The Courtship Maneuver, Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Club BBW Romance) (18 page)

I
watched
the bride and groom spin around the dance floor, wide happy smiles on their faces, and leaned into Sam. After all the planning, it was wonderful to sit back and see Dylan and Leigha enjoy their wedding. Leigha and I had hit it off after that first dinner. About a week after we found Nolan, she’d called me to see if I wanted to get lunch. I’d said yes and together we had a blast.

I would’ve put up with her for Dylan’s sake even if I hadn’t liked her. But it made all of our lives so much easier once we discovered how well we got along. The only downside, and it was a small one, was that I got dragged into the wedding preparations. Leigha hadn’t expected Dylan to propose. It was funny since she said she hadn’t been surprised to see my engagement ring during that first lunch together. But as she’d pointed out, in his own way, Sam had been courting me for a long time.

She’d been thrilled about the idea of marrying Dylan, not so much about the wedding itself. Dylan had insisted on paying, since he was the one who wanted something big. And he’d hired the best wedding planner in Vegas to handle the details. I think the whole thing made Sam a little nervous. Sam was ready to get married, but like Leigha, he wasn’t all about a huge production.

Though Dylan usually gave Leigha everything she wanted, in this his mind could not be changed. He wanted everyone to know that she was his. And since his profile wasn’t exactly low, he couldn’t just show that with a huge ring, he had to throw the biggest party in town.

Sam and I had tentatively set a date after Sam proposed, but hadn’t gotten around to planning the details when Dylan gave Leigha her ring. It took about two weeks of exposure to the three ring circus Dylan had in mind before I brought up the wedding situation at dinner one night.

“I don’t want a wedding,” I’d said. Sam had looked up at me in shock. Echoing my frequent response to his crazy pronouncements, he’d said,

“What?”

Backpedaling, I explained, “No, no, I want to get married. I just don’t want a ‘wedding’.” I made air quotes with my fingers. “Do we have to? I know part of the whole thing with Dylan and Leigha has to do with his job, and the Delecta, and what everyone expects from them. But I don’t want all that. I just want to be your wife.”

Sam let out a breath and relaxed. “Oh thank God. I don’t want that either. I just want you in a beautiful dress, saying yes. And maybe some romantic candles and flowers and shit.”

Daniel had broken in, saying, “That’s all fine, but if you two think you’re getting married without me there, you’d better think again.”

Worried I’d hurt his feelings, I put my hand on his arm and assured him, “No, Daniel, not without you, that’s not what I meant. And I’d want to invite our close friends. I just mean something fun and small without a lot of planning. Maybe we could go somewhere. Like a resort on a beach. I’d love to get married on the beach at sunset and then have a party. And everybody else could go home and we’d have our honeymoon. Simple.”

And that’s exactly what we’d done. Before Dylan and Leigha had even chosen a venue, Sam and I had picked an intimate, luxurious resort in the Caribbean that had a fantastically organized event planner. All I had to do was pick a dress and show up.

We were married less than six weeks after Sam put his ring on my finger and it was everything I’d dreamed. Though the wedding was low-key, I chose a dress fit for a princess, with a huge tulle skirt and a corset bodice studded with crystals and pearls. Sam had worn a midnight navy-blue tuxedo, so dark it was almost black. With his tousled blond hair and blue eyes he’d been devastatingly handsome.

Our guests had dressed as they pleased, some in bare feet and tropical dresses, some decked out for a formal affair. We didn’t care. We had the sunset, and the beach, and each other. The only part that wasn’t absolutely perfect was Nolan.

He wasn’t at the wedding. We’d spoken over the phone, but I hadn’t seen him since that day in the warehouse and I didn’t know when I would. He seemed happy where he was, firmly ensconced in the middle of Tsepov’s criminal empire. He said he missed me, but apparently not enough to break away and start over.

