Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe_Claimed by Her Billionaire Read online

  “But you didn’t know her.”

  “That’s right,” she said. “I’m her only relative…and I didn’t even know her. She must have been so lonely.”

  “Serenity, lonely?” He let out a guffaw that surprised even him. “No, she wasn’t lonely.” Not her. “But I know she thought of you often. Her brother was the only other family she had.”

  “Her brother left my mom and me when I was a baby,” she said. “And so far as I know has never been back. He couldn’t pick me out of a lineup.”

  “He died shortly after he came here, so you were probably still very small.”

  Her jaw dropped. How had nobody ever told her that? Had the MacKays who stayed in touch with Aunt Serenity never passed word of his death to this Serenity’s mother?

  “You probably have some anger about the whole thing.”

  She jumped to her feet and stood inches from him. “Listen here. You’re not my therapist or my spiritual advisor, so I don’t intend to discuss my feelings with you.” Fire flashed in those dark-blue eyes. “And I think it’s highly unprofessional for you to try.”

  “You’re right.” And he almost never admitted such a thing. “I spoke out of turn.” Glenn had accused him of that on a few occasions but this petite woman brought the fact home in a way that had him ready to stumble back.

  “Okay.” Serenity sank into the chair. “And I might be a little defensive. I feel like I don’t have my feet under me. I’ve never lived anywhere but home until now. It’s a little frightening. Don’t laugh. I know I should be more confident than this at twenty-three, but what can I say?”

  “It’s hard to move somewhere new on your own for the first time. And I’m sure learning about your father didn’t help.” Of course she was emotional. “And we can remedy part of your concerns right now.” He reached for her hand and when she didn’t offer it, he held up a set of keys. “Now you can move in and get settled in your own place.” She closed her fist around them with such an intent expression, he wondered what this all meant to her. To his knowledge, she had a happy enough life at home. At least Serenity the aunt version had believed that to be the case. If not, she’d never have agreed to keep her distance.

  The woman he had known, his barista and friend, had cared for people. Most of her regulars probably had no idea, but the homeless and poor knew that nobody came to the back door of the coffeehouse and walked away hungry. Any pastries or lunch special food remaining at the end of the day went directly into the stomachs of those who needed it. Not one for organized charities, she believed in acting locally to help those who asked her to.

  She’d rented out the tiny upstairs apartment in the coffeehouse building for a hundred dollars a month to an elderly woman whose Social Security came nowhere close to the cost of living in the area. The lady had waited tables in a local restaurant for close to forty years, and was delighted to help out in the café when she felt up to it and so rarely had to pay anything at all—plus, Serenity mentioned once, it kept Mildred from being bored and feeling useless.

  He only knew about her food gifts because he’d lingered after closing once and, when she disappeared into the back room and didn’t come back right away, he might have peeked through the dividing curtain.

  She’d sworn him to secrecy when she caught him, and he wondered now if he should tell her niece, then decided no. She’d have to run her business her own way. And her life.

  If her niece was half the woman her aunt was, those hungry souls had nothing to worry about.

  He presented her with all the necessary papers and had her sign by the little arrow stickers his secretary left there for the purpose. “I’ll file the new deeds and licensing information with the proper authorities, and you should be good. Any questions?”

  She sighed, looking down at her lap again. “About a billion. But I think the best thing for me to do is get settled and see how much I can figure out. The place has been closed since Auntie died?”

  She spoke of her aunt as if she’d known her. Made him like her even more.

  “It has, so for about a month. You’ll need to get your vendors delivering again and such. The utilities are still on, and I had a cleaning service go in there the other day so you should be able to open quickly.”

  “Yeah. I hope I don’t make a hash of the whole thing.” She lifted her gaze from her lap and met his with such determination, his heart skipped. He’d often wondered if circumstances had been different what might have happened between him and her aunt. Age made no difference with women like her.

  Or, he suspected, like her niece. She was more shuttered, quieter. Would Sausalito bring her out of her shell?

