Page 7 of In the Heir (Westerly Billionaire 1)
“Of course.” Stephanie shot them a look that said stay. “We’ll be right back.”
Spencer stepped in her way. “Mom—”
Stephanie gave his arm a pat. “I’m fine. Why don’t you show Alisha the garden? In fact, why don’t you all go out into the sun for a moment? It’s a beautiful day.” She forced a smile, then followed Delinda out of the room.
In the absence of their grandmother, a laugh of relief started with Rachelle and was echoed by the rest. “We shouldn’t have let Mom come. Why doesn’t she just tell her off?”
“Why don’t we all?” Nicolette asked, then, turning to Alisha, said, “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” Alisha said and meant it. The old woman’s opinion of her didn’t matter, but she felt for the rest of them. “How did you all end up so nice?”
Spencer looked toward the door. “Because my mother was wise enough to remove us from this toxic world.”
Rachelle made a face. “And still you want to be rich.”
“It’s not about being wealthy. It’s about having a successful company,” Spencer protested. “Money doesn’t have to corrupt you.”
“It’s power that corrupts,” Nicolette interjected. “Isn’t that what they say? ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely.’”
“You’d have to ask Brett,” Spencer said, then seemed to regret his slip.
Alisha shook her head with sadness. Even though she’d practically grown up in their home, she’d been insulated from this part of their lives. The more she entered into it, the more she felt sorry for them.
Abuse came in many forms; it didn’t need a bruise to leave damage. She still cringed when she heard a man raise his voice in anger. Her father’s fists never came first. No, the vitriol that came from his mouth preceded his physical rage. Sarcasm. Degradation. Then the bruises. She couldn’t let Stephanie face whatever Delinda was spewing any more than she could have stayed hidden when her own father had gone after her mother. “My hands are sticky. Do you mind if I find a place to wash them and meet you all in the garden? I can find my own way.”
“I could use the fresh air,” Spencer said.
“Me, too,” Rachelle said. “Come on, Nikki. Alisha, there’s a washroom off the main foyer to the left. Do you want me to go with you?”
“No. I’m good, really. I’ll see you outside in a few.”
Brett left his car in his grandmother’s driveway and strode toward the house. The front door opened as he approached it, and the butler welcomed him. “We weren’t expecting you, sir, but it’s a pleasure to see you.”
“Thank you, Michael. Is my mother here?”
“She’s in the library with your grandmother. Would you like me to announce you?”
“No, I’ll see myself in. Who else is here?”
“Your mother, Rachelle, Nicolette, and Spencer. Most are out in the garden.”
“Did Spencer bring his fiancée?”
“He did, sir. Seems like he chose well. When she smiles, it’s genuine, if you know what I mean.”
“I do. That’ll be all, Michael.”
“Of course, sir.” With that, he faded into the background as all staff there did. Grandmother ran a tight ship.
Brett heard his grandmother’s voice from the library and headed that way. As soon as he’d heard that Spencer was officially presenting Alisha, he decided to intervene. His younger siblings didn’t know how to deal with the matriarch of the family. She acted like a petulant child at times, testing the limits of what she could get away with, but she wasn’t nearly as strong as they believed her to be. All they needed to do was stand up to her. He’d meant to arrive before them and speak to his grandmother first, to ease the way for them, but a business call had delayed his departure from the office. He saw his mother leave the library, looking upset. His father’s words came back to him. “She deserved better.” He cursed himself for being late.
He had just changed direction to go after his mother, hoping to hell he knew what to say that would alleviate whatever his grandmother had said, when he saw Alisha slip into the library. He was at the door swiftly, but hung back, more than a little curious to see if his brother’s fiancée revealed a less savory side of herself.
“Mrs. Westerly,” Alisha said in much the same tone she’d used with him days earlier. “May I speak to you for a moment?”
“You look flushed. Is the house too warm for you? I’ll have Michael turn on the air.”
“I’m not too warm. I came in here because—”
“Yes?”