I tried not to take it personally. As Sam had pointed out, and Axel backed him up, getting away from Tsepov would be dangerous. As long as Nolan was happy enough working for the man, he was safer staying put even if it meant he couldn’t see me. Since I wanted my brother alive more than I wanted him in my life, I tried to let it go.

Watching Dylan and Leigha dance, I slipped my hand into Sam’s and gave it a squeeze. I was keeping a secret, and I thought he suspected. I wouldn’t know for sure for another few days and I didn’t want to create a distraction from Dylan and Leigha’s big day. Sam was a smart guy. He was biding his time, waiting until I was ready. But I knew that he knew there was a reason I was drinking cider instead of champagne.

He leaned over to whisper in my ear, “This is a great party, but I’m so glad we ran away to get married.”

I whispered back, “Me too.”

In the back of the room I spotted something interesting and nudged Sam. “Look at that,” I whispered. “Did you ever think you’d see that happen?”

Sam followed my eyes to the back of the dance floor where Axel stood with his date, tucked behind an enormous potted plant. She was almost hidden from the rest of the room, though she was tall and striking enough to stand out, with her flame red hair and pale creamy skin. He held her in his arms as if she were the most fragile, precious creature in the world, his lips grazing her cheekbones gently before landing on her mouth. His mouth took hers with carnal abandon, falling so deeply into the kiss I wondered if he had forgotten where he was.

Pretending to fan myself, I grinned at Sam and said, “Oh, how the mighty fall. Remember when he swore he’d never fall in love?” It hadn’t been that long ago. In fact, he’d said it while laughing at Sam and Dylan as they’d debated some stupid detail about the wedding, promising that he would never be fool enough to get sucked in like his friends had. It was a good thing he hadn’t known the havoc his redhead would wreak in his life the day her file landed on his desk. If he had, he probably would have run in the other direction and the rest of us would have missed the show.

Sam grinned back. “I told you, it was just a matter of time. Eventually, if we’re lucky, love finds us all.”

He stood and pulled me to my feet, drawing me out onto the dance floor where the rest of the guests were joining Dylan and Leigha in their celebration.

“Dance with me, sweet Chloe,” he said.

I went to him with a smile, never happier than when I was in Sam Logan’s arms.

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“
H
ey
, Cami,” Ashley said, leaning over the counter of the nurses’ station. “It’s slow right now. Why don’t you go ahead and take your lunch break?”

Cami glanced at her watch and was surprised to find that it was already after noon. She was over halfway through her ten-hour shift and well past due for a break. The Emergency Room of Sacred Heart Hospital, where Cami Hendricks worked as a nurse, had been unusually busy for a Tuesday morning, and the time had gotten away from her.

“Sure,” Cami said with a smile, knowing that Ashley wouldn’t be able to take her own break until after Cami had returned from hers. “I won’t need the full half-hour. I’m just going to grab a snack and a protein bar.”

“No need to rush!” Ashley called from behind her as Cami made her way towards the staff locker rooms. “And you’ll need more than a protein bar to make it ‘til five. Take your time.”

Cami nodded absentmindedly before turning the corner. In the locker room, she grabbed her purse and immediately checked her phone. As a single mother of a three-year-old, Cami was always worried about her daughter. If it wasn’t against hospital policy, she’d keep her cell with her at all times in case of an emergency.

But for now, her mother knew the direct number for the ER nurses’ station, where Cami spent most of her time. If something went wrong at home, or there was any issue with her daughter Madison, Cami had no doubt that her mother would be able to easily contact her. Still, like any mother, she worried.

She smiled as she looked at the picture on her phone’s lock screen, a beautiful photo of Madison greeting her. The girl’s strawberry blonde hair was quite a bit lighter than Cami’s own fiery red, but the vibrant green eyes of her daughter matched her own, as did the mischievous smile of the three-year-old staring back at her. Every time Cami picked up her phone and looked at the picture, her heart lurched a little, swelling with pride and love. Before Madison, Cami hadn’t known that it was possible to love someone this much.

