Page 5 of Forever His (The Donovans: Secret Son #6)

Henry was the CEO of the company. His brother Everette was next in line behind him because they were the only two living on the west coast. Uncle Bernard was in Seattle, but he’d never worked at Donovan Oilwell, as Trent had heard from many stories over the years.

Uncle Bernard never wanted to work for the family company.

“Everette’s still here,” Henry answered.

“And your cousin Margo’s oldest daughter, Alex is back from overseas where she was working with Roark at Donovan UK.

Uncle Abe talked to Everette last month and mentioned it to him.

She might be interested in coming out to the west coast now that she’s called off her engagement. ”

Trent hadn’t heard about any of this, then again, there had been a lot going on here and his grandfather’s brother Abe wasn’t likely to pick up the phone and give Trent a call to talk about his granddaughter.

Not unless they needed someone to investigate the guy Alex was supposed to marry, but if the engagement was off, that would be pointless.

Trent shrugged all that information off.

What he was more concerned with was his parents.

“So you’re going to build a new house on the beach,” Trent said and nodded.

“That sounds like a really good idea,” Tia said. “Why don’t the two of you talk about the specifics while Ms. Beverly and I go and get some snacks. As soon as Trevor finishes flying that plane with his Papa, he’s going to be starving.”

Trent knew what she was doing. Divide and conquer. They’d discussed this a couple days ago when they planned to come here to visit with his parents.

Henry nodded then and stood, keeping Trevor with him. “I’ve got some places in mind,” he said. “Come on back to the other room where my laptop is and I’ll show you what I’m thinking.”

Trent stood and exchanged a quick look with Tia. “That sounds good.”

A few moments later Tia and Beverly were alone.

“You’re going to ask me how I’m feeling,” Beverly said before Tia could speak. “You want to know how I’m doing after the woman my husband cheated on me with burned down our house.”

Tia didn’t know what to say. Sure, she was going to ask Ms. Beverly how she was feeling, but she certainly wasn’t going to put it as bluntly as that.

“I can only imagine it’s been hard,” she replied instead.

“It’s been hell,” Beverly told her. “No need in sugarcoating it. Not with my daughter-in-law anyway.”

Beverly closed her eyes and shook her head as she sat back in the chair. Tia went to her. She sat on the arm of the chair and wrapped an arm around Beverly.

“But I don’t break,” Beverly said after another few seconds of silence. “I was not built that way and regardless of what that deranged woman does—except for kill me I guess—I will not fall apart. I promise you that.”

Tia continued to rub her hand over Beverly’s shoulder. “It’s okay if you fall apart with me, Ms. Beverly. Really it is.”

Beverly shook her head vehemently. “No. It’s not.”

She stood up then and left Tia sitting on the chair. Beverly wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing up and down her own arms before letting her hands fall to her side.

“See, that’s what she wants. If I walk away from Henry, she steps into his arms. If I go crazy and beat Satan’s spirit out of her, I go to jail and she steps into his arms,” Beverly said.

Tia couldn’t help it, the words were out before she could stop them. “Do you really want to keep him if you know he would so easily go back to her?”

Beverly sighed. “I’ve been with Henry all of my adult life. He’s the father of my children and my closest friend in the world. I still love him but if I’m breathing and he goes back to that woman I believe I could do bodily harm to him.”

Tia smiled. She’d always respected Beverly Donovan’s candor.

“But you see, Tia. I still do love my husband. Make no mistake that I’m beyond agitated and disappointed in him right now.

I know what he did and it was wrong. Lord have mercy on his soul, it was wrong.

Henry should have been honest with me before he let me walk down that aisle and marry him,” she said.

“Would you have called off the wedding if he’d told you he slept with Roslyn just weeks before?

” Tia asked. It was a question that had plagued her since the day they found out what Henry had done, but one which she’d never thought to ask Beverly.

Now, that Beverly was being so open about her feelings on the situation, Tia felt she might as well get it out of the way.

“No,” Beverly replied almost instantly. “I don’t think I would have. And that,” she said emphatically, “That’s what makes me stay with him. He’s my husband and this is our life, our part in the legacy to our children. I will not let that psychopath take that away from me.”

“I don’t think she can,” Tia said looking at this woman with a newfound respect. Beverly Donovan was strong and smart and resilient, all the things that Tia could only pray that she would be if put in this same situation.

Beverly was also a little scary, Tia admitted, as her mother-in-law continued, “And Lord please forgive me, but if I find that woman before the police do, she’s gonna wish she never laid eyes on Henry Donovan.”