Escorting the Billionaire (The Escort Collection 1)

r. She’s not going to change, and she’s not going anywhere.”

I sighed, understanding what he saying and wishing I didn’t. “How did it go with Danielle’s parents? That must have been such a tough conversation. It was so out of the blue.”

His eyes looked hollowed out. “It was awful. I’m sure hearing from me after all this time was the last thing they were expecting.”

“What did they say?” I asked. I couldn’t even imagine.

“I spoke with her father. I told him that I didn’t know the details, but that I believed my parents were directly involved with Danielle’s death. That it wasn’t an accident. I told him that you’d confronted my mother, and that she was threatening you, and that I needed his help.”

“What did you ask him to do?”

“I told him to go to the police. That we’d be back soon,” James said. His face was pale. I went to him and wrapped my arms around him. “He thanked me, Audrey—he said the way my mother had acted afterward had bothered him for years. He said he felt like she’d been relieved that Danielle was dead. He wants her to go to prison.”

“And you?” I asked. “Is that what you want, too?”

“I’m pretty sure prison’s too good for her,” he said. “But it’ll have to do.” He paused for a beat. “We need to call your mother. To let her know that she’s got company coming.”

I held up my hand. “I got this,” I said, picking up his fancy cell phone. “The farther I can keep you away from my mother, the better.”

* * *

Todd, Evie, Cole, and Jenny were waiting for us down at the dock again. “Good morning,” Cole called. He had a huge smile on his face, and so did Jenny. Since they’d professed their love for one another, I hadn’t seen them stop smiling.

Even though my world was on the edge of veering wildly out of control, their enthusiasm was infectious. I beamed at Jenny and gave her a big hug. “You look gorgeous,” I said, “and happy.”

“I am. Everything’s working out,” she said, holding me tight. “But I’m worried about you. Evie said Celia read you the riot act last night, and that you were wicked pale and upset after. What’s going on?”

I shook my head and blew out a deep, ragged breath. “She’s giving my mother a run for Mother of the Year, is all.”

Jenny snorted. “You and James are good people. Maybe you were both adopted.”

“I wish,” I said.

* * *

We snorkeled all morning. The kitchen staff had packed lunch for us; the crew dropped us on a secluded beach with our enormous picnic basket and a cooler full of prosecco and beer. “I could get used to this,” Todd said, sitting back on the blanket that Evie had set up and cracking a beer. “Sure beats filing Department of Labor compliance docs.”

Cole smiled at him. “I don’t miss compliance or due diligence, but I do miss my hockey team. But really, I have every thing I need right here.” He threw his arm around Jenny.

“I don’t miss work,” Jenny said, deadpan. “I don’t think I’m going back.”

“You’re not. You’re retiring,” Cole said protectively.

“I have about ten deals that have probably gone south in the past two weeks, and I don’t even care,” James said. He poured us each a glass of champagne and gave me a loving kiss on the cheek. I leaned back against him, trying not to stare at his tanned six-pack stomach, rising up tautly from his swim trunks.

“I’m sure you’ll still have a booming empire to attend to when you get back,” Todd said. “You always do. Audrey, are you going to transfer to a school out there?”

“I think so,” I said. I hope I make it that far, I thought. “California would be a nice change of pace.”

“I know—warm weather, can you imagine? Winter lasted forever this year,” Evie said. It was true; there had been dirty snowbanks in Boston well into April. “Being down here’s been really nice. It’s so beautiful here. I’m glad you guys came—you’re way more fun than my cousins. All they do is talk about their protein intake and their training schedules. And their screaming kids.” She looked at Todd and wrinkled her nose. “That’s not normal, is it?”

“No, honey, it’s not,” Todd said agreeably. “We won’t be like that when we’re parents. We won’t talk about our kids all the time, and they won’t be screaming, filthy little buggers like your cousins’.”

“Of course not,” she said. She was wearing a pink-polka-dot bikini, her collarbones tanned and on prominent display. “We have manners, and so will our children.”

“We should come down here every year—and we won’t invite your cousins. Or your screaming kids,” Cole said to Evie.

“My children won’t be screaming,” Evie said defensively, telling the same lie all non-parents told themselves.