The Billionaire's Final Stand (36 page)

              Joseph had trouble speaking, his throat sore from non-use, but as the day wore on, he was picking up strength. Because of the physical therapists, who’d been working his muscles daily, he wouldn’t be wheelchair bound when he climbed from the bed.

              The doctor warned him not to exert himself too much, though. It would take a while before he was climbing up and down stairs and running around. Joseph didn’t care. He only cared that he was awake. He and Katherine couldn’t take their eyes or hands off each other.

              “Congratulations, brother. I’m so happy for you,” Joseph said with a smile.

              “Thank you, Joseph. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up. We’d like to have a small ceremony here, where we met for the first time,” George told him.

              “I think that’s perfect. Now, are you sure about the small ceremony…”

              “Joseph Anderson, don’t you try and railroad me like you do your kids. I’m an old man, who’s lived a full life. I want a simple ceremony with my beautiful bride. She wants the same,” George said.

              “Can you get me drink?” Joseph asked in a weak voice.

              “Don’t you think that sick card will work on me either, Joseph. I’m not changing my mind. A small ceremony, do you hear me?” George said with a smile.

              “Fine, I get it,” Joseph grumbled, his voice stronger.

              “That’s what I thought,” George said, chuckling.

              Once Esther joined them, the three planned a simple ceremony that had Joseph grumbling here and there, but he didn’t fight them too much.

              George was thrilled that in two weeks, Esther would be his wife. He needed nothing more than that.

Chapter Twenty

              Kinsey gazed at the pregnancy test, looking back and forth from it to the box it had come in, then re-reading the instructions. She looked at the two other tests next to it, as well. All of them with the same answer. Her eyes spilled over as the results were irrefutable in front of her.

              She needed Cassie.

              Cassie would tell her it was okay. Tell her she wasn’t alone. She’d be there for her no matter what. Kinsey didn’t know what she wanted any more. She was certainly surprised by her reaction.

              She laid her head on the table and cried, then laughed, then cried some more. Maybe she was losing her mind. It sure felt like it.

              After a half hour she picked up the phone.

              “Can you meet me?”

              “Where?”

              Cassie didn’t need an explanation. The emotion in Kinsey’s voice was all it took for her to drop whatever she was doing and agree to meet. Kinsey named a park about halfway between them, then put on her coat and walked out the door. She wiped her tears as she climbed behind the wheel of her car and went on autopilot as she drove across town.

              She arrived first and sat down on a bench, the tests once again clutched in her hand.

              Cassie joined her a few minutes later, sitting down without saying a word. Kinsey handed her the three tests, and Cassie looked at them, then at Kinsey’s face with worried eyes.

              “How are you feeling? Are we happy? Upset? Relieved? What should I be doing right now, because I can’t tell,” Cassie finally said.

              “I’m… confused. I thought… I thought this is what I wanted, but as I took test after test, I found myself… sad,” Kinsey said as a few tears fell.

              “I understand, Kinsey. You’ve thought for a couple months that a baby could be growing inside you. Your child. Now that you know you’re not pregnant, it’s like losing that child you’ve come to expect. It’s devastating,” Cassie reassured her.

              “But… I’m not married. I have no reason to be upset. I should be jumping up and down with joy. I know after I have time to think about it, I’ll realize that. I just… I don’t even know,” Kinsey said with confusion.

              “Everything happens for a reason. Maybe this happened so you’d know how you really feel. Maybe you don’t want to be as independent as you’ve been telling yourself. Have you thought about the fact that it wasn’t just your baby you were learning to care about – but also Austin’s.”

              “There is no baby, Cass,” Kinsey said, as if she needed to say it again.

              “What’s going on with you and Austin?”

              “I don’t know. We had a small fight the night of my attack, then he stayed the night with me. But in the morning he was gone. He walked away and hasn’t been back,” Kinsey said in a choked sob, pain seeping inside her. She should call, but she had too much pride. She figured she’d told him
no
one too many times, and he’d decided to listen.

              “Oh my gosh, you’re in love with him, aren’t you,” Cassie gasped.

              “Yes,” Kinsey admitted. There was no point in lying to her best friend.

              “Then you need to go to him. Let him help you through this, hold you until the tears dry. Don’t be so afraid of being hurt that you actually hurt yourself more,” she said as she took Kinsey’s hand in hers.

              “It was a game, Cass. That’s all. I ran away, probably the first girl to ever do so to him. Then he chased me. We had amazing, oh-my-gosh, sex, he restored his manhood, and now he’s gone,” Kinsey said, feeling like a fool.

              “I think you may be underestimating him. Give him a chance. If you do, I think you could find more happiness than you ever imagined before. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from listening to Joseph and Katherine’s love story, it’s that time is too precious to waste.”

              “I don’t know, Cass. I just need to think. My emotions are all over the place right now, and I don’t want to do anything I’m going to regret later.”

              “Maybe the two of you just need a little helpful nudging,” Cass threatened.

              “Cassie, don’t you dare interfere, do you hear me? I swear on our pinkie swear oath in grade school, that I’ll hunt you down,” Kinsey said, her eyes narrowing.

              “Kinsey…”

              “You promise me right now, Cass,” Kinsey demanded.

              “I just want you to be happy. You know I love you,” Cassie hedged.

              “Cassandra, you better promise me,” Kinsey threatened.

              “Fine,” Cassie snapped, her eyes narrowing.

