Romance: Bad Boy Romance: Rough Play - A British Football Romance (Alpha Male Romance) (New Adult Sports Romance) (24 page)

They all had offers for the property, and
he, of course,
accepted the largest which was over a billion dollars.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; I didn’t imagine there was that much oil beneath his farm.

I started feeling guiltier after he accepted the offer.  He didn’t even mind selling the old ranch house.  The small house that I’d come to know and love.

If I didn’t tell him the truth soon, I had a feeling that I would never get the chance.  With the deals all signed and done, I asked him if he had
a chance for
us to be alone.

We met in the
barn
a bit later.

“Mike, I don’t know why I waited this long, but
I
have something incredibly important I have to tell you.”

He nodded, there was a giant smile shot across his face that probably wouldn’t go anywhere anytime soon, or so I thought.

“Mike, I’m pregnant, only a couple months now,” I said after a long sigh.

Mike turned in place, started to pace around the doorway to the barn.

“Are you serious?  You waited until now to tell me?”

I nodded.

“Do you know how bad this sounds?”

“What are you trying to say, Mike,” I asked.

“You had so long to tell me, how long have you known?”

I couldn’t look him in the eye.

“More than a month,” I squeaked out.

He smacked his hand against his face in annoyance.

“You know what, I doubt you were ever going to tell me.  I know I’m not father material.  I could
tell
you just wanted to sleep with me, and then you were just going to move on again just like you did before.  You just can’t seem to stand and face your
own
problems.”

I held back the tears as best I could,
I
couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“That’s mean, Mike.”

“You’re damn right it’s mean,” he replied, “you’re having a
baby,
and now you’re lording it over me after I make a deal for the largest sum of money I’ll ever see in my life.  I bet now you’re going to ask for half of it just because I happened to sleep with you.”

I couldn’t stand the scrutiny, so I ran from the barn and headed toward the ranch house.

I charged up the stairs and into my room where I had my bag already packed from before.  I threw a few other things inside before running out the door.

Buck waited outside.

“You
takin’
off, Jennie?” he said,
simply
.

“I won’t stay where
I’m not wanted
, Buck,” I replied.

“
Me
and Larry want you here,” he said.

“Well, the owner doesn’t want me anywhere near this place.  And, I’m obliged to listen to him.”

I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.  I liked Buck, the way he always knew how to state things just right, and the way he would always help out when you needed it.

“Listen,
Jennie, you get lost out in the world, you know you always got a home here.  We aren’t
goin’
anywhere,
ya
hear?”

I nodded and started hiking down the road.  It was probably a
two-hour
walk into town, but that wasn’t anything to
worry about
. 
At least,
I wouldn’t have to listen to Mike judge my every move and accuse me of wanting his money. 

The time passed
slowly,
and I took the time to gather my thoughts.  I didn’t
want
to return home, there was nothing for me there, and I had no interest in going back to that situation.

I wanted so badly for things to work out with Mike.  But, the more I thought about it, the harder it was for me to keep my thoughts straight. 

I took the first bus that left town, which led me further west.  I felt like I was just running away from my problems, but I couldn’t think of anything else to do.  There was nothing left for me here, nor was there anything left in the city.

I wondered where I would end up.

5.

Three months
passed,
and I found myself a place to work.  I started a waitress job at a diner
at
the other side of the state.  The work was simple and kept me
busy,
so I never had time to think about much else.  I didn’t mind that at all.

I’d sometimes catch a man in a hat that looked similar, but looking closer would prove it wasn’t.  I just kept smiling through the pain and trying my best to let it all pass.

Then I worked one Sunday
morning,
and a well-dressed man sat at the end of the bar reading his newspaper.  I sidled up.

“What can I get you,” I asked.

“Cup of coffee, if you don’t
mind,
” he replied.

I recognized the voice.  It was gruff but still sounded young. 

“Mike?” I asked.

He lowered the newspaper and had a big smile shooting across his face again.

“You’re a hard woman to track down,” he said.

“I don’t like being found,” I replied.

I started walking
away,
but he held out a hand to stop me.

“I just want to talk,” he said.

“That depends on which one of you is doing the talking, is it the kind man I fell in love with, or the rich man that brushed me off.”

He leaned forward in his seat.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about a lot of things while you were gone,” he started, “watching my family home get demolished opened my eyes.  I
started
to wonder what was going to leave me
next,
and
sure enough,
Buck and Larry found better jobs elsewhere.”

