Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (25 page)

“
You working?
”
I ask, sitting down next to him.
 

“
Yeah, just going through emails. With the sale, everyone has a lot of questions.
”

“
What do they want to know?
”

“
Mostly, what
’
s next for the three of you.
”

“
And have you told them?
”

“
Not yet. But I at least wanted to reply.
”

I lower my voice.
“
Based on the way you
’
re ignoring Vanessa, I
’
m assuming you didn
’
t take my advice.
”

“
No, I didn
’
t. I think it
’
s best that we go our separate ways.
”

“
Why? She makes you fucking happy.
”

“
Speaking of fucking. If you love Ariela
—
which I know you do
—
why are you still fucking Shelby?
”

I shake my head.
“
Fuck if I know.
”

“
I do know, actually,
”
he tells me.
“
Because it
’
s easier to do that than risk your heart again.
”

The pilot lets us know we
’
re cleared for takeoff, so I go back to my seat next to Keatyn. Although I
’
d like to help my brother, all he
’
s going to do is turn it around on me. And I don
’
t need to deal with that right now.
 

We need to be celebrating.
 

Besides, we
’
ll be in Sonoma soon enough.
 

“
Whatcha reading?
”
I ask Keatyn, who is studying something on her phone.

She rolls her eyes and shows me an article.
 

The Triplets are Legal. The Triplets are Legal.

As if there are any men reading this who don
’
t already know.

But for those of you ladies who have been wondering why your man has been glued to the internet this morning, it
’
s because the world
’
s most beautiful triplets, Avery, Emery, and Ivery Stevens, daughters of Tommy Stevens and Abby Johnston, officially turned eighteen today.

Last night they celebrated in style with a swanky party attended by their celebrity friends, and those little minxes blessed their followers with numerous live party videos.
 

This trio is used to being in the spotlight. Not only do they have famous parents, but they are making names for themselves.

Avery has been juggling interning in the marketing department at Captive Films with designing clothes for the successful Stevens clothing brand. Emery has been gracing catwalks around the world, and Ivery is home for a short time before continuing her European music tour.
 

Now for the party details:

—
The girls made a big entrance, arriving in a pink helicopter decked out in tight club clothes and sky-high designer shoes.

—
Little sister, Gracelyn, danced all night with none other than the youngest Summer Boy crooner, Dylan, who posted a photo of the two of them kissing, causing thousands of teeny bopper hearts around the world to break.

—
Twenty-four-year-old bad boy rapper, Treska, who has been romantically linked to Emery
even though they say they are just friends, didn
’
t try to hide their relationship last night. The pair are clearly a couple who were just waiting for her birthday to make it official.

—
Ivery
spent the evening surrounded by her girl power posse, who posted most of the sexy pics and videos that set the male population a flutter.

—
The on and off again couple, Keatyn Douglas and Knox Daniels, showed up fashionably late together after attending a
Trinity
wrap party with the local crew.
 

 
—
And what did Daddy Stevens buy his now legal daughters? A trio of the megahot red
“
Rosso Bia
”
Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce. (Which for those of you who don
’
t speak Italian means, super fast and super expensive
—
to the tune of about a half million dollars apiece
—
along with a brand new Gulfstream jet for them to share.

P.S.
 
Can I just say that Tommy is one of those men who keeps getting sexier the older he gets. That little splash of grey at the temples. Meow. I’d totally go reverse cougar all over him.
 

P.P.S.
 
Speaking of that, I need to know how Abby Johnston always looks like she
’
s found the fountain of youth. Dealing with four high profile and successful teenaged daughters ought to give anyone a few wrinkles, but Abby seems to take it all in stride. Or else she
’
s got a really good plastic surgeon.

“
What upsets you about that? They wrote a similar article after your eighteenth.
”

“
Although I should be happy no one knows about the wedding and thinks Knox and I are together, I hate when they talk about me and Knox as a couple.
”

“
But for years, the two of you haven
’
t set the record straight because it was good for business.
”

“
I know. It
’
s hard sometimes, though.
”

I grab her hand.
“
Just think, tomorrow you are marrying the love of your life. And that
’
s all that matters.
”

She gives my hand a squeeze.
“
You
’
re right. That
’
s all that
’
s ever mattered.
”

Asher Vineyards
—
Sonoma County

DAWSON

Vanessa is in the kitchen helping Keatyn prepare a cheese tray for everyone to snack on. I don
’
t know what to do about her. I really don
’
t.
 

