AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eli
I WATCHED AUTUMN from across the room. It had taken all of five seconds, if that, for Cadie to fall in love with my Boo. They’d been reading books on the sofa since we finished dinner.
Autumn’s presence filled the room with warmth and love. She somehow had the power to defuse the cocky competitiveness between my cousins and me. When she wasn’t around, we were at each other, always trying to one-up the other. We were a bunch of shitheads, like my Uncle Loyd called us. But when Autumn was around, she tamed us.
“I’m glad she’s back.”
I turned toward my uncle. “Me too. Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming.”
“I always knew she’d be back. It was just a matter of time. Of course, I didn’t think it’d take three years.”
“Yeah, well, I needed to be sure I could give her everything she wanted.” I took a drink of my brandy.
“And are you? Sure you can give her everything? I’d hate to see you lose her again.”
I exhaled. This man was always direct, painfully so most times. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“And what about your new job? I would think Autumn would want to return to New York. All her family is here. Your family is here. If she’s pregnant, her mother will want to see her grandchild regularly. And Mona too. She’ll dote on your child as if it’s her very own grandchild.”
I chuckled nervously, feeling my face heat up. “So load Mona into the private jet and fly her out to Southern California.”
“You know that would never be enough. Mona would want to see the baby daily. She’s had six children; she kind of adores babies, don’t you think?” He drained his glass. “You’re more than our nephew, Eli. We love you like a son.” The sincerity in his voice nearly undid me.
“I know.”
“Look.” He gripped my shoulder. “You’ve proven yourself. I have a place for you at the firm. CMO, and it comes with a handsome salary and benefits package. I’ll even throw in a townhouse.”
I gritted my teeth. He was doing this because of the possibility of a baby. I didn’t need a boost from my uncle to get to the top. I was almost there on my own. I wasn’t like my father, who had squandered his inheritance in his early twenties. He never amounted to more than a grocery store manager. I had worked my ass off to make my grandfather proud and earn his respect. I was almost there…
“Chief marketing officer?” Autumn’s excited voice made me cringe. “That’s fantastic. It’s what you always wanted.”
“And it’s his,” my uncle said, patting my arm. My stomach churned. “And well deserved.”
“Then we could move back to New York.”
“You’re moving back?” Cai asked. “That’s fantastic. I need to vlog about this!”
My throat thickened as sweat beaded at my hairline. Fuck, this was not good.
“My parents will be thrilled.” Autumn hugged me. “But I’d rather not live in the city.”
“Where do you want to live?” Owen asked as he refilled my empty snifter. The fucking walls were closing in on me. I felt trapped and out of control ofmyfucking life.
Autumn held my hand. She looked positively serene at the thought of moving back. “I’m not sure. I just want a backyard for the baby to play in.”
“What about Central Park to play in? I have a property a block away. We could fix it up to your liking,” Uncle Loyd said, enticing her while I felt like I might vomit.
From the time I moved in with my uncle and his family and attending the best private schools with my cousins, I was teased about being the penniless Manhattan Morgan. It had motivated me to work my ass off to get to where I was today.
When I met Autumn, she didn’t know who my family was or their status in New York. It took months of us dating before I told her about my parents’ death and brought her home to meet my family. I’d wanted to secure her feelings for me. The Morgan billions weren’t something I wanted any part of after my dad had gambled away his cut. Although I had a hefty trust fund my grandfather had given me on my twenty-first birthday, I hadn’t touched a penny of it. I’d been determined to make my own way.
“Good luck with convincing Eli to take your handout, Dad. You know he’s too fucking proud.” Griff laughed out loud as the rest of my cousins gathered around us.
I loosened my shirt collar. It was fucking stifling in here.
“It’s not a handout. What good is having money if you can’t share it with those you love?” My aunt’s appalled voice raked down my spine.
Autumn squeezed my hand. “I guess we need to discuss this when we get back to California. Right, Eli?”
