Together, Van and I now held sixty-five percent of Wade stock—our family again had the majority share. The other thirty-five percent was divided between Lena at twenty-nine, GreenSphere at five, and let us not forget, Skylar and Elizabeth Butler at one percent.
Mrs. Rose sold her stock back to Lena for a slim profit and resigned from the board following our meeting. Currently, the board agreed to allow a non-shareholder to serve. Janie was now part of the board.
Mrs. Rose and Skylar were Lena and Van’s aces in the hole. Van didn’t want me to face losing my dream.
As for the house, I sold it. My parents were given a deal too. Not quite as good as Van’s quarter. Instead, they purchased it for five thousand. That didn’t help home values in the area, but that wasn’t our concern. My mom loved that house. Van and I don’t want it. It was the right thing to do.
Yes, Beth and I had spoken.
We’ll never have the friendship we lost, but we can have a relationship. Their baby was due two days ago. The last message I received was from Vicki saying Beth was miserable.
Since I was still in the morning sickness stage, I could only imagine how I’d feel at forty weeks.
“See the sandhill crane?” Van asked, pulling me from my sunbathing. While Van still oversaw a billion-dollar conglomerate, we both preferred to work from home. Some days that entailed long hours and barely seeing one another. Other days, like today, we would sneak away to spend time together. Our property was absolutely breathtaking as the trees began to show their autumn colors.
Looking up, I squinted from the sun, seeing the crane. Its massive wingspan, long neck, and gray-blue plumage contrasted the crystal blue sky. “Do sandhill cranes migrate?”
“They do.” He grinned. “The wolves stay.”
I sat up, leaning into him. “I’m partial to one wolf.”
Our lips came together as Van pulled me close. With the whoosh of the waves hitting the shore below and the sun warming the rock’s surface, I was lulled into the touch of the man now over me. He’d rolled me to my back and was staring down with his sexy gaze.
“I want to make love to you right here.”
I wiggled against the rock. “Our bed is softer and more private.”
“No one can see or hear us. There’s no one—”
“For miles,” I said, repeating what he’d told me long ago. “But there is. Michael and Albert. Jonathon could be anywhere, and Bradley told me he likes to hike this property. I don’t think Margaret would appreciate us giving her son an X-rated show.”
“He may be too young.”
“What were you like at Bradley’s age?”
Van shrugged. “I’d rather show you what I’m like at this age.”
“But if our baby is a boy, what can I expect?”
“Trouble,” he said with a grin.
Van sat up, leaning against his outstretched arms and staring out at the lake as a gentle warm breeze blew his dark mane. “Never doubt I’m thrilled about the baby. I’m also…” He didn’t finish the sentence.
I sat up and leaned against his side. “Scared. You know I won’t love you less if you, Donovan Sherman, admit that you are afraid of something.”
His green gaze fixed on me. “I was petrified when I thought you were hurt or in danger. This isn’t the same. I don’t want to screw up our child.”
“Isn’t that the parents’ job?” When he didn’t answer or see my humor, I asked a question that had been lingering and never fully answered. “What happened with your family? Your parents? Phillip?” I didn’t add Liv to the list because she and Van had been talking.
Sighing, Van kept his gaze focused on the water. “He broke my keyboard.”
I pulled away and searched his handsome profile as the sadness in his voice rattled my soul. “Phillip?”
Van nodded.
“Why?”
“Because it brought me joy.”