Baby for the Billionaire(47)
And he did.
That night the moonlight shone over the silhouette of a couple kissing in the gazebo. And this time when Nick left to go back to the house, he wasn’t alone.
He had Sasha by his side.
As it always would be.
Inherited: One Child
Day
Leclaire
About the Author
USA TODAY bestselling author DAY LECLAIRE is a three-time winner of both the Colorado Award of Excellence and the Golden Quill Award. She’s won RT Book Reviews magazine’s Career Achievement and Love and Laughter awards, the Holt Medallion, a Booksellers Best Award, and has received an impressive ten nominations for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA® Award. Day’s romances touch the heart and make you care about her characters as much as she does. In Day’s own words, ‘I adore writing romances and can’t think of a better way to spend each day.’ For more information, visit Day on her website, www.dayleclaire.com.
To the four-legged wonders who share our lives and give us such unstinting love and devotion. To those who have come and gone … Yoson and Brutus, Little John and Thursday, and Annie.
And those who give us daily joy … Yoda and Ruggy, Athena and Guinness.
Prologue
“You have no choice, Jack. If you want to keep custody of Isabella, you’re going to have to marry.”
Jack Mason glared at his lawyer. “You know I swore I never would.”
Derek dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “So you’ve said. Ad nauseam, I might add.”
“Then let’s move on, shall we? What’s my next option?”
“Jack, I’m telling you flat out. There is no other choice.” Derek leaned a hip against his desk while Jack prowled the length of the office. “Look, we’ve been friends since our college days. You may not have told me all that went on between your parents, but having met your father, I can guess. That doesn’t change the facts. CPS is very concerned about your niece, thanks to that psychologist’s report.”
“I wish I could call the man a liar.” Jack thrust a hand through his hair and blew out his breath in a long sigh. “But he was simply stating the facts. It’s been three months since the plane crash and Isabella isn’t adjusting at all. Her tantrums have escalated. And she’s still not speaking.”
Sympathy lined Derek’s dark face. “Providing your niece with a stable home life and continuing with therapy will go a long way toward changing that.”
“I’ve hired nannies for her.” Jack could hear the defensive edge in his voice and fought to eradicate it. Getting ticked off at the one person squarely on his side wasn’t his best strategy. “I have a business empire to run, Derek. Isabella is only five. I can’t be her caretaker 24/7.”
“Child Protective Services is well aware that you’ve had an endless stream of nannies since March. According to the letter I’ve received, they’re not happy about it. And frankly, Jack, it’s not helping with Isabella’s recovery.” Derek hesitated. “There is another alternative.”
Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“Let her go. You can afford to find a good home for her. The best possible home. A home with two parents. Someone who has the time to commit to Isabella’s well-being.”
“I can’t do that.” The words were ripped from him, low and guttural. “I won’t.”
Derek didn’t bother to pull his punches. “That’s your guilt talking. Isabella survived the plane crash and your sister and brother-in-law didn’t. You also believe you should have been on that plane with them.”
Jack couldn’t deny it, not when it was the truth. “I was supposed to be. If I had been … If I hadn’t let work delay me …”
“You’d most likely be dead, too, and Isabella would be in the exact same position she is now,” Derek stated with brutal logic. “In need of two stable parents who can give their full attention to her needs—something you aren’t in a position to do.”
“I won’t desert her.” Jack continued to pace the width of his office while frustration ate at him. “I just need to find the right person. It’s taking a bit longer than expected.”
“You need a wife. The caseworker is old-school, Jack. And she’s from the north. She doesn’t care how much money you have or what your name is, or whether your ancestors were among the first residents of Charleston. Her only concern is Isabella.”