A Forever Family

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He turned his head and looked at me while trying to catch his breath.

  “Thanks. I’m fine. I think I just need some water.”

  “I have plenty of water over here. Come with me.” I helped him up and took a bottle of water from the small cooler I had brought. “Here, drink this.”

  “Thanks.” He gave a small smile as he opened the water and took a sip.

  “You shouldn’t be running on this warm day with no water. Please sit down and rest until you’re hydrated.”

  He sat down on the blanket and thanked me. “I left my wallet at home and I didn’t realize it until I went to buy a bottle of water.”

  He finished the bottle and I handed him another one. “Drink up.” I smiled.

  “Thank you. Is that your baby?” He pointed to the stroller.

  “Yeah. That’s Brayden. He’s my world.” I yawned.

  “Am I boring you?” He chuckled.

  “Oh my God, no. I’m so sorry. I’m just really tired. I’ve had a major life change recently and it’s really taken its toll on me.”

  “I’m sorry. Do you mind if I ask what happened? That was rude. I’m a complete stranger and I shouldn’t have asked that.”

  He was right. I didn’t even know his name, but that was okay. There was something about him that made me feel comfortable. I couldn’t tell you what, but it was just something I’d felt.

  “Sometimes talking to a complete stranger is the easiest. I was in a car accident a few months ago and both my kidneys were severely damaged. The doctors had to remove one of them and, as for the other, I’m on dialysis.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you. I’m trying to adjust but between the exhaustion and the other effects from it, I just feel crappy all the time. I think a lot of it is depression as well. I put on this brave front for my family, especially my husband, because I know how bad this is hurting him to see me go through this. But on the inside, I’m a total mess.”

  Brayden woke up and started to fuss. “Excuse me a moment,” I said as I got up and took him from his stroller. “Not too long ago, I was hospitalized with a bacterial infection and couldn’t see him for a few days. I think that was the absolute worst thing I ever had to do. A woman came forth and she was going to donate one of her kidneys. Once all the initial workup was done and everything was all set, she got a call from the lab saying they thought they had made an error and asked her to come back in to be retested. It turned out she had cancer, so she could no longer be a donor.”

  “Wow. How unlucky for her and you. You must have been devastated,” he spoke as he looked at Brayden and lightly touched his hand.

  “To say the least. It felt like my whole world came crumbling down once again.” Brayden was smiling at the stranger and cooing. “He seems to like you.” I smiled.

  “He seems like a great kid.”

  “He is and sometimes—” I looked down as tears started to form in my eyes. I set Brayden down on the blanket and handed him a toy before gently wiping away the tear. “Sometimes the thought of not being here for him scares me.”

  “You’re not dying.”

  “I will if I stop the dialysis. He has his whole life ahead of him. There will be little league, music lessons, art classes, and school. How am I going to be able to keep up with all that? I can barely manage life now. I’m sorry,” I spoke as I wiped another tear away.

  “Please don’t apologize. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You seem like such a nice woman and this just isn’t fair. You said you were putting on a brave front for your family. How are they doing with all of this?”

  Brayden started to fuss, so I grabbed a bottle from the diaper bag and gave it to him. “My family is destroyed about it, especially my dad. He and I are very close and I see how much this is killing him every time I look in his eyes. He wants to help me so badly, but he can’t. My mom is being overprotective and my brother is putting on a brave front for me. But I can see right through him.”

  “I can imagine that there’s nothing your father can do,” he spoke.

  “He’s been through so much in his life with my mom having cancer before I was born and not knowing if her experimental treatments were going to work. Then he had an issue with a woman who stalked him. She burnt down his office building in Chicago and then tried to hurt my mom.”

  “Are you serious?” he asked with surprise.

  “Yeah. Then his driver, who was like a father to him, passed away several months ago, and he took that very hard. In fact, he’s still trying to cope with it. Then his own father passed away recently and he just found out that his father had an affair with a woman and they had a child together. A child that was kept secret from the family. I can’t believe I just told you all that.”

  He softly placed his hand on my arm. “Like you said earlier, sometimes talking to a total stranger is easy. Sounds like your dad has been through the ringer.”

  “He has, and now with what I’m going through, he feels helpless and I hate seeing him like that. He’s a good man and a very giving man. If you need help, he won’t even hesitate. My brother, Collin, met a woman and her very sick son on a plane to Chicago. Her husband had passed away and she lost her job. She spent what little savings she had for her son’s medical care.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “He has cystic fibrosis. When my brother told my dad about their situation, he hired her as his secretary and gave her full health benefits so she didn’t have to worry about her son’s medical bills anymore. Then, when he was getting worse by living in the city, my dad moved her and Jacob to California and is letting them live in our beach house there and gave her a job at the art gallery he and my mom own.”

  “Why California?”

  “The saltwater and ocean air helps Jacob’s lungs and he’s doing much better there. We just saw them at my grandfather’s funeral and at my brother’s wedding reception. He’s doing really well. I’m so sorry. I must be boring you to death.” I gave a small smile.

