Read Online Stolen: Meant To Be (Contemporary Billionaire Romance) by Holly Rayner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Holly Rayner
Ads: Link
She paid someone to take care of the upkeep and after she died and I found out about it… I almost sold it. Honestly, I would have if she hadn’t put measures in place to stop me.”
“I’m confused Dad, what does all of this have to do with now?”
“The house was the one that Adele grew up in.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. That house had been the source of a lot of Adele’s angst as a child. She’d wanted to finish growing up there… she had planned on raising her kids there… we sat up one whole night and I held her while she cried and showed me pictures from when she lived there with her parents. She told me that when she was a little girl, she would picture herself getting married in the big backyard and her mother would sometimes join her fantasy and they would talk about decorations and music… this whole time, my family owned it. Was this going to damage the relationship that we just finally put back together? “I am having a hard time processing this. What did Mom plan on doing with the house?”
“She planned to give it back to Adele. She had the deed put in Adele’s name, that was why I couldn’t sell it. Instead of giving it to her, I continued to pay the taxes and pay for the upkeep.”
I was staring at him, mouth wide open. What did he expect me to do with this news? He was giving me information that would likely strip away any progress that he and Adele had made and maybe cause more strife between her and me. Yet, it was also information that would make her happy. I wished that everything this family did was not so incredibly messed up. Sometimes I felt like my head would explode from all of it. “What am I supposed to do with this information, Dad?” I finally asked him.
“You can tell her. Or, if you would like, I will. I brought the deed. The house is hers and she needs to know about it, I suppose…”
“Are you telling me because you think I might choose not to tell her?”
“I came here with the intentions of making this final confession to her. I don’t expect her to forgive me, but my conscience wouldn’t be completely clear until I told her. Then when I walked in and realized this wasn’t just a party for the company… it was your engagement party, I started re-thinking it. She looks happy and so do you. I don’t want to throw any wrenches in your works… I’ve done enough of that in your life… and hers.” He took a folded set of papers out of his breast pocket and handed them to me. I looked down at them, it said, “ Deed of Trust.” Damn him and his greedy old soul!
“I won’t keep this from her,” I said.
He nodded. “I didn’t think that you would, but you’re still my son and I had to give you that option.”
“Dad, just so we’re clear, I do not ever plan on keeping anything from Adele.”
“Good,” he said. “That’s good. You’re a better man than me son. I have one more thing that I would like to give you.” I wasn’t sure that I wanted it. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box and handed it to me. “I saw that she had a ring already, but your Mom wanted you to have this.”
With trembling hands and tears filling my eyes, I opened the box. The antique ring that my mother had worn for as long as I could remember on her left hand now sparkled underneath the twinkly lights. She loved this ring. My father had given it to her when he proposed… it had belonged to his mother and to her mother before that.
“Thanks,” I said. I was such a mess of conflicting emotions inside. I didn’t know whether to thank him or punch him in the nose. I knew that he was trying. He just had such an odd way of doing things.
“Tell Adele I said goodnight and once again, I’m sorry.”
I looked up at him. I could see Adele standing near the back door, talking to one of the guests. I held the deed back out to him and said, “No. If she ever chooses to
“I’m confused Dad, what does all of this have to do with now?”
“The house was the one that Adele grew up in.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. That house had been the source of a lot of Adele’s angst as a child. She’d wanted to finish growing up there… she had planned on raising her kids there… we sat up one whole night and I held her while she cried and showed me pictures from when she lived there with her parents. She told me that when she was a little girl, she would picture herself getting married in the big backyard and her mother would sometimes join her fantasy and they would talk about decorations and music… this whole time, my family owned it. Was this going to damage the relationship that we just finally put back together? “I am having a hard time processing this. What did Mom plan on doing with the house?”
“She planned to give it back to Adele. She had the deed put in Adele’s name, that was why I couldn’t sell it. Instead of giving it to her, I continued to pay the taxes and pay for the upkeep.”
I was staring at him, mouth wide open. What did he expect me to do with this news? He was giving me information that would likely strip away any progress that he and Adele had made and maybe cause more strife between her and me. Yet, it was also information that would make her happy. I wished that everything this family did was not so incredibly messed up. Sometimes I felt like my head would explode from all of it. “What am I supposed to do with this information, Dad?” I finally asked him.
“You can tell her. Or, if you would like, I will. I brought the deed. The house is hers and she needs to know about it, I suppose…”
“Are you telling me because you think I might choose not to tell her?”
“I came here with the intentions of making this final confession to her. I don’t expect her to forgive me, but my conscience wouldn’t be completely clear until I told her. Then when I walked in and realized this wasn’t just a party for the company… it was your engagement party, I started re-thinking it. She looks happy and so do you. I don’t want to throw any wrenches in your works… I’ve done enough of that in your life… and hers.” He took a folded set of papers out of his breast pocket and handed them to me. I looked down at them, it said, “ Deed of Trust.” Damn him and his greedy old soul!
“I won’t keep this from her,” I said.
He nodded. “I didn’t think that you would, but you’re still my son and I had to give you that option.”
“Dad, just so we’re clear, I do not ever plan on keeping anything from Adele.”
“Good,” he said. “That’s good. You’re a better man than me son. I have one more thing that I would like to give you.” I wasn’t sure that I wanted it. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box and handed it to me. “I saw that she had a ring already, but your Mom wanted you to have this.”
With trembling hands and tears filling my eyes, I opened the box. The antique ring that my mother had worn for as long as I could remember on her left hand now sparkled underneath the twinkly lights. She loved this ring. My father had given it to her when he proposed… it had belonged to his mother and to her mother before that.
“Thanks,” I said. I was such a mess of conflicting emotions inside. I didn’t know whether to thank him or punch him in the nose. I knew that he was trying. He just had such an odd way of doing things.
“Tell Adele I said goodnight and once again, I’m sorry.”
I looked up at him. I could see Adele standing near the back door, talking to one of the guests. I held the deed back out to him and said, “No. If she ever chooses to
Similar Books
