Chapter 9 #2
It’s become a pattern, one I’ve unwittingly allowed because she knows that she has me between a rock and a hard place. I can afford whatever settlement she wants, and she knows I’ll pay it to keep Max. Since I’ve had full custody, and she’s seen him a handful of times during supervised visits.
It’s what keeps my stress levels running higher than my doctor would like because I never know when the call will come. I just know it’ll happen at some point.
Miles is still looking at me, and I suddenly want to forget everything. Forget my life. Forget the mess I’m in. Between Sienna and Story, blowing off some steam is exactly what I need.
“You know what, I’m in. If we leave after I put Max to bed, then I’ll only miss breakfast and drop-off tomorrow.”
“Done. Let’s go to Five Hertford Street, that pretty server works there on a Monday and I still haven’t persuaded her to sleep with me.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine by me.”
He pulls his phone out. “I’ll get our table reserved.”
“Cool.” As I slip mine back in my pocket, the phone lights up with the missed call and Sienna’s name. “God, I fucking hate her.”
“Hate who?”
Miles’s and my heads snap up at the sound of the voice.
We find Alex walking toward us with his baby daughter strapped to his chest. He only found out a couple of months ago that he was a father to a six-week-old, and he came around to the idea of being a father much quicker and more adeptly than I did.
It probably helped that he was already desperately in love with her mother having met her the year before in Aspen, where we’d gone to escape the chaos of Lando’s almost-wedding.
When Haven turned up with Everly, Alex jumped into action, and now it’s almost impossible to imagine a time when he wasn’t a father.
Even without confirmation, I know he was responsible for dressing her in that polar bear snowsuit because he loves it.
It must run in the family because I was the same.
Before Max was old enough to choose his own clothes obviously. Now if I suggest something for him to wear, he argues against it on principle. Thank God he has to wear a school uniform because otherwise he’d wear his Spider-Man costume seventy-five percent of the time.
“Hey, Al. What are you doing here?” Miles says.
“Can’t I pop over to my youngest brother’s yard to show my daughter his polo ponies?”
“No argument from me. I’m all for starting them young.”
“Where’s Haven?” I pull Alex into a hug, while taking care not to crush Everly. I drop a kiss on her head instead.
“She’s not feeling too good.”
Miles, being Miles, immediately pulls the neck of his jumper up to cover his mouth. “What’s she sick with? I can’t get sick, Al. I have a tournament next weekend, and Chester’s just been given the sign-off.”
“Milo, I said light exercise.”
Alex rolls his eyes. “It’s not contagious, but I’ll let her know you were sympathizing.”
“How d’you know she’s not contagious? Has she seen Oliver?”
“No—”
“Then—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. She’s pregnant.”
Alex pauses, his eyes flicking from Miles to me and back as a huge grin spreads across his face. He may have rendered Miles speechless, which is something nearly everyone attempts but rarely succeeds.
My arm is still holding Alex’s shoulder, and without thinking I yank him into another hug. “Congratulations. Fuck. That’s amazing news. Does Mum know?”
He shakes his head. “We haven’t told anyone yet. We wanted to wait another few weeks. I’d say keep it to yourself, but now Milo knows . . .”
The implication is clear, not to mention valid, regardless of Miles’s expression of objection. Miles cannot keep a secret if his life depended on it.
I snort a laugh. “Do you know what you’re having?”
“No, she’s only just at six weeks. We have to wait a bit longer.”
“Max will want a boy.” My son was the least impressed Burlington when Alex’s daughter turned up. The initial excitement of having a cousin wore off quickly when he discovered it was a girl.
“He’ll have to wait like the rest of us.”
My grin widens. “I’m so happy for you both. It’s really wonderful news.”
I can feel his happiness as he glances down at the bundle on his chest. “Me too. I missed the whole of Haven’s pregnancy with Everly, and now I get to be part of this.” His sigh is profound. “Anyway, what are you two doing?”
“Chester had his checkup.” Miles runs his palm along Chester’s face. “He was such a brave boy, weren’t you, darling?”
Alex grins and turns to me. “Hen, how are you doing? Have you seen Story yet?”
Miles snorts, even though he’s still focused on Chester. “You could say that.”
And he wonders why we think he’s got a big mouth.
“Yes, I’ve seen her, but I don’t have anything to report. It is what it is.” I shrug.