  “I’m sure you’ll do great. I already see a lot of your aunt in you.”

  “Do you?” Her smile lit the room. “Thank you for saying that. I want to make her proud.”

  “I’ll walk you out, then. Call me if you need anything at all.”

  She rose and picked up the paperwork. “Thank you. I’m used to having lots of family and friends around, and I’ll admit it made me nervous to think I’d be totally on my own. I’ll try not to bother you, though, unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  He rounded the desk and came to her side. “Call day or night. Do you have your phone?” She fished it out of her shoulder bag and handed it to him, and he input his cell number. Passing it back, their fingers brushed, and he inhaled sharply at the electric spark that shot between them.

  She jumped. “Static from the rug, I guess.”

  “Must be.” But he didn’t think so. “I mean it, Serenity. Call me if you need me. Or just need someone to talk to.”

  “I don’t want to interrupt your busy day. Maybe it’s time I did stand on my own two feet. The MacKay family creates a pretty safe nest for its baby birds. I need to stretch my wings.” Her fingers tightened on the phone, and he wanted to offer more. To let her know he would be there within minutes if she called.

  “Everyone needs friends. Your aunt was one of mine, and I hope you will be, too.” Or more. She smelled like roses and orange blossoms, and her attire, while conservative for Sausalito, was feminine and suited her. “Librarian, right?”

  She grinned. “How does everyone always guess? But, no, Mr. Attorney at Law. I am a businesswoman, now. Perhaps you will frequent my establishment soon.”

  Chuckling, Ryan escorted Serenity II to the front door and watched her walk away. The blouse, skirt, and sweater ensemble was all about her former job as a librarian inland. How would her new life change her? Not too much, he hoped. As she climbed into her pickup—he would have expected a small sedan—and pulled out onto the street, he smiled. You would have really liked your niece, Serenity, but I wonder how she’ll do so far from everything she knows?

  I’ll be there for her, as a friend and support, to help her get on her feet. As he’d promised his dying friend. But I hope you won’t mind if I ask her out because she’s also pretty damn cute.

  Chapter Two

  Serenity looked at the set of keys on the seat next to her. The fob was a rainbow peace sign, and she had a feeling her aunt had a hint of hippie in her. Or maybe more than a hint. Quite different from her stick-up-the-butt niece whose best thing was shushing people in the library. But after only a couple of years of doing that, truth be told, she was getting tired of silence. Sometimes, she wanted to jump up on her desk, flip on club music and yell, “Everybody dance.” Like one of those Bollywood movie scenes. The image brought her mood up a bit until she remembered the news about her dad.

  How many people she hadn’t ever met did she have to mourn?

  Letting the GPS lady guide her, she drove down a few blocks and made a left onto a street that ended in in a parking lot. She fished in the big envelope and found a card key, which she ran through the scanner, and the bar across the gate lifted. She’d learned…at the library, of course…that most of those who lived in her houseboat area chose to rent a monthly slot there and travel around town on foot or by bicycle. In her case,
a slot already paid for the year according to the paperwork she’d read in Attorney Griffin’s office. Her only concern was how to transport everything from her truck from there to the dock, then down the dock to the boat.

  In Cedar Valley, she’d never have had to do all this herself. A group text would bring a dozen willing relatives to make light work of the chore. She also wouldn’t be worried about what would happen if she left it unattended. The town looked clean, and everyone seemed friendly so far, but that didn’t mean there weren’t some people in this small city who might not take the opportunity to walk off with something from an open truck bed.

  While she stood there, considering, a sea breeze carried the scent of salt and boat diesel to her nose. Garlic and pizza sauce from the little restaurant next to the lot. Coffee…from everywhere. She’d passed at least a half dozen coffeehouses and wondered how her aunt managed to compete with all the others. It seemed tourists and residents aside drank gallons of the stuff. At least she’d fit in with her love of the delicious caffeinated brew.

  “Hey, lady, you sure got a lot of stuff.”

