Page 39 of The Billionaire's Secret Heir

Chapter Twelve

Somebody pinch me. No, scratch that. Madi would need more of a slap to wake up from this dream.

She stood by the kitchen island of the guest house watching Becka circle the ottoman, opening and closing each storage compartment. She seemed to find the furniture itself as amusing as the toys within it. Her hair was still mussed from sleep and somehow she had one arm out of her pajama top. Sipping her coffee, Madi took a seat on the couch.

“Becka, you want any more breakfast?”

“Outside?”

Madi stifled a groan. “We’ll go outside in a few minutes. Let me finish this cup of coffee.”

As much as she loved being outside, that was all Becka wanted to do since they moved in two days before. Especially with the new playground equipment that Beckett had gotten installed between the time she last saw the guest house and when they moved in.

Becka padded on bare feet into her room and came back, dragging a toy basket. While she was occupied, Madi propped her Bible up on her knees. Beckett had been so thoughtful in creating a space perfect for a devotional time in her room, but unless she woke up before Becka, she ended up out in the main part of the house. It had been one of the incredibly thoughtful touches around the guest house. Most of them were for Becka: the playground outside, the clothes already in the closet, the toys. Some of it probably came from the designer, but she could tell by how he talked and the way he watched her reactions that he had a heavy hand in it.

What surprised Madi were the special things he had done for her. Like the new Bible and journal, stocking the DVD collection up in the media room with romantic comedies she loved, and the gourmet coffeemaker. Even though he had only been in her house once, he had paid attention and picked up on small details. It made Madi feel special. Treasured, even.

She didn’t want to read too much into these things. Well, she did, but was trying to keep some semblance of control over her feelings for Beckett. It was probably a lost cause. Whether it was seeing the way he interacted with Becka or the grand gesture of inviting them to live rent-free in the guest house or the brief touches he gave, Beckett had been winning her heart. Though she didn’t want to be presumptuous in thinking he might share her feelings, he seemed to drop hints or have double meaning with some of the things he said. Could he really feel that way toward her? The thought seemed impossible.

It wasn’t that Madi thought too little of herself, but more that she thought so much of Beckett. He was a little older and ran a billion-dollar company. He exuded power and confidence and was unquestionably handsome. Madi couldn’t help thinking that someone like Calista would fit better in his life and look better on his arm.

Her stomach clenched at the thought of her sister. Not for the first time, thinking of Calista with Beckett made Madi feel physically ill. Thinking of her sister with Beckett made her want to shut down her feelings for him. If he had liked a woman like her sister, Beckett couldn’t—or wouldn’t—be interested in Madi. They couldn’t have been more opposite from each other in terms of how they looked, the kinds of lives they lived, and what they valued.

And what did his relationship with Calista say about Beckett? Just knowing how intimate Beckett had been with her sister made her feel queasy. Calista hadn’t been into serious relationships. Did that mean Beckett was the same way?

Madi wasn’t looking for that. The idea of a relationship had been terribly far from her mind after losing Calista, but Beckett had brought those desires to life again: to marry and raise a family together. Is that something Beckett wanted? Or was he still into casual relationships?

Madi suspected that something had shifted for him in the past few years. The gossip blogs hadn’t mentioned him as much, other than to note when his engagement began and ended. More than once Madi had caught a look of pain on his face when something from the past came up. Even if he had changed, could she handle his past? Madi had only kissed a few men in her life. Would he see her as naïve and inexperienced? And would she constantly be comparing herself to the women in his past?

“Outside?” Becka tugged at Madi’s shorts.

“Outside is a great idea. I need to get out of my own head. Let’s go, Beck-Beck.”

Madi needed to stop making assumptions or playing the guessing game. Until—or if—Beckett made it clear that he wanted to pursue her, she was letting her thoughts fly way too far ahead. She might be reading all his signals wrong anyway.

For now, she needed to be content settling into the guest house and letting Beckett become part of Becka’s life. But every time she was around him, she found it hard to hold back her feelings. Patience might be a virtue, but it had never been her strongest suit. And with her heart sprinting full-speed toward the man living just a hundred yards away, she wasn’t sure how long she could wait.

* * *

“I think she’s down.” Madi quietly closed the door to Becka’s room.

She almost did a double-take glancing over at Beckett. He had knocked on the door of the guest house almost the moment he got off work, but between occupying Becka and putting together spaghetti and a salad for the three of them, Madi hadn’t had time to admire him. He was more casual than she had seen him in worn khaki pants and a half-untucked polo shirt the color of his eyes. With bare feet up on the ottoman, he looked completely relaxed. A smear of spaghetti sauce colored the front of his shirt.

She pointed. “I think we may have ruined your shirt. Want me to put some stain remover on there and put it in the wash?”

Beckett looked down and smiled, easing her guilt about ruining what probably was an expensive shirt. “I need to wear a sign around my neck that says ‘Becka’s Been Here.’” He studied her face and his grin widened.

She put a hand up to her cheek. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Want to meet me out by the pool in five minutes?”

Madi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling nervous. Beckett had been having dinner with them since they moved in, lingering a little longer each night. Even though sitting out by the pool was no big deal, it felt bigger somehow. Like he wasn’t just hanging out with her because of Becka, but he was choosing to spend time with her. Madi willed her stomach to stop fluttering, but it didn’t pay any attention.

“That sounds great. I’ll grab the baby monitor and meet you in a few minutes.”

Beckett jumped up and, with a smile over his shoulder, disappeared out the front door. She watched him jog toward the main house. Did he plan something? The invitation to the pool didn’t seem like an afterthought, but a plan. A date?

Madi stopped by the bathroom and groaned at her appearance. The light eyeliner she had put on that morning was now smudged under her eyes and she had spaghetti sauce on her cheek. That’s what Beckett had been smiling about.

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