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“Kennedy said it’s like Buckingham Palace,” she says.
“It’s true that it’s not a small place. Dad had just started making money before Kip and I were born. When Damon came along, they decided that because they entertained a lot, it made sense to get a bigger house. Brendan and Jenny were always around with Kennedy and Christian. Mum’s brother, Julian, and his wife were often there with Titus. And they had a lot of friends, so there were parties and other gatherings. People were always staying over, too. Brooklyn Heights is big, but it’s like six or seven houses, not just one. Kip, Damon, and I each have a separate flat in case we want to stop over, and there are other spare bedrooms, I can’t remember how many.”
“I can’t imagine not knowing how many bedrooms are in your house.”
“Yeah, I get that. I know it’s strange for you. But I hope you like it there. I want you to be a part of my family and my life.”
“I just hope they like me.”
“Of course they will.”
“Come on, you don’t know that. A penniless stranger turns up on your doorstep and says you’re the father of her twins? Aren’t they going to think I’m after your money?”
“Well, a) you’re not a stranger. We did sleep together. And b) I told them I believed you. And they trust me.”
“I’ve never met a guy’s parents before.”
I take her hand. “The only issue we’re going to have is them being over-enthusiastic. I apologize in advance if that happens. They’re going to be eager to make a good impression.”
“They want to make a good impression on me?”
“As crazy as that seems, yeah. They know I’m serious about you, and they’ll want you to like them.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I glance over to see a small smile on her lips. “You’re serious about me?” she asks in a small voice.
“Yeah. Deadly. What you need to understand is that I need your support at times like this. So help me out with my crazy parents, okay? Play along, and pretend you think they’re wonderful, and we’ll be just fine.”
I glance at her again—she’s smiling. She likes the idea of the two of us against the world.
“I’m going to take the lower turnoff to the house, which will bring us up to the bottom apartments,” I tell her. “Then we’ll take the cable car up to the house.”
“You have a cable car? Holy fuck.”
I laugh as I turn off and head to the three apartments. “It’s on a steep hill, so it’s on several levels.”
We climb a little, circling the base of the hill, and stop by a pair of gates. I punch the number into the pad outside, and when they swing open, I go through and up the drive to the garages at the end.
I park next to Kip’s BMW and Damon’s Bentley, turn off the Aston, and look across at her. “You okay?”
“I feel like I’m on the set of Thunderbirds.”
I chuckle and open my door. “Come on.”
We get out, and I take her hand and lead her along the winding path, through the ferns and palms on either side. At the end, the path opens out onto a large terrace, with potted palms and outdoor chairs and tables.
“That’s Damon’s,” I say, pointing to the nearest apartment. “That’s Kip’s,” gesturing at the one above it. “And the one at the end is mine.” I take her over to the door, unlock it, and we go in.
“You lived here?” she asks as I show her around the open-plan living and dining room, the kitchen, and the bedroom, all of which overlook a private terrace.
“Not at first. I was only eight when we moved here, and Mum and Dad used these for guests. Kip and I moved into them when we turned sixteen, and Damon a year later.”
She looks around with wide eyes, resting her hand on her bump. “What I don’t understand is how you’re not spoiled brats. I mean, you’re all nice guys. How do you bring up children and make sure they don’t take everything for granted?”
Is she wondering how her sons are going to grow up? They’ll have as much as I did, and probably more. “Maybe it’ll be clearer when you meet Mum and Dad. Look, I know we’re privileged, but they were very strict on making sure we appreciated what we had. It was made very clear that if we misbehaved, those privileges would be taken away. When we were eighteen, we had a party here after the school ball, and it got a bit out of hand… beer bottles everywhere, a window got broken… We had to move back up to the main house for three months. We always knew they’d carry through on their threats. While we were at home, we had to do a week’s charity work in our summer holidays, helping in soup kitchens and shelters. They also encouraged us to give ten percent of our pocket money to the charity of our choice, and all three of us still do it.”
I lead her back out and lock up, then take her past the steps and through a gate to the cable car waiting area and press the button to call it. Just down from us, a guy in his thirties wearing green coveralls and a hat is removing dead leaves from some of the palms, and he waves and says, “Hey, Saxon.”
“Hey, Alan. This is Catie. Catie, this is Alan Vaughn, our head gardener.”