  Serenity jumped and turned to find a kid about twelve, sandy-blond hair straggling over his shoulders, holding the longest skateboard she’d ever seen clutched to his chest. Everyone around here kept sneaking up on her. “Hi there. I didn’t hear you ride up.” How lost in thought had she been?

  “I walked. Broke a wheel earlier, and my dad says that’s what my allowance is for.”

  “So…” She fought a grin at his distressed grimace. Pale-blue eyes peeked through strands of windblown hair. “On your way to use your allowance to buy a wheel?”

  He shook his head. “I wish. But that’s long gone. Just taking the board home until I get my money on Friday.”

  “Your dad sounds tough.”

  He wrinkled his nose, the spatter of freckles cuter than cute. “Not really. He means well. He just doesn’t understand.” At his heartfelt sigh, she about lost it and had to bite her lip to retain her serious demeanor.

  “So, would you be interested in earning a little money helping me with all this stuff? I need to get it over to a boat called the Java Nest.”

  “I know that boat. I live on the same dock.” He sobered. “Miss Serenity lived there. She was always nice to me.” He lowered his voice. “But she died.”

  Her chest squeezed. This little boy knew her aunt. And liked her a lot. Why had her mother cheated her of the same privilege? “I know.” She spoke around the lump in her throat. “I’m her niece, also Serenity. Would it be okay with your dad if you helped me? Do you need to check”

  “Nah.” He shook his head again, temporarily hiding his face behind the shaggy locks before he brushed them back again. “He won’t care.”

  “Do you have a phone? I’d feel better if you made sure.” Stranger danger and all that.

  He fished in the back pocket of his long, baggy board shorts and brought out a phone far newer and more sophisticated than hers. He tapped out a text and waited a minute then showed it to her.

  Me: Hey, Dad. Gonna help new Serenity unload truck 4 $.

  Dad: Be there in a few.

  Me: Waiting in parking.

  “Looks like Dad wants to help, too.”

  “Umm…” He must not want his son helping a stranger. She couldn’t blame him. “That’s very nice of him, but I can’t ask that. Tell him I’ll manage somehow.”

  “He’s already on the way,” the boy said, reading the screen again. “It’s okay. He really liked Miss Serenity.”

  “Sounds like a lot of people did.”

  “Sure!” He rubbed his nose and looked into the truck bed. “Everyone did. We’ll have all this put away fast.” Suddenly, his eyes clouded. “But Dad won’t want you to pay me. He says helping neighbors is important.”

  Serenity lifted a box of china from the bed. “We will have to convince him. After all, I might have other chores for you later, and if I don’t pay you, I won’t feel comfortable asking.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “That is, if you might want to help?”

  “You bet!”

  They were smiling at each other, chatting about the weather and the movies in the local three-screen theater—all superhero films, which were her guilty pleasure—when the Tesla glided silently into the slot next to hers.

  “Dad’s here!”

  The door opened and out stepped Ryan Griffin. “This is your dad?”

  “Yep!” The boy stowed his skateboard in the backseat of the Tesla and hefted the carton of china, but Serenity stopped him, replacing it with one holding far-less-breakable shoes. As he started off toward the dock and her new home, Serenity faced the approaching Viking lawyer. “I seem to have met your son.”

  Ryan gave her a quick hug and peered over the side of the truck, just like his son had. The hug for all its brevity sent warmth into her core. Something she didn’t want to think about now. “Seems you did. Harley really gets around. Especially when trying to earn money. He’s a hustler.”

  “He’s a great kid. I didn’t realize you were married.” She snapped her mouth closed, cheeks flaming.

  Why on earth did I say that? So un-Serenity-like. And none of my business.

  “I’m not.” He hefted the box of china and started away. “We’ll have this done in no time.”

  She threw an armload of clothes on hangers over her arm. “Is it okay to leave everything here?”