  “Not at all. Your family sounds like they’re really caring people.”

  “They are.” I looked at my watch and noticed the time. “I better get Brayden home. My husband will be home soon.”

  I picked up Brayden and sat him in his stroller. “I’m sorry, I never asked you your name.”

  He smiled as he folded the blanket for me. “If I told you my name, then we would no longer be strangers and maybe you’d regret telling me everything you did.”

  “You’re right. It was nice talking to you, stranger.”

  “The pleasure was mine, stranger. Thank you again for your help. Obviously, it runs in the family.”

  “You’re welcome. Next time, make sure you have water on you.” I pushed the stroller and headed home.

  As much as I wanted to be alone, I found comfort in talking to the man who had collapsed in front of me. It felt good to tell someone my story. I decided not to tell Jake or anyone in the family about my encounter with the stranger. It was a moment that made my day a little better.

  Chapter 42

  Connor

  I was sitting in my office when Collin walked in.

  “Hey, Dad. Guess what?” he said happily.

  “What’s up, son? I’m really busy at the moment.”

  “I’ve hired a driver and I wanted to share the good news.”

  I looked up from my computer. “That’s great. Where did you find him?”

  “In a cab yesterday. He’s from California and he drove for a couple there. He can weave in and out of this godforsaken traffic like nobody’s business.”

  “Why is he here in New York? What happened with his last job?”

  “The guy went to prison for embezzlement and the IRS took everything from him and the wife. He’s originally from New York, so he thought it would be good idea to move back here.”

  “I’m happy for you, son. We can talk more about it over family dinner tonight. Righ
t now, I have to get these contracts done.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later, Dad.”

  I gave him a smile as he walked out of my office. Looking back at my computer, I didn’t hear the door shut. Instead, I heard a voice from the doorway.

  “Fancy office you have here, big brother.”

  I looked up and stared at Lucas as he stood across the room. “Lucas. What are you doing here?” I got up from my chair.

  “No need to get up, Connor. May I?” he asked as he pointed to the chair across from my desk.

  “Sure. Please sit down.”

  He took a seat and continued to look around my office.

  “Can I get you something to drink? A scotch, perhaps?”

  “Yeah. I could use one about now.” He slowly nodded his head.

  I walked over to the bar and poured us each a drink. When I handed it to him, he thanked me and took a sip.

  “Maybe I was wrong about you,” he said.

  “Why?” I asked with suspicion.

  “Just some things I’d heard. Listen, I’ve been doing some thinking and maybe I can help Julia out.”

  My heart started to race. Was he joking? What the fuck was going on?

  “Are you serious or is this some kind of joke?”

  “It’s no joke, Connor. I want to help Julia.”

  “Why? What made you change your mind?”

  “Your wife can be quite persuasive.”

  “What are you talking about? How do you know Ellery?”

  He cocked his head and raised his brow. “She didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “She paid me a little visit the next morning after you and I had our little talk. She just barged into my apartment like she owned the place and refused to leave.”

  I chuckled. “Yep. That’s my wife.”

  “I was hungover as shit because I stopped at the bar after we talked and I drank way too much. She made herself at home in my kitchen and made me drink this horrible-tasting shit after she went to my neighbor’s apartment across the hall and asked for a couple of ingredients so she could make it.”

  I let out a laugh. “She’s been shoving that shit down my throat from the first day we met. I met her in my kitchen, making the same thing. But you have to admit that it works.”

  “Yeah. It sure does.” He smiled. “She told me about herself and what she’d been through and how you never turned your back on her.”

  “How much did she tell you?”

  “A lot. Enough to make me want to fly here and meet your daughter to see for myself if you’re all really as great as everyone claims you are.”

  “And?” I asked.

  “I talked to Julia yesterday in Central Park, but she doesn’t know it was me.”

  I shook my head. “What? Wait a minute. I don’t understand.”

  “I followed her to Central Park and pretended to collapse in front of her. She helped me, gave me a couple bottles of water, and we sat and talked. She told me about her accident, her being on dialysis, her husband, and she talked a lot about you. You have one hell of a daughter, Connor, and I can easily say that I’m proud she’s my niece.”

  “Why would Julia do that? Why would she tell you all that?”

  “Because she’s hurting and she said it’s easier to talk to a complete stranger sometimes. She’s putting on a front for all of you. She’s not okay, but I want to change that for her. She told me about what you did for that kid and his mom.”

  “I see.”

  “That was really cool of you, and after hearing Ellery’s story, you’re nothing like our father. In fact, she told me about your driver that recently passed away. She said he was like a father to you. Why?”

  I leaned back in my chair and took a sip of my scotch. “Denny was a amazing man. He was there for me through every bad and good thing I encountered in life. He was there when our father wasn’t. He helped me through some really tough times and he was a great man and my best friend.”

  Lucas glared at me and narrowed his eyes. “Denny?”

  “Yes.”

