Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 240

*Shelby*

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I texted Lin. I was on my way to Jerrick and Lin’s house for a much-needed girls’ night. I hadn’t been able to see them since we left Hawaii, and hanging out with my best friends was something that I knew would give me an instant boost.

The traffic hadn’t been terrible, and our driver had made great time getting me there, but Lin and Aubrey were impatient. I was currently three minutes late, and they had both already texted me three times.

“We’re here, Shelby,” the driver said as we pulled up in front of a small, cottage-style home just outside the city.

I stepped out of the car and looked around. The house had a warm, inviting feel, with vibrant flowers blooming in the garden and a beautiful pathway lined with cobblestones leading up to the front door. There was an old wooden swing set in the back corner of the yard, and I could already imagine Lin and Jerrick pushing each other on it. I made my way up to the door and rang the bell.

After a few seconds, Lin opened it with a broad smile on her face. “Hey, Shelby! About damn time!” she said as she led me inside.

The living room was cozy and inviting, with soft couches surrounded by books and knick-knacks that gave it character. In one corner was a fireplace that crackled pleasantly, and there were photos displayed proudly on end tables throughout the room.

Aubrey came bounding down the stairs just then, “Shelby!” she screeched excitedly as she hugged me tightly, “We’ve been waiting forever for you to get here so we can start our night of fun!”

Before I knew it, we were all settled in the living room with snacks spread out before us, ready for movie night to begin. Jerrick was out with friends, so we had the place to ourselves. That almost never happened, so we planned to take full advantage of the alone time.

“So what did you guys end up doing after Michael and I left Hawaii?” I asked the girls. “We haven’t had the chance to talk much lately, and I’ve been dying to hear how your vacation went.

“We spent most of our days by the pool,” Lin said with a chuckle. “But one night, we went to a luau, and it was amazing! We sampled delicious food and watched locals perform traditional dances, but the highlight was the mythical fire dance–they made these incredible shapes with burning torches, and it felt like something out of a dream.”

“I’m glad you had fun,” I said. “Did you guys have a chance to go to the beach too?”

“We went, but we didn’t stay long,” Aubrey said. “It was too crowded and hot. We tried to get Gianni and Jerrick to go out and hike with us, but they wanted to stay in and drink. So we went to the spa instead. It was nice.” She wasn’t into the beach as much as Lin was, but I wasn’t going to judge.

“How was the spa? What did you do?” I asked.

Lin smiled, “We had twin treatment rooms, so we could both have facials and massages at the same time. It was so relaxing to be able to talk and bond while being pampered. It was really relaxing.”

Things seemed to be going well for her and Jerrick. They both seemed happy and content, and I was glad. Lin deserved to be happy, and Jerrick was a good person. I knew she would be good for him.

“Wow, I’m jealous. After all of the s**t I’ve been through lately, I could use a spa day,” I complained.

“Okay, I didn’t want to jump right into all of the bad, but I’ve been dying to hear how everything went down with Henderson Chemical. Spill it all,” Aubrey demanded while shoving popcorn in her mouth.

I sighed.

“It’s been a damn wild ride. You guys already know about the house fire, but Michael was smart enough to set up surveillance before we left. He got some military-grade cameras put up all around the property, and the i***t who came to burn the house down wasn’t smart enough to wear a mask.” I paused to take a drink.

“Michael had a guy comb through a ton of hours of footage, and he managed to find an angle where the guy’s face was visible. He sent it to us and the FBI, and the FBI sent it through a database.

“Just like that, huh?” Lin asked. “Your life is like a book, I swear.”

I laughed loudly, “Yeah, maybe a horror novel. But yes, they got it done pretty fast. Within a couple of hours, they got a hit from the guy’s face, and he was a known criminal named Larry Belfort.”

“Yeah, I saw his name on the news the other night when a local channel was covering Lane Henderson’s arrest,” Aubrey said.

“Yep, I heard that there had been stories broadcast all over the city. He’s well known, so I’m not surprised,” I replied.

Lin clapped her hands to get our attention, “Anyway, what happened next?”

I tried to remember everything that had happened after they identified Belfort. Some of it was hazy because it had all happened so fast.

