“You okay, peanut?” I knelt down in front of Charlie.
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the plane fifty feet away. Her hand was clutching Thea’s, who wore the same nervous expression as our daughter.
I ran my fingers over her hair, then stood. “Are you okay?” I asked Thea.
She tore her eyes from the plane. “We’ve never been on a plane before. Are they supposed to be this tiny?”
Tiny? This was one of the larger Gulfstream models available and by far the most expensive. It was a good thing my mother wasn’t here for that comment. She would have gasped, then demanded I buy something bigger when we traded up every fall.
“It will be fine,” I assured them both. “This plane is as safe as they come, my pilots are the best there is, and this is a hundred times better than flying commercial.”
I hadn’t been on a commercial plane in over ten years, but I was sure my statement was true. We had no lines, no baggage limitations, and comfortable and spacious seating, plus I’d made sure the jet had been filled with Charlie’s favorite snacks.
“Mr. Kendrick?” One of the attendants approached, gesturing to the stairs. “You’re all set, sir.”
“Thank you.” I nodded, then took Charlie’s free hand and led them to the plane.
“Whoa.” Charlie’s whisper echoed through the cabin the second we stepped inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the cream interior.
My mother’s decorator was responsible for the interior of our plane. My sister Aubrey had asked to decorate it one year and we’d ended up with minimalist modern. Lillian Kendrick did not approve of minimalist, so from then on out, our jets had all been decorated like this one. Everything was rich, buttery leather and dark, gleaming mahogany. And the carpet was so plush, it felt like walking on a cloud.
I’d never felt uncomfortable in this plane before. Not once. Mom’s taste was extravagant compared to my own, but it was what I knew. It reminded me of my parents’ estate—my childhood home. It reminded me of Granny’s mansion, just three plots down from Mom and Dad’s.
But at this very moment, as I took in Thea’s expression, I was nervous to take a seat.
Thea was far from impressed. The worry she’d worn outside was now closer to panic, and it had nothing to do with getting in the air.
This was her first step into my life and she was terrified. Her feet were stuck by the door. She glanced over her shoulder, longing to retreat down the stairs.
Fuck. Was she going to run? I’d never dated a woman who hadn’t either had money of her own or had at least spent time surrounded by extreme wealth. Was this too much for Thea?
I’d been so glad when she’d finally agreed to this trip. But maybe I’d rushed it. Maybe I’d pushed too hard for her to come along. Maybe I should have given it more time.
It was too late now.
“Sir.” The captain emerged from the cockpit. “We’re all set.”
“Thanks, Mitch.”
He nodded and smiled at Charlie. “Hello, miss.”
She gave him a shy smile.
He bent, waving her close. “Would you like to sit in my seat for a minute? See what it feels like to be a pilot?”
Her face whipped to Thea, silently asking, Can I?
Thea nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand.
“Come on.” I took Thea’s elbow, practically dragging her to a seat. Then I sat across the aisle so Charlie could sit by one of us. “Was this a mistake?” I asked quietly. “This trip?”
“No,” she lied. Her eyes, filled with doubt, betrayed her.
“Thea, I—” Before I could tell her I’d cancel this whole thing if she was scared, Charlie came rushing out of the cockpit, her nerves erased by a moment in the captain’s chair.
“Can I sit by you?” Charlie asked me.
“Of course.” I helped her get buckled into the seat, then nodded at our attendant that we were set.
Five minutes of taxiing later, the captain announced we were next up on the runway.
The minute he punched the engine, forcing our backs deep into the seats, Thea’s hand shot out across the aisle. Her eyes were closed tight and her other hand was gripping the armrest with white knuckles.
I took her hand and let her squeeze my fingers tight. “I’ve got you.”
Somehow, I’d make this okay. With time, she’d get used to this kind of lifestyle, because really, there wasn’t another option. I wasn’t letting her go.
This lifestyle—my lifestyle—was hers now too.
We just needed to get to the city and everything would be all right.
“Whoa.”
Charlie’s word of the day. It had started on the plane and continued through every part of our journey. When we’d flown over the city, she’d been glued to the window, whispering whoa. When we’d landed and walked to my town car, whoa. And now, standing just inside the door to my penthouse.
“Come on in and make yourself at home.” I turned to the doorman. “We’ve got the bags from here. Thank you.”
He nodded, setting down our luggage in the foyer. “Have a good evening, sir.”
When the door closed behind him, I picked up Charlie’s tiny suitcase and carried it farther down the hall. “How about we do the full tour and then order in some dinner?”
“That sounds nice,” Thea said, following behind with Charlie. “Logan, this place is . . .”
“Whoa?”
She smiled. “Exactly. Nice place, gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” I grinned. She didn’t call me gorgeous often, but damn I liked it when she did. “I’ve only been here for about three months,” I told them as I walked into the living room. “So I’m still getting used to the place myself.”
