Page 27 of The Billionaire's Secret Heir

“That’s too bad,” Susan said. She really did look like she cared. “I have three daughters around your age. They would love this place. If you figure your situation out, please let me know. I’m sure Mrs. Covell would love for you to stay.”

Madi laughed. “Have you met Mrs. Covell?”

Susan chuckled. “Yes. I take that back. Mrs. Covell wouldn’t care either way. But I’m happy to make sure you get the first offer if you can get things squared away. Easier for everyone.”

She pressed a card into Madi’s hand. It looked like a miniature of the sign. Madi handed it back. “I’ve got your number right outside the window if I need it,” she said. Maybe she could stay if Mrs. Covell didn’t already sign a contract with someone else.

“Right. Good point. Oh, one thing that I hate to point out. Since you didn’t renew the contract, it would be a new one. The rent is going up to $2000 a month. Maybe more, now with the looks of the place. Would it be too much to ask to see the inside?”

Leave it to Mrs. Covell to raise the rent. With whatever Beckett paid, she could probably afford it. But as much as she loved the place and hated the idea of having to find something else so quickly, a part of her had started to feel relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with Mrs. Covell again. Maybe she needed something simple, with less maintenance, like an apartment.

“It’s really not a good time. My daughter is inside asleep.”

Daughter. Not niece.Madi didn’t even blink. People assumed Becka was hers frequently when they were out. But this was the first time Madi had said the word herself and the enormity of it made her want to sink to her knees right there on the lawn. Because, for all intents and purposes, she was Madi’s mother now.

Susan said a polite and professional goodbye that Madi responded to, just as politely, without even hearing the words. She was rooted to her spot on the sidewalk and didn’t notice that another car had driven up until the slam of a door startled her. Beckett Van de Kamp stood next to a shiny white car, something so expensive that Madi didn’t even recognize the make or model.

A surge of emotions passed through her. While she had spent much of the day furious with him and planning out how she would tell him off for overstepping boundaries, now that he stood in front of her, she felt more conflicted. Her heart rate took off at a sprint at just the sight of him. Despite her frustrations, she was genuinely excited to see him. He had a tentative look on his face that didn’t fit with the way she thought of him as an imposing, alpha male. Was that embarrassment? Or maybe chagrin that he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have?

“Was it too much?” Beckett’s cool blue eyes met hers with such intensity that Madi turned back to the house before answering. He sure could render her speechless with a look.

“Considering that I told you I didn’t want you butting into my life, it was a bit much, yes.”

He stepped up beside her. She could smell a woodsy, masculine scent that on any other man might be overpowering, but somehow was perfectly Beckett, like it was made for him. Maybe it had been. Custom cologne seemed like the kind of thing a man like him would have.

“I don’t recall that. I do remember you saying I had a choice.”

Madi’s words flew back through her head. She had told him the day before that he could either be involved in their lives or leave them alone. Her gaze flew to his face. He still looked nervous. “Is this your choice? You actually want to be involved?”

Beckett visibly swallowed and turned back to look at the house. “You say that like you’re shocked. Did you really think so little of me?”

He sounded hurt. But Madi needed to be honest with him. “I’m not sure what to think of you, but you didn’t even want to see a picture of Becka. I guess I made an assumption based on that.” She cleared her throat. Her voice sounded softer when she spoke again. “I would love to be wrong about you.”

He lifted a hand to the back of his neck. Everything about him, from his stiff posture to the nervous darting of his eyes showed his discomfort. It softened her even more towards him. She imagined that not many people got to see Beckett Van de Kamp this uncomfortable.

Turning her body to fully face him, she squeezed his hand. “Beckett, I would understand if you didn’t want to be involved in Becka’s life. It’s hard for me to grasp because she’s amazing. But this is all new to you. And it doesn’t sound like you and my sister had much of a relationship in the first place. If you do want to make this choice, please don’t make it out of a sense of obligation. I don’t want to be your duty.”

A look passed over his face that she couldn’t quite read. His eyes traveled from her face to their joined hands. Madi hadn’t meant to keep holding his hand, but he didn’t seem eager to let her go. He entwined their fingers together. Heat rose in her cheeks. She had meant the gesture as a reassurance, simply because he looked so nervous. Now it felt like something more. His skin felt warm against hers and she felt the touch travel up her arm, as though the nerves in her hands were firing signals up through the rest of her body. She shivered lightly.

“I don’t see you as a duty, Madi.”

She blinked up at him, feeling lost in the moment. Hadn’t she just been angry with him? Now she felt tongue-tied and her skin fairly hummed with a nervous excitement. She bit back the question she really wanted an answer for: How do you see me?

With great effort, Madi pulled her hand away. If being near Beckett made it hard to think, touching him made her feel completely useless. She wasn’t some teenager with a crush, though her feelings had taken a swift turn into that direction. They were adults with their own lives and responsibilities. Which in her case, meant Becka. And Becka’s well-being came before everything else. Falling for her father was not a wise decision.

Not unless he commits to being in her life and wants to be in yours too.

Madi took a breath and gestured to the house. “Well, I have to thank you. This is the best this place ever looked. Thank you. It should help my landlady get new tenants.”

That sent him rocking back on his heels. Only now did he seem to notice the sign in the yard. He marched up to it, his hands on his hips. Frowning, he turned to her. “Are you moving?”

“Apparently. I wasn’t able to get the deposit to renew in time, so my landlady is looking for other renters. I have a few weeks and need to find another place to live. I’m sorry you wasted your money on this place, though it does look lovely. I would have warned you if I had known. Which is maybe a good reason you should ask someone before doing something like this.”

Madi smirked and Beckett shook his head. “You got me there.”

“Would you like to come in? I could get you a water or something?”

This question hung in the air for a moment. It felt huge. He had just implied that he did want to be involved in their lives. Or—Becka’s life. Madi shouldn’t consider that she was really part of the package. He might not want to be in her life more than it was necessary. She shouldn’t assume. Whatever he wanted, coming inside felt like a commitment. It was the first active step toward actually being involved, not just saying it. Becka was napping. But she should wake up any moment.

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