The Millionaire's Tainted Legacy

On the Phone

"Wait," Tito said, "you're thinking about moving in with Jack's grandfather? What am I missing here?"

She couldn't tell him that it was as much for her own protection as JB's. She didn't expect anyone else to understand the sense of paranoia the felt about Gregory Van Haverton. After all, no one understood before.

She knew, logically, that he was very unlikely to show up in Miami. The flowers, the phone call to her office, these had been psychological, his way of reminding her that he was still out there. That he could contact her with impunity.

After her initial panic at the delivery of the package for her at Camilla's, she didn't feel right living there any longer even though the threat was probably just exaggerated by her fear and frustration. Probably.

She was still uneasy, though, about even the remote possibility of him showing up there when no one was at home but Olivia and the kids. Just to show her he could.

No, she needed to be in her own place. But the thought of living alone in some condo high rise - even with the best security - made her nervous. And she hated, absolutely hated the fact that Gregory had stolen her peace of mind from her. She used to love being alone, having her own space.

"Caylee? Are you still there?"

"Sorry, Tito. I was just thinking about . . . something that happened at dinner tonight," she said. It was true that this was on her mind, even though not exactly what she'd been thinking about.

"What is it?"  The calm supportive tone in his voice made her want to just tell him everything that was on her mind, and she considered it for a moment, then decided no. Instead she told him about what had happened with JB when Jack had stepped away from the table.

"Wait a minute," Tito said when she'd finished, "you mean he's having heart issues and he's keeping it a secret from Jack?"

"I'm afraid so. And before you suggest that I tell Jack myself, I can't. I promised JB."

"I don't get why it's a secret in the first place."

"Jack was already talking about JB moving into a senior community where he could get some support, and God, Tito, JB went off the rails. He was adamant that he doesn't need to be in some assisted living facility, and that he wants to be around people of all ages, not just old people."

"I can understand that," Tito said, slowly. "He doesn't want to lose his independence."

"Unfortunately, it's really not safe for him to be completely on his own. I can do this for him, Tito. He needs someone just to make sure he's okay, remind him to take his pills. He's been like a grandfather to me every since my mom married into Jack's family." She paused.

"And to tell you the truth, I'm not really looking forward to living by myself right now, but I also don't want to be a permanent resident here in Sam and Camilla's pool house."

Tito sighed. "Well, I admit I was looking forward to you having a place of your own, especially now that I'm going to be staying with Eleanor for the next three months. I'm not sure how she'd feel about my girlfriend sleeping over."

Caylee felt a warm glow spread through her body. It was silly. They weren't in high school, after all. But still.

And she couldn't risk teasing him a little. "Is that what I am now? Your girlfriend?"

'That's exactly what you are," Tito said, not backing down at all.

"Yeah, well, if we're gonna' go steady, you might have to do more than just kiss me."  Then she felt a shiver of arousal as she remembered the ride in his mustang to the park in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, the picnic they shared sitting on the bench on the wooden boardwalk, how she'd brushed her lips casually against his and he responded by yanking her to him and taking over the kiss, making her feel things and want things she hadn't been prepared for. How she'd tried to hide the fact that the kiss had rocked her to her core.