Chapter 14
FOR THE SECOND MORNING IN a row, Malcom remembered his dreams. This dream, though, wasn’t about his brother. Malcom was lying on a giant pillow with a soft, furry blanket that rumbled. Furry? He didn’t have furry blankets.
His eyes opened and he found himself staring at a room full of sunshine, bookshelves, and knickknacks. Not his bedroom—definitely not his place.
For a moment, Malcom wondered how he ended up asleep on Lori’s couch. They’d been at the kitchen table, then her mom called and . . . what then? He’d put away the soup container and waited on the couch since he didn’t want to be rude and leave when she was on the phone.
Next thing he knew, he was waking up.
His pulse spiked, and he patted his pocket for his phone, disturbing a sleeping kitten on his chest. Tiger stretched, kneading his tiny claws into Malcom’s chest.
“What are you doing sleeping here? And where’s Lori? And how did I sleep so long?” he said to the empty apartment. At least it felt empty.
The kitten nudged his head against Malcom’s chin. “All right, I’m getting up. Did you eat breakfast?”
He’d had an amazing night’s sleep, and now, he was talking to a cat. He moved to a sitting position, and the kitten leapt off his lap. He looked about for his phone. It was only a hand’s reach away on the coffee table. He knew he should check it right away, but he wanted to enjoy the peace for just a moment more.
“Lori?” he called out, just to be sure. No one answered.
He folded the blanket that had been draped over him—by Lori—and stood. A peek down the hallway showed him that the bed in her room was made, and all was quiet. He spied a handwritten note on the kitchen table.
Picking it up, he read: I’m in the shop. Help yourself to whatever you can find in the kitchen. Malcom did feel hungry, but maybe it was because the morning was half over. A glance at the microwave clock told him it was nearly ten. Thankfully, he knew there weren’t any deliveries until this afternoon. But even from this distance, he could hear the rumble of construction trucks through the window.
He had to get a move on and deal with the fallout from his brother.
Maybe he wasn’t hungry after all.
He turned from the window, only to have his foot attacked by a frisky kitten. Tiger seemed to have forgotten that Malcom was a hundred times his size.
“What are you doing, crazy cat?” he said, scooping up the wriggling ball of fur that couldn’t decide if it wanted to purr or bite his fingers. “It appears you’re going to have a better day than me.”
He decided it wasn’t strange to be talking to a cat. That’s what pet owners did, right? Not that he was a pet owner. He set down the kitten, then picked up his phone without looking at the screen. He’d get back to his trailer, shower, and dress for the day before he read any messages or emails.
Before leaving the apartment, he paused and looked around. The place was all Lori, and it really was cozy. Maybe he should start looking for an apartment—in Everly Falls? It had been a long time since he’d slept so deeply and felt so . . . content. Was it being in a place that wasn’t a trailer? Was it Lori? Was it Everly Falls?
He didn’t know.
Malcom left the apartment, shutting the kitten on the other side of the door. As he headed down the stairs, he wondered what Tiger would be doing all day while Lori worked. He paused at the bottom of the stairs. Turning left would take him directly outside. Turning right would take him into the shop.
He turned right. Lori was with a customer. Someone he recognized.
“Malcom?” Brandy said, her brows shooting straight up. Her hair was scooped into a high ponytail, and she wore athletic clothing, which only reminded him that he’d missed both running and the gym the past several days.
Brandy’s gaze cut to Lori, where she stood by the large front window that she was transforming from Halloween stuff to what looked like Thanksgiving decorations.
“Surprise,” Lori told her. “But it’s not what you think.”
Brandy folded her arms, her eyebrows cocked. “That’s what they all say.”
“I fell asleep on Lori’s couch,” Malcom said, noting the pink that had stolen into her cheeks. She had dressed in jeans this morning—blue—which surprised him. Her shirt was even more surprising, or maybe it wasn’t. She wore a long-sleeved yellow T-shirt with a printed Gobble Gobble on the front. Her hair was in its usual ponytail, and her earrings . . . gold turkeys.
It was impossible to hide his smile. So the all-black clothing wasn’t a year-round thing? Just an October thing?
“Thanks, by the way,” he said, looking only at Lori. “For letting me sleep. I guess I zonked out.”
“You did.” Lori’s blush deepened, but her blue eyes sparkled. “Tiger wasn’t going to let you go anywhere.”
Malcom chuckled. “He was insistent.”
Brandy’s gaze flitted back and forth between the two of them.