“Three months?” Thea’s frame perked up. She’d done the math and knew this place wasn’t the one I’d shared with Emmeline.
“You both will be my first overnight guests.”
That got me a full-blown smile. I’d never brought a woman here for sex. It wasn’t like I’d done it consciously, it just hadn’t happened. The only woman I’d fucked since Emmeline was Alice and she’d never been invited over. I mentally patted myself on the back for my foresight.
The only woman who had a claim on my bed was Thea.
“Whoa.” Charlie’s head tipped back to the ceiling, taking it all in as she spun around. She nearly crashed into a couch as she came into the living room.
The main room was situated in the corner of the penthouse with floor-to-ceiling windows lining both exterior walls. Beyond the glass was a garden terrace that overlooked Central Park and the towering Manhattan skyscrapers in the distance.
The windows had sold me on this place. The black iron between the rectangles was thick to give them an industrial feel. On the top row, the architect had kept them as squares but added some circular iron accents to break up the grid. Wood panels had been placed strategically throughout the living room to warm up the space. And in the center was a two-story, concrete fireplace. Next to the windows, it was my favorite part of the penthouse.
“This is a beautiful place.” Thea ran her hands over the back of a leather couch. “But not what I was expecting.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I guess I figured it would be modern and,” she shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I thought it would be like the places you always see in fancy magazines where everything is white. The kind of place where no one can actually live for fear of spilling something. But that fireplace is beautiful. And the wood accents are done so well. It’s amazing.”
“Thanks.” I took her hand and pulled her past the fireplace and into the kitchen.
Behind the fireplace, the ceilings were lower, making room for the upstairs bedrooms. But it was still open and airy in the back part of the penthouse. The windows let in a lot of early evening light so the room was glowing.
“Would you like anything to drink?” I set Charlie’s suitcase down and opened the fridge. There wasn’t much inside. My cleaning service had cleared it out last week. But my assistant had filled it with some necessities, like bottled water, soda, juice for Charlie and Thea’s favorite beer.
“I can see you do a lot of cooking,” Thea teased, standing beside me and taking out a bottle of water.
“Me and cooking don’t mix.” Not that I’d ever really tried. “Delivery is the safer choice.” I grinned and grabbed my own water. After a long drink, I called to Charlie, who was pressed up against a window, looking outside. “Hey, peanut. Want to see your room?”
She spun around and her jaw dropped. “I have my own room?”
“You sure do. It might not be exactly how you want it, but while you’re here this week, you can get it all set up just right.” I winked at Thea. “In case you decide to extend your vacation.”
The second the words were out of my mouth I wanted them back. Damn it.
Thea’s guard went right back up. She gave me a smile—the fake one—and walked out of the room, looking to the right, then left.
“Down the hall,” I told her as I set down my water and picked up Charlie’s suitcase.
As she disappeared toward the bedrooms, the doubts I’d had on the plane returned. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed her to come out here so soon. Maybe we should have waited until the fall.
Still, having her and Charlie in this house was incredible. Today was the first time it had felt like home.
I spent long nights at the firm, especially when I’d just been starting out. But that habit had continued and there were still times when I’d catch a few hours of sleep on my office couch and shower in the partners’ lounge.
There just hadn’t been any reason to come home.
“Which one is my room?” Charlie asked as she jogged after Thea.
“Third door on the left.”
I walked down the hall after them, passing a bathroom and my office. Mostly, I did foundation work from home when I didn’t feel like going downtown.
There were five bedrooms in this penthouse, three upstairs and two down. I’d decided to give Charlie the biggest room downstairs because it had the fewest windows. For what I’d asked my assistant to arrange, I’d needed it to be as dark as possible.
“Whoa.”
I chuckled as I caught up to Charlie and Thea. They were standing in the doorway, both wide-eyed as they took in the room.
I hadn’t had the chance to see the room since I’d ordered it done the day after I’d asked Thea to come back with me, but my assistant had sent pictures.
And tomorrow, I was giving him a raise.
“It’s like a fort,” Charlie whispered, carefully stepping inside. “The best fort ever.”
“Logan, this is . . .” Thea swallowed hard. “This is wonderful. Thank you for doing this for her.”
I stepped closer, bending to brush a kiss on her cheek. “It was my pleasure. I want you both to feel comfortable here. For whenever you want to come and visit.”
Her frame relaxed as I threw in that last part.
As much as I wanted them to stay for good, I’d pushed enough today. If I alienated her this week, I might never get her back.
I didn’t know why Thea was so resistant to being here, but there was something she wasn’t telling me. As we’d flown into the city, she’d had the same look on her face as she had the night I’d found her old Polaroids.
“Mommy, look at the trees.”
