Chapter Twenty-Seven – Beck
Chapter Twenty-Seven
BECK
If I had to listen to Stanly go on about profits for the quarter any longer, I was going to shoot myself in the foot.
Kelsey walked by the meeting room windows and met my gaze. She nodded, and I nearly jumped up and walked out of the meeting. Sitting at the other end of the table was my grandfather, though. When my gaze caught his , he looked disappointed.
I told him I was planning on taking the weekend off, and he’d been all for it, even telling me I should ask Rachel to go to some resort he’d recently heard about. When I told him for the hundredth time that I wasn’t interested in Rachel, he simply rolled his eyes.
But when I’d informed him that Avery had flown in, and we were going to the ranch, he suddenly remembered I had a dinner to attend Saturday night, a benefit that I knew damn well he was going to, so there was no need for me to be there. He then insisted we’d talk about it after the quarterly profits meeting. A meeting I wasn’t supposed to be in, but somehow got roped into anyway. I had to get Kelsey to pick up Avery at the airport.
When the meeting was over, I was stopped by Drake, a friend of mine from college who’d recently taken a position here as legal counsel. My grandfather always said he could never have enough lawyers. We caught up quickly before I told him I needed to excuse myself. I looked around the room to see Granddad had already left. As I made my way toward the exit, I kept getting stopped by people asking me this question or that.
I finally got out of the stuffy room and started toward my grandfather’s office.
I noticed his assistant wasn’t at her desk, which was surprising, and his door was open slightly. I started to reach for the knob when I heard Rachel talking.
“I’ve tried , Will. Over and over, short of walking into his office naked. He isn’t interested in me any longer.”
I frowned. I’d never heard her use my grandfather’s first name.
She sighed. “This plan of yours isn’t working.”
“Goddamn it! I thought for sure if I kept him busy, he’d remember what he had here and forget all about that damn hillbilly family. He’s just like his mother . Always wanting something they shouldn’t. Now this Avery girl is here. Probably trying to figure out how much money he’s worth.”
“From what I’ve been able to find out, that family isn’t suffering for money. Maybe if you just eased up, let him go visit them every now and then, he’ll get sick of Montana sooner or later and stay here in Dallas, where he belongs.”
“You were the one who ruined everything, Rachel! You couldn’t keep your eyes on the damn prize. I told you he’d be worth millions one day.”
I closed my eyes and felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“Don’t put this on me, Will. I know you and my father had this dream of us getting married and taking over, but I didn’t love him.”
He laughed. “And now you do?”
She made a noise. “What’s the saying? You always want what you can’t have?”
“The toy looks shinier in someone else’s hands, you mean,” my grandfather said sarcastically.
“Whatever. And what if he finds out you lied about the heart attack?”
A cold sense of shock rushed through my entire body. It suddenly sounded like my grandfather was talking in a tin can.
“He won’t find out.”
I leaned back against the wall and fought to control the emotions running through me. My own grandfather had lied to me. Had been plotting to keep me away from Avery and my father’s family.
My family.
It took me a good minute to get my head to stop spinning as I realized my own flesh and blood had lied to me. With a deep breath, I turned and pushed the door open. My grandfather was looking out the massive windows, and Rachel sat in a chair in front of his desk.
“Am I interrupting?” I asked.
They both jumped. My grandfather turned and smiled at me as Rachel quickly stood. She attempted to look calm and cool, but I could see the panic in her eyes. She wasn’t sure how long I’d been standing there.
“Where is my assistant? She should have let me know you were here.”
Slowly walking into the room, I looked around the office. “Do you know how many times I’ve run around that desk?” I asked, as my grandfather looked confused, and Rachel looked worried.
Granddad laughed. “I have no idea. A lot, I’m sure.”
I walked over and sat in the chair that was next to the one Rachel had vacated.
“If you’ll both excuse me, I have something I need to take care of.”
Neither my grandfather nor I said a word as Rachel turned and quickly left the office. The soft click of the door the only sound to let us know we were alone in the room.
“You lied to me.”
Granddad’s shoulders dropped, and he shook his head as he sat down in his chair. “I did what I had to do to get your head out of your ass.”
I stared at him. He suddenly seemed like a stranger. “Did you have a heart attack?”
“I was in the hospital, wasn’t I?”
Shrugging, I said, “You have enough money to pay people off. I wouldn’t be surprised if you used it for bribing a few doctors and nurses.”
“I thought I was having a heart attack. It was from that damn conversation with you that morning. My stress level was through the roof. It turned out to be nothing more than a panic attack.”
The urge to stand up and pound my fists on his desk was so overwhelming, I had to close my eyes and count to twenty. “So, what…you cooked up the idea of the heart attack for what, exactly? To get me home?”
He let out a long breath. “Rachel came to the hospital when she found out. Said she’d been worried sick and asked if anyone had called you. At first I said no, there was no reason to bother you with a panic attack…and then I thought if you were told I’d had a heart attack, it would bring you back to Texas sooner.”
I stood and let out a curse. “How could you do that to me, Granddad? How? You knew how important that trip was!”
“They were pulling you away from me. I could see it! Then you met that girl, and I knew if you fell in love that would be it. You’d leave and never look back.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face in frustration. Dropping my arms to my sides, I asked, “Aren’t you supposed to want me to be happy?”
“Of course.”
“Yet, you can’t seem to let me live my own life. You’re constantly sticking your nose into my business, my love life. Not anymore, Granddad. This is where it ends.”
