Forever Branded (Billionaire Love Series #1) (33 page)

“Thank you, Coach Rogers! I won’t let you down.”

“I’m counting on it, son. See you in August.”

I hung up the phone in a daze, wondering if I was dreaming.

I was actually going to the pros.

I raced down the stairs and made a beeline for my father’s office. I burst in, startling him as he glanced up from his big oak desk.

“I got called up, Dad. I got called up!” I shouted as I practically jumped up and down.

“I knew it, Bubba. You’re on your way to the pros!” he said, standing up and coming around the desk.

He patted me on the back; he didn’t really do hugs. “I’m proud of you, Bubba. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you, but you’re finally getting your shot.”

“I won’t let you down, Dad.”

“Glad to hear it, Bubba. When do you leave?”

“Mid-August.”

“I think this calls for a celebratory dinner.”

“Then let me call Marla and have her come with us.”

His mood suddenly blackened. “This dinner is for family only.”

“I’m not okay with that, dad. Marla’s an important part of my life and I want to celebrate with her.”

“Speaking of your little girlfriend”— he clicked his tongue over his teeth— “we have something else to discuss. The Baltimore Chief of Police called me to let me know my son was a witness to a crime. I had no idea where the chief could get such an idea. I want you to tell me what’s going on.”

His tone was pissing me off. “I’m sure you already know.”

“I do. But I want to hear it in your own words.”

“Why? It was simple. Marla was attacked by a guy I thought was my friend and I stopped him from hurting her.”

He bristled as he glared at me. “You didn’t need to get involved.”

“Involved? If I hadn’t stopped him, he would have raped her. I couldn’t let that happen. I love he—”

“You what?” he asked in total surprise.

“I love her, dad. She’s everything to me. I love her.”

Those feelings were solid. I lived and breathed that girl.

“Oh, Bubba. Don’t let this girl wrap you around her finger. Nothing good will come from it.”

“Good? She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“What about hockey?”

“Hockey’s still my dream. But I just want to share my life with Marla.”

He shot me a patronizing smile. “Listen, Bubba. You may think you’re in love, but in a few months, you’ll grow tired of her. Hockey is your ticket to the future of your dreams. Don’t blow that.”

“I’m not going to, Dad. But nothing is going to stop me from being with her.”

He clucked his tongue over his teeth, reminding me he wasn’t happy about the situation. “Just be careful, Bubba.”

I was tired of the old man running my life.

Fire entered my gaze . “I’m gonna lead my life the way I want it. Not what you want.” I hit my chest in anger. “What I want.”

“I don’t want this girl to ruin your life,” he answered coolly.

“Ruin my life? She’s kind and good. There’s no way this won’t work out,” I said, blind to the realities of love.

“Be careful, Bubba. You need to break up with this girl before it gets too serious.”

“It’s already serious, Dad. I told you, I love her.”

“Does she love you?”

“Yes, she does.”

“So you’re willing to lay it on the line and put your whole future in jeopardy for a girl?”

I met his arrogant stare, wishing he could just be happy for me. “That girl has a name, Marla. Get used to it because you’re going to hear a lot more of it.”

“Bubba,” he said in exasperation. “Just get it done. Break up with her or you won’t get any support from me.”

Man, I did not like ultimatums. “I don’t need any of your so-called support.”

“Fine. But I’m telling you that girl will ruin you,” he said, walking out of the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Marla:

It seemed like every summer took forever to arrive, but it was over in the blink of an eye as kids prepared to go back to school. I was reminded of this fact as I perused the aisles at Target with my sister. Moms and kids were hitting up all the school supplies displays as we meandered through the superstore.

“Is Jedi ready to go back to school?” I asked Emma as we bypassed the chaotic scene.

“Sorta. He acts like he hates it, but he was definitely excited to go shopping for school supplies.”

“I remember how excited you were when you got school supplies,” I offered, thinking about those early years when we barely scraped by.

“I do remember that. I got those to die for pink scissors one year. It was such a treat. Didn’t Beau buy those for me?” she asked, a thoughtful look crossing her friendly, open face.

“Yeah, I think he did.”

Her blue gaze lit up with recognition. “Now, I remember. He took me school shopping when I was starting sixth grade.”

“Yes, he did.”

Things progressed quickly when Beau and I finally got together. We were a real couple, ready for forever. Most people would have said we were too young. Maybe we were, but whatever was happening between us, we just clicked.

We did the usual. Friday night movies. Eating lunch together. Hanging out, pretending to do homework, but really making out after Emma went to bed. I even supported him by taking my sister to his games and cheering him on to victory.

But most of the time, we just hung out at my apartment. He just started coming over and never really left.

“What are you doing?” he asked one morning as I sat with all the bills at the kitchen table.

“I’m trying to figure out my budget for the month. If we don’t buy meat this month, we should be fine,” I explained as he fixed some Shredded Wheat cereal.

“You don’t have enough money to eat?” he asked, frowning at me.

“I didn’t say that. I just need to get creative and figure out how to make my dollars stretch.”

He pulled out his wallet. “Here. Take this money. I want to make sure you and Emma have plenty to eat.”

“No, Beau. I can’t take your money. I’m not looking for charity.”

“This isn’t charity. This is me taking care of you. You’re important to me.”

“I am?”

