Secret Weapon Spouse - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,71

come to him when they’d suspected what Brian was up to.

But Samantha had taught him to put the past behind him. He couldn’t change what had happened. All he could do now was look to the future. And what a future it could be.

“Presley reminds me of you,” C.B. said and took a swallow of his drink.

Alex looked at his father, not sure what to say. As C.B. looked up from his glass, Alex felt the full weight of the old man’s gaze. “I know I let you down when I wasn’t interested in taking over the family business…”

“No, not that,” C.B. said with a wave of his hand. “You and Presley, you’re both stubborn, pigheaded and have to do everything your own way. Invariably the hard way.”

The last thing Alex wanted to do was argue with his father. “If that’s supposed to be a compliment, it’s not coming off as one.”

His father laughed, a wonderful sound after all pain they’d been through. “I’m trying to tell you that I admire you.”

Alex stared at his father.

“The truth is you always were so damned much like me.”

“Thank you,” Alex said uncertainly.

C.B. laughed. “That definitely wasn’t a compliment.” But the pride he heard in his father’s voice made him ache.

He looked at his father and saw something he’d missed for years. Grudging respect.

Is this what Brian had seen? Is this why Alex and Brian had never gotten along? Brian had tried so hard to please their father. While Alex hadn’t tried at all for his father’s respect or love, Brian had tried too hard. Brian had risked everything for it—and lost it all. How sad that Alex hadn’t seen how much Brian had been struggling with that insecurity until after his brother’s death.

While it had been Brian’s scheme, Presley had invested the money he’d received from both Brian and C.B. and invested it in his companies. C.B. was going to make a sizable sum. Brian would have, too, had he lived.

Brian had been buried in the family cemetery on the property. Most of what had really happened had never surfaced. Not much of an investigation followed the shootings. Alex knew he had Samantha to thank for that. The police had just been happy to finally have the notorious Victor Constantine and the impeccable records of his kills. Looking for Constantine’s clients would keep them busy for years.

There was a tap at the door. “Am I interrupting?”

Alex motioned Samantha into the room. C.B. lit up at the sight of her. She went straight to the old man and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then came over to settle into the seat next to Alex. He couldn’t believe what just seeing her did to him.

“How’s my favorite wedding planner?” C.B. asked, all smiles now.

“Just fine.” She glanced at Alex. He gave her hand a squeeze.

Alex had realized something over the last week. Samantha was her own woman. And that was what had made him fall in love with her. He knew now that he wouldn’t have tried to change her for anything in the world. He loved her and while her “second” job might scare him, he had every faith in her abilities. Just as she did in his.

“I was upstairs talking to Caroline and Presley about their wedding,” Samantha said.

C.B. frowned. He’d come a long way over the last week, but he was still a curmudgeon at heart. He still wanted his only daughter to marry another blue blood.

“They’ve decided to postpone it until Caroline can walk down the aisle,” Samantha said.

“If she waits too long, she’ll have the baby in the middle of the aisle,” Alex joked, excited about being an uncle. Even more excited about someday being a father. “You’ll have to plan a joint wedding-baby shower.”

Samantha jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

“I guess there is no talking her out of it,” C.B. said and took a drink, but Alex could hear more than acceptance in his father’s tone. “Well, there is the baby and Caroline obviously loves the man. Presley does seem to be good with money and it will be my first grandchild.”

Alex smiled to himself, seeing his father’s delight at being a grandfather. C.B., he thought, just might make a wonderful grandfather.

The door opened and Presley Wells stepped in with a roll of paper.

“Pres,” his father said. The two men looked at each other, mutual acceptance and admiration growing between them. Presley Wells was the last man C.B. had wanted for his only daughter.