Chapter 12 Gauntlet
GAUNTLET
RHODES
There was a knock on my door at precisely nine a.m. Excellent—that meant the message about being punctual had sunk in.
“Come in,” I commanded.
Rory stepped inside. She wore a rose-colored silk dress that flattered her figure, and her auburn hair was pulled back into a tasteful bun. Minimal makeup completed her look—clean, elegant, and refined.
“Good morning,” I said formally.
“Good morning.”
She came and sat across from me. On closer inspection, I could see that beneath her makeup, her eyes were slightly red, like perhaps she’d been crying.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Did you sleep well?” But I already knew that she had—she’d been snuggled up next to me.
“Yes, thank you.”
When she didn’t say more, I hesitated. Something was wrong. “Did you have breakfast?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you.” Her voice was lifeless. Rory looked lovely, but her eyes were filled with misery.
I didn’t know what to do. I’d told her yesterday that I didn’t care about her personal life, and I didn’t. But the girl was clearly unhappy.
“Is something wrong, Rory?”
“No.” She cast her gaze downward.
“Did something happen with Miranda?”
“No.” She looked back up at me, eyes wide. “I haven’t seen her again, thank goodness.”
I nodded. “Listen, I know I was harsh yesterday when I said that I didn’t want to hear about your issues. But I can tell something has you upset. Because of our situation, I need to know what’s going on.”
“I talked to my grandmother this morning,” Rory said. “Her bank called to tell her the mortgage was paid off—thank you for following through, by the way.”
“You don’t sound exactly ecstatic about it.”
“My grandmother was upset. She didn’t understand why my new boyfriend, whom she knew nothing about, had been so incredibly generous.
When I told her that you weren’t just my boyfriend—that we were getting married—she was beside herself.
” Rory looked at me with her big eyes. “Because she didn’t know about you.
Because I never told her about you. Because you didn’t exist, as far as I knew, until yesterday. When I signed a contract to marry you.”
I sat back in my chair. “Is this going to be a problem, Rory?”
“No,” she said, but she sounded gutted. “I am going to be able to see my family, aren’t I?”
“Yes. But not anytime soon. We need to be present at Barrington Manor. There’s a board meeting next week, and I need to introduce you as my fiancé.”
She nodded.
“And we have a wedding to plan.”
She nodded again.
Just then, my office door was thrown open. “Uncle Rhodes!” Luke marched through like a tiny general, a determined look in his eye.
“Luke! I told you not to barge in,” Maria, his nanny, ran in after him. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Barrington. Luke, honey, I told you that your uncle was in a meeting.”
The little boy ran behind my desk and hugged me. “Maria said you’re going to play with me soon.”
I was surprised, alarmed, and charmed by his surprise entrance. “Sure, buddy. How’s it going?”
He pulled back and blinked at me. “I miss Daddy. When’s he coming back?”
I winced. “Buddy… I miss him too.”
I hugged him again instead of answering his question.
Rory watched him, sympathy replacing the misery in her eyes.
It was time I introduced them. “Luke, I’d like you to meet someone. This is my fiancé, Rory. Rory, this is my nephew, Luke.”
Luke pulled back from me and inspected her.
“Hi, Luke.” She gave him a doting smile, then turned around and waved at the nanny. “Hi, Maria. I’m Rory. It’s nice to meet you.”
Maria nodded. “You as well.” She turned to her charge. “How about we go get a snack? Chef said he was making muffins…”
Luke shook his head. “No.” He stuck out his lower lip.
Maria wilted a little. “I’m sorry,” she said to me. “He’s having a tough morning.”
I waved her off and faced my nephew. “I’ll make you a deal, okay?”
He didn’t respond. He just watched me. Luke didn’t seem eager to negotiate this morning.
“If you go get a muffin with Maria, I’ll watch that show with you later. You know—the one with the dancing guys?”
He shrugged.
“I had a muffin this morning,” Rory offered. “They were really good. Would you take me to see Chef so we can get some more?”
Luke looked at her, considering.
“What’s the name of that show?” Rory asked.
