mother could have taken care of him, but that simply wasn’t possible. Truly, it was just a tragedy, all around, for all of us.”
“Yes, but you wouldn’t be here with Reed now, all these years later, if he felt anything but love and gratitude toward you.”
“Thank you. I only want the best for him.”
“Of course, you do. I think that’s what Reed appreciates about his relationship with you. How uncomplicated it is. When he told me about his mother... and her life in Scarsdale...” I trail off, not sure how to complete the sentence. What the hell are we talking about?
“Yes, I know Reed wishes she’d agree to transfer to the facility in Malibu. But she won’t leave the one in Scarsdale.”
And there it is. Finally. The truth. The word that explains that tightness I thought I saw on Reed’s face last night when he talked about his mother’s happy, perfect life in Scarsdale with her boyfriend, Lee. Facility. As in mental facility?
“Yes, exactly,” I say calmly, even though my synapses are exploding. “He said he gets out there to visit as much as he can, but I’m sure it would be easier if she’d transfer to the facility in Malibu.”
“Of course, it would. I’m sure it hurts Reed, more than he lets on, that she won’t move to a facility closer to him, so he can spend more time with her and take care of her the way he wants to do.” She looks toward the door of the kitchen, and then back at me. “I’m not surprised Eleanor won’t move closer, honestly. She never put her boys first, right from the start. That was the hardest thing for me to watch, as their nanny. A mother should always put her children first, whether she’s got a nanny or not.”
Holy fuck burgers. My brain is whirring and clacking now, deftly processing the shreds of new information Amalia just supplied to me. Eleanor. Note to self: gather every bit of information you can on Eleanor Rivers of Scarsdale. Boys. Plural. Amalia said Eleanor never put the boys first. And that Amalia was “their” nanny. But Reed didn’t mention he has a brother. Only a sister. And I don’t think Wikipedia mentioned a brother.
I put down my knife, every molecule of my skin buzzing. “Hey, Amalia. I’m sorry. I just remembered I have to research something for one of the articles I’m writing. I’m sorry to ditch my duties as your sous chef, but—”
“Go, go. This is my job, not yours. Thank you for the conversation. I’ve wanted to talk to someone about these things for a very long time.” She smiles kindly. “You’re absolutely lovely, Georgie. It’s no wonder Reed is so taken with you.”
My heart squeezes. “Thank you. It’s no wonder Reed loves you so much. I’m looking forward to cooking and chatting with you a lot this summer.”
Amalia’s face lights up. “I have some wonderful recipes I’d be happy to teach you.”
“I’d love that.” I hug Amalia goodbye, and then sprint upstairs to my room, where I flip open my laptop and hop online. Obviously, there’s a whole lot about Reed’s life he doesn’t want to talk about. Which is perfectly fine. But that’s not going to stop me from digging a little deeper... to try to get to know the man behind The Man with the Midas Touch... whether he wants me to... or not.
Chapter 11
Reed
I lean back in my chair, my phone pressed against my ear, looking out the window of my home office.
“Hi, boss,” Owen says, answering my call. “Did the bike arrive?”
“It did. Right on time. Thank you.”
“Did she like it?”
“She went apeshit for it.” I smile to myself, remembering Georgie’s jiggling happy dance this morning when she found out that second Peloton bike was hers. “Actually, her reaction made me want to give her even more gifts, just to see her lose her shit like that again and again. I was thinking of maybe getting her a car. I’d want to get her something cute and fun and reliable—a little convertible, maybe—but nothing too crazy in terms of pricing.”
Owen pauses. “So, his and hers Bugattis are out of the question, then?”
I ignore the obvious snark. “I want something to bowl her over, but not something that will make me look like a madman. If the car is too extravagant, she’ll think it implies some sort of commitment past the summer. And that wouldn’t be good.”
“As opposed to a commitment within the summer?”
“Oh. Yeah.