Page 64 of Charm (Billionaire Buck Boys #7)

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Holden

A soft knock at my apartment door tells me the doorman let Greer up without notifying me. I don’t blame him. When he gets busy helping other residents with packages and deliveries, his attention is easily diverted.

I take a deep breath to try and slow my racing pulse, but it’s useless. I’m sure at some point I won’t feel this thundering sensation against my chest wall, but that’s not going to happen tonight.

I swing open the door to find her wearing the same T-shirt and shorts she was on the day we met.

It’s a trip back in time to a moment I’ll never forget. I had no idea when I turned around in Mrs. Frye’s pool that I was coming face-to-face with the mother of my child.

“Holden!” she says my name with so much exuberance that I can’t help but smile. “I brought champagne.”

This moment would be perfect if she had any idea about the bombshell I’m about to drop in her lap. She doesn’t, though. The champagne is meant to celebrate something other than the fact we share a child. My guess is that she found a new business partner.

Her gaze trails over my suit. “You look professional.”

I point to where my tie would normally be. “I lost the tie an hour or two ago.”

“And no glasses?” She tilts her head. “I still like you.”

I think I love you.

I keep that to myself because it’s far too intense to precede what I need to say to her.

“Good.” I kiss the center of her forehead. “I like you, too.”

“Will you pop the cork on this?” She lightly shakes the bottle of champagne. “We can toast to the very real prospect of me having a new business partner.”

“I will.” I take it from her. “I’d like to talk first.”

“His name is Rocco Jones,” she says. “He’s an angel investor. He would be the perfect partner, Holden. He’ll offer advice and guidance, and he has a million connections that can open a lot of doors for me.”

I listen to every word because this is important to her. That makes it important to me, too.

I know who Rocco Jones is. I met the guy once at his grandmother’s restaurant. Calvettti’s serves the best Italian food in the state. The Calvetti family has touched the lives of many people in this city. If Greer has the opportunity to partner with one of them, I see that as a solid move for her.

“I’ll know more soon,” she says, eyeing the champagne bottle. “Where do you keep your champagne glasses?”

I reach for one of her hands. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Her gaze scans my face slowly. “It’s something serious, isn’t it?”

“Very,” I admit. “Life changing.”

“For me or you?” she questions.

“Both of us, Greer.”

She glances at the champagne bottle again before her gaze drifts to the couch. “Let’s sit and talk. We should sit and talk, right?”

I squeeze her hand. “We should sit and talk.”

Her fingertip traces her bottom lip. “Okay.”

I lead her toward the couch in silence. I’m about to change her life forever, and I have no idea if anything will ever be the same between us again.

The best way to address a difficult situation is by jumping all in. My grandparents taught me that. It’s how they handled all of the bullshit that came up, be it in business or with their family.

I have no fucking idea if jumping all in is what is best here. I don’t know how to handle this, so I ease in slowly.

“Years ago, I had a pendant custom-made for my grandmother for her birthday.”

Greer smiles. “Of course you did. You were probably the perfect grandson.”

“There’s not a chance in hell that’s true.” I chuckle. “I did like buying my grandmother gifts, though. She appreciated them. They meant something to her.”

“What did the pendant look like?” she asks, her fingers trailing a slow path over my thigh.

I don’t brush away the contact because I need it. I look into her face so our eyes are locked because I want her to see how much she means to me. “It was a four-leaf clover charm.”

Her smile widens. “Like the one Olive wears?”

I bypass the direct question with an answer I hope softens the truth that’s about to come out of my mouth. “It had two diamonds on it. One for my brother and one for me.”

“That’s wild.” She scratches her upper lip. “You said you had it custom-made?”

“A jeweler in East Hampton took care of it for me,” I explain. “I had him engrave two letters on the back of it.”

She slides her hand from my thigh to her lap. It’s shaking. I want to reach out and grab it, but I don’t.

“An H and a J?” she whispers. “Was it an H and a J?”

“For my brother and me to remind my grandmother how lucky we were to be her grandsons.” I close my eyes briefly. “I knew when she saw it, she’d love it, but she never got the gift.”

She’s on her feet in an instant, moving to the left before stepping to the right. “Celia said H and J were the initials of the jewelry designer. She said she picked it up at a market in The Hamptons when she went there for a party weekend with some people she worked with.”

Standing, I swallow past the lump in my throat. “She took it out of the pocket of my jeans after we spent the night together.”

She lets out a loud bark of laughter while shaking her head. “You did not sleep with Celia. She wouldn’t have taken that from you.”

I stand stoically, aching to reach out to take her in my arms, but she’s walking backwards now, creating physical distance between us.

“I slept with Celia,” I say clearly. “We went to a hotel after meeting at a bar. We spent the night together without exchanging names. When I woke up, she was gone. The charm was gone, too. I had shown it to her at the bar. She said it was beautiful. I can’t say why, but she took it and the box it was in with her when she left, Greer. ”

“That can’t be right,” she whispers. “Maybe you’re wrong.”

“I’m not.”

She rubs a hand across her forehead as tears drop onto her cheeks. “She got pregnant around that time, Holden. It can’t be. You’re not…”

“I’m Olive’s dad,” I say as tenderly as I can. “I believe with everything I am that Olive is our daughter.”