Page 5 of The CEO

“Consider it done. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Well, have fun, whatever your plans are.”

“Oh, we will. Thank you again.”

She waved as she walked back into the building.

“Now, Little Bit, we’re going to see someone I hope will want to take on the job of being your mother.”

“Baba baba baba.” Lilly chattered happily in the back seat.

With each little babble, Adam found his heart growing with what he could only surmise was love. Yet he’d loved no one like he did this newest addition to his family. What was it about babies that affected people this way?

He knew his mother would be thrilled. She’d been after all of her children to get married and give her some grandbabies. Now she would have someone to spoil incessantly.

The drive to Bree’s place was relatively stressless. Traffic was pretty good at this time of the morning. He realized he should call to make sure she was home before just stopping by.

He put his phone on the seat beside him and put on the speaker feature. “Call Bree.” He heard the phone ring. There was no answer, but that wouldn’t stop him. Maybe she was out shopping or perhaps working in the backyard or even listening to music while she wrote. He knew that was how she liked to write and that she didn’t answer her phone when she was writing.

He pulled into the driveway of her Cherry Hills Village home. It was the only major purchase she’d made with the money that Brad had left her. And he’d left her a wealthy woman, with hundreds of millions of dollars. She wasn’t as rich as Adam…yet, but she was well on her way to being there.

Adam removed Lilly from the backseat and headed to the front door, where he rang the doorbell. He heard the chimes. He was just about to press it again when the door opened.

Bree stood there in shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers. “Adam, it’s so good—what do you have there? A baby? You should come in and get him out of the heat.”

“Her. This is Lilly.”

“Well come in.” She stepped back and waited until he was inside before closing the door behind him.

He stepped into a two-story foyer, where they stood on white marble tile with streaks of gold running through it. He looked up at the chandelier, an antique with small crystal globes for lights. The fixture sparkled like it was covered in diamonds when it was on at night.

“Come into the kitchen and I’ll fix us some iced tea.” She sniffed the air. “And perhaps give Lilly a new diaper. Do you have diapers? I don’t see a diaper bag.”

Adam slapped his forehead. “It’s in the car. I hope there are diapers and bottles in it. I’ll be right back.” He set Lilly’s carrier on the kitchen table.

When he came back, Bree was holding Lilly. Adam couldn’t get over how natural she looked. With her blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, she could be Lilly’s mother. He stood in the entryway and just watched as she talked to Lilly.

She held Lilly on her hip and swayed with her. “What is a sweet baby like you doing with Adam? Hmm?”

He moved forward into the kitchen. The marble tile was continued in this room, and she’d installed black granite countertops with gold streaks running through it, too. The kitchen had all black appliances including stove with double ovens, refrigerator, dishwasher, trash compactor and microwave.

Her cabinets were oak with glass in the doors on the upper ones and solid oak on the lower cabinets.

“You two appear to be getting along famously, although Lilly looks like she’s about to make a meal of your hair.”

Bree laughed and tugged the baby’s fist out of her long hair.

Her hair was one of the things Adam loved about Bree. She had golden-blonde hair that flowed in waves and curls to the middle of her back. She liked to wear it loose, though when she worked in the garden, she pulled it up into a messy bun on top of her head, like it was now.

“Shall we see what’s in the diaper bag and then while I change her, you can tell me her story.”

Bree had moved the car seat to the floor and put some towels on the table.

“If you spread these out, then we can get this done quickly. You don’t know how to change her diaper, do you?”

“No. I know nothing about babies.”