“I saw them! They’re so cool.”
The walls had been painted a dark tan, with birch trees in a lighter shade stenciled on top. Charlie’s four bedposts were all made to look like branches too, their limbs extending to the ceiling, then coming together in the middle to form a canopy.
Because the room was so dark, there was a string of golden lights that ran above the crown molding, giving the space a soft glow.
The bedding was a soft cream, the floors a deep brown wood. All the room needed were a few of Charlie’s touches, like her artwork or some books on the shelves.
I set down Charlie’s suitcase by the wooden dresser and wandered around the room. “My assistant Sean is going to come over tomorrow while I’m at work. He’ll take you shopping for anything that’s missing or you want to change.”
“Logan—”
I held up a hand, stopping Thea’s protest. “I want this room to be just right for her. Please.”
She closed her mouth and nodded.
“Besides that, I’d like you to get to know Sean. He spends a few days a week here working and I think you guys will hit it off. And if you ever need anything from me but can’t track me down, he can take care of it.”
My phone buzzed with a text in my pocket, so I pulled it out. “Speak of the devil. Sean wants to know what we’d like for dinner.”
Charlie climbed up on her bed, jumping once, then landing on her back. The comforter billowed at the sides as she giggled. “Snacks!”
Thea and I shared a look, then she smiled and jumped on the bed with Charlie.
The two of them laughing together gave me hope.
My plan was going to work. After a few days, Thea would relax and feel comfortable here. She’d feel at home.
Then I could ask her to stay.
“She’s out.” I walked up behind Thea, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.
She relaxed, leaning into my embrace, and brought her hands to my forearms. “Thanks for tucking her in. Though, I’m getting jealous that she doesn’t want my bedtime stories anymore.”
“Tough. I’m stealing bedtime.” I kissed the back of her hair, inhaling the soothing lavender scent.
We’d spent the evening lounging in the living room. Charlie had taken over my remote for the television and found some Lego movie for us to watch. Sean had come over hefting bags of every snack available and my favorite Chinese.
After we’d done introductions, he’d excused himself and we’d enjoyed a quiet dinner. Charlie had eaten her snacks, plus some required chicken tenders, and Thea and I had decimated the takeout.
If the rest of the week went like the last three hours, I had no doubt that I could convince her to move.
“Is this your family?” She reached out and touched a picture frame. We were standing in front of a bookshelf in the living room. Mostly it held books from law school, but there were a few pictures too.
“Yes. That was for Mom’s holiday card last year.”
“I feel bad.” She sighed. “All the time we’ve spent together and I haven’t once asked about your family.”
I often had to remind myself that we’d only been a couple for a week even though it felt like much longer. Thea had been hiding deep in my heart for years.
“Don’t feel bad. We’ve got time to learn all about one another.”
“Do we?” she whispered. “Do we have time?”
She tried to step away, but I held her tight. “There’s no clock on this, Thea. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But I am.”
I closed my eyes, forcing my mouth to stay shut. I wanted to tell her she was staying. To declare this was her home now. But I knew exactly how that would end.
With me sleeping on the couch.
“Let’s not worry about geography tonight.”
She relaxed again, then pointed to the picture. “Those are your parents?”
“Thomas and Lillian. And those are my sisters, Aubrey and Sofia. That’s Aubrey, next to me. She’s four years younger than me. And that’s Sofia, next to my dad. She’s six years younger. You’ll meet them all this weekend.”
The plan was to let Thea and Charlie explore the city during the week while I worked. I’d chosen to delay the introduction with my family so Charlie could do fun things in the city and Thea could settle into the penthouse. I wanted them both to feel at home here without the pressure of strangers invading. Then over the weekend, we’d take a trip to my parents’ place outside of the city.
“Charlie and Aubrey look a lot alike.” Thea nodded to another picture of Aubrey on the shelf.
“They sure do.”
While I’d simply trusted Thea to tell me the truth about Charlie’s paternity, my parents wouldn’t do the same. They’d been emailing and calling regularly to pressure me into a test. I’d continually refused because once they saw Aubrey and Charlie in the same room, they’d realize what I’d known all along.
Charlie was a Kendrick.
“Tell me about them.”
I let Thea go, taking her hand and pulling her over to a couch. “What do you want to know?”
She settled into my side. “Anything. Everything. What do they do?”
“Well, my dad is in charge of everything, really. He runs the business and all of the family affairs. He says he’s going to retire, but we all know he’s too attached to the business to step away.”
“What is your family’s business?”
“Investments mostly. At the turn of the century, my great-great-grandfather made a name for himself by investing in businesses throughout the city. Flower shops. Restaurants. Real estate developments. Steel factories. Shipping companies. Businesses of all sizes. You name it and he had his hand in it. He was a real go-getter.”