But I do know that I love her.
 

I should be a man. Talk to her.
 

But I don
’
t know what to say. Don
’
t know if she even wants to talk to me.
 

She looks up from what she
’
s doing and smiles in my direction. It
’
s a soft, sad smile.
 

And it wrecks me.
 

I catch her eye, nod my head in the direction of the room I
’
m staying in, and head that way
—
praying like hell she will follow.
 

When I open the door and turn around, I
’
m happy to find her standing alongside me. I smile and allow her to go in first.
 

She perches on the edge of the bed.
“
Hey,
”
she says.

“
Hey,
”
I say back.
 

“
Are you still mad at me?
”

“
I
’
m not sure what I am,
”
I answer honestly.

“
Dawson, will you let me explain about Bam? Like actually listen and try to understand?
”

I nod.
 

“
When we split, it devastated me. I couldn
’
t eat. Couldn
’
t sleep. Couldn
’
t work. I could barely get out of bed. Losing the baby and being told I couldn
’
t have more children broke me. To make matters worse, my husband was with another woman when it happened. He didn
’
t support me. Even though when it happened I swore I never wanted to see him again, there was a part of me that still loved him. That wanted him to come home, take me in his arms, and tell me it would be okay.
”

“
Which he finally did this week.
”

“
Two years too late. I
’
m sorry that I introduced you as my coworker and not my love. But you don
’
t know Bam. He
’
s used to getting what he wants. If he thought I was with someone else, it would only make him want me more.
”

I squint my eyes.
“
You don
’
t want to make him want you more?
”

“
No, I don
’
t. I
’
m glad that we got a divorce, and I have no desire to get back together with him.
”

“
I heard he proposed.
”

“
He did. And we had the most heartfelt conversation we
’
ve had in years. It was something that I needed.
”

“
Why?
”

“
So I could get some closure and truly move on. With you, I hope. I still want you and the girls to move in with me.
”

“
Vanessa, I love you, but I don
’
t think I
’
m the right guy for you. So, I think it
’
s best that we both cut our losses and move on.
”

“
Dawson, what aren
’
t you telling me? I know that you
’
re keeping something from me. You made me get naked, but I don
’
t think you have.
”

“
You don
’
t get it. I don
’
t want to talk about it. I don
’
t want to keep dredging up the past. I
’
m trying to get over it! I
’
ve been trying for two years to get over it!
”
I yell.
 

“
You
’
re upset just talking about talking about it. I need to know, Dawson. I need to understand.
”

“
Fine. You want the truth, here it is. Everything I have
—
the house, the car, the suits, the credit cards
—
isn
’
t mine. I
’
m broke. No retirement. No savings. Nothing. I couldn
’
t have moved here if it weren
’
t for Keatyn
’
s generosity. I couldn
’
t have even gotten a cheap apartment. I have no money. You have everything. And whatever you don
’
t have, Bam wants to give you.
”
Fuck. I can
’
t do this.
“
Not only can I not give you anything, you don
’
t fucking need anything. I have nothing to offer you.
”

“
Why don
’
t you have any money, Dawson?
”

I shake my head.
 

“
You made me get naked and tell you everything. What haven
’
t you told me? What did you do?
”

“
What did
I
do? Oh sure, it
’
s my fault. That
’
s exactly what everyone thinks. How did he not know? Easy. One day it was all there. The next day it was all gone. And within a few weeks, so was the guy she invested all our money with.
”
I bury my face in my hands.
“
And then she was dead. She fucking killed herself because she lost all our money and was afraid to tell me. Afraid to tell me she hadn
’
t made a house payment in months. That creditors were calling every day. She told me she made a bad investment, and we took a hit, but she said it would be fine. She lied.
”
I look up at her.
“
Just go, Vanessa. Please. I have nothing to offer you.
”