Bedding the Billionaire (Book 3) (Legacy Collection) (5 page)

Dominic seemed
to
have good intentions and it wasn’t that his offers of financial assistance weren’t tempting, but any proximity to him was a bit like in
viting a tornado into your yard
–he didn’t understand boundaries and
without meaning to he could
destroy everything you’ve worked for.

If Abby was overprotective, Dominic was downright smothering.

At first, he hadn’t
accept
ed
her declaration that what she really wanted from the both of them was the freedom to stand on her own two feet
.
After a few verbal scuffles, things had calmed and Lil had started to feel that
Abby and Dominic
finally understood.

I just want time to prove to myself that I’m not a complete screw up.

And
I was doing
fine
…until this morning.

Lil groaned.

Mothe
rs don’t embarrass themselves
in the news.

Mothers
were
supposed to be
steadfast and responsible.

At least, t
hat was the type of mother Lil remembered having when she was younger and it was the kind of mother Abby had become to her when their parents had died in a car crash when Lil was
thirteen.

Abby would never have spok
en to that woman without double-
checking her credentials.
She wouldn’t have let her bruised ego get the better of her and spouted those comments about Jake.
She definitely wouldn’t be hiding in her house hoping this would all
magically
go away.

Outside of Dominic, Abby was as impulsive as the sunset.

And I’m about as reliable as the weatherman.

Poor Colby, you chose the wrong womb.

Instead of cheering her, the joke brought unexpected tears of frustration to Lil’s eyes.
It doesn’t have to be like that anymore.
A person can change if they want to badly enough.
“I’m going to be a good mother to you, Colby. I promise you that. I’m going to be someone you can be proud of.” It was hard to feel bad for
herself
when her daughter held up two drool covered hands in a silent request to be picked up. Lil cuddled her
baby
into her neck
and shook her head sadly
.
“Right after this one last screw up.”

In her moment of need, she reached for the
impossible.

I wish you were here, Mom. I don’t know if I can do this without you. What if I can’t be the person I’m trying to be? What if Colby pays the price because I can’t get my shit together?

There was no chill to the room, no apparition or voice from beyond, but for just a moment Lil felt her mother with her and a tear escaped down her cheek. Her young daughter patted it away
with a coo
.

You’re
right, Mom. It’s going to be ok
ay
because
I will
make it ok
ay
.
I’m a strong, independent woman and I don’t need anyo
ne to solve my problems for me.

T
he news station had tricked her into giving an interview. That had to be illegal. She needed a lawyer. One of her high school friends had just passed the bar. Maybe he could write up something that would force the station to pull the tape.

With Colby on one hip, Lil dialed the number of a woman she loved like family. “Mrs.
Lawson
, is Aaron home?”

“Lil!
I was going to call you, but I figured your phon
e must be ringing off the wall.
Are you ok
ay
?
I saw the news.”

An explanation gushed out of her.
“I didn’t give the interview.
Well, I did, but I didn’t mean to.
Some woman called and pretended to be Abby’s assistant and I fell for it.
She told me that Abby had asked her to prep me for potential questions from the press.”

“Oh, honey.
I figured it was something like that.
You must be a wreck.
What did Abby say?”

“I haven’t actually spoken to her about it yet.”
Lil had been trying, somewhat
unsuccessfully,
to avoid Abby
since the night on the island when she’d made a complete fool out of herself by confusing Jake’s light flirtati
on with something more serious.
If she never saw him again, it would be too soon.
She didn’t want to tell Abby about that
humiliating
night any more than she wanted to explain her latest
folly.

Mrs
. Lawson clucked her disapproval, but only said,
“Well, Aaron is home
, but he’s sleeping
.
What do you need?”

Lil chewed her bottom lip before asking,
“Do you think he could write up something that threatens the station with legal action if they go forward with
airing it
?
I’m hoping
if
I get it there this morning they will pull the interview.”

“
Of course he can!
I’ll go wake him up.
This will be good for him.
He’s been
applying for
job
s since
he graduated, but you know him–
he won’t accept a position that requires he relocates.
I love that boy, bu
t he worries about me too much.
It’s not healthy.
He’s starting to get depressed.
If he doesn’t find something soon, he’s going to have to start up his lawn business again or he won’t be
able to pay his college loans.
Maybe someone will notice him through this and offer him something local.”

“
I hope so!
Thanks.
Tell him I’ll be
there in about thirty minutes.
I’m just going to
change and
pack Colby up.”
Lil began to mentally review the outfits in her closet. Luckily she’d purchased a navy jacke
t and skirt for her interviews.
Wasn’t navy the choice of those who wanted to be taken seriously?

I hope it’s the color that says
, “
I mean it, I’ll sue you.
”

Mrs. Lawson said,
“
I’m sorry
you’re
going through this, Lil, but it’ll be nice to see you.
What if I make you lunch? Just like the old days?”

“I won’t be able to stay.
I’ve got to get to the station early if I’m going to stop this from happening.”

“I’ll brown bag it for you.”

“You don’t have to go to any trouble.”

Mrs. Lawson was insistent.
“
No
trouble, Lil.
Aaron wouldn’t have made it out of high school without you.
If you won’t marry him and make me happy, the least you can do is let me feed you.”

“You know we don’t feel like that about each other.”

The older woman sighed.
“I know, but a mother can dream.”

No, they can’t,
Lil wanted to say.
Mothers have to put their dreams aside and start making responsible decisions
.

Mrs.
Lawson
knew Lil well enough to sense her real distress.
She made a sympathetic sound and said,
“It’ll work out, Lil. You just get yourself together and come on over early.
You’ve got a big day head of you.”

Lil agreed,
hung up and
carried Colby to the bedroom with her.
She tied her hair up in what she hoped was a serious looking bun. Her confidence increased as she layered on the armor of her business attire.

A stranger stared back at her in
the mirror. What did people say? “
Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
”
In this case, she was dressing
for the person she wanted to be.
If the shoes were too tight and the skirt felt restrictive, well it was something she was determined to learn to love.

She gathered
Colby’s supplies.

Bottles.
Check. Diapers and wipes. Check. Puff snacks. Check.

A big day.

She slung a diaper bag over her shoulder and secured Colby into her
portable
car seat.

That’s one
way
to describe it.
All I have to do is get by the reporters, get the letter and convince a station manager
that pulling
an
interview and receiving
flack for doing it will be preferable to whatever litigation Aaron cho
o
se
s
to threaten them with.

Completely do-able.

As long as the day
doesn’t
hold any more surprises.

Making it to the car wasn’t as bad as Lil had anticipated.
With a hand shielding Colby from the flashes of cameras, Lil had rushed throu
gh the press,
refusing to respond to the questions they
’d
thr
own
at her.

“How much did they pay you for the interview, Lil?”

“
What’s your big confession?”