with top-of-the-line skates, pads, gloves, and a helmet. I had no clue where it had come from or how all that stuff was in the right sizes for me to use, but I hadn’t asked any questions because I didn’t want to rock the boat. And sure as fuck not over something that was a bonus for me.
One of the maids came in and poured William a cup of coffee while I wolfed down the egg white and veggie omelet the chef had made for me. When she left to get him his breakfast, he slid a car key fob across the table toward me. “What’s this for?”
William smiled at me over his coffee cup. “Consider it another notch in the win column for today.”
I glanced down at the emblem on the fob. “I didn’t know you had a Jeep. Is there another garage around this place that I missed?”
It was a fair question since the six-car garage was packed with vehicles, but William laughed and shook his head. “No, but I figured you could park on the driveway.”
“You’re letting me drive it?” Picking up the fob, I clenched it in my fist. I’d gotten my driver’s license a little more than a year ago, but only because my foster parents needed my help with toting the other kids around sometimes. I hadn’t been behind the wheel since I’d moved to Black Mountain, but it wasn’t a problem since the only place I’d really gone by myself over the past two months was the rink. There was no reason to leave—not when my new home had a workout room, pool, hot tub, home theater, putting green, full-time chef, and even a fucking bowling alley in the basement. And Coach Clark had arranged for one of the guys who lived nearby, Chuck, to pick me up after the first week of club hockey when he found me waiting around for the Whitney’s chauffeur an hour after everyone else had left the rink. It turned out that Eleanor had decided she didn’t want to drive herself to the spa that day, so the driver had been running way behind since it was all the way on the other side of town. I didn’t mind catching rides from Chuck, but access to a vehicle would be a serious improvement since Black Mountain didn’t have many public transportation options.
“That’s why I got the Jeep.” He set his coffee cup down and tapped his fingers against the gleaming surface of the wood table. “The dealership took longer to get the model I wanted. I bought the vehicle more than a month ago, but they didn’t deliver it until last night. You shouldn’t have been without a car this long, but I didn’t feel as though any of mine were a good fit for you.”
Damn straight, they weren’t. The cheapest vehicle he owned was an S-class Mercedes that came with a low six-figure price tag. I hadn’t gotten to know William all that well in the time I’d lived under his roof, but I’d quickly figured out two things: he was obsessed with hockey and cars. I sure as fuck wasn’t going to judge him for his passions since I’d gained a lot because of them. “Thank you doesn’t seem like enough. Not with everything you’ve done for me.”
The maid returned and placed a plate with eggs Benedict in front of him. He waited until she stepped back to wave off my gratitude. “Things are bound to get hectic with your schedule between school, practices, and games. The Jeep will make everyone’s lives easier, not just yours.”
“I’m sure it will,” I agreed, not about to argue with William and risk him changing his mind. Driving myself to school sounded a hell of a lot better than hitching a ride with Chuck. I didn’t have much control over my life for the past four years. I’d been forced to depend on strangers for everything from the roof over my head to the food in my belly. It might sound strange to others since William was lending me the Jeep, but being able to drive myself places gave me some of that control back.
William tapped the face of his Patek Philippe watch. “You’d better get going, or you’ll be late. It’s my understanding that your guidance counselor arranged for someone to show you where each of your classes are before the first bell.”
Shit. I’d forgotten I needed to be there early today since I’d already gotten a tour