“I don’t like the way you speak to your family, and I’m hoping you don’t know how hurtful the things you say are.”
Brett let out a silent whistle of admiration. His grandmother’s cheeks reddened. He would have stepped forward, but Alisha was doing exactly what he’d hoped his siblings would one day do. If she actually married into the family, things would go smoother for her if she stood up for herself. He stayed, though, prepared to bring it to a stop if the conversation turned ugly.
“Who are you to have an opinion about anything? You should sit back and be grateful my grandson is marrying you at all,” his grandmother said.
Brett saw the steadying breath Alisha took. “See, that was cruel and unnecessary. But you’re wasting your time if you think you can intimidate me. I’m here because I love the people out there. They are the nicest, most giving souls probably ever born. They’re a lot nicer than I am, or you are, and they don’t deserve the way you treat them. Those are your grandchildren. You’re supposed to love them.”
“And I do.” His grandmother’s tone was haughty.
“You don’t seem to. Everything you say is a little dig. Can’t you celebrate anything they do?”
“If you celebrate mediocrity, you plateau at mediocre. I want better for them. My family didn’t get to where we are by cheering our children to second place.”
Alisha shook her head and expelled an audible breath. “Life isn’t a race you win or lose.”
“That’s exactly what people say who’ve never come in first.”
Scenes from Brett’s life flashed through his mind as he connected his grandmother’s philosophy to his father’s. And his own. Nothing but the best was of any value. It was a core belief he’d always held without realizing it, and now he saw its source. He thought about how he’d spoken to Spencer, how he often spoke to his siblings, and didn’t like how much of what he said sounded scripted. How did I never see it? He stepped forward to end the conversation he didn’t want to hear more of, but stopped when Alisha began to speak again.
“If you truly believe that, I feel sorry for you and for them, because you will never know how amazing your family is. They are second to none. Rachelle is shaping future generations one class at a time. Nicolette is capturing real moments that touch the people who see them through her lens. Spencer is brilliant, and he’ll succeed at whatever he does. And Stephanie provided them the confidence to be whoever they wanted to be. They love her. I love her. I hope you were kind to her just now, because if you weren’t, then you may very well lose your grandchildren over
it.”
“You don’t need to tell me how wonderful my grandchildren are. I’m proud of each and every one of them.”
“Don’t tell me,” Alisha said in a softer tone. “Tell them.”
She turned and her eyes widened as she saw Brett standing in the doorway. He almost said he was proud of her, that she’d found a way to put into words what he was only just discovering himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but she rushed by him without meeting his eyes. He would have followed her, but it wasn’t his place to applaud or console her. Instead, he’d handle the other end of the issue.
“Brett.” His grandmother’s happiness at seeing him lit her face. She shook her head as if to erase the last few moments. “Leave it to Spencer to want to marry a woman like that.”
Brett closed the distance between them and took the hand she held out to him. His love for her didn’t stop him, however, from saying, “I agreed with everything she said. I saw my mother leaving you. She looked upset. What did you say to her?”
His grandmother dropped his hand and fanned her face. “You know how sensitive she is.”
“What did you say?”
Just as he knew she would, his grandmother softened beneath pressure. “I told her that my goal is to bring everyone back together, and to do that I’m willing to forget what she did to my son.”
Brett pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sure that went well.”
With a loud sigh, his grandmother said, “Don’t blame me. This is Alessandro Andrade’s fault. He suggested I speak to her.”
“I’m sure that’s not what he suggested you say.”
His grandmother’s eyes narrowed like a child being told something she had no argument against. “Do you know how many of my grandchildren came to my eightieth birthday celebration? Not one of them. Alessandro was here with all the Andrades. He said if I forgave Stephanie, things would change. He was wrong. She wants nothing to do with me.” She sighed and took Brett’s hand in hers again. “How can you and I get along so well, but everything I say to my other grandchildren is taken as an attack?”
Brett and his grandmother had always been blunt with each other. In a dry tone he said, “They’re nicer than we are. They say supportive things to each other. Leave each other feeling good about themselves.”