He’d built himself up from nothing, and his hard work had built the foundation for the Kendrick fortune.
“By the time he died, he’d amassed a huge wealth for the time. It all went to my great grandfather, who doubled it. And then to my grandfather, who doubled it again. And my dad has nearly tripled it from there.”
Billions of dollars, all because the original Logan Kendrick had made his first investment in a small bakery on Fifty-Seventh Street.
“But you didn’t go into the family business?”
“No.” I tucked Thea closer to my side. “It had always been the family plan for me to take over, but I went to college and never found a real passion for my business classes. I took one pre-law class and knew it was the right fit. So I broke the family chain. The eldest son of the eldest son went to law school instead of to work for the company.”
Since then, I’d been working my ass off, trying to prove to my family, and myself, that I hadn’t made a mistake. I was still business savvy. You had to be in corporate law. I just hoped that my success at the firm would show I was still worthy of the Kendrick legacy even though I hadn’t gone directly into business with my father.
“I am still involved,” I told Thea. “Just because I don’t work side by side with dad every day doesn’t mean there isn’t a ton for me to do with the family’s ventures. I spend a lot of time with the foundation, and I’m starting to take over some of dad’s responsibilities with our family.”
There was always a cousin in need of an internship or job referral. At times, Dad or I would step in to settle a squabble between my aunts or uncles. And as of a week ago, Dad had asked me to take over managing trust fund disbursements.
“Was your dad disappointed that you didn’t go to work with him?” she asked.
“At first.” I sighed. “But not long after I started working at the firm, Aubrey graduated college and went to work with Dad. It helped smooth things over. He named her his successor a few years ago.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Honestly? No. It was a relief. I’m not as passionate about being an entrepreneur as I am about representing them. The legal aspect of business fascinates me. I love bringing two parties to a table, figuring out what they really need from each other and finding a way to give it to them. But the rest isn’t as exciting. And Aubrey just fits. It’s in her blood and comes so naturally for her. I do the things she doesn’t love as much, like run the foundation.”
Maybe it was because Granny had started it as her pet project, but the foundation and its mission had always called to me more than anything else in the Kendrick empire.
“And Sofia? Does she work too?”
I snorted. “Sofia is living her best life as a socialite. She hasn’t worked a day in her life and can spend money with the best of them. My mother is good at spending money too, but she lucked out and fell in love with my father, who adores her. Sofia, on the other hand, plays games like an adolescent and has managed to land herself two ex-husbands.”
Sofia’s husbands had been scum, leeching off her money while fucking other women behind her back. It was unfortunate because I think she really had loved them both. I’d hoped that, after her second divorce, she would take the time to reflect on her life and the men she’d chosen.
I’d tried to convince her to stay single for a while and wait for someone nice to come along. She’d laughed at me and rumor had it she was already seeing another money-grubbing loser. This one was a professional poker player who wasn’t all that good at poker.
“See this gray hair, right here?” I pointed to my temple. “That’s from Sofia.”
Thea giggled. “You don’t have any gray hair.”
“But someday I will, and it’s going to be her fault.”
We’d all hoped that Sofia would find an interest in one of the Kendrick businesses. But so far, she’d yet to make much of herself but a brat. And my parents did her no favors by spoiling her rotten.
“Thanks.” Thea snuggled closer. “It’s nice to hear about them all so I’m prepared for when we meet.”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
It was a half-truth. Aubrey would embrace Thea and Charlie immediately. My parents would likely be hesitant but polite. They’d come around when they realized Thea wasn’t after the family fortune.
Sofia was the risk. Either she’d want to play dress-up with Charlie, or she’d throw a tantrum to make sure she stayed the center of attention.
I didn’t know how she’d play this, but one thing was for certain. If she made this a bad experience for Thea, I’d take her financial freedom away with a snap of my fingers. Because while Dad and Aubrey were in control of the working capital, I had the power over the legacy money.
I had the power over Sofia’s trust fund.
Dad was making the announcement next week, so with the exception of Mom and Granny, none of the family knew that, as of a week ago, I was in charge of trust fund withdrawals for the Kendrick lineage.
We had a fairly simple trust fund setup considering the size of our fortune. If you were a direct descendant of my great-great-grandfather, you were entitled to a percentage of his legacy. Once you turned thirty, the money was yours to do with as you pleased.
But until then, withdrawals required approval from Dad. Now me. It was a safeguard to ensure the younger adults didn’t take hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on hookers and blow.
After all, that would tarnish the family image.
I’d planned to follow Dad’s precedents, approving all withdrawals unless there was cause for alarm. I wanted to stay out of each individual’s financial business. But if Sofia hurt Thea or Charlie in any way, I’d make an exception.
She might be in our family, but she’d learn the hard way not to mess with mine.