  “It’s fine.” He slowed his steps and let her catch up. “Nobody is going to take anything from the truck. It’s a very safe lot…and there’s a security camera, manned. Because we’re trusting but there are a lot of tourists who we don’t know.

  “Makes sense.” Shifting the load higher in her arms, she turned down the long dock lined with the quirkiest boats. “I did a bit of research before coming. Some of these boats have a lot of history.”

  “They do. Yours, for example, is from the World War II era, and was pretty beat up when your aunt took it over. She…well, you’ll see. She had unique taste.”

  Unique.

  “Is that good unique or bad unique?” The grayed boards of the dock felt almost alive as the incoming tide washed against the pilings. Sure would be different from living on dry land.

  “You’ll have to decide that for yourself. There’s plenty of money in the estate to make any changes you like.”

  Comforting thought. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about working capital right away if the coffeehouse didn’t show a profit. “I’m a little nervous, now. How far down the dock is it?”

  “Almost to the end. It’s a pretty good trek. That’s why I came to help.”

  “Thank you. I thought you had court?” He still wore his suit pants and white shirt, but the tie was gone.

  “Postponed by the judge. It happens.”

  They trod side by side for a bit, while she took in the boats to either side. They were so different from one another. “It looks like someone just dumped a lot of boats here and people moved in.”

  “That’s it, exactly. A big shipyard was here, and when they pulled out, a lot of boats were left behind. Artists, writers, poets…all sorts of people who wanted somewhere off the beaten path where they could live for free just settled in them after World War II.”

  She frowned. “This dock looks very well maintained for that.” She’d have to research the history of the area when she had time. Sounded fascinating.

  “A lot of time has passed. There is an “official” owner here who rents us slips. Maintains everything. Free is a thing of the past, but the quirky folks remain. And they are great neighbors. I’ll introduce you.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” She passed a pink-and-green striped boat with a turret at the top that looked like a small fairy-tale castle gone a little mad. The white-haired lady outside watering potted geraniums waved. She and Ryan waved back.

  “Mrs. Green. She has been here since the 1950s. When you have time, she’ll be happy to share it all with you. She has a thing for chocolate croissan
ts…which you sell, by the way. I’d bring her one when you approach her.”

  “Grease the wheels?”

  “Something like that. She has a hard time getting around anymore, so we all help out.”

  What a great place! Her nerves about leaving Cedar Valley were easing a little. The feeling of isolation dissipating.

  “So…” He stopped in front of a wood-shake covered boat with potted ferns hanging all over the outside walls. “This is your home.”

  Serenity looked, but her gaze was caught by the giant boat at the very end of the dock. “Whose is that?”

  Ryan stepped onto her boat and ducked his head entering the main room. He hadn’t used a key... “That’s mine.”

  Setting the box down on the galley floor, he emerged and took the clothes from her arms. “I’ll hang these in the closet for you.”

  “Sure, thanks.” She handed them over, still fixated on the behemoth . “I…it’s like a yacht.”

  He reappeared and pulled the door closed, joining her on the dock again. “She was a yacht, once. The yacht of a sultan who decided to leave it behind and fly home. Sometime in the early 1970s. When he didn’t come back, a bunch of Deadheads moved in.”

  “Sure.” Of course. Happened all the time. “And you got it from them?”

  “Not exactly, but by the time I bought it, the earlier grandeur had been replaced with squalor. I got it for a song and fixed it up again.”

  He took her arm and started back toward the land end of the dock. Harley came up beside them, holding a sandwich. “You guys were slow, so I went to Mom’s and got something to eat. A guy needs energy.”

  “His mother lives on the next dock. The kid goes back and forth at will.”

  “I see.” But it didn’t answer any questions really. Were they still together? The Bohemian houseboat lifestyle didn’t offer any easy explanations. Maybe they were together but lived on their own yachts.

  “And does she have an abandoned yacht, too?” It wasn’t what she wanted to ask, but it was a start.

  “No, just the nice boat we bought when we were first together. The yacht came much later.”