His Bahamas Affair (The Albury Affairs) (24 page)

“No!”

At the shocked
expression on Riana’s face she knew she’d said that a little too forcefully.
Taking a calming breath, she pulled her best smile and said again, “No we’re
not. We decided we are going to stay here and raise Tyler here together.”

Her face fell. “Really?
Is that what he wants? Can’t you convince him to move?”

No
way in hell!
“No, sorry. But we’ll come visit often.”

Riana raised a knowing
brow. “Do I hear wedding bells?”

The butterflies that
had taken residence in her belly flutter wildly. She would like nothing more,
but Reno hadn’t mentioned marriage even once. Living together, raising a family
together he mentioned, but marriage vows, not even a word of it, and there was
only one person to blame for that.

She shook her head,
blushing. “We’ve only been together a little over a month.”

Riana rolled her eyes.
“But you’ve known each other for years, unlike Allan and me when we first met.
Anyway, it only takes a moment to fall in love and honey, you are so in love
with my brother, you’re glowing!”

She knew that, but
Loraine didn’t want to get her hopes up. “After Georgia, I don’t see him asking
any time soon.”

Riana growled. “The
bitch! On top of everything, she kept Reno’s son away from him!”

Loraine was taken aback
by the vehemence in her voice. She’d never known Riana to be a violent person
she’d never even seen her throw a tantrum since they met!

“Pregnancy does change
people. It’s brought the vicious side of you out.”

Riana rolled her eyes.
“Whatever. After what you told me about what she did to Tyler, I think I’m
justified. After what happened with Allan…I think I got a little over
protective.”

Loraine nodded in understanding.
She knew exactly how she felt. “Riana, do you still have nightmares over what
happened?”

Riana watched her for a
moment with an assessing gaze. “Why do you ask?”

Loraine shrugged.
“Looking at the two of you, it’s like it never happened and I’m just wondering
how you got there.”

“Counseling helps, and
calling Allan a hundred times a day calms me. Loraine…does this have something
to do with why you left home to hide here?”

Loraine sat up stunned.
What did Riana know about that? “What do you mean?”

Riana pushed herself
into a sitting position then took her hands in hers. “Your mother paid us a
visit Loraine. Why didn’t you tell me what happened to you in Paris and most
importantly, why didn’t you tell me Pierre is still stalking you?”

Loraine pulled away
from her like she was jumping away from ravenous flames. No, no! Why would her
mother do that to her, tell her secret? Did Reno know?

She turned to him and
clashed with his steel gaze. Loraine felt restless as panic consumed her. Was
that what he was discussing with Allan? Was he going to change his mind? Was
Reno going to send her away?

God, no. She couldn’t
lose them; she couldn’t lose Reno. Not when she was madly in love with him.

Loraine brought her
fist down hard on her thigh. “Damn you Pierre!”

* * * *

Reno watched Loraine as
she slammed her fist on her thigh, clearly angry. He wished he would have known
sooner about her parents; he wouldn’t have invited them then. They were going
to ruin everything! He just hoped they wouldn’t sway her decision to stay.

“How much of a fuss are
they causing?” he asked turning back to Allan.

“They wanted to come on
the yacht here with us and take Loraine away. But I kept them off and Ruiz is
going to make sure they don’t get off the island. I wish you’d called and asked
me about inviting them before you did it.”

Reno took a deep swig
of his beer. “Well it won’t matter. Loraine has made a commitment not only to
me but also to Tyler. She won’t break it.”

Allan chuckled. “It’s
going to be interesting seeing how it all goes down. We should probably head
back and handle it before tomorrow. Oh, the lawyer and the notary arrived just
as we left.”

Reno nodded. “Good. I’d
like her to sign them and have them filed as soon as possible just in case
Georgia decides to make an appearance.”

Allan shook his head, a
foolish grin on his lips.

“What?”

“You’re not anxious at
all. You are so sure she’s going to sign?”

Reno smiled. “That’s
one thing I am unquestionably sure of. It’s tomorrow that has me a little
nervous.”

Allan punched his
shoulder. “There is nothing to be nervous about brother. You’re quite a catch,
despite popular belief.”

Reno snorted turning
the engine on. “Very funny. Let’s go to shore and face the music.”