              It wasn’t until Kinsey was on her way back home that she realized Cassie hadn’t promised. Her stomach turned over with nerves. Cass wouldn’t do anything. It was always friendship first, men second. Her day had been exhausting and she just couldn’t think about it any longer, so she pushed it from her mind.

              She pulled into her apartment complex and walked to her unit. She shut the door and looked around, feeling more alone than she ever had before.

              Joseph was better now and didn’t need a nurse at home. As she’d left the mansion, she’d had to fight back tears, knowing she’d miss the bustle always going on in the large place. She’d grown attached being there, loving her time of taking care of him. She was very happy he was better, though.

              She looked at her calendar and realized it was George’s wedding night with Esther. Of course she’d been invited, but she couldn’t go, not when she was crying every ten minutes. Seeing Austin and not being able to talk to him would be too much.

              Kinsey’s eyes grew heavy and exhaustion overtook her while she climbed into her bed and fell asleep. She had time to figure it out later.

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

              “I can’t believe dad’s getting married today. It’s so weird,” Trenton exclaimed.

              “I know what you mean. I’m happy for him, really happy, but it seems so strange. Especially the fact that he’s acting like a teenager,” Max said.

              “I think it’s incredibly romantic. Esther’s been blushing all morning,” Bree added.

              “Yeah, it’s great. I haven’t seen dad this happy in a long time. Moving back here was a really good thing. All of you getting married, now dad, too. What the heck? I guess we’re grown up, now” Austin said.

              “What do you mean,
we
. I don’t see a ring on your finger,” Trenton said.

              “Yeah, whatever.”

              Austin hadn’t seen Kinsey in weeks, but couldn’t get her off his mind. When he hadn’t heard anything from her by last week, he figured he had his answer on whether or not she was pregnant. He knew if she were, she’d call him, she’d promised. What really surprised him was the disappointment hanging heavily over him like a dark rain cloud getting ready to pour.

              How could he possibly feel as if he’d lost something that he never had to begin with? It didn’t make any sense.

              “Austin Anderson, who the heck do you think you are? Seriously? Are you God’s gift to women, Mr. love em and leave em? Huh! What do you have to say for yourself?” Cassie thundered as she stomped into the room, fire burning in her eyes.

              “What did I do?” he asked, taking a step back. His sister-in-law was frightening in a temper. He had new respect for his brother.

              “Sweetie, what’s this about?” Max asked as he stepped toward her.

              “Don’t you
sweetie
me, Max,” she snapped, stopping him in his tracks. Then she turned back to Austin. “
What did I do?
Really? Kinsey isn’t some cheap two-dollar-hooker. She’s a lady. She’s beautiful, compassionate, fun and freaking fantastic. You were lucky enough to have her fall in love with you, and you think you can just throw that away?” Cassie snapped, stepping up to him, her hands on her hips as her toe tapped.

              Austin was speechless as the room went silent. He’d never seen Cassie throw a fit before and it was impressive, but her words were what muted him.

              Kinsey loved him.

              Love.

              His mind whirled as he thought about the girl he couldn’t forget no matter how hard he tried. Her smile, laugh, temper, passion. All of it was intoxicating. He wanted to be with. Not for just a night, or even a week, but he
really
wanted to be with her. The
have and to hold
kind of being together. He wanted to see her walk down the aisle to him, where they said vows and then kissed in front of their friends and family. He wanted to claim her as his forever. He couldn’t let her go… he was in love with her.

              “I love her,” he muttered.

              “Well, hallelujah, he finally admits it,” Trenton said with a laugh as he thumped him hard on the back.

              He looked up in surprise, forgetting about his family standing there. Cassie was looking at him with suspicion in her eyes, but at least the raging anger was gone. His face turned up in a huge smile as he reached out and lifted Cassie off the ground, spinning her in a circle.

              “I love her. I really do!” he shouted, then gave Cassie a smacking kiss on the forehead before setting her down. “Thank you, Cassie. I have to see her.” He turned to leave when Max grabbed his shoulder.

              “Hold up, Romeo,” he said, but the smile on his face was proud.

              “What?”

              “Do you really think the best idea is to ambush her?”

              “Yes!”

              “Do you honestly think she’s going to let you in to her apartment? She thinks you just want sex, that’s all, nothing but steamy, erotic sex,” Cassie said.

              Austin shifted uncomfortably as all eyes focused on him. He couldn’t even look his sister-in-law in the face. What had Kinsey told her?

              “Oh, get over yourself. All women talk, so yes, I do know…a lot,” Cassie said.

              Austin lost the battle with his embarrassment and felt his cheeks grow warm. He didn’t understand women. He’d never, in a million years, want to know about any of his siblings’ sex lives. That would scar him forever.

              “You need a plan of action. First hurdle. How are you going to get her to let you in?” Trenton asked as if he spoke from experience.

              “I don’t know. I’ll knock,” Austin said with a shrug. His answer made them laugh.

              “You poor, clueless man. It’s a good thing we’re here for you,” Bree said as she smiled at him to take any sting from her words. He was beginning to feel tag teamed.

              “You really do love her?” Cassie asked as she looked him deep in the eyes.

              He felt no panic at her question, zero hesitation.

              “Yes, I do, Cass. I have since the day she took my breath away at your wedding. I just couldn’t admit it. I guess I’m not much different than these idiots,” he said, looking around at the men in the room, who at least had the decency to shift uncomfortably as his words hit close to home.

              “Okay then. Here’s the key to her place. If you hurt her, I’ll have your brothers tie you down on top of an ant hill while I pour honey on you,” she threatened.