Baby For My Billionaire Rival (Billionaire Daddies)

15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Caroline

J ake and I date the entire first half of the semester. It’s a secret, at least from our grad school cohort. People raise eyebrows now and then, but we ignore them. As long as Fig doesn’t find out, that’s fine with me. I don’t want her to think less of me for crossing the lines of work and pleasure. She’s someone I really want to impress and stay in the graces of her respect.

Luckily, that doesn’t put a damper on the fire Jake and I are stoking. It blazes. On every date, every text or phone call, every time we’re in bed together, I can tell we are getting a step closer to a point of no return.

A word that begins with a capital L, if you catch my drift.

Which is why when Jake suggests that he meet my parents, I don’t hesitate to agree. I’ve spent plenty of time at the farm with Lori and his brothers already. It’s only fair he gets a taste of what it’s like in Savannah. However, his home is full of love and laughter whereas mine is filled with respect and distant silences. Of course, I love my family, but in circumstances like these, it can be rather difficult to bring in outsiders.

“Jake, these are my parents, Richard and Amelia,” I say gesturing to my mom and dad who have come to meet us in the front hall of Gram’s house.

“Pleasure to meet you, Jakey boy!” Dad says, slapping his hand into Jake’s.

“You as well, Mr. Gladstone.”

“Please, call me Dick.”

Mom glares at him. “ Richard …”

“He goes by Richard,” I say to Jake. “He just thinks the nickname is funny.”

Jake clears his throat. “I can’t blame you, sir.”

“Oh, I like him,” Dad says, shaking his head enthusiastically.

Mom and I exchange eye rolls.

At dinner, I keep an eye on Jake. He’s nervous. Noticeably so. From time to time, I reach over and touch his leg softly, giving him a warm smile.

And he smiles in return, although I can tell the second we leave here, he’s going to crack under the pressure.

Thankfully, Jude and Chase are here. They’ve been in his court through and through since they found out we were dating.

However, no one can ignore Gram’s discerning eye from the head of the table.

“So the farm, Jakey boy, that’s in South Carolina, hm?” Dad asks.

Jake nods. “Yes, sir.”

“Far,” Gram says dryly.

“Not too far,” I say. “Only an hour. Halfway between here and Charleston.”

My mom gives me a knowing look. “An hour is still an hour, sweet pea.”

I try not to let my annoyance show on my face.

“I just ask because, well, if you two are getting serious –” Dad stops and laughs, adjusting his blue striped tie. “You know, I want to wrap my mind around what my little girl’s life might look like.”

Jake nods. “Of course, sir. I respect that.” He glances over at me and I smile. I appreciate that Jake doesn’t run whenever there’s an implication of commitment. “I’m happy to report that my mama is crazy about Caroline. And my brothers too, even if they’re quiet about it.”

“They don’t love her too much, I hope,” Dad says, laughing at his own joke until Mom slaps him on the chest. He clears his throat. “Well, that’s good, that’s good. Although I can’t say I’m surprised. Caroline has always been a social butterfly. People tend to like her.”

“Daddy,” I say softly.

Jake is finally hitting his stride, resting his arm on the back of my chair with ease. It’s little moments like these that are the most impactful. We’ve had each other ten ways to Sunday, but the small gestures are the ones that make me see a life with him. “I agree, that stood out to me from the moment I met her.”

“Is that why you hated her?” Jude says.

The table laughs. Everyone except Gram.

“No, I didn’t like her much since she thought I was a janitor,” Jake grumbles.

Another laugh.

“Well, I can’t see how you can blame her.”

Everyone looks down at Gram. I reach under the table and grab Jake’s knee.

“With your flannel shirt and denim. The work boots…”

Jake attempts a smile. “Ma’am, I assure you that I wore my special occasion boots today.”

Everyone laughs again, but I know that wasn’t a joke. It’s true, Jake has an affinity for plaid shirts and blue jeans. He’s forever in a pair of boots and is always ready to roll his sleeves up and fix something. Tonight though, he’s wearing a navy polo and khakis. That slight attempt at fitting in at the beginning of the school year broke my heart, but I knew it would be the best shot at Gram forgetting about the “country hick” stereotype she has in her mind.

Unfortunately, it seems she saw through that.

“I have to say, young man, I can’t say that I see this as a match.”

So much for the laughter.

“Is that right, ma’am?” Jake says without any sort of affectation. Too polite for his own good.

“Our Caroline was a debutante, you know.”

Jake glances at me. “Of course she was.”

“Gram, that’s enough. It doesn’t matter if I was a debutante, that was ten years ago! Besides it’s –”

“Hush child, I’m making a point.”