* * * *

Loraine
watched her father do his signature upset pacing in Reno’s living room with her
hands fisted at her side, holding tightly to her own rage. Reno stood calmly
next to her, sticking with the game plan they’d formed on their way home from
the docks that she’d already veered off twice. How could she possibly stay calm
and explain what she wanted if her father has decided to be the impossible one?

How would he know what
she wanted? Unless she was doing something wrong or was getting stalked, he
barely paid any attention to her. Where was this determination to save her from
herself when she got on a plane to Paris eight years ago? Oh wait, he’d been
delighted to see her go after she punched the son of one of his business
associates when he’d gotten frisky the week before. She didn’t need him
bullying her and telling her what to do now that she had a handle on her life,
now that she had what she always wanted, a family that cherished her existence
and loved her for being herself.

She was not going to
let him steal this from her!

“
Lord sire
, I’m going to say this once and only once. My life is
here now. I have a family who need and love me and there is no way in hell I’m
going to leave them!”

Her father stopped and
turned to her with a sharp jerk of his body, his eyes bearing down at her like
a raging bull. “We are going home, Loraine, on the next available flight and
that’s final!” he yelled.

That was it! She was
done holding her tongue! She closed the gap between them with four determined
strides, her finger in his face. Right when she was about to lay it on him,
Reno pulled her back until she was standing behind him.

“With all due respect,
sir, your daughter is twenty-six years old. Old enough to make her own
decisions. And what she’s decided is to stay here with my son and me and make
our own family. I would like to include you and your wife in our family, but if
you keep pushing, I will protect what is mine with all that I have.”

Loraine stared at
Reno’s back mouth a gape. No one had ever threatened her father and in such a
cool conversational tone. She leaned to the side and caught her father’s own
surprise before he masked it. Even if she tried—which she didn’t—she couldn’t
hold back the chuckle that shook her body.

“It looks like daddy
dear has met his match,” she said sweetly before giving into another fit of
giggles.

“Listen to me and
listen well, you riff raff! That is my daughter and I’ll do whatever I like
with her and you won’t do a thing about it. As for removing her…” Loraine
watched his lips curl in a sneer, his eyes shining with victory. “Jeb!”

Loraine’s hands fisted
the back of Reno’s shirt tightly. She didn’t like these odds and it scared her
that Jeb would hurt Reno to do her father’s bidding.

Jeb stepped into the
house, the hard angles of his face softening when he saw her. “Miss Loraine,
how are you?”

Loraine moved to stand
beside Reno, whose arm wrapped around her waist and held her against him
tightly. She could feel his tension as he shifted his stance, standing at an
angle by her side ready to defend her. Reno was prepared to take anyone to keep
her with him and she fell a little more in love with him because of it.

“Hi Jeb, sorry I ran
out on you.”

He shook his head with
a smile that reached his eyes. “What have I always told you?”

She chuckled. “As far
as I run, you’ll always know where I am with each step I take. And you’ll be
right there to save me if I need you…” She placed her fist on her hip and
narrowed her eyes in mock anger. “Jeb, did you follow me here? Have you been
close by the entire time?”

His lips stretched in a
grin. “With the amount of trouble you always get yourself in, how could I not?”

Loraine took a step toward
the old man, but Reno quickly pulled her back. She looked up at him. His eyes
still on her father and Jeb, he gave her a short shake of his head. He was
right; if she left his side they might just carry her out of here while Jeb
held Reno back. Loraine took a step behind Reno but remained in view.

“I would hug you, you
meddling old man, but I can’t take the risk of being kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped!” her father
exclaimed outraged. “You are my daughter!”

“Loraine, you need to
understand your parents worry. You’ve been gone for over a month without a word
to anyone,” Jeb spoke softly.

She shrugged. “You knew
where I was. If you did follow me, you also know I’ve been the happiest these
past weeks than I’ve been my entire life.” Feeling desperate she begged, “Tell
them to leave me alone Jeb. I’m happy and they have a chance to be happy
without their troublesome daughter ruining their cherished public image.”

“What?” Her mother
spoke for the first time, standing slowly from the couch. Since she’d walked
in, she looked absent, her eyes void mechanically speaking and moving. But now,
she actually looked like she had life in her though she looked like she was in
pain.

“What did you say?”

Loraine chewed on the
insides of her lips, the urge to cry consuming her. But she wouldn’t do that.
She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her loneliness her
desperation to be loved unconditionally again. She would give herself that. She
had Reno and Tyler to give her that, and she didn’t need it from them anymore.
The years of taking the scrapes they offered were over!

