His mother clasped her hands together on the counter and blew out a long breath. “Are you asking how I feel or how other people feel?”
Was she hesitating to answer or was she really confused? Linc wasn’t certain.
“I don’t give a shit how the outside world thinks. I do, however, care about Jordan being treated with respect by everyone. And frankly I think this conversation is ridiculous in today’s world, but I believe Chloe when she tells me that’s how some people feel.”
His mother nodded. “Unfortunately, there are people who come from money and think they’re better than others. Your father being one of those people.”
“Yes. He hated Jordan being a big part of my life.” And the fact that his father had been rude to her had put up yet another barrier between them.
His mother glanced down at her perfectly manicured nails before meeting his gaze. “But if you’re asking how I feel, I’ve always liked Jordan. I think she’s a lovely young woman who has been a good friend to you.”
“She’s more than a friend.” He kept his eyes on his mother, wanting to gauge her reaction.
She blinked. “Oh. Oh! Well, that’s a surprise. I guess I should have been paying more attention, because I had no idea!” Sudden awareness lit her expression. “And that’s why you want to know how I feel about her.”
He inclined his head, nodding.
An unexpected smile lifted his mother’s lips. “Sounds like I should be asking you the same question. Except I don’t think you’d be here if it was just a casual thing.”
At her calm acceptance, the tension in his shoulders eased. “It’s far from casual. And you need to know I’m not asking you for myself, because I’m all in no matter how anyone else feels. But I would like to be able to tell Jordan she’s a welcome part of our family.”
He’d never sensed any issues coming from his mother, and he already knew his siblings liked Jordan. But as Chloe had said, he was a man. And guys didn’t always think like women when it came to this shit. Social status, money, who you were born to. None of it made a damned bit of difference to him. Hadn’t Beck been his close friend in college before a woman came between them?
And Jordan had always been his best friend. He should have realized sooner that she was his everything.
“Linc, I always liked Jordan and she has always fit in here. She’s always been welcome. As for the snobs who we are forced to deal with outside of our home? If they don’t accept her, then I have no use for them.”
Reaching out, she covered his hand with hers. “So how serious are you two?”
It was all he could do not to tell her everything, but he needed to wait. “It’s very serious.”
“Enough for me to give you your grandmother’s diamond? I know how much you loved her, and the stone is a Kingston family heirloom. I can’t think of a better way to show her she’s welcome.”
And this was why he loved his mother. Standing, he took two steps and pulled her into a hug.
Chapter Twelve
Linc input Jordan’s parents’ address into his GPS and drove there, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He didn’t know if he had the right words to fix things between them. He only knew he had to find them or he would never be happy again and he’d lose the person who meant the most to him. Not to mention, he’d have to live with knowing he’d hurt her. And she was pregnant with his baby. So he had to undo the damage he’d done.
His cell rang, and with the buttons on his steering wheel, he took the call without checking who was on the other end. “Hello?”
“Linc? It’s Wallace.” The connection wasn’t solid, and static sounded in the background.
“Jesus, Wallace. What the fuck? How could you up and disappear?” He gripped the wheel and did his best to pay attention to the road and the signs.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know Kenneth would go to such extremes, and when I found out, I didn’t know what else to do.” The man’s voice trembled.
Linc shook his head. “Talk to me and start at the beginning.”
The other man let out a long, wailing sound and Linc cringed. “Your father was my best friend. I would have done anything for him, and when he got his diagnosis, he was devastated,” Wallace said.
“I wouldn’t know. He didn’t confide in me.” If anything, Kenneth had kept Linc at arm’s length, and since Linc never wanted to be close to him, he hadn’t cared.
The dementia had been a blow, but Linc never wanted his father to get sick or die.
“Your father knew how you felt about him. Hell, he even understood. You all put Melly first. He got that. But the business was Kenneth’s baby.” Wallace paused. “And as much as he wanted his oldest son, the only son who cared about Kingston Enterprises as much as he did, in the business? He was envious of your success and worried he’d be seen as weak once he began showing more signs of his illness.”
Linc put his signal on and took the next exit. “So what did you do?”
“Some creative accounting and I moved money around. I opened a separate account for Kenneth to use to make deals. It allowed him to feel in control and like the king of real estate he used to be. It let him avoid lenders and people who’d notice his diminishing abilities.”
Linc shook his head, surprised Wallace’s underlying rationale had been friendship, not greed. But Linc knew how much his father owed Beck, and even Kenneth had realized he’d needed collateral. So where was Wallace in all this?
“You have to believe me,” the other man said. “I never thought Kenneth would make a deal without my knowledge. Or be crazy
