Page 62 of The Billionaire's Son

Shaking her head, she moved toward the door.

“Let me give you a piece of advice, Officer Jenkins.”

She kept walking. She didn’t want to hear anything more that this bitter old man had to say.

“Don’t fall in love with my son.”

Kelly closed her eyes, wishing she could block out the condescending voice.

“I’ll admit he appears to have an affinity for women with a little dirt under their fingernails, but you will never get your hooks in him.”

* * *

LATE THAT AFTERNOON, Trey rose from his desk and stretched his arms high overhead. After an early morning game with Mac, he’d spent most of the day on the phone either talking to child psychiatrists or lining up coaches for his tennis camp. God, it felt good to actually have a project again. He missed that feeling of accomplishment.

It was time to revisit the agreement he’d made with his father and take an active role in Wentworth Industries. Although he hadn’t attended a board meeting in years, he followed the various companies from a distance, and it was apparent Senior was slipping.

Trey thought back to the day at the stud farm when he and his father had argued so violently and then struck their deal. He’d agreed to bow out of Wentworth Industries to protect his mother, so Senior would leave her alone in the private sanitarium. His visits agitated her to the point of hysteria. She didn’t recognize anyone for months afterward.

As long as Trey generated positive press as the PR face of the companies, Senior left his fragile wife alone. Trey had told himself he didn’t mind. He couldn’t stomach working with his father anyway.

One reason he’d holed up in his office all day was to avoid the man. That wouldn’t be possible when he became more involved with WI.

His pleasant mood trashed, Trey walked to the window. Changes needed to be made. He wanted to move the companies in a different direction. He wanted the Wentworth name to stand for something more than just pure profit. He wanted to do some actual good in the world.

At least he’d had some success today. The pros he’d contacted had jumped at the opportunity to participate in the project, wanting the positive publicity certain to be generated by teaching kids from the inner city.

Trey shook his head. Less than twenty-four hours with his father, and he was becoming as cynical as the old man. No question some of the pros he’d spoken to had gotten on board because they liked the idea of helping disadvantaged children.

On another front, one Dr. Edward Barth, highly recommended by Carico and several other physicians, had agreed to come to the island and meet with Jason tomorrow. What would Dr. Barth think about Jason’s condition? Would he recommend that Kelly leave, as Carico had?

Jason liked Carico. Had he missed his session with her?

Trey had eaten lunch with his son by the pool—mainly because he knew his father would refuse to join them there. Jason had spent most of the day with Maria and the new bodyguard. Jase had seemed happy, accepting of the fact that his “mother” had to work every day.

But she would be home soon. Trey looked in the direction of the ferry landing, noting the pleasure generated at the thought of Kelly’s return. He’d tried to put on the brakes on his attachment to her, but Kelly Jenkins was like a breath of fresh air in his life. She’d shaken him out of a lethargy he hadn’t even known he’d been mired in.

Trey turned when the door burst open without a knock. The only person with the gall to do that was his father.

“We have guests,” Senior announced. “You might want to change.”

“Guests?”

“I invited the Gallaghers for dinner. They were on the last ferry.”

“You arranged a dinner party without bothering to inform me?”

“The Gallaghers are some of my oldest friends,” Senior said. “I was certain you’d realize I would reach out to them during this visit. I handled everything with your cook.”

Trey stared at his father. “This is my home.”

“I am well aware of that.”

“What if I had plans for the evening?”

“I thought you were staying in to be with Jason.”

Trey shook his head. His father deliberately kept him in the dark about his plans so he couldn’t interfere until too late. This was the way it always went.

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