He stood. “What does that mean?”
“It means I quit. I’m done with this company, with your lies, and with the way you’re trying to run my life like you did my mother’s. If she hadn’t been so afraid of you, her life might have been very different.”
He laughed. “Different? You think if she would have married that cowboy and moved to Montana, she’d still be living? Wrong , Beck. The cancer was going to kill her either way.”
My fists clenched at my sides, and it took everything I had not to hit my own grandfather. When I was finally able to control my emotions and my voice, I said, “I’m leaving to go back to Montana.”
“No. I forbid it.”
It was my turn to laugh, but mine was devoid of any humor. “You forbid it? I’m a grown man. You can’t forbid anything.”
“If you leave this company and go back to Montana with that girl, you can consider yourself written out of my will.”
I suddenly felt sorry for my grandfather. Money was his only card to play…because it was the only thing that meant anything to him.
“Granddad, I’m going to do what I wish my mother had had the strength to do twenty-eight years ago. I’m going to tell you to take your money and shove it up your ass. I don’t want, nor do I need, your money. The one thing that I need in my life is currently sitting at my apartment, waiting for me.”
“That child you’re sleeping with? You’re willing to give up everything for her ?”
Pointing at him, I fought to keep the anger out of my voice. “Don’t you ever utter a single bad thing about Avery. She means everything to me.”
“You just met her, Beck! For fuck’s sake, stop thinking with your cock and start listening to your brain!”
I stared at the man whom I’d always looked up to as a father. But he wasn’t a father figure at all. He was a sad old man who would end up dying alone, surrounded by his cold fortune.
Turning, I started for the door as he called out. “If you walk out that door, don’t ever come back! Do you hear me, Beck? You’re not welcome back here!”
I opened the door, gave my grandfather one last look, and said, “Fine by me.”
I slipped the key into the door and opened it. Avery was sitting on my sofa, a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. She was so devastatingly beautiful, she took my breath away.
Slowly, she stood, and those sapphire eyes of hers caught my gaze.
“Avery,” I whispered, as I dropped everything on the floor, kicked the door shut, and met her halfway. She flung herself into my arms and started to cry.
“I missed you so much!” she said, pulling back to kiss me.
The kiss was exactly like I remembered, yet it felt brand-new at the same time. I held onto her tightly, urging her to open her mouth to me.
“Avery,” I growled, walking her through the apartment and straight to my bedroom.
I set her down, and with shaking hands, we started to undress each other. When we were naked, I picked her up, lay her back on my bed, and made love to her all night, until we were both exhausted.
Hours later, my fingers moved lazily over her arm as I stared up at the white ceiling.
“Do you know what I miss about Montana, besides you?”
She snuggled into my side more and asked in a tired voice, “Hmm…what?”
“The wood. All the exposed wood and beams. This place is so dull and boring. Everything is white.”
Avery took a breath. “You could add some color to the walls.”
I shook my head. “No. I think I’m going to call the agent I bought the place from and put it on the market.”
It took Avery a few minutes to let that settle into her tired brain. She drew back and looked at me. “You’re selling this place? Why?”
Smiling, I tapped her nose with my finger. “Because I no longer need it.”
Confused, she asked again, “Why?”
Pulling her to me, I kissed her and rolled her onto her back. I took in every inch of her beautiful face. Never again would I ever be separated from her for so long.
“I love you, Avery.”
Her eyes went wide before filling with tears. “I love you too, Beck.”
“Good, because I want to build a house on my father’s…on my land…marry you, and help you build your business.”
Avery scrambled to sit up, taking the sheet with her to cover her breasts, but I could still see her nipple peeking out at me. It instantly made me hard.
“Wait, Beck—what are you saying?”
Pushing a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear, I answered, “I’m saying I’m moving to Montana…for good.”
Her look of disbelief nearly had me laughing.
“But what about your grandfather? The business here?”
“The only thing in my life that matters to me right now is you. Our future together. I knew that before I even came back to Dallas. The only reason I stayed this long was out of a sense of obligation.”
“And what changed?”
I grinned. “A bunch of things changed. You. Stella and Ty. My family back in Montana. Your mother and father. I think the moment I met them all, I knew I wasn’t staying here,” I sighed. “And tonight, I overheard my grandfather saying he faked the heart attack just to get me back here. I’ll never be able to work for him again. The trust is gone.”
Avery placed her hand on my cheek. “I’m sorry, Beck. I’m so sorry he deceived you like that.”
My hand went over hers. “I am too. But I’m going to do the one thing my mother couldn’t do, because her father controlled her life.”
She searched my face. “What’s that?”
“I’m going to walk away from him and find my own happiness.”
Avery wrapped her arms around my neck and softly kissed me before she rested her forehead against mine. “I’m so glad my flights were delayed, and I had to go through Dallas to fly home.”
Placing my finger on her chin, I lifted her face until our eyes locked. “You, Avery Littlewood, are the best thing to ever happen to me. The moment I saw you walk onto that plane and smile at me, I was enchanted.”
She smiled. “And I was just hoping you were single.”
I laughed. “I cannot wait to see what life brings our way.”
Her finger tracked along my jaw as she looked into my eyes and said, “Me either.”
“And the best part of all,” I added. “We can stay at your apartment while we build a house.”
“Yes. No interruptions…and no overhearing my parents do the deed.”
We both crinkled our noses and shuddered.