Page 1 of Her Billionaire Hero
Chapter One
Baldwyn
Letting up off the gas, my stomach churned nervously as I entered Carthage, Texas, with my four younger brothers.
Patton, the second oldest, sat in the passenger side of my Lincoln Navigator, leaning in to look at the ever-slowing speedometer. “What’s up, Baldwyn?”
Gripping the steering wheel, I clenched my jaw, unsure of what to say. I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders.
My youngest brother, Stone, spoke up. “He’s getting the bubble guts because we’re about to meet men we’ve never met before and use our ‘in’ as their second cousins to see if we can get a huge business loan.”
Cohen, the second youngest brother, nodded. “Yeah, Patton, what’s not to understand? I’m grinding my teeth back here.” Sitting alone in the third-row seat, he cracked his knuckles as he took a deep breath.
“The worst thing that can happen is that they say no,” Warner, the middle brother reminded us all. “We’re not destitute, you know. We all still have our jobs. If they say yes, then cool. If not, then no biggie.”
“They’re billionaires.” Cohen punched Warner in the arm then sat back in his seat. “It’s just nerve-wracking is all.”
Rubbing his shoulder, Warner’s narrow eyes caught mine in the rearview mirror. “The Gentrys have only been rich for about a year. I’m sure they haven’t been corrupted by the money yet. Plus, their mom told our uncle that they’ve been looking to invest in something other than the ranch their grandfather left to them. And since we all have extensive experience in the hospitality industry andmostof us have gotten education to back that experience up, our business venture is pretty much as solid as they come.”
Patton took offense right off the bat. “An associate degreeiseducation, Warner. My interior design degree has let me in the door of many of Houston’s finest spas and resorts. My freelance business is doing quite well. Not many thirty-two-year-old men can say they’ve done so well in the interior design biz.”
Stone chimed in. “Yeah, Warner. Patton’s right. My culinary arts degree might only be considered an associate degree, but it’s given me access to work with many renowned chefs. I’m not embarrassed by what I’ve made out of myself at only twenty-four. And I’ll be damned if any of these long-lost cousins of ours make me feel inadequate for not having more education.”
I had to stop them all before the whole thing disintegrated into a sibling bashing fest. “Look, guys, we’re all educated, and all of us have the experience we need to make this spa and resort thing work. Plus, I doubt our cousins have gained any education in the period of only a year. From what Uncle Rob said, his cousin married a man who gave up the money and ranch he stood to inherit. Our cousins grew up without much money at all—hence why they put the word out about wanting to invest in businesses to help out some of the family they never knew.”
Cohen smiled proudly. “We’ve got what it takes to make this work. And I’m sure Tyrell, Jasper, and Cash Gentry will see fit to finance our project. Even if they don’t, that’s okay. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. The most important thing here is that we’re going to meet relatives we never knew existed. If nothing else comes of this, we’ve gained more family. One can never have too many family members.”
“You’re right,” Stone agreed. “Family is more important than money. And we should start out by saying that, Baldwyn. Make sure to let them all know that no matter what they say about the deal, we’re still family and always will be.”
“Of course I’ll start with that.” Biting my lip, I chewed it as I turned onto the road that led to Whisper Ranch. “I sort of hate that the first time meeting them, we’re asking for money. But what other choice do we have? Uncle Rob said we needed to get out here before the vultures came to take away their money.”
We had plenty of relatives who would lie to get their hands on some of our newly rich family members’ money. Family members who’d never met any of their relatives. Family members who might be a bit naïve about people they should be able to trust.
Our father’s side of the family wasn’t exactly made up of the best people in the world. Uncle Rob was an exception—he was completely trustworthy. He had mentioned that the reason behind his cousin running off to get married to the wealthy rancher’s son had everything to do with where she’d come from—the wrong side of the tracks. And that was where our father had also come from. Only, Dad had made something out of himself. He’d married a nice woman he met in college and started his life in Houston.
An enormous gated entrance loomed ahead of us and my stomach rumbled. “Shit, this place is really something, isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” Patton agreed. “But we’ve got to remember that we’re here to meet our family and the other thing is just a passing question.”
“Yeah, that’s how we’ll do this thing. The money isn’t everything. The business idea isn’t the be-all, end-all. The important thing here is the men we’re related to. Family.” I reached out to push the button on the keypad I’d stopped next to. “Okay, so here we go. Let’s see if they even let us in.”
“Welcome to Whisper Ranch,” a man greeted us over the intercom. “How can I help you?”
“We’re the Nash brothers.” I tried to speak with pride, hoping to convey faith to the man on the other end of the speaker. “We’re the Gentry brothers’ second cousins. We’re here from Houston. Our uncle, Robert Nash, said he called to let Tyrell know that we were coming today.”
“Oh, yeah. I’ll buzz you guys in.” The gate buzzed as it opened.
I let out a sigh of relief, but the nerves weren’t gone yet. “Here we go, guys. This might be the best day of our lives. Or it might be just mediocre.”
Patton grinned as he looked at everyone in the car. “It’s gonna be great no matter what. New family—right, guys?”
Everyone agreed as we drove up the long driveway. Cattle ate grass, some horses looked our way, and one of them galloped alongside of the car for a bit before taking off in the other direction.
Stone stared out the window, mesmerized. “A real ranch. I have to admit I hadn’t realized it would be like this. It’s nice. Grand. Cool.”
“I hope they’re nice,” Cohen said quietly.
“I’m sure they are.” I pulled up behind an expensive-looking truck and put the car in park, then shut off the engine. “K. Let’s go.”