I nodded and leaned over the counter.

“I got nothing left that I recognize, Jennie.  And, I miss those simple days.  Waking up with the sunset to feed the pigs, and milk the cows.  Going for a long ride on my family farm in the afternoon, stopping off for a swim at the old pond, these were reasons for living.”

His tone was becoming a lot more somber as he continued.

“Money… changes people.  I started seeing things that weren’t there and
pushing
away everyone I cared about.”

It was surprisingly dead in the diner
for
a Sunday morning.

“Then I found this.”

He slapped a newspaper down on the table in front of him.  My photo was plastered all over it; it was something I tried my hardest to forget.

“You’re a riddle, Jennie.  I can’t figure you out.  I wanted to think that I
did
and that I might be able to get things back to the way they were.  Why didn’t you tell me where you came from, I wouldn’t have treated you any differently.”

I sighed.

“Listen,
Mike, I wanted to tell you every day, but I also didn’t want that life.  They were forcing me into a marriage, and I won’t marry someone I barely know.”

“Jennie, you’re a character.  You have all this money and
opportunity,
and you decide that it would be better to walk away and live on a farm?”

I giggled at the thought.

“Jennie, I love you.  You mean the world to me.  I can’t think of what my life would be like without you and the baby in it.  If you don’t want me in your life then that’s your choice, I’m not your family, I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to.  But, if there’s a slight possibility that you’d be interested in spending your life with me, you’d make me the happiest man alive.”

I looked at him, tears starting to well up behind my eyes again; he still was the best man that I knew.

“When you marry for money, you marry for the wrong reasons.  I don’t want a dime of your fortune, Mike.  I never did.  You just wouldn’t listen to me when I was talking.”

Mike lowered his head, a bit defeated.  Then two large hands patted him on the
back;
Larry and Buck were regulars on Sunday morning, I just didn’t want to tell Mike.

“Guys,” he said, “I can’t believe you two are here right now.”

They all embraced each other in a hug.

“We both knew that you and Jennie were shacking up whenever you went into town.  It’s not that hard to figure out, and neither of you did a good job of hiding it,” Buck said.

“We weren’t looking for a bunch of
money,
we just wanted to work with you again, Mike.  I am not looking for a free meal, I’m
lookin’
for a good job,” Larry added.

I walked around the diner countertop and joined the group.  Mike pulled me in for a warm embrace in the
odd
group and let out a laugh.

“So, does this mean we’re all getting’ back together?” he asked.

“Only under one condition,” I said.

I whispered in Mike’s ear, and I think he got it because he pulled out his phone and started making calls right away.

It was maybe a week later when we all met up again. T
his time,
Mike picked me up in the same old truck we had driven into town before.  I sat in the same seat I always had, with the same tears covered in tape. 

I could see the small house off
in
the horizon.  The white dot in the middle of a vast landscape, with a barn sitting off to the side, invited me closer. 

The house looked identical to the old ranch house we’d spent so much
time in
. 
Except everything was newer. The walls were finally repainted, the leaks in the roof were covered, and I couldn’t have been happier.

I was finally home.

*****

THE END

The Russian’s Secret Love Child – Tyra’s Story

A BWWM Billionaire Pregnancy Romance

''It's okay, Tyra, hold on to me,'' Natalie said as Tyra collapsed into her arms.

Father Smith had told me it would be like this, Tyra thought. But which of the emotions had he meant? The Grief or the guilt? Tyra was experiencing both. Two of the most powerful human emotions were wracking through her at will.

''Tyra, we're so sorry for your loss.'' Tyra lifted her head from Natalie's shoulder. It was
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Radley Samuels, Tyra's boss and his wife.

''Thank you for coming. I
really
appreciate it.'' Tyra didn't think she could speak, but the words came out somehow. Natalie handed her another tissue and for a
moment,
Tyra could see clearly again. She looked to her left and saw a line of mourners waiting to express their condolences to her.

''If only I hadn't been so selfish,'' Tyra said to Natalie as they walked up the cemetery path. It had taken an eternity to work
through
the line of those seeking to express their condolences and Tyra was exhausted. ''It was
foggy,
and I knew dad didn't want to drive that day. It was me. Me moaning that they hadn't been to see me in my new home in the city. Lord knows, I think I even suggested they weren't interested in me anymore.'' She held onto Natalie again as another insufferable wave of guilt rammed at her. ''No, I killed them. Dad would never have taken
mom
out in the car on a day like
normally
.'' Natalie didn't know how to comfort her friend. They were both just
twenty-three
and
beginning
to make their way in the world. Losing parents
wasn't
supposed to happen until later in life.