I seal my mouth, wishing I could defend Jake, but knowing that if I say much more, it’d be like setting fire to gunpowder.

“You can see Caroline living on your farm with you?” Gram asks, but it sounds more like a statement.

Jake’s smile does not falter. I want to hold him. “She’s got the overalls and boots for it. The red lipstick too.”

“You think I’m being funny.”

He audibly swallows. “No, ma’am.”

I look at Chase with desperation in my eyes. I really wish he’s help me out right now.

“I won’t have my granddaughter objectified by –“

“Gram, he was making a joke,” Chase intercedes.

“Why is everyone talking over me?” Gram says angrily.

The table goes mum. I desperately try to make a plea to my father with my eyes for him to settle his mother down, but Dad merely pushes his food around his plate. Why is everyone looking away from this?

“I apologize, ma’am, I would never objectify or m-mean to objectify…” Jake trails off, his eyes fixed on the empty plate in front of him.

“I’m afraid having her live in the country just won’t do. She has a standard of living she’s accustomed to,” Gram says.

So many thoughts boil in my brain. But I can’t manage to utter a single one.

“I can provide for her,” Jake says simply. “That won’t be a problem.”

“That’s not what I mean, Mr. Simmons.”

The rest of the table is silent.

“We are from different walks of life, your family and ours,” Gram says.

Her thoughts are antiquated, rooted in a time when rural areas were untouched. Nowadays, it’s different. With technology, people aren’t so different as they once were. That’s my take on it anyway. Other than getting off on the wrong foot with Jake, I’ve never seen him as anything but my equal. I suppose I’ve had to defend him on occasion to our classmates. Treat him as if he’s one of us and not a country bumpkin. A redneck.

But I don’t see him that way. I grab Jake’s hand under the table.

He does not grab back.

“Now hold on –” Chase says, throwing his napkin down. “If you’re judging Jake for where he comes from, how do you feel about Jude?”

Jude’s cheeks flush. “Chase –”

“That’s different, honey. Jude has been family for many years.”

“She grew up in a trailer park. She’s a teacher. I mean –”

“I’d appreciate it if you don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Jude snipes.

Chase clenches his teeth. “I’m trying to prove a point. You’re creating a double standard, Gram.”

“I have known Jude since she was a baby. This young man stumbled into my granddaughter’s apartment out of the blue and –”

“With flowers, Gram!” Jude interjects. “Jake’s nothing but a gentleman. He sent her an Hermes scarf for Christmas!”

I cover my face with my hand as chaos erupts at the table. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop.

“Richard, control your son,” Gram growls.

I nearly laugh. As if he’d be able to rein us in, two grown-ass adults with minds of our own.

“You promised after what happened with Jude and me you wouldn’t get involved in our personal life like this. You wouldn’t –”

Gram slams her fist on the table. The glasses and silverware clink. Mom gasps, clutching her string of pearls. “I will not be spoken to like this in my own home,” she says with the severity of a king ordering a beheading.

She gets up and leaves the room with her normal gravitas.

“Oh God…” I mutter. “I should go talk to her, shouldn’t I?”

Everyone just looks at me. They all begin to clear their plates, murmuring to one another as if total devastation didn’t just occur.

“Okay, I’ll go talk to her.” I start to stand, but Jake catches my arm. He tugs on my arm and I lean down to listen to what he has to say.

“I should go,” he says, jaw straining to stay composed. “Will you come with me?”

I want nothing more than to go with him and give him what he needs. But it would make Gram even angrier if I left with him. Best to not create more animosity between the two of them. “I think it’s best I talk to Gram first. Then we can go.”

“I can’t stay if I’m not wanted.”

“Everyone wants you,” I say, eyeing Jude across the way who is snuffing out the taper candles lining the table runner.

Jake pushes himself out from the table and slides his hand down the front of his polo. “This was a mistake.”

“What was?”

His blue eyes have gone dull. “I’m going to go, Caroline.”

“But…”

“You couldn’t manage to say anything in my defense. I don’t know what speaking to your grandmother in private is going to do for my cause,” he says, with more than a hint of frustration in his voice.

I gape at him. “I can talk to her. I just need to let things cool down and –”

Jake bites his lower lip, shakes his head, and walks out of the dining room into the front hall.

“Jake!” I call after him.

He doesn’t look back.

I take a few steps after him, intent on catching up, running after him. “Don’t go!”

Jake stops, his hand on the door.

“ Caroline Patricia. Upstairs! ” Gram scowls from the second floor.

He looks at me hard.

He doesn’t realize the choice I have to make is for him. For us.

When I don’t move to follow him, he goes out the door, slamming it behind him.