could remember.

  Looking out of the window, she saw that the morning sun was shining brightly and that there was hardly a cloud in the beautiful blue sky. The view out of her window looked like a postcard, and she could barely believe that she was in it.

  Natalie stopped in surprise as she found that all of her laundry, which she’d dumped quickly into the drawer before she got into the shower, had been done and was not only washed and pressed, but was either neatly folded and set on shelves in her closet or hanging crisply there.

  She selected a pair of pants and a light sweater and dressed. Giving herself a cursory look in the large floor-to-ceiling mirror beside her closet, she gave herself an approving nod and headed for the door. She was rested and fed, cleaned and dressed. It was time to meet her new stepfather.

  Chapter2

  Natalie walked out of her bedroom and found herself in the sitting room. She admired the beautiful view for a moment and was just about to walk down the long hallway when she saw a note taped to the doorframe just before it.

  ‘We’re outside at the pool. Left at the foyer, through the living room, left at the library, through the kitchen, out the doors. Can’t wait to see you, Love Mom’

  She smiled and folded the note, tucking it into her pants pocket. She walked down the hallway to the foyer and turned left into the living room. The living room was four times the size of her bedroom, and it looked as if it had appeared out of an interior design magazine. It was beautifully done, in something that blended into an elegant beach house style. Comfortable yet refined. She smiled at it as she looked around at it and then she walked through it to a wide-open doorway that led to a spacious hallway.

  Across the hallway from the living room was a good-sized library, reaching up two stories. Every wall in it was lined with books, save for the windows that opened up to a garden, and a few places where paintings were set into the wall. A fireplace was fixed in one spot, with a comfortable and thickly cushioned leather sofa just before it, and there were a few chairs set about the room which looked as if they might be perfect for spending a few hours in to read a book and relax. She saw a mini bar in one corner of the room and smiled at the thought of someone pouring a drink and then settling in on the luxurious sofa before a roaring fire on a cold and foggy day.

  Leaving the library, she walked down another hall and through a big arched doorway into a distinctly Italian kitchen. Spacious and beautiful, it was done with a terra-cotta tiled floor and Italian marble countertops. There were three sinks, two stoves and ovens, and an island in the middle of the room that could have seated ten people around it, though it also included a sink and a cooktop. To the far side of the kitchen was a breakfast nook with a round, thick wooden table and chairs. Like all the other rooms she had seen that faced westward, the kitchen had windows all along the walls on that side, looking out to the sea.

  The kitchen was so warm and inviting, even as empty as it was, that it was easy for Natalie to imagine it filled with people laughing and cooking, talking and perhaps drinking wine, creating masterpiece meals together for celebrations like the holidays or even just a big family dinner. It felt like a place she would want to be, a comfort area.

  Then, looking out of the double paned glass doors at the other side of the room, she saw a glimpse of a wide patio and pool. There, relaxing in chairs around a table and under an umbrella, was her mother, talking and laughing softly with a man who had salt and pepper hair.

  Natalie took a deep breath and walked out of the double doors, closing them quietly behind her. Her mother looked up, saw her, and immediately came out of her chair toward her daughter. Embracing her tightly, she grinned and kissed her cheek. With a concerned look in her eyes, Charisse searched her daughter’s face.

  “Are you rested enough? Did you eat?” she asked hopefully.

  “Yes,” smiled Natalie, “the food that was brought for me was amazing, and I ate most of it, and I probably slept for too long, but I do feel really rested and good now, thank you.”

  Charisse grinned. “Good! I changed the note on the doorway three times just to let you know where we were. Well, let’s introduce you; come with me.” Her mother turned and walked toward the man who had been sitting at the table with her, but who had since stood up and was waiting patiently for them there.

  He was tall and looked as if he had once had black hair and green eyes, though his hair had since given way to sleek strands of silver within, and there were laugh lines around the corners of his eyes. He smiled wide and held his arms out to hug Natalie.

  “Natalie, welcome home. I’m Wilson, but if you’d like, you can call me Dad. I’m so glad to finally get to meet you!” He embraced her warmly, and she hugged him in return. She was a little surprised that he was so welcoming, but then again, she could see in his eyes that he meant what he said and that he was in earnest.

  “Thank you so much. I’ll give that some thought and see what feels right for me.” She hadn’t once thought about what she was going to call him. She was still getting over the shock of finding out that her mother was getting married to him. Wanting to change t
he subject, she brightened and glanced over at the house beside them.

  “You have a beautiful home! I really love the kitchen and library. Well, and the room I’m staying in as well. It’s all so lovely. I’ve been staying in much different accommodations in Asia, so this is a big change for me.” She gave him another smile.

  He invited her to sit with them at the table. “It’s your home now too, Natalie, and the room that you’re in is your room permanently, unless you would like to choose another of the bedrooms in the house. There are more to choose from, but that’s the best one that’s unoccupied. It has the best view. Would you like a drink?” He indicated a mini bar, and she nodded.

  “Yes, a martini, thank you.” She felt like she was making her way through some kind of strange dream. None of it felt real, but she knew that she was very much there, and it was truly happening.

  He handed her a martini and sat down. “I’m really glad that you like it here. I hoped that you would.” He took a sip of his own drink and pointed across the beautifully sculpted grounds to a European garden just a short ways away. “You see those gardens over there?”