Page 19 of The Billionaire's Secret Heir

Chapter Six

Beckett hadn’t planned to drive by Madi’s house. Her rental house. Was it normal to be renting still when you were in your thirties? According to his private investigator, she had left her job as an accountant to be the nanny for her niece. The fact that he knew these details and where Madi lived did not make him creepy. The private investigator was a given. Beckett didn’t like surprises. He simply needed to know things, the way he needed to know about the people he did business with. Not that he was doing business with Madi.

Especially considering she had already sent word through Bret with one T that she rejected his counter-offer. Not because it was too low, which Beckett’s lawyer had feared. Apparently twenty-five thousand a month was too high for Madi, not too low. Beckett wanted to laugh, thinking of how Bret must have reacted to Madi asking for even less money. It left Beckett needing to know what her life was like that she thought ten thousand was a reasonable monthly amount when she had no other income. He had to see for himself.

Madi’s house was also not far from Graham’s. Beckett needed to have a conversation with his brother—a big one. Beckett wanted to talk with Graham about their father’s health. And there was the little bombshell about being a father. After the surprising way his father reacted, Beckett didn’t know how Graham would respond. Hopefully at least he would understand Beckett’s reasoning and not get overly emotional. It was simple biology and business. This did not need to be personal. The last thing that the child needed was someone like Beckett, who was happily married to his work. Even as he thought this, Beckett ignored a tug of guilt.

Beckett passed street after street of homes with wide porches and postage-stamp lawns. A few newer, taller homes towered over the smaller bungalows. The idea of living that close to someone else made him feel twitchy. This area was one that Graham and Courtney looked at before settling in the more up-and-coming Garden Oaks, just outside the 610 Loop. Graham had said they couldn’t find a big enough house in the Heights that also had enough yard. That Beckett could believe as the streets suddenly shifted to look much more unkempt.

Beckett’s feeling of unease only continued as the GPS led him down Madi’s street. There were no larger homes here, just smaller homes with more chain-link fences, more trash on the sidewalks, and more overgrown yards. A woman struggled to run a push-mower over waist-high weeds.

Not just any woman: Madi.

Beckett stared in shock as he passed, his GPS shouting at him that he had arrived. Turning off the GPS, he made a U-turn at the next intersection and parked his Mercedes a few houses down on the opposite side of the street. He hadn’t expected to see Madi, but he had been hoping.

She had on an oversized T-shirt that fell off one shoulder and short athletic shorts that showed off toned legs. As he watched, she brushed back strands of hair that had escaped her messy ponytail. Beckett couldn’t stop staring and was shocked by the way his heart sped up. He shook his head, as though that would clear the surprising thoughts.

As he watched, she tugged her shirt back up over her shoulder, only for it to slide back down, exposing the skin on her shoulder. Back in his days of casual dating, Beckett had spent time with beautiful women who wore fine clothing, expensive jewelry, and who had expertly-done makeup. But he couldn’t remember anyone who had the strange effect that Madi did, looking sweaty and completely unkempt. It didn’t make sense.

Even from here, he could see that inner strength that had surprised and impressed him when they met. The lawn mower did not look cooperative and the tight set of her shoulders and firm line in her mouth showed him her determination. He would have expected no less of her than a battle with an errant machine.

Beckett knew little of lawn mowers, having never mowed a lawn in his life, but something seemed to be broken about this one. When she pushed, Madi was almost becoming horizontal, all her weight bearing down on the rusted machine. Her forehead glistened with sweat. Maybe it wasn’t the mower, but the height of the grass and weeds choking the yard? Whatever the case, Madi did not give up.

The house, however, looked like it had. At one time, this had probably been a nice home. It looked more like a massive project or a teardown, with rotting wood trim in many places and paint missing in big patches around the front of the home. The sidewalk leading to the front was cracked and one of the columns on the front porch had a distinct lean to it.

This is where she lived? With a child? Briefly, he wondered where she was, but he felt relieved that he hadn’t come face to face with her. He definitely wasn’t ready and might never be. But he couldn’t imagine that this was safe for a child or for Madi. When she had spoken with him, Madi said she wanted to stay in here. Was there some sentimental attachment?

Beckett watched her for a few more moments as Madi fought with the mower. Suddenly, there was a bang he could hear even from where he was parked. Black smoke poured from the mower. Madi jumped back and put a hand over her mouth, coughing. Beckett was out of the car and crossing the street before he had even registered the fact. A car honked as it passed him and Madi’s head snapped toward him. Confusion passed over her face and then she crossed her arms over her chest. He really should have thought this through, but now it was too late.

He stopped a few feet away from Madi. Smoke still trailed from the mower and the smell was terrible. “Need any help?”

“Sure. Do you know how to fix a lawn mower? Better question: have you ever used a lawn mower?”

“Ah, no.”

“Why are you here, Beckett?”

Because he hadn’t planned to get out of the car, Beckett had no idea how to answer her. It was that inexplicable draw to her that pulled him from the car. He wanted to protect her and to help her. Despite the broken mower next to her that testified otherwise, she didn’t seem to feel that she needed help.

“I could buy you a new one.”

Now she looked furious, not just annoyed. “You are not going to buy me a lawn mower, Beckett.”

“Why not? How much can they cost? A few thousand dollars?”

Madi stared at him for a few seconds before she began to laugh. Clutching a hand to her chest, she laughed until her face turned red. She bent over at the waist with her hands on her knees. Beckett could see her shoulders shaking. Was she okay? Laughter hardly seemed like the appropriate response.

Annoyance rose in his chest. This was a terrible idea: driving by her house, stopping to watch, getting out of the car. Now she was laughing at him and he didn’t even know why.

Not knowing what to say, he waited. Finally, Madi stood again, wiping tears from her eyes. Though he felt embarrassed that she was laughing at his expense, her face was lit with beauty from within. He had to look away.

“Beckett. I bought this lawn mower used on Craigslist for a hundred and twenty-five dollars. You know what Craigslist is, right?”

He glared. “Classified ads, yes. If that’s the case, then buying one new would be even less than I thought. I can have one delivered.”

Madi shook her head. “Beckett, I don’t know why you’re here, but you are absolutely not going to buy me a lawn mower. The end.”

“You can afford a new one on a ten-thousand-a-month budget?”

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