After smiling down at the picture for a moment, Cami swiped to unlock her phone. She couldn’t help but groan a little in frustration. Instead of any calls or texts from her mother—who often sent her picture messages of Madison throughout the day, even if Cami could only see them on her breaks—there were two missed calls and a text from her ex-husband, Ken.

Call me!
was all the text read. Cami rolled her eyes, really not wanting to deal with whatever the irresponsible bastard had to say during her short break. It was Ken’s turn to take Madison this Friday, and he was probably trying to get out of it. He only had her every other weekend, but he still ended up canceling half the time. As much as she didn’t want to talk to him now, Cami knew that if she waited until after her shift, she’d definitely be too tired to deal with his crap.

Instead of calling him back immediately, Cami made her way towards the cafeteria. Once she was armed with strong coffee and a protein bar, she found a secluded area outside to make the call. Steeling herself, and aided by a much-needed caffeine and sugar boost, she dialed the number of her ex.

“Hey, Cam,” Ken said instead of hello.

His voice was a little too chipper, and Cami immediately knew something was up. She also hated the intimate way he still referred to her, despite the hostile divorce. It was like the last two years had never happened.

“What’s so important, Ken?” Cami asked, not bothering to keep the exasperation out of her voice. “You need to make this quick. I’m on my break.”

“Do you have a moment to talk? If not, I can call back later. There are a few things I need to talk to you about.”

“I won’t have time after my shift,” Cami replied flatly. “I’ll be tired and I’ll have Madison. Just tell me whatever it is that you need to talk to me about so badly.”

“Okay, yeah,” Ken replied, but then said nothing else.

“Just spit it out, Ken,” Cami demanded, growing even more frustrated. Her break was dwindling, and she didn’t have time to waste on yet another bout of her ex’s shit.

“I just wanted to let you know—before you saw it on Facebook or something—that I asked Natalie to marry me last weekend. And she said yes.”

“Oh,” was all Cami could think of to say.

Ken had begun dating Natalie almost immediately after their split. In fact, Cami had a sneaking suspicion that he’d begun seeing the blonde even before Cami had finally left him.

Natalie was everything Cami was not. She was tall and thin, where Cami was short and voluptuous. While Cami had always been proud of her curves, Ken had often made comments about her needing to lose weight—especially after the birth of Madison. That was only one of many reasons why she’d eventually decided to divorce him. There had also been the drinking, the partying, and—if her suspicions were true—the cheating.

Still, Cami couldn’t help the small pang of jealousy creeping up her spine. It’s not like she wanted Ken back or anything. She was definitely happy to be rid of him. But he had so easily found someone new to warm his bed, while Cami hadn’t even been on a date in over a year. She loved Madison, and being a mother was her number-one priority. Yet she still yearned for someone to share her life with.

“So yeah,” Ken began after an awkward moment of silence. “I just thought you should know, since she’ll be a part of the family officially now. She’ll be Madison’s stepmom.”

That statement made Cami cringe. She didn’t want to imagine that woman having anything to do with Madison, much less being considered a parental figure.

“Well,” Cami replied curtly. “Congratulations. I wish you every happiness. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to my break.”

“Actually,” Ken replied. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about.”

“What?” Cami couldn’t keep the added level of annoyance out of her voice, but she really didn’t care.

“Natalie has put in a notice at her job,” Ken replied. “She wants to be a housewife.”

She just wants to live off your money
, Cami thought, but she didn’t say this aloud. If he wanted to marry a gold-digger, so be it. He was smart enough to make sure she wouldn’t get anything in the divorce—same as he had done to Cami. Four years of marriage, and Cami had walked away with a menial monthly child support payment and no spousal support. That’s what happens when your husband comes from a family full of lawyers and has unlimited funds, all while you can barely afford the cheapest lawyer in the phone book.

“Good for her,” is all Cami said in reply.