  “I met him a couple of times. He would come by the house and drop off packages for us. One night, I was sitting on the porch because my mom was in the house crying over something Dad had said to her over the phone and he happened to stop by. He asked me where my mom was and I told him she was in the house crying. It really made me sad to see her so unhappy. He sat down on the porch next to me and I’ll never forget what he said.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said, ‘Son, never let the circumstances in life get in your way of becoming a great man. Shit happens and sometimes life isn’t fair, but you were made to be someone special and no matter what happens, you need to follow what’s in your heart. Don’t become a victim of circumstances.’”

  Tears started to fill my eyes as did his. “That sounds like something he’d say.”

  “I never saw him again after that, but I never forgot him.”

  A moment of silence overtook the room. “Family dinner is tonight. Please join us at my penthouse and meet the rest of your family. Julia and Jake will be there and so will Collin and Amelia. You can tell Julia yourself that you want to help her.”

  “Thank you, Connor. I’d love to meet the rest of my family. I just hope Julia doesn’t get mad at me when she finds out what I did yesterday.”

  “She won’t. She’s a great woman and she’ll understand why you did it.”

  “She is a great woman. You’re very lucky to have two wonderful women in your life. That wife of yours is quite a spitfire.” He laughed.

  I sighed. “Tell me about it.”

  “I’m really shocked she didn’t tell you that she came to see me.”

  “Believe me, Lucas. It doesn’t shock me at all. If there’s one thing Elle is good at, it’s keeping secrets.”

  He chuckled. “What time tonight?” he asked as he got up from his chair.

  “Dinner is at seven o’clock and don’t be late. Ellery hates it when people are late.”

  “Are you going to tell her I’m coming?”

  “Nah. Let’s surprise her.” I smiled. I wrote my address and phone number on the pad of paper in front of me, ripped it off, and handed it to him. “Here’s my phone number and address. Remember, seven sharp.”

  “Believe me, I won’t be late.”

  As he headed towards the door, I stopped him.

  “Hey, Lucas?”

  “Yeah.” He turned around.

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem, bro. I’ll see you tonight.”

  I couldn’t describe the feeling of happiness that overtook me. This was nothing short of a miracle and I couldn’t believe it. I pressed the intercom button.

  “Yes, Connor?” Laurinda asked.

  “You know what? Forget it, Laurinda. I was going to have you do something, but I’m going to do it myself.”

  I shut down my computer because the work could wait. As far as I was concerned, this night was more important. I grabbed my briefcase, left the office, and had Ralph drive me to the florist.

  “Good day, Mr. Black. How can I help you?” Sally, the sales associate asked.

  “I need three dozen roses. Red for my wife and pink for my daughter and daughter-in-law.”

  “Coming right up.” She smiled.

  A few moments later, Sally returned with three dozen beautifully arranged and wrapped roses.

  “Thank you, Sally. Have a great night.”

  “You too, Mr. Black.”

  ****

  I stepped off the elevator and walked into the kitchen, looking for Ellery. She wasn’t in there. I set the roses down and headed upstairs. When I walked into the bedroom, I heard the shower running. I stripped out of my clothes, walked into the bathroom, and opened the shower door. Ellery jumped.

  “Fuck! You scared the shit of out me.”

  “Sorry, baby. I wanted to surprise you.” I ran my hands lightly over her beautiful breasts.

>   “What are you doing home already?”

  “I came home to fuck you.”

  A smile crossed her lips as she placed her hand on my bare chest. “Hmm. What if I don’t want to be fucked, Mr. Black?”

  “Nonsense. Now stop asking questions and turn around.”

  She did as I asked and placed her hands against the marble wall. My fingers slipped inside of her as my other hand groped her breast. She moaned as my lips traveled across her neck, lightly nipping her wet, delicate skin. I was rock hard and I couldn’t wait to be inside of her.

  “Spread your legs, baby,” I whispered as I tugged at her hard nipple while the hot water beaded down on us.

  I thrust myself inside, pushing into her and burying my cock so deep that the sensation overwhelmed us. As I rapidly moved in and out of her, she moaned with each deep thrust. I pulled out and turned her around, bringing her legs up around my waist as she wrapped them tightly around me and I held her up firmly by her perfect ass. I continued to thrust in and out of her rapidly, feeling the warmth of her come explode all over my cock. Her moans heightened as she dug her nails into my back. One last deep thrust was all it took as I spilled every drop of pleasure I had inside of me into her. I looked into her eyes. The eyes of the love of my life and I smiled.

  “I love you so much, baby.”

  “I love you too.” She smiled back as she gently brushed her lips against mine.

  Chapter 43

  Connor

  After we got dressed, we went downstairs and I handed Ellery her roses.

  “What are these for?”

  “No reason. Do I need a reason to give my beautiful wife roses?”

  “No. Thank you. I love them and best of all, they’re not black.”

  “You’re welcome.” I kissed her. “These are for Julia and Amelia. We better get them in some water.”

  Ellery walked to the cabinet and took out three vases.

  “You need to set an extra place at the dinner table,” I spoke.

  “Oh really? Who’s coming?”

  “I invited a friend for dinner.”

  “Which friend?”

  “You’ll see.” I winked and proceeded to walk to the living room.