Mr. Big Love (Mr. Big 2)

"Are you going to invite me in?" I responded, my anger starting to build.

"Of course, dear. Come in. You have a key."

"I didn't want to barge in."

"You're always welcome," she said. "It would be nice to have advance warning, but this is your home and always will be."

"I'm coming up," I said and opened the front door using my key. I didn't bother looking in the security camera. "We need to talk."

"Of course, dear. Come up. I'll be in the kitchen making coffee for us. It's so early."

I hung up and went to the elevator, taking it up to the top floor, preparing for a battle with her. It wasn't that I was upset about the money. I was upset about the attempt to bribe Alexa, threaten her, drive her away from my side.

She wasn't going to get away with it.

When I got to the top floor, I went to the closet to hang up my coat and then into the kitchen where my mother was, dressed in her robe and slippers. She looked like she'd just woken up.

"There you are, dear. Come and give me a kiss."

She held out her arms, and I was shocked. She wasn't the hug and kiss type, so that showed me she knew that she was in deep shit with me.

"Mother, I'm angry with you over what you said to Alexa."

From the hallway came my father, also dressed in a robe and slippers. He also looked like he'd just woken up.

"What's up?" he asked, coming over to us and looking between my mother and me. "How come you're here so early? It's Sunday. Are you going to work today?"

I shook my head. "Mother didn't tell you about her lunch with Alexa yesterday?"

He frowned and I knew then that she didn't tell my father.

"You'll be interested to know that she threatened to disinherit me if I marry Alexa."

"What?" my father said, frowning. "You never said anything to me about it. Why would you say that?"

My mother looked panicked, because she realized I was angry and that my father wouldn't support her.

"Luke, I know you think you love this girl, but it's just rebound from your broken heart over Jenna. You have to realize that you two are far too different, from different social classes, and your marriage will fail because of it. I'm just trying to prevent even more heartbreak."

"You actually threatened to disinherit him without talking to me? It's not your money to disinherit. Half of it is rightfully his from Emma and Charles."

"I did it to protect him," she protested, wringing her hands. She turned to me, and her expression was very upset. "Luke, this girl is not on your level. Her parents are, well, not our kind of people. You must see that."

"Mother, this is not seventeenth-century England. I don't have to marry in my class. You didn't."

That shut her up.

"Your father and I didn't work hard all these years just to see you throw it all away over a girl. One with no breeding, no background..."

"She's got fine breeding and background. Her father was a USAF fighter pilot, one of the most skilled pilots around and he now manages an airport in Oregon. He's a wonderful man and her mother is a wonderful woman. I'm lucky to be marrying into their very loving and supportive family. I only wish I could say the same about Alexa."

My father shook his head and went to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.

"She won't disinherit you," he said when he turned around, cup in hand. "And if she does, I won't be changing my will, so don't let that worry you."

"It's not the money," I said in protest. "She can cut me off completely if she really wants to. It's threatening Alexa, trying to make her leave me, that pisses me off."

My father nodded and narrowed his eyes. "It won't happen. You can trust me."