Page 6 of Texas Tycoon's Christmas Fiancée
“Sorry,” Nick answered. “It’s Dad and what he wants. Long story, but the three of you know about the baby that might be Bart’s. Dad has a bee in his bonnet about getting the baby into the Rafford family.”
“And that’s not what the baby’s guardian wants,” Tony guessed.
“Money talks. I can’t imagine your dad hasn’t made her an offer or had you make her an offer,” Jake remarked. “That’s the usual MO for all our dads.”
“She’s not interested.”
“Is this the new caterer you had?” Tony asked.
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Simple. Just marry her,” Jake suggested with a twinkle in his eyes.
Nick gave him a look. “I’m not marrying anyone to get something for Dad. I’m not marrying for years, period. All you guys will be married before I am.”
“The hell you say,” Tony replied. “Name your price, I’ll bet you’re married first.”
Nick relaxed, enjoying the good-natured exchange and getting his mind off his problem. “I will be the last. One million in the pot.”
“Oh, no. I’m definitely going to be the holdout. I’ll bet a million and I will win,” Jake said.
“I’m guaranteed to win,” Tony stated.
“You guys—betting a million over getting married. I could be the winner because I’m the youngest, but my money is going elsewhere,” Gabe said. “Count me out of this.”
“All right,” Nick said. “We have a bet. Last one to marry gets one million from the other two—namely, I will collect from both of you.”
“Deal,” Jake said as Tony nodded. “It’s sweet,” Jake added. “Gabe is our witness. I don’t expect this bet to be over for years.”
“You guys are in it now, and it will be years,” Nick said, smiling and relaxing.
Their conversation shifted to sports and for half an hour he didn’t think about Grace, the baby or his father. It wasn’t until he told his friends goodbye and left that he went back to thinking about his father’s demands.
“Might as well get this over now,” he said to himself, dreading breaking the news to his father. He changed direction and headed to his father’s palatial estate. When he entered the grounds, he called his dad’s nurse to let her know he was coming.
Circling splashing fountains, assorted statues and well-tended beds of flowers, Nick drove around the mansion to the back, sitting in the car long enough to call his office and tell them when he would be in.
He pushed the bell at the back and the door was opened by a gray-haired uniformed woman he had known since childhood.
“Good morning, Miss Lou,” Nick said, smiling at her.
“Morning to you, Mr. Nick. Your father will be glad to see you.”
“I have doubts about that. I’m telling him something he doesn’t want to hear.”
She laughed. “None of your escapades now!”
“There hasn’t been any such nonsense since I went off to college,” he said, laughing with her.
She chuckled and shook her head. “He’s in the library. He’ll be glad to see you. I think he’s lonesome. He talks to me a lot more now.”
“Then he shouldn’t be so lonesome. You’re good company,” Nick said, smiling at her. He walked down the broad terrazzo-floored hall to enter the spacious room that included three walls of shelves filled with books and pictures.
His father was in a chair near the bay windows and his nurse turned to smile at Nick as she stood.
“Good morning.”
“Hi, Megan. Morning, Dad,” Nick said, crossing the room. “Megan, you can stay. I won’t be here long,” he said, but she shook her head.