When he told her, she nodded. “Oh, my little brother used to watch that all the time. I like the pink character with the spots—the one that kind of looks like a giraffe, but kind of not?”
Luke nodded. “Uniqua.”
“Right.” Rory smiled. “I forgot her name.” She stood up and held out her hand for Luke. “Can you and Maria take me to the kitchen? I haven’t met Chef yet. I want to thank him. And get more muffins.”
Luke left my side and took her hand. Rory looked back at me. “Is that okay with you?”
“Sure.” I was surprised to see how effortlessly she’d connected with the boy. They were holding hands, looking completely natural together. My heart twisted inside my chest—she wasn’t pretending. This wasn’t some sort of act.
“We can finish this later,” I said.
“Great.” She flashed me a small, somewhat sad smile and left with Luke and Maria.
My nephew didn’t give me a backwards glance. He had Maria and his new friend, Rory.
But he didn’t have his father. And his mother hadn’t even called to check on him after I’d given her a pile of money and kicked her out of Barrington Manor.
It struck me, not for the first time, just how alone the boy was.
I prepped for the board meeting for hours. I reviewed financial reports, noting proposed improvements and the growth strategy. I felt confident about my progress when the phone rang.
“Rhodes, it’s Alan,” my attorney said. “I just got off the phone with Miranda’s attorney.
He called to let me know she was officially contesting the estate plan.
She said she met your fiancé, she doesn’t think it’s legitimate, and she’s moving forward on all fronts.
She’s already reached out to the board.”
“She’s in the same fucking house as me, and this is the first I’m hearing about it,” I snarled.
“She purposefully left you out so that it makes you look bad. She invited the board to Barrington Manor. She’s coming for you, Rhodes. Her lawyer says she’s convinced she can take over Barrington Enterprises.”
I sat back and closed my eyes. Fucking Miranda. She’d met Rory for one minute, and she was already trying to blow the situation up.
“Legally, what’s my next best move?” I asked.
“Based on the trust terms, you have to show that the relationship is legitimate. I would counsel you to get married as soon as possible—and include everyone. Invite your entire family, the board, and make sure the girl is introduced to everyone. Make her part of your family,” he said.
“Fine. But won’t it look forced if I rush things?”
“I think you can play this to your advantage,” he counseled.
“I would say that you feel it’s imperative to respect your father and brother’s last wishes.
And that you start this next chapter of your life as a married, settled man.
And also, you want that for Luke. Because that’s the other thing, Rhodes. ”
I felt a headache forming. “What?”
“Miranda has officially petitioned to become the boy’s legal guardian. She says she’s the most qualified, stable person in his life and that she’s the most suitable candidate.”
“Over my dead body.”
He sighed. “My sources indicate that she’s already discussed it with the mother. You and I both know that Gigi will happily sell Luke’s future to the highest bidder.”
“Gigi doesn’t get to decide. My brother wanted me to be Luke’s guardian—”
“If you are married, settled, and living at Barrington Manor,” Alan interrupted. “If Miranda can convince Gigi to side with her, you’re going to be looking at an even more uphill battle. The courts do care about what the mother wants.”
“After I gave her some cash, Gigi left here without a backward glance. She hasn’t even called to check up on Luke,” I spat. “Her opinion should hardly matter. And Miranda has no right to him. She doesn’t even like kids—I should know, because my father married her when I was one.”
“Then do your best to put a stop to this,” Alan said. “I’ll be looking for my wedding invitation.”
We hung up, and I briefly put my face in my hands. For fuck’s sake. I now had a life-or-death board meeting, a custody battle, and a wedding coming up next week.
Miranda had been waiting for this opportunity from the moment she’d married my father. All this time, it had only been about power and control for her. She wanted Barrington Enterprises, and now, she wanted poor little Luke.
But my birthright wasn’t hers for the taking.
I stared at my computer screen for a moment, financial and due diligence reports swimming before my eyes. Fuck it. I marched from my office, determined to win the day.
Miranda had come out swinging, but I was going to show her who the real heavyweight was.