Always Mine (The Barrington Billionaires, Book 1) (22 page)

Alessandro stood and turned to Victor. “What is he talking about?”

Victor shrugged. “I bet it’s the scandal.” He turned back to Asher. “Dale asked us to stay out of it. We offered to help him.”

Asher shook his head slowly. “Why would my father turn down help from
family?
” He spoke the last word with thick sarcasm.

Victor and Alessandro exchanged a look, then Victor said, “Your Aunt Patrice was not the nicest woman, but your mother loved her. At the time, there were rumors that Patrice was jealous of your mother’s happiness and tried to ruin it. Your mother didn’t believe she was capable of that kind of vindictiveness. She begged your father not to go up against her sister. Your father had to choose between his wife’s happiness and his reputation. You saw the result. He lost his political career, but he and your mother are still together, no?”

Asher’s head was spinning. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Two reasons,” Alessandro said.

Victor continued, “One, we are so upset over what we’re hearing about your mother’s auction. What is wrong with the people here? They can’t see that your girlfriend’s innocent? A little hint of fraud sends them all scurrying away? We can’t sit back and watch Sophie be humiliated over this. We want to come to the auction.”

“I’ll talk to my mother,” Asher said and looked at the door in a not-so-subtle hint for them to leave.

“Tell her we will bid fifty . . . a hundred . . . maybe two hundred. Just to be safe.”

“I’ll have her call you,” Asher promised and started toward the door.

“Wait,” Alessandro said. “There is the other matter.”

Asher froze and turned on his heel.

Victor went to stand beside Alessandro. “Are you in love with Emily Harris?”

Asher turned back and strode to the door. “I’m not doing this.” He started to open the door.

Both Alessandro and Victor sat back down. Alessandro said, “Victor, he doesn’t think he needs us.”

Victor arched an eyebrow. “I bet she’s not even talking to him.”

“Get the fuck out of my office,” Asher growled.

“He’s rude,” Victor said dryly.

“And he still hasn’t said thank you.”

Asher’s temper rose. “I don’t want to manhandle two old men, but you need to leave.”

“He called you old,” Alessandro said with a chuckle.

“You, too,” Victor said and shrugged.

“Did you ever think we’d be the matchmakers of the family?”

“No, but this one desperately needs our help.”

Am I sleeping? Because this is a nightmare.
“What do I need to do to get you out of my office?”

Alessandro looked over his shoulder at Asher. “We are both happily married and, not to toot our own horns, but we’re very good in the romance department, if you know what I mean.”

“I really don’t want to know.”

Victor asked, “Do you want to marry Emily Harris, or not?”

Asher groaned then said, “Yes.”

Alessandro slapped a hand on the edge of Asher’s desk. “Then sit down, son, because you’ve got a lot to learn about women.”

‡

E
mily stuffed her
cold hands into the pockets of her jacket and walked up the steps of the Barrington home. The front door opened before Emily had time to ring the bell.

“It’s good see you, Emily,” Dale said and stepped back. “Come in.” He closed the door then asked if he could take her coat.

Emily shook her head. She was cold to the bone and shaking. Not too many things intimidated her, but the Barringtons had been kind to her, and she had repaid them by accusing them of arson. She wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t accept her apology and threw her out. There was no way around seeing them again, though. Partly because she needed to get her collection back and partly because she felt badly about everything she’d said the night of the fire. “How is Sophie?”

He stared at her without answering, then finally said, “It was a difficult week for her. It always is, but she was upset that you thought any of us would ever hurt you.”

Emily hugged her coat closer. “I was wrong, and I’m here to apologize.”

“And to get your artwork, I would imagine.”

Emily swallowed hard. “Yes, that too.”

“Have you spoken to Asher?”

Emily looked away and blinked back tears. “No. What could I say? I really thought he had done it. I can’t imagine he could forgive me for that.”

Dale’s face was carefully devoid of expression. He was looking at her as if she were a stranger.
And why wouldn’t he? After everything I said?
“Come with me to the solarium. Sophie is looking forward to seeing you.”

Sophie put down the book she was reading and stood as soon as she heard them enter. She crossed the room and hugged Emily.

That was all it took for Emily to burst into tears. She cried for several minutes in Sophie’s arms as the woman murmured to her as mothers do. She cried because she missed her mother and felt she was letting her go all over again. She cried because she knew she had hurt Sophie, and the woman had done so much for her. To round it off, she sobbed because Emily knew when she’d lost Asher, she’d lost his family, too.

Sophie put a tissue in her hand and led her to the settee. “Oh, Emily. Everything is going to be okay.”

Emily blew her nose, roughly wiped her tears away, and gave herself a mental shake. “I didn’t come here to cry all over you. I wanted you know how badly I feel about what I said to you. What I said to all of you. You were so good to me, and I hurt you. I’m so sorry I didn’t answer your calls. I didn’t know what to say.”

Sophie looked over Emily’s head and said, “Dale, could you have the cook bring us some sandwiches and tea? Emily looks like she hasn’t eaten in a week.” She brought her gaze back to Emily and gave her a pat on the knee. “Oh, Emily, sweetie, you were in shock. You didn’t know what you were saying. Let’s put all that behind us.”

Emily almost burst into tears again.
I needed to hear that, Sophie. You have no idea how much I needed that. I never wanted to disappoint you.
Aloud she said, “Thank you, Sophie. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

After a quiet moment in which Sophie blinked back her own tears, she said, “The news said the fire was electrical and caused by rodents?”

“Yes. It was in the part of the house I hadn’t renovated yet.”

“I’ve no doubt you must have been devastated. Still are. That house meant so much to you, let alone the museum. How long will it take you to rebuild?”

“I sold my land to B&H. I won’t be rebuilding.”

