Chapter 7 #2
“Of course, you have it covered.” She needed to remember she was dealing with a billionaire.
Beyond his acting career, he was an investor in prestigious film schools, gaming studios, international film productions, and talent agencies.
He also owned the rights to a couple of blockbuster films. And he partnered with nonprofits to create documentaries.
The list went on, but she still saw him as the handsome boy who’d never acted snobby, a boy noncommittal in relationships.
“Seems you have no one else to blow money on, but me?”
“Do I sense sarcasm?” The corners of his lips curled.
She bit her lower lip to hide her smile. “I can’t take Bella to a bridal shop, and my dad needs someone to remind him to use his walker.” Wade had been generous to offer caregiving for Dad, but they’d need to make those arrangements after the weekend.
“My mom wants to come and watch Bella.” He clattered a dumbbell back to its rack, his movements smooth and assured. “Just let her know, and she’ll take the time off.”
“I can’t have your mom take time off work.” Regina Stone’s dedication to the hospital as a children’s counselor was important.
“She insisted, actually. Oh, and Joy and Eric said their kids would love to have a baby around… I also spoke to the director of Hearts at Hand.”
“Liberty Solace?” Claire clarified. “I met her and her husband at one of your family reunions.”
“Yeah, she and Bryce are friends of the family.”
“You managed to arrange all that today?” With Wade, apparently, help was just a call away. She couldn’t staunch her awe. He did this in less than four hours?
“Family is important. Bella and you are a part of that family.”
The conversation drifted toward setting a wedding date and other logistics.
“Oh, I’ll also make arrangements with a local medical company to deliver portable oxygen so those wires don’t snake through the house.”
With so much to take in, she had to clarify the main subject matter. “What date did we decide is good for the wedding again?”
He tilted his head. “We’re working with a tight window. But if we’re going to convince the court, sooner is better. Two Saturdays from now okay?”
Was that enough time to convince Dad she was dating? “I can’t tell Dad this is for show. I don’t want to further confuse him.”
Wade’s gaze softened, understanding flickering in his eyes. “We can make it real enough, Cupcake.” His voice dropped, low and steady in whispered promise. “Do you have any idea where you’d like the wedding to be?”
She scratched her head. While she’d dreamed of a wedding, it had only been her handsome prince. Now, if she married Wade, her dream would be true. “I don’t care. Any location is fine.”
“Would it be all right if we had the wedding at The Peak?” His parents’ home where he grew up was like a dream wedding event venue. “Makes it easy to pull off a last-minute event. Plus, the fewer people who know the full story, the better. At least until after the wedding.”
Her stomach twisted. “You’re doing all this for Bella, and you haven’t even seen her recently. Maybe if you saw her, you’d understand what you’re committing to.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, tension in his jaw. “If it helps, I’ll come by and see her before we make any public appearances… as a couple.”
“Public appearances?”
“My PR advisor thinks it best for us to have a public engagement. A few pictures, maybe a small announcement before our ‘whirlwind romance’ becomes official.”
“Wow, things move fast in LA. Where did you get time to do all these things?”
“I have a team.”
Sure. She should know. Again, they lived very different lifestyles, his wealthy, hers, well, not even close. Yet Wade didn’t feel too foreign.
“Nate says I should strike while the iron’s hot. If I overthink, I’ll back out.”
“So if all this goes under, we have your brother to blame.”
The deep rumble of his laugh resonated through her, stirring something she wasn’t sure she was ready to face. She needed to say it, to make him understand what they were stepping into. This wasn’t some bizarre stage play.
“Where do you think we’ll live?” Her voice steadied, despite the knot tightening in her chest. Maybe she wasn’t ready to hear his answer. “You’re based in LA.”
“If you want, you and Bella can stay with me in Malibu. I have spare bedrooms. Or we keep things the way they are. No need to uproot you two.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t pictured sharing a bed with him or even a room.
Okay, maybe she’d fantasized about that once or twice, long before this abrupt new reality.
But she’d assumed they’d make an effort to appear as a couple under the same roof.
Her gaze darted toward the cramped hallway leading to the single bathroom.
The tiny house she shared with Dad offered no space for pretense.
“Military families do long-distance all the time,” Wade continued. “And business travelers too. We’ll make it work.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Her heart thundered over the nature of their marriage. Strictly legal. It was logical, of course, and she nodded along. But the reality of living two separate lives didn’t sit comfortably.
She ended the call and made her way back to the sofa, her steps slow, her thoughts heavier with every step. Irina waited with a grin. The kind that said she’d pieced together whatever she’d overheard from Claire’s responses.
A grunt crackled through the baby monitor, Bella’s telltale sign that her brief sleep—nap, really—had come to an end.
Three hours, if Claire was lucky, were the most Bella ever managed.
Claire sank onto the cushion, her chest tightening.
How was she supposed to survive sleepless nights with everything else on top of it?