Page 62 of Charm (Billionaire Buck Boys #7)

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Holden

“Olive Irwin?” Jameson repeats. “Greer’s daughter?”

I nod. “She’s my daughter, too.”

He gives me a look that reads all kinds of skepticism. “I’m lost, Holden. You believe Greer’s daughter is your daughter? Did she adopt Olive? How long has she known you’re Olive’s dad?”

It’s a lot to have thrown at me, but I brought him here to listen to my story, so I need to tell it.

“Almost eight years ago, I met a woman at a bar near the beach house.”

He doesn’t look the least bit surprised. He also doesn’t say anything.

“I had just finished picking up a birthday gift for grandmother.” I shake my head. “She mentioned wanting a gold four-leaf clover charm and she hinted that she wanted diamonds on it. I got her one with two diamonds.”

“One for each of us,” he says, jerking a thumb back and forth between the two of us.

“Yeah,” I affirm with a nod. “I couldn’t find anything like that, so I had a jeweler custom make it for me.”

“You were always a goddamn show off with the gifts.” He pats the center of my back. “You always made me look bad.”

With a smile, I shrug that off. “Finny and I were on the outs at that time, and this woman was fun, James. She bought me a drink, but didn’t indulge. When I had my fill, she suggested we go back to my place, but grandmother was there, so...”

“So you ended up at her place?”

“A hotel,” I answer. “She said her hotel had paper thin walls so she suggested one of the nicer ones that border the beach.”

“You couldn’t say no,” he rightfully assumes.

“She was pretty,” I tell him. “Friendly and I needed the fun.”

“What was her name?” he asks the question I’ve never once asked myself since that day.

That’s been haunting me since I left Greer’s home the other night. My daughter was conceived on a night when I didn’t have the decency to ask the name of the woman I took to bed. I didn’t offer mine either. Maybe if I had, things would have been different.

“Celia,” I say, and then add to it, “I found that out the other night while I was at Greer’s. When we slept together, we didn’t exchange names.”

“Lay out for me how this all came to light, Holden.” He pats my back again. “I think I’m missing some pieces.”

“When I was at Greer’s for dinner, Olive showed me a dress that her grandma made her.

” I stop to consider what I’ll say next.

“She had the charm around her neck on a chain. It was the charm I had custom-made for grandmother. When I woke up the morning after Celia and I were together, the charm was gone. She took it out of the pocket of my jeans.”

“It makes sense that I never saw grandmother wearing it.”

I nod. “I couldn’t take my eyes off the charm. Then Olive told me her birthday, and the timing lines up. I saw a picture of Celia with Greer, and I knew. I know. She’s mine, James.”

“Wow,” he whispers. “That had to have knocked you on your ass.”

“It threw me,” I admit. “After I saw the charm around Olive’s neck, I excused myself. Greer assumed I needed to make a call, so she directed me to her home office. I didn’t call anyone. I tried to catch my breath.”

“Understandable,” he says.

“Then came the birthday reveal and the picture of Celia.” I look up at the sky. “It hit me so hard, James. I slept with her nine months before Olive was born. I’m her dad.”

“We need to look at this froma rational place, Holden. The first step, if you haven’t already taken it, is talking to Greer.”

Without glancing at him, I nod.

“I know you may not want to hear this, but a paternity test is important, Holden,” he says evenly. “I hate to ask, but you used protection, right?”

“A condom.” I rest my head in my hands. “I always use one. It could have broken, though. That happens.”

“It does,” he agrees. “The paternity test will put any questions to rest.”

My heart is telling me Olive is mine, but I suspect James won’t be the only person suggesting a paternity test. I’m sure Greer will want it, too. I don’t even know how I’ll tell her that I believe I’m the father of her daughter.

It’s as fucked up as it is miraculous.

“If you need me to go with you to talk to Greer, say the word,” he offers. “I’ll back you up in whatever way you need.”

I appreciate the offer, so I pat his knee. “I’ll handle it, but thanks for this, James. I needed this.”

“I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone,” he promises. “Until you’re ready to share the news.”

“You’re going home to tell your wife, aren’t you?” I ask, although I already know the answer. “You’ll tell her as soon as you can.”

“I’ll call her as soon as you walk away.” He chuckles. “You know, Sin, though, she’ll keep the secret.”

I don’t intend on keeping my daughter a secret for very long. I want everyone I love to know I’m the father of a beautiful little girl named Olive.

I walk by Sweet Indulgence even though it’s shuttered for the night. Jameson and I parted ways at the edge of the park when he hopped into a taxi.

He offered to have the driver drop me at my apartment building first, but I needed fresh air and time to think.

The conversation I’ll have with Greer will be the most important one of my life.

She has dedicated herself to making sure my daughter has had the best life possible. That only makes me love her more.

Love.

I was falling head over heels for Greer before tonight. Now, all I feel is wonder, awe, and gratitude.

I stop directly in front of her shop and press the button to initiate a call to her.

She answers on the second ring. “Hey, Holden. Hi.”

“Hi,” I say back, smiling like a kid in a candy store. I laugh lightly when I realize I am indeed in front of a candy store. “I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch.”

“Was it a licorice emergency?” I can hear the grin in her voice. “Or was it a caramel catastrophe?”

“Let’s hope I avoid both for the foreseeable future.”

“You and me both,” she says, her voice bright and breezy. “Speaking of which, I’m meeting with a potential new partner tomorrow. I think this may be the one.”

I’m too overwrought with emotion to ask many questions, so I ask the only one that matters to me right now. “Can you meet with me tomorrow, too?”

“Meet as in a coffee or meet as in more than a coffee?”

I’d give anything to be in a bed with her right now, but I can’t go forward with what’s building between us until we talk about Olive. “Let’s start with a coffee.”

I’m just about to tell her that I want us to drink that coffee at my apartment, but I hear rustling on her end.

“Olive had a nightmare,” she says in almost a whisper. “I need to go take care of her.”

I close my eyes and take a breath deep enough to fill my lungs with air. “Text me tomorrow to let me know what time works.”

“I will.”

“Oh, and Greer,” I begin, hoping I’m catching her before she ends the call. “Tell Olive I love the bracelet.”

“That will make her happy.” She sighs. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Good night, Holden.”

The call ends, and I stare at my phone. I’d trade my entire fortune for the opportunity to comfort Olive after she’s had a nightmare.

All I can hope for at this point is that I get the chance to do just that soon.