“Come on, mom. Ever
since you let them turn you into this,” her hand pointed from her mother’s
meticulously styled hair to her low pumps, “you haven’t showed me a morsel of
genuine affection.” She turned to her father. “And you, ever since grandmother
and grandfather told you loving your wife and child
was so not done
in high society, you haven’t had the time of day
for me.”

“It didn’t seem that
way when you spent my money on frivolous things!” her father countered.

Loraine shook her head.
“So I love designer labels. Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to turn me into
my whole life? A spoiled brat whose only skill is to shop and once I get
addicted to that magical plastic; you’d have something to use to make me tow
the line. Well, mom sabotaged that plan; I couldn’t spend more than a thousand
dollars a month and that was bumped up when I went to college. If I wanted to
spend frivolously, I had to work for it.” Loraine laughed at the shock on her
father’s face. “Yes, I worked, catering to your kind of people. And each time I
went to those events, I saw the people I didn’t want to be. The people you’ve
turned my mother into.”

Loraine took a deep
breath to keep her tears at bay. “That isn’t my life and I love myself more
than I do you, so I’m not going to be as subservient as mom and live in misery
for the rest of my life. It’s my life and I’m taking a stand and it’s here with
Reno and Tyler. Now, if that’s all, I have a huge family I need to make dinner
for, are you going to join us or not?”

Her father chocked on
his laugh. “You cook?”

 
“There are no servants in this house. It’s my
home, my family and I cook and clean for them.” With hands on her hips she took
a step toward her father, her chin lifted defiantly. “And you know what? I love
it. I love waking up early in the morning because Tyler is usually up by six
and Reno and Ruiz by five thirty. Damn annoying but I love it because I get to
make them breakfast and start the morning with them. I love the idea of making
sure that Reno is ready to get to work when he’s supposed to with everything he
needs and have a great day and why? Because I made sure he had a great start
from the moment he woke up! I love doing ten folds of laundry each day ‘cause
that kid goes through three pairs of clothes each day, and that’s only when
he’s inside the house! I love cleaning my home, knowing as much time as I was
taking getting the place in order, Tyler will be there in the next second to
take it all apart. I love making something quick and easy for lunch and
planning for dinner for a toddler who’s always hungry and because at the end of
the day, three adults who come home exhausted, wanting to be fed, and then go
up to clean rooms and fresh beds to sleep. I love putting my son to bed then
coming back down to clean my kitchen—yes,
my
kitchen—,
when the night is quiet and ready for the morning before I go to
bed and sleep next to the man I love.” She shrugged. “And if he wants sex, I’m
down for that too because this is my new life and I’m proud of it and myself.”

After a lengthy silence
of surprise Reno spoke. “She’s a great cook. You can find out for yourselves if
you stay for dinner. If you do, you are going to be pleasant or you might as
well leave my home this minute. Same goes for you, Jeb.”

“I’ll help.” Her
mother’s whispered response drew the attention of the entire room. She slowly
wiped her cheeks dry and gave Loraine a wobbly smile. “I haven’t seen the
inside of a kitchen in twenty years but I’m sure it’s just like riding a bike,
right?”

Loraine’s vision
blurred with tears, her jaws tightly clenched shut. She wasn’t going to do this
to herself again. Hope just because a little of the mother she knew peeked out
of the cell she was held in, only to have it shuttered. It hurt too much.

“I’m sure she would
like that, won’t you Lori?”

Loraine turned to Reno
who had moved back to stand between her and her father and Jeb. He smiled
tenderly at her, giving her an encouraging nod. Her right knee danced under her
as she allowed a lone tear to escape. The man was her rock. He made her feel
stronger with just a smile and a nod.

Loraine held out her
hand. “Come on, mom, we can decide on the menu while Reno gets Riana, Melody
and Amy from the resort. They can do the foot work as we order them around and
drink wine. Reno, would you have them here in an hour?”

It took fifteen minutes
there and back, it would have been even less if he’d had one of the resort drivers
bring them. But Loraine wanted a few minutes with her mother while she was
still herself before the house filled up with people and she would be forced to
revert to the character she’d been playing for twenty years.

He nodded, “On my way.”

Her mother smiled
taking Loraine’s hand, her first sincere smile in years and it made Loraine’s
heart swell. “Is it okay if I change into something more appropriate first?”