Beau cupped my face with his big hand, caressing my cheek softly. “I love you, Marla.”

I sucked in my breath. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. I’m mad about you.”

I ran my fingers over his cupped hand. “I’m mad about you, too. I love you, Shepard.”

His blue gaze was full of adoration. “You’re mine, Sunshine.”

“And you’re mine,” I claimed, curling my arms around his neck as he pulled me up from my seat.

We kissed as we held on tight, so sure everything would work out. Our lives were so full of promise at that moment. It couldn’t have been sweeter.

We got exactly two months of bliss before Beau got the call he had been waiting for. He was ecstatic when he came over to share the news. He picked me up and swung me around the room like he had won the lottery.

“When do you leave?” I asked, breathless.

“In a couple of weeks. I want you to come with me.”

“To Canada?” I asked, my gut lurching with disappointment.

“Yeah, we’ll get a little apartment.”

Reality blasted me in the face. “I wish I could go with you. But my life isn’t just about me.”

“Just bring Emma.”

“I can’t uproot her, Beau. Emma needs stability right now and I can’t yank her out of everything she knows to follow you to another country.”

“So, where does that leave us?” he asked, suddenly alarmed.

“I don’t know, Beau. I don’t know. Maybe you should just go up to Toronto and see what happens,” I threw out unexpectedly.

His glance was full of worry. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“No, no,” I reassured him, but my mind was churning with this news.

“It sounds like you’re breaking up with me.”

“I’m not breaking up with you. But I don’t know how to solve this,” I let out in frustration, feeling like I was between a rock and hard place.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together,” he said gently. “But I don’t think I can bear the thought of being that far away from you.”

“But what about your hockey?”

He grabbed me around my waist, dragging me down on his lap as he sat down on the couch. “I love you more than hockey.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, Sunshine. Isn’t that obvious?”

I cupped his cheeks in my hands. “I just know this is your dream. It’s part of you and I couldn’t bear to see you stop chasing it because of me.”

“I don’t care, Marla. I just want to be with you. You’re all that matters.”

I studied his handsome face thoughtfully. “That’s wonderful for you to say, but are you really prepared to give up on your dream? That’s a big sacrifice, Beau. Have you thought about what it would be like to move to a different country with a girlfriend and her sister in tow? Or worse, we’re apart and only see each other a couple of times a year.”

“Come on, Marla. It wouldn’t be like that.”

“You say that now, but you don’t know. I’m just sayin’ that maybe you need to go and try this to see where it takes you. I want you to have the freedom to pursue your dream.”

Intensity filled his gaze. “That’s bullshit. I love you and that’s all there is to it.”

“I love you, too, Beau. But I can’t let you miss this chance to do what you love.”

“I’m not giving up on forever with you.” His eyes blazed with a fierce determination.

“How do you know? How do you know this is forever?” I asked, my heart thundering in my chest.

His face grew soft with love and affection.“I’ve never felt his way before. This is something big, Marla, and you know it.”

“I feel it too, but that still doesn’t solve our problem.”

“We’re not a problem to be solved,” he said in exasperation.

“I know, but I don’t know what to do about the distance.” I tried to explain.

“Fuck the distance, let’s get married,” he blurted out.

“What?” I asked in stunned disbelief as I popped up from his lap.

He got down on bended knee. “Marry me. You, me and Emma. Let’s be a family. We’ll make it work somehow.”

I sucked in my breath, undone by his words, his noble intent, his pure heart.

Beau was everything I’d always wanted.

I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.

I nodded furiously as his words broke my resistance. “Yes!” I exclaimed tears filling my eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes, I want to be with you forever,” I said, throwing my arms around him.

“Me, too, Sunshine. Me, too,” he said, holding on for dear life.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Beau:

One of my business associates invited me to his private box for an Oriole baseball game. Baseball had never been my thing. Too slow. But it was a chance to make new contacts and network with different people I hadn’t had a chance to meet yet.

The day was hot and muggy, the humidity so thick, it dripped off my skin. I was glad for the air-conditioned unit pumping cold air through the box.

I munched on a hot dog, which was a rare treat. With my training, I ate mostly meat, fish, and veggies. But there was nothing like a hot dog at a ball park. So I satisfied my craving.

My host, the CEO of a structural engineering firm I had hired, introduced me to a bunch of people who could prove helpful. I met a couple of big wigs from the state department. Baltimore wasn’t that far from Washington. I never knew when I would need help from an insider of the political machine.

My biggest hope was to meet with someone who had an in with the Historical Society. I was still hitting all kinds of roadblocks with the Arsenal project. I just needed to figure out how to get those permits without bribing Senator Blackwood. That just wasn’t sitting right with me.

I was in luck as Tony, my host, brought over an older gentleman to where I stood watching the game.

“Beau, I would like for you to meet Mark Cacy, the president of the Historical Society,” Tony declared.

Right away, I didn’t like the old guy, Mark. I could tell the old codger was stubborn. He was dressed in a tweed blazer, ready to have a fireside chat with a pipe and a book, instead of being roasted alive on a hot summer day.

“At last, we meet,” I said, plastering a smile on my face.

“Ah, yes, Mr. Shepard. We have been pouring over your plans.”

“Yes, I know. You keep finding something wrong with them.”

“It’s all part of the process. We have to make sure you’re honoring the past and the integrity of the building.”