I can feel their eyes on me, just in case I have more to add. I don’t. Not right now, and this time Miles stays quiet.
“Al, we’re heading to London to blow off steam, so Hendricks can forget all about Story. Come with us.”
“No offense, but there’s nothing I want to do less than go out with you two.” He laughs at Miles, louder when his face drops with a huff.
“I do take offense.”
“What about the duke?”
“Nope. Lando’s still in the States.” Miles’s eyes widen with a shit-stirring twinkle I know well. “But I did get hashtag hot duke trending on Instagram.”
Alex laughs loudly. “You’re lucky he’s six thousand miles away.”
“Only for another week, because they’re coming back for BAFTA.”
“Excellent, another black-tie event he’ll have to look good for.” Miles rubs his hands together, making Alex laugh enough that Everly stirs.
I’m also laughing enough that none of us immediately notice my phone ringing again.
For a second I’m expecting to see Sienna’s name flash across the screen, but it’s a local number I don’t recognize and for that I have to pick up.
With Max I don’t have the luxury of not answering a call when he’s not with me.
It’s not about Max. And it’s not Sienna either. Though arguably no more welcome a call.
“Hendricks. Just calling to remind you about the meeting tonight.”
Mrs. Winston. One of the senior residents of Valentine Nook, owner of Churchill the ever-escaping goat, and one of the village busybodies.
She’s loud enough that both my brothers can hear her speaking, and they stop messing around to stare at me with a grin.
They know a call from Mrs. Winston always involves something we’d rather not do.
Granted, I’m not the most organized, but I would have remembered a meeting in the diary if I had one. Especially because I rarely make evening plans as ascertained when Miles asked me to go to London.
“Hello to you too, Mrs. Winston. I’m afraid I have to ask you to jog my memory—”
“The Valentine Fair. You’re chairing the committee.”
Alex snorts loudly, and Miles is grinning so wide I kick him, only he moves out of the way before I make contact.
Valentine Nook hosts festivals throughout the year.
They’re good for business, tourism, and funding the upkeep of the village.
My father started them, and they’re a tradition Lando kept on when he took over.
For some reason, Lando likes for one member of the Burlington family to lead each committee.
There’s enough for us to take in turns, and I’d completely forgotten (or perhaps blocked out) that my turn was coming up.
The Valentine Fair is the biggest of the year—love on steroids—and now I’m leading the charge. Because I don’t date, Valentine’s Day normally passes me by relatively unnoticed, but now the thought of being surrounded by saccharinely happy people for the next month is enough to give me hives.
I should never have picked up the phone.
Taking it away from my ear, I hiss to Miles and Alex, “I’ll pay either of you two to do it instead.”
They’re too busy smirking at each other to answer, and Mrs. Winston is still squawking down the phone.
“Hendricks . . . you there?”
“Yes, sorry, Mrs. Winston.”
She takes it as confirmation that I hadn’t forgotten. “Wonderful. See you in the village hall at eight o’clock sharp.” And promptly hangs up before I can reply, or object or tell her I can’t make it.
Fuck’s sake.
I turn to my identical twin, who already knows what I’m about to ask.
“No—”
“Milo, please—”
“No—”
“I can’t face the Valentine committee. No one will know the difference.”
“I love you, Hen, but no. I did it last year, and that was bad enough. They spent an entire month trying to convince me to settle down with one of their daughters. I don’t know why Lando insists we do the fair committees, especially when he hates them.
Besides, I’m going to London. I have a date with the pretty server. ”
“You’re still going? Even though I can’t?”
“Yup.”
“Al?”
“No way, I’m running the summer.”
“I’ll swap my next two with you.”
But Alex shakes his head, so I try Miles again. “You still haven’t paid me back for the time I had to take Olivia Kenwood out because you double booked yourself.”
“That was ten years ago, and I think I have. Not to mention you had sex with her—”
“Yeah, but she thought I was you! She kept moaning your name.”
His hands grip my shoulders. “Hen, you’re going to have to pull on your big boy trousers and go. Sorry, bud. Besides, it’s for charity.”
Ten minutes ago, I was looking forward to a night out. Now I have to spend the next month at the beck and call of the village busybodies.
I’ll say this—if anyone of them even tries to set me up on a date, I’m resigning.