Page 119 of Mad Rivals
The door opens, and a woman with a face that looks too smooth for her age stares at me. I see traces of Kennedy in her. She looks like she may be trying to pinch her brows, but the Botox is preventing the movement. Hell, she looks like she’d be best friends with my own mother if there wasn’t a huge feud between our families. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Mr. Van Buren. I’m Madden Bradley of Bradley Group.”
“He’s golfing.” She purses her lips. “We don’t do business with the Bradley Group any longer. Have a nice day.” She moves to shut the door, but I refuse to be deterred.
“Ma’am, if I could just have a moment of your time—”
“I’m sorry.”
Just before the door clicks shut, I yell out, “I’m in love with your daughter.”
The door doesn’t close quite all the way, and after a few seconds that feel like the longest in history, it inches open just a bit.
“What did you just say?” she asks.
“I’m in love with your daughter. Kennedy. We met and started working together on a project, and I know Walter told her that she needs to stay away from me, but the connection was too strong. And now it’s been four weeks that we’ve been apart, but I have a plan, and I need to talk with you and your husband because I will stop at nothing to win her back.”
“Win her back?” Her hand flies to her chest. “I’m sure if you’re apart, there’s a good reason. Now if you’ll excuse me.”She moves to shut the door, but I set my hand on it before she can close it.
“We’re apart because I was trying to protect her. But I fixed the issue, and now the best way I know how to protect her is to keep her close.”
“Protect her from what?” she asks. “Is she in trouble?”
“No. I was protecting her from the investigations my father may be facing.”
“Oh.” She purses her lips again. “Why is he being investigated, and how was my daughter involved?”
“I assume you know about his casino,” I say carefully, and she purses her lips. “Well, I didn’t know about them. Kennedy was with me when I discovered them. I kept her at a distance to protect her, did what I had to do, and this morning, Bradley Group was signed over to me. And now I’m here with an opportunity I’d like to discuss.”
“An opportunity?” she asks.
“Ruth, who was at the door?” Walter asks as he walks into the foyer behind his wife.
I glance at Kennedy’s mother. “Golfing?”
She has the grace to look a little sheepish at the lie.
“Madden Bradley,” Walter says.
“Mr. Van Buren,” I say. I stick out a hand to shake his. I’m still standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?”
“He says he’s in love with Kennedy, and he’s the new CEO of Bradley Group,” Ruth says, basically summarizing our interaction so far.
“What?” Walter asks.
I lift a shoulder. “It’s complicated. But my father has erased all traces of illegal activity from Bradley Group, and this morning, I became the new president. And I’m here today to talk about a merger.”
“A merger?” Walter repeats. “Absolutely not.”
“Sir, let me begin by saying that your daughter and I have been secretly seeing each other for months. I’m going to ask her to marry me, and I’d love to do that with your blessing, but I’m going to do it either way. We’re a great team, and we’ve found that we really actually enjoy working together. What was something we both thought we never wanted has become something I want more than anything if it means I get to do it with her, and I know she feels the same way. She never wanted VBC until she got to compete against me. But imagine how great it could be if we were working together instead of against each other. And once we’re married, I plan to merge VBC with Bradley Group to create a new super development company that we can run as co-CEOs. I know it’s a lot to ask, especially given how little you trust my father, but my season is starting tomorrow and I have nothing to lose by coming here to present this idea to you to get the ball rolling while I get my ass back to San Diego for camp.”
Both Walter and Ruth stare at me like I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I have.
But honestly, I just think that’s what love does to you.
Walter raises his brows. “I can’t agree to any of it, son. I’m sorry. Your father betrayed me one too many times, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