*****

Three weeks after the funeral, Tyra stood outside the jewelry store on Wes
t 47th Street and looked at it, really looked
at it, for the first time. I've been working here for seven months, and this is the first time I've properly taken the place in, she thought.
Grief-stricken
and riddled with
guilt;
she felt her senses had become sharper since the passing of her parents. It was as if someone was making her take notice of the world. Making her appreciate what can so easily be torn away from you, in an instant.

West 47th Street was full of jewelry shops, but none as grand as J.P Samuels. They might as well have called it, '
Jewelers to the rich and famous,'
she thought. For that's what it was. A place where the rich came to gorge on expensive stones. The front of the store was imposing. Between the cleanest store windows in New York, there were columns of polished black granite. The entrance was in the middle of the
store
and it
too
was surrounded by shiny black stone. The door itself
was made
of
bulletproof
, reinforced glass. What Tyra liked best about the facade was the sign. It
was made
of copper and ran the length of the store. The background was dark and the letters that had
been forged
onto
it
were
polished
and stood out better than any other letters on the street.

''Welcome back Tyra.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mom and dad,'' Leon said.
''
Thanks,
Leon. It's very brave of you to say so.'' She'd found that most people just turned away from her, not knowing what to say. Not Leon. It was his job to stand inside the door and keep out the undesirables. He was perfectly equipped to do so at six feet seven and two hundred and fifty pounds, but it involved hours standing in the same place, day after day.

''Tyra, my girl,'' Radley Samuel's said. He'd been waiting for her.
Normally,
he didn't stand in the shop.

He had others to do that for him. His job was managing the business
that
his grandfather had started. ''Come with me.''

Tyra followed him through the store. They walked past glass cabinets filled with beautiful necklaces, rings, bracelets,
earrings,
and watches. At the back of the
store
, they went through a door and down a corridor. The first door on the right led to a security room. Tyra had never been in the
room,
but she had seen inside
once
when the door had been open. It was full of monitors and the latest lock down systems. It was all
hi-tech,
and she had no idea about any of it.

Radley pushed open the first door on the left and showed her into his office. How can anyone spend hours in an office with no daylight?
she
wondered. There were pictures of his ancestors on one wall and a giant
flora
vase in the corner. What she liked most about his office was the carpet. It was
deep
red with the company crest woven into it.

''Tyra, please sit down.'' He pointed to a button backed armchair
that
stood in front of his mahogany desk. ''I want you to tell me how you are feeling. You've been through a
lot,
and I want to make sure
you’re
feeling up to working again.'' I wish I had a daughter like her, she's so graceful and kind, yet determined and motivated, he thought.

''Well, honestly speaking, I'm still feeling awful.'' You can tell him
everything;
he cares for you, she
told
herself as a moment of doubt crept into her mind. ''I weep a lot, especially in the evening and I feel guilty.
So guilty.''
She noticed how closely he was listening to her. The furrows on his forehead were
deep
with concern for
her,
and his eyes were looking directly into hers, seeking any sign that a return to work may be too early.

''There is nothing I can say to you that will make you feel better. All I can do is tell you what happened to me when my son
was killed
.'' Killed? I didn't know he'd had a son, she thought. The thought that someone close to her had also suffered such a loss made her feel better.

''My son was only nineteen. He was studying business at New York University and working here
at
the weekends.'' He stopped talking for a moment, took out a white handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his forehead. Tyra knew him to be
fifty-nine
. He was quite tall and
very thin
. It was as if he was so involved in his business he forgot to eat.

He looked at her with a pained expression as he continued. ''One morning, he left home to go to college, and he never came back again. A man who had been drinking all
night
decided to get into his
car
and drive to the girlfriend he had left for dead in her apartment the previous evening. When he fell asleep at the wheel, it was my son he hit.'' Tyra noticed a crack in his voice. ''Walking down the street minding his own business.'' He took the handkerchief and blew his nose.

''Oh my God, that's awful,'' Tyra put her hand to her mouth.

