Bedding The Billionaire (Bedding the Bachelors Book 3) by Virna Depaul Page A
Authors: Virna Depaul
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attorney.”
“An attorney?” she repeated. Her gaze met Jamie’s.
“Yes. Daniel Cummings. I’m calling on behalf of Diana Lancaster Norton. She said you just left her a message and she’d prefer you not contact her directly any longer.”
“I was contacting her about Milly,” she explained. “My niece.”
“I’m aware of who Milly is, Ms. Conrad. But given the circumstances, it really is best if you work through your attorney where Milly is concerned.”
“Circumstances? I don’t understand.”
Her answer was met with brief silence. “Ms. Conrad, have you talked to your parents since yesterday?”
“No, I haven’t. I don’t speak with my parents, Mr. Cummings.”
“Oh, dear.” He took an audible breath. “Well, they gave me your home number and I left a message there. I didn’t have your cell phone number until Diana gave it to me just now.”
“My father had my cell phone number,” she said.
Mr. Cummings cleared his throat. “I see. Well, anyway, your sister Gail and her husband named you legal guardian of Milly should something happen to one of them.”
“Wh—what?” Lucy breathed.
She felt Jamie’s hand on her shoulder and experienced a sense of déjà vu. He’d done the same thing back in California, when she’d first gotten the phone call about Gail’s accident. He’d unhesitatingly stood beside her and offered her comfort. And just like then, she took it, leaning her weight into his.
She couldn’t believe it. Gail and Mason had named her guardian of their baby?
“You can reject guardianship, of course, but I drew up the paperwork with your sister myself. She wanted you to raise Camilla in the event that they couldn’t.”
Lucy’s head was spinning. Her…raise a kid? Had her sister and Mason lost their minds before the accident? She couldn’t imagine what they’d been thinking….
But of course she didn’t say any of that to the lawyer.
Instead she said, “No. No, of course I’m not rejecting guardianship.” At least not yet, she thought. Maybe not ever. But she needed time to think. What did she know about raising a child? “Mr. Cummings, this has come as a shock. I need—need some time to think.”
“Of course. I assumed you had an attorney of your own, but if you don’t, as your sister’s representative, I’ll be happy to help you. Your sister was adamant that she wanted Milly with you. Unfortunately though, there is an issue….”
She waited a beat and then, afraid that she already knew the answer, she asked, “What’s the issue?”
“Jerry and Evelyn Lancaster, Mason’s parents, as well as Mason’s sister, Diana, are contesting you being named guardian. They’ve already filed a motion with the court asking that custody of Milly remain with Mason’s sister. I can fax you a copy of the complaint if you’d like.”
“Can you email it to me?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
She gave him her email address, then said, “Thank you. Can I ask you a few things before you hang up?”
“Of course.”
“Did my sister say why she wanted me to have the baby?”
“She said she wanted Milly raised by someone who’d teach her to appreciate both the big things and the small things in life. She wanted Milly to be able to love herself no matter what others thought or said or did. And she said you were a master at that, Miss Conrad.”
Lucy felt herself choking up and her thoughts felt clouded. Gail, the big sister who had once been her best friend, the woman who’d died without knowing how much Lucy still loved her, wanted her to raise Milly. But…
“My next question is on what grounds Mason’s family is contesting guardianship? Do they believe Gail was incompetent when she made the decision? Or that Mason didn’t agree to it?”
“No, they’re not contesting on any of those grounds. Mason didn’t like the idea at first, but he ultimately agreed and signed the paperwork in my presence.”
“Then what?”
“They believe you’d be an
“An attorney?” she repeated. Her gaze met Jamie’s.
“Yes. Daniel Cummings. I’m calling on behalf of Diana Lancaster Norton. She said you just left her a message and she’d prefer you not contact her directly any longer.”
“I was contacting her about Milly,” she explained. “My niece.”
“I’m aware of who Milly is, Ms. Conrad. But given the circumstances, it really is best if you work through your attorney where Milly is concerned.”
“Circumstances? I don’t understand.”
Her answer was met with brief silence. “Ms. Conrad, have you talked to your parents since yesterday?”
“No, I haven’t. I don’t speak with my parents, Mr. Cummings.”
“Oh, dear.” He took an audible breath. “Well, they gave me your home number and I left a message there. I didn’t have your cell phone number until Diana gave it to me just now.”
“My father had my cell phone number,” she said.
Mr. Cummings cleared his throat. “I see. Well, anyway, your sister Gail and her husband named you legal guardian of Milly should something happen to one of them.”
“Wh—what?” Lucy breathed.
She felt Jamie’s hand on her shoulder and experienced a sense of déjà vu. He’d done the same thing back in California, when she’d first gotten the phone call about Gail’s accident. He’d unhesitatingly stood beside her and offered her comfort. And just like then, she took it, leaning her weight into his.
She couldn’t believe it. Gail and Mason had named her guardian of their baby?
“You can reject guardianship, of course, but I drew up the paperwork with your sister myself. She wanted you to raise Camilla in the event that they couldn’t.”
Lucy’s head was spinning. Her…raise a kid? Had her sister and Mason lost their minds before the accident? She couldn’t imagine what they’d been thinking….
But of course she didn’t say any of that to the lawyer.
Instead she said, “No. No, of course I’m not rejecting guardianship.” At least not yet, she thought. Maybe not ever. But she needed time to think. What did she know about raising a child? “Mr. Cummings, this has come as a shock. I need—need some time to think.”
“Of course. I assumed you had an attorney of your own, but if you don’t, as your sister’s representative, I’ll be happy to help you. Your sister was adamant that she wanted Milly with you. Unfortunately though, there is an issue….”
She waited a beat and then, afraid that she already knew the answer, she asked, “What’s the issue?”
“Jerry and Evelyn Lancaster, Mason’s parents, as well as Mason’s sister, Diana, are contesting you being named guardian. They’ve already filed a motion with the court asking that custody of Milly remain with Mason’s sister. I can fax you a copy of the complaint if you’d like.”
“Can you email it to me?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
She gave him her email address, then said, “Thank you. Can I ask you a few things before you hang up?”
“Of course.”
“Did my sister say why she wanted me to have the baby?”
“She said she wanted Milly raised by someone who’d teach her to appreciate both the big things and the small things in life. She wanted Milly to be able to love herself no matter what others thought or said or did. And she said you were a master at that, Miss Conrad.”
Lucy felt herself choking up and her thoughts felt clouded. Gail, the big sister who had once been her best friend, the woman who’d died without knowing how much Lucy still loved her, wanted her to raise Milly. But…
“My next question is on what grounds Mason’s family is contesting guardianship? Do they believe Gail was incompetent when she made the decision? Or that Mason didn’t agree to it?”
“No, they’re not contesting on any of those grounds. Mason didn’t like the idea at first, but he ultimately agreed and signed the paperwork in my presence.”
“Then what?”
“They believe you’d be an
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