“The FBI found Belfort close to the airport. We got lucky because he probably would have skipped town within a day or so. He flipped almost as soon as they brought him in, and he admitted to burning our house down as well as the house of the client I had been working with. He was also charged with attacking my boss, Beatrice.”

Aubrey’s eyes widened with shock. “Jesus, that’s intense. You think Beatrice is going to be okay?”

“She’s pretty beaten up, but she’s doing alright,” I said. “She was really brave about it all and refused to let him take away her strength or confidence. But after that, Belfort told the FBI the Henderson CEO had been the one to hire him for the fires, and they arrested the CEO the next day. I think it only took forty-eight hours before his lawyer advised him to flip on Lane Henderson.” I shook my head. “These people are all awful. I’m so glad we’re closing this chapter and moving on.”

Lin nodded in agreement. “Speaking of new chapters, what are you going to do for work now? I can’t imagine you’ll stay in the same area of law?”

I frowned and thought about the question for a minute. After everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue or not.

“To be honest,” I began slowly, “I’m not sure yet. I think maybe I need some time away from it all–the stress and danger of it all was just too much for me. Maybe I want to switch to something more corporate, like you, or maybe some nonprofit work–something where the stakes aren’t so high. But right now, my focus is on my babies and traveling.”

Aubrey and Lin looked at me with wide eyes, wondering what I meant.

“Oh, did I not tell you guys? Michael bought us a castle in France.” I smiled thinking about it.

They both gasped, making me giggle.

“It’s a beautiful old estate with tall stone walls and an ivy-covered courtyard. There are acres of farmland around it where we can grow fruit and vegetables, but there’s also a small forest that makes for great hikes. And the best part–it’s only a few miles away from the sea.”

Aubrey and Lin were both speechless, their mouths hanging slightly open as they tried to take in the news. Finally, Aubrey was the first to recover her voice and spoke slowly, “You’re so lucky. A castle in France? Wow.”

Lin nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with admiration.

I smiled. “We’re leaving tonight when I get home,” I said. “But before we left, I wanted to make sure I got to see you guys. I’ve missed you both so much.”

“We’ve missed you too,” Aubrey replied as we hugged, “And we’re so happy for you–if you like your new place, maybe this will be your fresh start. Somewhere you can raise the twins.”

I nodded, tears of happiness stinging my eyes.

“That’s exactly what we’re hoping for,” I said. “It’s time for us to leave the past behind and start anew. And who knows, maybe I’ll even start writing again. I used to love writing fiction when I was in high school, but I never pursued it as a career. Maybe now, with this change of scenery, I’ll finally have the inspiration to do it.”

Aubrey and Lin both smiled, clearly pleased with the idea. “You should do it,” Lin said. “You have such a talent for storytelling, and it would be a shame not to share it with the world.”

I felt a sense of warmth spread through me at their words. It had been so long since I had felt truly happy and fulfilled, but now, surrounded by my closest friends, and with a new adventure waiting for me in France, I finally felt like I was on the right path.

A couple of hours later, we said our goodbyes, and I headed back to the car. I couldn’t help but feel excited about what the future held. For the first time in a long time, I felt like anything was possible. And with my family by my side and a new passion to pursue, I knew that I was ready for whatever came my way.

When I walked into the apartment less than an hour later, Michael had everything packed, ready to head to the airport.

“You weren’t kidding about leaving tonight, were you?” I asked, giggling excitedly.

“I don’t joke about our happiness, babe,” he said, kissing my forehead. “I’m ready to slow time down and enjoy our lives with our babies.”

“Me too.” I smiled. “Me too.”

Michael pulled me into a bear hug and whispered into my ear, “The plane is ready. All we have to do is put the babies in their car seats and hit the road. We need this break, and I’m ready to seize some peace for once. There’s nothing in the world that I want more than to be lazy with you in a castle in France, Mrs. Astor.”

“Well, then, let’s set off on an adventure, shall we?” I schmoozed in my best French accent.

We both took a baby and loaded them into their car seats then rolled our luggage cart into the hallway and down to the elevator. The car was waiting for us at the corner, and our driver jumped out to help us load our belongings into the back.

As we pulled away from the curb, Michael grabbed my hand and kissed it delicately. Then, he winked at me, and in a horrible French accent, he said, “Bon voyage, mon amour.”