He nodded. Perhaps I shouldn't have burdened her with this, he thought. ''
At first,
everything was a blur. It was only after the funeral had taken place that it
really
hit me. After the funeral, everyone seems to disappear. All the kind words and supporting arms are no longer there. You are suddenly alone.'' He ran his hand through his thinning gray hair and looked towards a photo on his desk. Tyra couldn't see who it was. She assumed his son.

''The
Undertaker
had warned me about it. A deep hole, he'd called it, and I fell into it.'' When he
paused,
Tyra thought about where she was mentally and recognized what he was describing. ''The
Undertaker
also explained that there is something called the cycle of grief. You go through stages of grief, and if you are lucky, eventually come out the other end. The last stage is called the acceptance
stage
. You stop all the blaming and come to terms with what's happened.
Of course,
you're still
sad,
but it gets easier.''

''It's very kind of you to tell me this. I had no idea. I was afraid I would have this level of pain for the rest of my life.'' Tyra looked at her hands. Her nails used to be so manicured, she thought.

''When I employed you, Tyra, I saw something in you. You are one of life's
good
people. I can see you care about people. When you talk to
clients,
you are patient, and most importantly, you listen to them. Did you know I have no relatives?''

Tyra shook her head.

''No.''

''Well, I don't. Not one, and no friends. There's only my wife and me.'' He looked at her, and wondered what he was about to say, would do to her. ''I am going to leave the business to you.'' He stared at her, not wanting to miss her reaction.

''Pardon?' Tyra said. She wasn't really in the mood for jokes.

''I am going to leave the business to you,'' he repeated.

What the hell is he
playing at
? This isn't funny, doesn't he know I've just buried my parents. She went to stand
up,
but he put up his hand and stopped her.

''For the last time, Tyra. You will inherit this business.'' Someone knocked on the
door;
it was his wife. ''Tell her Eliana, she doesn't believe me.''

''How are
you,
Tyra? We are
very worried
about you?'' she said ignoring her husband's plea for help.

''I've been better.'' What are they playing at, surely Jewish people don't give things away like this, she
thought?

''My husband, as you know, isn't given to pranks. We have decided to leave it to you.
Of course,
you are young, and you have only just started in the business, but we see you have got what it takes.'' She put her hand on Tyra's shoulder and looked her into her eyes. ''You are
intelligent,
and you have an enormous appetite for the business. We have never seen anyone with your enthusiasm. We are both sixty next year and all we have done with our lives is sit in this store.'' She looked at her husband and gave him
an assertive
nod. ''In five years time, we will retire and travel. You will take over as
manager,
and when we die, it will all be yours. Take the time between now and then to learn all you can about the business.''

''Are you okay to come back to work?'' Radley asked. Tyra looked at him and burst into tears. It was a gesture so
great
that
her
emotions overflowed.

Eliana sat on the chair arm and put her arm around her. ''You have been through a lot, but you have us, and we will help you all we can.''

*****

Tyra started up
Google
and typed in:
'The Hope Diamond'
She read: Value $350 million dollars, 45
karats
, 9.1 grams. ''Three hundred and fifty million dollars,'' she whispered under her breath.

She and Radley had agreed that she would work in the shop four days a week and spend the other two days shadowing him. He' made a list of things he had to teach her.
He
hadn't realized how long the list would prove to be. One thing he couldn't teach her was diamond cutting. While he was an expert at grading and valuing gems, he'd never enjoyed using tools. Tyra had told him that she'd go to college in her own time and learn.

''How do you like your desk?'' Radley asked as he poked his head into her new office. Tyra wondered if the room had been intended as a broom cupboard when the place
was built
, but she didn't want to complain. She was grateful it had a window and more than
grateful
that the Samuels had seen so much potential in her.

''Lovely thanks. I was just looking up information on the Hope Diamond. It
really
is quite spectacular.''

He stepped into the office and looked at the picture
with
her. ''It sure is. One of the best diamonds in the world and it's coming here. I can't quite believe it.''

''Neither can I.'' She'd never heard of the program called,
'Diamonds for All.'
It was an initiative set up by the National Association of Jewelers, with the aim of bringing famous diamonds to places where the public go and see them. Based on reputation, Radley had been asked if he would like to house the Hope Diamond when it came to New York. His store had the best security of any in the
city,
and it had
a strong
room big enough to house a large show cabinet, four security
men,
and the viewing public.