“So we were thinking,” Ken continued, “since you work so much, and Natalie is going to be a homemaker, Madison could spend more time with us. In fact, I was thinking that it would make more sense if we took over primary custody.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Ken had never really seemed to be all that interested in more custody than he already had. In fact, it was often difficult to get him to keep Madison on the weekends he was already scheduled to have her. And now, he was expecting to take over primary custody.

Cami couldn’t help but laugh: it had to be a joke.

“It’s not funny,” Ken replied. “I’m serious.”

“Ken, there is no way you could handle any more custody than you already have. And there is absolutely no way I am giving up primary custody of Madison.”

“You don’t get to decide that on your own,” Ken replied. His friendly tone was gone, and he was beginning to sound angry.

“No, Ken, the lawyers decided that during the divorce. And you agreed upon it.”

“Yeah, well that was then. This is now. Natalie will be a stay-at-home mom. That’s what Madison needs. It’s more than you can provide for her.”

“You have no idea what Madison needs!” Cami was nearly shouting now and she saw a few heads turn towards her in the courtyard. She swallowed and continued in a calmer, quieter tone. “Ken, where is this even coming from? I can’t even get you to keep your scheduled time with Madison. Why are you asking for more now?”

“Things are different now. Natalie and I are getting married. We’re going to be a family.”

“That’s awesome,” Cami replied sarcastically. “Start your own family.”

“We can’t,” he said quietly. “Natalie can’t have kids.”

Cami knew that she probably should have felt bad at hearing such a revelation, but instead she was incensed.

“So what?” she asked, voice rising again. “You think you can just take
my
daughter away from me to play house with? That’s not going to happen.”

“Yes, it will,” Ken voice was forceful and confident. It made Cami cringe. “I was hoping we could work this out like adults, but obviously you’re being too immature.”

“
I’m
being immature?” Cami gasped. “You’re the one that thinks he can just decide to take my daughter away from me.”

“Think about this rationally,” Ken said. “Natalie and I can give her things you can’t. You work ten-hour shifts at the hospital. You barely ever see her as it is.”

“That’s not true,” Cami snapped. “I only work those long shifts so I have three days off a week to spend with Madison. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t have the slightest clue what Madison needs.”

“I know she needs security. I can provide that for her. Natalie and I can. We can provide for her.”

“I’m providing for her just fine, no thanks to you!”

“Like I said, Cam, I was hoping to do this like civilized adults, but it is obvious that it’s not going to happen, so I’ll have my lawyer contact your lawyer. We’ll have a sit-down sometime next week. If it has to go before a judge, so be it. I
will
be getting custody of my daughter.”

Cami felt nauseated. Angry tears were sliding down her face, and she extended her hand to hold the phone away from her, so that Ken wouldn’t be able to hear her distress. She knew that if Ken insisted on taking this to court, he would most likely win. He had money. He had fancy lawyers. Cami didn’t even have a lawyer of her own. She could look up the lawyer she’d used during the divorce, but that idiot hadn’t been much help then and she couldn’t risk losing now.

Absentmindedly, Cami realized that Ken was still talking. She gently pushed the phone back against her ear.

“…that would be easiest. Just give me the name of your lawyer. I can have Gil get in touch with him directly, since you obviously can’t handle this yourself.” Cami cringed, both at the thought as well as the mention of Gil Dubois, Ken’s lawyer and an old friend of the family. He had been the one to make sure that Cami walked away from the divorce with absolutely nothing.

“I don’t have that information on me,” Cami replied, making sure her voice sounded even and calm, though she felt anything but. “I’ll have to get back to you with that.”

“That’s fine. I’ll get it from you when I pick up Madison this weekend.”

With that, Ken hung up. Cami appreciated that he hadn’t tried to say goodbye or feign any sort of niceties. He’d made his intentions clear. He wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

Cami stared down at her phone until the lock screen reappeared, along with the green-eyed, freckled face of Madison. No matter what, she couldn’t lose her daughter. She didn’t know how yet, but she would find away to fight.