Sophie’s lips rounded in surprise, but whatever she would have said was cut short by the appearance of Dale. A member of their house staff placed tea and a tray of sandwiches on a table beside Sophie. Sophie waited until the staff had stepped away before she said, “Asher bought her property.”

Dale didn’t say anything, but his lips pressed together in displeasure.

Emily hastened to add, “The idea to sell was mine. I’m going to use the money to start over somewhere else. Artwork is meant to be seen, and it wouldn’t have been seen in Welchton. Now I’m free to find the best place for my museum . . . and for me.”

Sophie poured Emily a cup of tea and handed it to her. “Your exhibit is still intact if you would like to reopen before the auction. You are still participating in the auction, aren’t you?”

Dale stood behind Sophie and placed a hand on her shoulder as they both waited for Emily’s response. Although Emily had come with the intention of apologizing and then organizing how to move her things to storage, she found herself saying, “If you still want me to.”

Sophie smiled at Dale, who nodded with approval. “I’ll leave you two ladies to talk. I have a few calls to make.”

Once they were alone again, Emily said, “The news reporters made a huge deal out of the investigation that followed the fire. I wasn’t sure you’d want that kind of publicity associated with your event.”

Sophie poured herself a cup of tea and shook her head sadly. “There are some who won’t come, but they’ll wish they had when they see how well we do without them.”

Emily smiled for the first time that day. Sophie reminded her of her own mother at times—strong in ways that mattered. “The worst of it should be over now. The insurance company closed the investigation and accepted the fire marshal’s findings.”

“You must be relieved.”

Emily shrugged. “I was in shock through most of it. It’s all sort of a blur.”

“Was Celeste with you?”

Emily put her tea down and picked up a sandwich. “She stayed until last night. We drove back to Boston together.”

“I like her,” Sophie said.

“Me, too. She’s a good friend.”

After a quiet moment, Sophie said, “Emily, we have all missed you and are very sorry for your loss. The others are coming to dinner tonight. Can you stay so they can see you too?”

The idea of seeing Asher’s brothers and sister made her hands cold and clammy again. Would they be as quick to accept her apology as Sophie? Would Emily have been if the situation were reversed? “I’ll see them at the auction.”

Sophie sipped her tea. “Have you seen Asher yet?”

Emily dropped her sandwich to the floor, picked it up, brushed it off, then didn’t know what else to do with it so she put it back on her plate. “Not yet.”

“He looks as exhausted as you do. He was afraid he might have been responsible.”

Emily blinked a few times at the confirmation that she looked as bad as she thought, then focused on the more important part of what she’d said. “He wasn’t, though.”

“No, but he could have been, and we all know it. I felt awful about what I said to him the night of the fire, but he needed to hear it. This week has been good for him. He needed to wake up and see where he was headed.”

Emily hesitated before sharing more with Sophie, but she craved some maternal advice. “He has been calling me, but I haven’t answered him. I was angry with him at first, and then I was sad. Now all I can think is that too much has happened, and if I were him I wouldn’t forgive me.”

Sophie put down her cup and laid her hand on Emily’s arm. “I grew up thinking I had to be perfect. My father was a very wealthy man, and he wanted the best of everything. The best house, the most beautiful wife, and daughters who were perfectly groomed to marry the men he chose for us. My sister was the first to defy him. She married an Italian straight from Italy. It was so romantic and that gave me the courage to choose Dale. My father was furious with both of us. I moved north to live with Dale, and I don’t regret that choice even though it meant I wasn’t there when my mother passed away. Patrice and her husband stayed with our father. She wasn’t happy, and she blamed me for some of that. I had to cut them out of my life because they couldn’t love me, not the way a father should love his daughter or a woman should love her sister. Was the rift my fault? I don’t know. Maybe I could have tried harder to make amends with them. I’m not perfect, Emily. My children certainly aren’t, either. You don’t have to be perfect to be part of this family, you just have to love my son.”

“I do,” Emily whispered.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Kenzi said as she walked into the room. “I heard Emily was here.” She took a seat across from them.

Emily leaned forward and said, “Kenzi, I can’t begin to tell you—”

“Mom, I had the most interesting conversation with Asher this morning.” Kenzi wasn’t looking at Emily, and she felt she might cry again. She had thought she and Kenzi would become friends, but it now didn’t seem likely.

“Asher?” Emily blurted then regained control and told herself to not intrude in their family’s business.

“He asked for my help with something. Imagine that. Asher asked me for help.”

Sophie’s voice rose with her curiosity. “What does he want you to do?”

“He asked me not to say,” Kenzi said. The expression on her face implied she’d considered refusing his request. Her gaze returned to Emily. “Does he know you’re back in Boston?” Her tone was cooler than Emily was used to hearing from her. Emily couldn’t blame her, but it hurt to think what she’d said might have destroyed their friendship.

“I haven’t spoken to him.”

Kenzi shrugged. “Dad called me. He may have told him.” Emily’s attention flew to the door of the solarium, them back to Kenzi. “You think he might be on his way?”

“I don’t know.”

Emily stood. She wanted to see Asher again, but not like this, not with an audience. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying again in front of Sophie. “I can’t . . . I have to go.” The sound of the front door opening and closing had Emily scrambling for her purse. “Sophie, I’ll call you about the auction.”

Andrew and Lance strolled into the room and smiled when they saw Emily. Lance said, “Dad said Emily was here.”

Andrew winked at Emily. “We figured we would all celebrate her not going to jail and Asher not being the ass who sent her there.”

“Andrew,” Sophie admonished and shook her head at the joke.

“Too soon?” Andrew asked. His smile was irresistible.

Emily wasn’t upset. She and Andrew had thrown several jokes back and forth in the short time they’d known each other. “What do you call a Marine with an IQ of 150?”