Billionaires Dollar Series

“No.” She rocks back on her heels and gives me a wide, gap-toothed smile. “I tried the thing you showed me, with putting tape underneath the faucet. Daddy got water all over his shirt.”

I grin. “Excellent job, kid. High five.”

She touches her tiny palm to mine. “He told me you used to do that a lot on him when you two were small.”

“We did.” That and much worse, but I’m saving those pranks for when she gets older. “Where are your siblings?”

“Bella’s upstairs with Lucas, because he was screaming a lot. Daddy’s outside with Evie. Come on, there’s cake!”

I follow her into the yard, half-full with kids in brightly colored T-shirts running from bouncy castle to bouncy castle.

Clover immediately leaves us to do a lap around the yard, his long ears flapping. The dog is spoiled beyond belief.

Evie spots me and comes bounding over with her pigtails flying. I let the presents drop and scoop her up, spinning her around.

“Christ, kid. You’re getting big.”

“Four,” she informs me. “I’m four years big.”

“Yes, you most certainly are.”

“Unicorn!”

“It’s for you.” I set her down and she throws herself on the plushy. It’ll probably have a few beautiful grass stains after this. “Happy birthday.”

My brother appears, handing me a glass of something that looks suspiciously like lemonade. “You made it,” he says.

“Of course I did. Wasn’t about to miss this rascal’s milestone.” I reach down to tug at one of Evie’s pigtails, and she shoots me a grin. “What are you going to name him?”

Her face screws up with determined concentration. “Lady,” she murmurs. “Lady Sparkle.

Both Ethan and I chuckle at that. “That’s a very good name,” I say. Evie turns around, calling a few of her friends over to inspect it.

I rest the pinball machine against my leg. “Two bouncy castles?”Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

“Had to top last year,” Ethan says. We both watch as Clover comes bounding past us with a hot dog between his jaws, a thief on the run, straight from the grill.

“Damn dog,” Ethan mutters. “I spend half-an-hour training him only to have it all undone when Evie tosses him a meatball from the dining-room table.”

I chuckle. “He’s also not the smartest dog in the kennel.”

“No, he most certainly isn’t.” But Ethan’s voice has an undercurrent of fondness, just like it always has when he discusses his children, wife, and home. As much as I’ve teased him about it, there’s no mistaking the quiet contentedness that radiates from him like a comforting cologne.

“Closed the Walker deal a few days ago. Signed and completed.”

“I still can’t believe you managed that,” Ethan says. “When Nick brought up the idea, I told him there was no way the old man would let us in as investors-not even if you ran point.”

My lips curl into a crooked smile. “Proved you wrong, there.”

“You sure did. I expect the news will go off like a bomb in certain circles when it becomes official, though.”

“All the investors he’s turned down before us?”

“The very ones,” Ethan confirms. He clears his throat, turning so we’re standing side by side. His voice lowers. “I heard something along the grapevine.”

“Ah,” I say. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”

A brief pause. “So it’s actually true?”

“In some ways yes, in some ways no.”

“Just to make this clear-we are talking about you being engaged? To be married?”

“That’s the kind of engaged we’re talking about, yeah.” My fingers tighten around the lemonade glass. This would have been a good time to borrow some divinity and turn it into wine. “But it’s a brief arrangement. You see, Albert Walker made it clear that he didn’t trust bankers, and particularly not me. I think the word playboy was used.”

Ethan’s voice is measured. “So you found someone to play a fake girlfriend?”

“Fiancée, yes.”

“And that’s supposed to make him think you’re somehow more trustworthy?”

I run a hand over my jaw and look out across the sea of children playing. “I’m not too proud to admit there are a few faults in the plan.”

“Good God, Liam, you’ve lost it. How could you go through with this?”

“You three told me you wanted Walker Steel, and in the next breath you told me it was impossible,” I mutter. “How did you expect me to react?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t like that you’ve made me an unwitting party to this.”

“If it all falls apart, I’ll take the blame for it,” I say. Just like I do with all investments, whether they’ve gone awry or not. The tightrope I’m walking shakes, ever so slightly.

“Let’s pray he never finds out.”

“Don’t worry,” I say. “There’ll be an amicable split between my fiancée and myself soon, no harm, no foul.”

“Oh, of course,” Ethan says. His voice is thick with sarcasm. “And what woman are you paying to agree to this scheme?”

“As a matter of fact-”

“Uncle Liam! What’s this? Is it for me too? I didn’t see it!” Evie is jumping by my feet, pigtails flying, as if she’s giving me her best imitation of Clover.

“Yes, this for you too.” I hand her the wrapped miniature pinball machine. “You might want to open it inside. Or not, you know. Tearing it open right here works too.”

Ethan snorts, bending to help her with the ribbons. Her eyes are wide as she opens the package.

“What’s this?”

I rub my neck. “Your dad and I used to play these a lot when we were kids. I thought maybe you and Haven could do the same, when you’re a bit older.”