“Nothing, angel,” my dad said as he stood and closed the distance between them. He grabbed her around the waist and dropped his head to kiss her. I appreciated his attempt to distract her, but when the kiss started to get out of hand, I wrinkled my nose and groaned.
“Seriously? I’m right here.” I was used to my parents’ PDA, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to complain about it. “I think five kids is more than enough proof that you do things I’d like to pretend you know nothing about. I don’t need another reminder.”
“I need to remember to give you shit when you bring your wife around someday and can’t keep your hands to yourself,” my dad mumbled against my mom’s lips. She giggled, and I covered my face with my hands until the sounds of my dad mauling my mom stopped.
“Then I better be going so I can get myself that wife.”
My mom laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’d like to see you bring home a date!” she teased. “Hard to find a wife without some of those.” I could understand my mom’s cynicism since I’d never brought a girl home before. But she didn’t know the real extent of it...the truth was, I hadn’t been on a date since I was a teenager. What was the point when I already knew they weren’t going to measure up to the woman in my dreams?
Jumping to my feet, I strode over to my parents and pulled my mom from my dad’s arms to mine. “You never know, Mom. I might surprise you.” I winked at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before letting her go and hugging my dad.
“Good luck,” he murmured in my ear. I nodded in acknowledgment as I stepped away.
Hope popped into the room carrying a reusable grocery bag and handed it to me with a bright smile. I got down on one knee and looked inside to see that she’d packed me a goody bag. My sister loved to bake, and she was quite good at it, especially for a seven-year-old. “Are these some of your crazy-awesome treats, sunshine?” I gasped.
She clapped and bounced on her unicorn slippers. “Yes! We made them this morning just for you!”
Grinning, I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, sunshine.” She beamed at me, and I brought our faces close together before whispering, “I missed you most. Don’t tell Mom.” Then I held out my pinky, and she linked it with hers, shaking on the secret.
My parents' driver, Anthony, had come to pick me up at the airport and had brought me straight to their house. My bags were still loaded in the Town Car, so I sent Anthony a text to let him know I was ready and gave a last round of hugs to everyone. With another promise to visit soon, I headed out to the car.
Chapter 2
Tucker
In London, I’d had the same house staff for almost the entire eight years I lived there. When I told them I was moving back to the States, I’d given all of them the choice to stay or go with me. I gave those who stayed a large severance package, but those who chose to relocate with me, I’d paid for their move and had my father’s assistant—well, my assistant now—help to find them new housing. With the exception of Kendra Bay, my live-in housekeeper. No one could ever replace my mother, but Kendra had become a close second, so I was ecstatic when she agreed to come with me.
I sent my staff on ahead, and all of my belongings, except what was in my two suitcases, had been shipped to my flat the week before. I was certain that Kendra had already unpacked everything. When I arrived at my new house, Kendra met me in the vestibule of the front elevator on the first floor of the flat. “Welcome home, Mr. Carrington.”
With a warm smile, I pulled her into a hug and chuckled. “I’m so glad you’re here, Kendra. And since when do you call me Mr. Carrington?”
She shrugged and winked as I released her. “Thought I’d give it a try.”
“And what did you think?”
“Don’t expect to hear it often, my boy,” she said as she patted my cheek, making me laugh. “I’ve left dinner in the refrigerator. You just need to heat it in the oven. I also stocked the kitchen, including all the items on your list.” She led me through the front door into the foyer, where I set down my suitcases, before following her to the left and through the dining room. We entered the large galley pantry that connected to the kitchen, and she showed me around the room so that I would be able to fend for myself and then gave me instructions on preparing the meal she’d left for me. She looked around and didn’t seem to find anything else that needed to be addressed. “That’s everything at the moment, I think. Now, since you gave me the night off, I’m going to get dolled up because I have a date.”
Surprised by her announcement, I raised a brow. “A date? Who’s this guy? I need to make sure he’s good enough for you.”
Kendra’s cheeks pinkened, making me even more amused and curious. She patted her gray hair that was swept up into a bun and smoothed out some nonexistent wrinkles in her black pants. “His name is Anthony, and as I understand it, he works for your father.”
I was speechless for a moment, but then I burst into laughter. Not because I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but because I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of how perfect they would be together before now. Both Kendra and Anthony were in their early fifties, widowed with grown children, and worked simply because retirement bored them. They were two of the best people I knew, and I wasn’t at all surprised that they had hit it off. Obviously, they’d met when Anthony had been dispatched to pick up Kendra when she arrived.
“I approve,” I told her when I’d stopped laughing. “But he better not try to steal you away from me.” A grin split my face when I added, “Also, sleepovers are not discouraged or prohibited in your contract. And he wouldn’t even have to do the walk of shame since you have your own elevator and entrance.”
Kendra rolled her eyes and sniffed. “This is only our second date, Tucker. He has a ways to go before he earns his way into my knickers.”
I snorted, and she glared at me before spinning around and marching through the kitchen door that led to her suite of rooms. I’d known Anthony for a long time, and I trusted him to treat Kendra right. But I made a mental note to have a “chat” with him about what would happen if he hurt her.
Still chuckling, I returned to the foyer for my suitcases. Then I took the elevator up to the third floor, which was comprised solely of the master suite, complete with a wraparound veranda and a sitting room that I’d had converted into an art studio. The elevator exited into another vestibule, and the door to the suite opened into a hallway. I headed left to unpack my bags in the bedroom. Once I was done, I explored the rest of the house so that I would be familiar enough to give Eva a thorough tour.
Returning to the bedroom, I took a quick shower, then I wrapped a towel around my waist and stood at the sink to trim my thin beard. Despite the fact that I was biologically related to my adopted father, I looked nothing like him or my adopted mom. I took after my birth mother with dark hair, tan skin, and brown eyes, though my six-foot-two height and muscular build came from the Carrington side of the family. I stayed in shape with regular workouts, but when I moved to England, I’d also taken up playing rugby. I even managed to find a league in New York so I could continue to play.