Page 1 of The Billionaire's Housekeeper

Chapter 1

“There’s trouble at the Belmont Ranch Resort,” Chase Belmont told his brother, Cole. The two brothers stood at the side in one of the massive gardens at Belmont Palace. “I’ve got to be there.”

“Now?” Cole clarified, over the sound of music from the live band. “Couldn’t someone else go?” The combination of chatter, laughter and music almost drowned them out. Chase watched his old man, Jonah Belmont III, sitting on a garden chair surrounded by his friends as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Jonah had a lovely young nurse by his side.

Chase felt ill thinking how this news would affect his father’s fragile health if he ever found out. Jonah Belmont took great pride in each of his hotels, even when he went worldwide. Every facility received the same star treatment. Currently, a rival over the land of their newest locations wanted to see them eat dirt.

“No,” Chase said sternly. “No one else can go. I need to take care of business out there or we’ll be in trouble. Something’s up. I can feel it.”

“But what about Dad, Chase? Don’t tell me you’re trying to dodge the bullet. You know what Dad said about his bucket list challenge and how serious this is for him. It’s his dying wish to see us spend his last days with him and for him to see each of us in a stable relationship with the love of our life.”

“I know, I know,” Chase said, clenching his jaw absent-mindedly. He was more annoyed than anything and not with his dying father. Talk about bad timing.

Chase knew this day was coming. His father didn’t have much time to live and wanted the boys to all at least settle down with nice ladies to avoid the Belmont family curse.

The garden at the Belmont Palace was filled with hundreds of guests. It was the Belmont family’s weekly appreciation barbecue. As long as the weather was good in the scenic waterfront community owned by the Belmont family, they would honor their father, Jonah, who’d been given six months to a year to live after his pancreatic cancer resurfaced.

The live band played various fifties ballads, some of his dad’s favorite tunes that transported him back to happier times. It wasn’t easy on any of them.

Just then, his half-brother, Brandon, and his new bride, Faith, approached. Faith used to be a part-time waitress and the Belmont’s professional clutter control organizer who owned her own small business she ran out of her tiny apartment before they met. Chase thought of how cool it was that they finally got together, despite Brandon’s reservation about getting “tied down.” Brandon was a security specialist and private detective and much like his other half-brother, Dane, he’d only just come to know Jonah as their biological father.

“Everything okay?” Brandon asked in his deep voice. He was well over six-five, the tallest of the brothers. “You look worried there,” Brandon added. Brandon was ever the cautious eye, surreptitiously watching everyone from across the lawn, as was his force of habit.

“Not really,” Chase said. “Faith, nice to see you as always.”

“Likewise, Chase. Hi, Cole,” Faith said, a drink in her hand, swaying to the sound of music. Her long hair was braided into long micro braids; her beautiful tanned complexion complemented her husband’s. Chase wondered how long she sat for her hair to be done. He admired his new sister-in-law.

“Listen, I think Olivia could use a hand,” Faith said, handing her drink to her husband. She then pecked him on the cheek. Olivia was helping Aunt Maya in getting the cake table set up. They had plenty of staff to do work, but Aunt Maya had specially baked a cake for her brother’s special day and wanted to handle it herself.

After Faith scurried off, Brandon returned his attention to Chase. “So what’s going on?” he asked.

“We’re in trouble at the ranch out in BC,” Chase reiterated to Brandon.

Brandon’s face went stony and hard. “What do you mean ‘trouble’?” he asked cautiously.

“Well, you know the Jacksons have been trying to get hold of that land out in West Valley, the plot they always said was theirs, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about that,” Brandon said, combing his hand through his hair. The Jacksons and the Belmonts have had a long-running family feud dating back to the early 1900s, mostly over land disputes and other politics, sometime after the railroad gold-rush era. Of course, Jonah Belmont the first, his great-grandfather, back in the early 1900s settled things out and had opened up his first hotel but it wasn’t easy. He’d moved from BC back to Ontario during that time. The land was eventually sold to another company but then taken over by the Belmonts again. Another company decided to build a resort there but failed so the Belmonts reclaimed the facility and revamped it into one of their latest franchises in the hotel chain. Because of the breathtaking mountain view and ranches, they’d converted the place into some sort of retreat for guests. Much different from their luxury five-star high-rise hotels in the various major cities.

“Here, read this.” Chase handed Brandon his cell phone. The screen showed a page from a gossip website.

LEGAL DISPUTE OVER BELMONT RANCH RESORT

According to sources in the area, the Belmont Ranch Resort is in deep financial trouble after claims of a dispute over the hotel’s land. Half of the ranch land apparently belongs to Jackson’s Travel Lodge heirs…An additional claim...that the newly renovated resort, which was acquired by the Belmonts in a hostile takeover from another hotel company, is sitting on unstable land…The source, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal from the company’s executives, also stated that engineers who came to survey the facility were paid a fee to grade the real estate as safe…

“What the hell!” Brandon muttered.

“My words exactly. Those sons of a bitch are trying to shut us down out there, saying that the facility is not safe at the location where it is. Saying we bribed engineers to give us the green light so the project renovation could go ahead. And we won the land dispute fair and clear in court years ago. Why are they drumming up that old news now?”

“Those low-down…” Brandon hissed.

“It’s crazy,” Cole added. “They can’t get away with this. They could be liable for defamation. I’d kill them if Dad ever found out about this. It’ll send him over the edge. He can’t deal with this type of crap right now. The man was dying for chrissake. What are they trying to do to him?”

“Well, now you see why I have to go out there,” Chase said. “I’ve already contacted our lawyers to deal with the libel.”

“I’ll get my men on it and see who’s behind this smear campaign,” Brandon added, fury in his controlled voice.

“Hey, what are you young men doing huddled in the corner like that? Go out and mingle with the guests,” Aunt Maya said, as she approached her nephews. “Oh, and you’ll never guess who’s here!”

“Who?”

“The Santigo family. They’ve been placed on the list of who’s who for new billionaires after their tech business took off. Their sons have been deemed eligible bachelors,” she sighed. “But they’ve got nothing on you guys. You’ve been blessed with the Belmont good looks genes. And then the Lee family is here from Lee Pencils Manufacturing,” she said, scanning the massive gardens. “They’re trying to marry off their daughter but everyone knows she’s not really into men, if you know what I mean. Everyone except them, of course…Everyone who’s got a name is here. Bradley from the Belmont Cab Company is here with his family, too. They’ve purchased the town cab company and are merging. Talk about…” Aunt Maya paused from her friendly rambling of news on everyone’s business there, and then she frowned. “You guys look like you’ve been in serious discussion and I know it’s not about my homemade lasagna. I know I overdid it with the spices and the oregano was a bit much, but…it still came out all right.”

Chase grinned. “Aunt Maya, there’s nothing wrong with your lasagna.”

“Well, you know your father wants nothing more than for you boys to mingle with the guests. You know, ever since you all started these appreciation dinners to let him know how much you care and give everyone a chance to tell him how wonderful he is…it’s gotten to his head.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Can’t say I blame him. I think it’s sweet what you boys did, saying that we can’t just save nice words ‘til after folks pass on. Who knows if they can hear wherever they’re going. Got to do it here and now. Good idea, boys. It’s really catching on in the Belmont community. I hear Travis, the pharmacist, is throwing appreciation parties for no reason for his grandmother, and well, it’s the talk of the town.”

“Hey, you know Dad means the world to us. And besides, he’s given so much to this community. The whole Belmont line has,” Chase said.

“Well, they didn’t name the town after our dear old great-grandfather for no reason. He was a pioneer in the economic development of this place back in the day.”

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