Page 2 of The Billionaire and His Forever

Once the food is ready, Jude and I eat at the little table in the kitchen with Mary and Esmeralda. The cook and the housekeeper already had their own breakfasts, but they keep up the banter while they sip coffee. I know they’re putting on a show for Jude, purposely steering the conversation away from any mention of Graham, trying to act like nothing happened. Which I appreciate. But under the bluster, I still have a heavy ball of nerves sitting in my gut.

I feel like screaming. While we’re sitting here playing house, Graham is rotting in a jail cell in New York. I should be at the police station right now, meeting with Graham’s lawyer, helping figure out a plan to get Graham out of this mess. But I can’t. I have to stay with Jude. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.

Not only that, but Graham’s lawyer might not even want me there, getting in the way and potentially creating even more fodder for the rumor mills and the media. I just wish I knew Graham was okay. It’s taking everything I have not to give in to the panic that’s been threatening to overtake me ever since those cops busted into Graham’s bedroom this morning.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I sneak a look under the table. It’s my dad calling. Again. I’ve already missed six calls from him while we were helping with the waffles. I don’t know what he wants, but I’m not picking up. I send his call to voicemail. Again.

“Is that my dad?” Jude asks, watching me.

“Nope, it’smydad. I’ll have to call him back,” I say, trying to sound breezy. “But since you’re all done, why don’t you go get dressed for riding and we’ll head out to the stables?”

“Okay.”

As soon as she’s out of the kitchen, I lower my voice and look at Mary and Esmeralda.

“Have either of you heard anything from him?” I ask.

They both shake their heads, looking grave.

“I told Mary everything that happened with the police this morning,” Esmeralda says quietly. “But Mr. Ratliff would never do what they said he did. No matter how much he fought with Mrs. Ratliff, no matter how difficult she could be…”

Mary nods along.

“I know,” I say. “I don’t know what to do. This all feels so unbelievable.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Mary says gently. “Just take care of Jude, keep her busy, and try to stay positive. I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.”

“Right,” I agree.

It turns out Jude’s busy schedule is finally good for something. She talks a mile a minute about her next riding exhibition as we make our way across the property toward the stables.

Cassie is ready and waiting for us, a look of worry on her face, but just like with Mary and Esmeralda, she paints on a smile as soon as she sees Jude. Desi sticks her head over the gate of her stall and whinnies, which has Jude laughing.

“She’s so excited to see me!” she squeals, taking off down the center aisle.

“How can she not be? You’re her favorite person,” Cassie says.

We watch Desi nuzzle Jude’s hand, and it’s almost as if the horse knows something awful happened and it’s her job to protect the tiniest Ratliff.

“Heard anything from Graham since they took him?” Cassie asks me quietly.

I shake my head. “This is all so fucked.”

“I know,” she says. “I’ll do my best with Jude. She seems okay enough.”

“That’s because she knows nothing,” I tell her guiltily. “We’ve all just been pretending he’s at a meeting in the city. Can you just…keep it that way? I’m losing it.”

“Of course,” Cassie says, giving me a quick side hug before attending to Jude.

I go outside and sit on the bench next to the riding ring so I can watch Jude’s lesson without getting in the way. Minutes later, my phone buzzes again. Crap. If I don’t talk to my dad soon, he’s liable to just show up here and cause problems. On the other hand, what if he can help? He went to law school in California before he got his MBA here on the East Coast…and besides that, my dad is the kind of person who always has a plan. Maybe he’ll know what to do.

Graham is his best friend, after all. Or was.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Wow. You actually picked up this time.”

I can’t help rolling my eyes. “I have a job to do. I’ve been trying to distract Jude all morning so she doesn’t find out what happened. Which I’m guessing you did.”

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