“Did you eat?” Lori asked, sounding slightly breathless. “Brandy brought in some bagels.”
“I’ll eat later,” he said. “But thanks.”
“Well, well, well,” Brandy said with a smirk. “I guess that’s all settled. Malcom, how is everything going with your brother? Lori said I had to ask you.”
His gut tightened. “I haven’t checked my phone yet, but I told my brother I’m leaving the company. I did retain a lawyer last night to handle the transition.”
“Oh wow.” Brandy’s expression filled with compassion. “Did your brother explain what happened?”
“No, he denied everything, but there was enough there that I know he’s covering up.” Malcom raked a hand through his hair. “I’ve been wanting to step away for a while now, anyway, I just didn’t think I’d be doing it on these terms.”
“I’m really sorry,” Brandy said. “If you need to talk to anyone, I know Ian would be a good sounding board.”
“Thanks,” Malcom said. “I’ll reach out to him later.”
Lori picked up a sack from a nearby table. “Here, take this. Something to eat at least. And if there’s anything I can help with, let me know.”
Her words weren’t platitudes—that, Malcom knew. The sincerity in her gaze was proof enough. “I don’t want to take your breakfast,” he said.
The edge of Lori’s mouth lifted, and she practically shoved the sack into his hands. “It’s fine. I can grab something from upstairs anyway. Today will be a slow day here—Halloween hangover.”
Malcom nodded. “All right, then.” He paused. “Thanks again. For everything. And sorry I fell asleep on you—I mean, on your couch.”
Brandy laughed, and Lori’s cheeks were back to pink.
By the time he reached his trailer, his stomach was grumbling. So it was that he ate breakfast first, then showered, then checked his phone.
It was like his phone had been lit with fireworks. His brother had called several times and left voicemails. Penny had texted and called. His new lawyer had called. His dad had called. And his mom had called.
What in the world?
Malcom called his mom first.
“Oh, there you are,” she said, relief in her voice. Her marriage with her second husband had only lasted a few years, but now she was remarried again, living in Montana. Phil was a nice guy, by all that Malcom could see.
“How are you?” he asked, thinking that maybe this phone call had nothing to do with the construction company problems.
“I’m not calling for small talk, Malcom,” she said in a brisk tone. “What’s going on between you and your brother? I had to hear everything from your father. You know I don’t like to know things second or third hand.”
“I know that,” Malcom said, his mind racing. What had Bronson told their father? “What did Dad say?” It was the safest question since he wasn’t ready to tell her of his suspicions and accusations. Especially if things continued going south and charges had to be filed.
“That you’re ditching the company and leaving Bronson high and dry.” His mom’s voice turned shrill. “Why would you do that to your stepbrother? You’re the glue of that place, and you know it. Without you, everything will crumble.”
Malcom wasn’t exactly surprised at the misinformation his mom had been given. Very one-sided, it seemed. Yet he didn’t want to state his case because, again, what if he said something that was used against him later on? He wasn’t thinking his mom had any ill intentions toward him, but their relationship was complicated. She’d basically chosen a man, who wasn’t his father, over him—and moved out of the country. Started a completely separate life from her teenaged son.
He didn’t begrudge her finding happiness in a relationship with another man, but it had taken Malcom a long time to shake the feelings of being abandoned. Or discarded like it wasn’t a big deal to have his entire life uprooted.
“Mom, sorry you had to find out this way,” he said. “I’ve been wanting a change for a while. Bronson can hire another manager.”
“But you’re brothers,” she said. “You’ve been best friends. Your dad is devastated. Bronson is devastated.”
Now her words were getting under his skin. “Have you talked to Bronson too?”
That made her pause. “Well, no, but your dad told me all about it. I don’t need to talk to Bronson to know how much you’ve hurt him.”
Malcom swallowed down a scoff. “Like I said, sorry I didn’t talk to you before you heard from Dad. But things are already in motion, and believe me, I’ll be better off in the long run.”
“What about Bronson? What about your father?”
Malcom pinched the top of his nose and closed his eyes. His father had invested in their company in the beginning, giving them some seed money so they’d qualify for the bank loan in the first place. “Dad has earned back his investment already. He’ll be fine—if that’s what you’re asking.”
“It’s not money I’m talking about,” his mom said. “This is family—the most important thing we have on Earth.”
What was this? A spiritual talk? If anything, his mom had created—and divorced—too much family.
He exhaled. “Look, Mom, I should really go. I need to call Dad too.”
“Oh, he’s right here.”
Nothing could have surprised Malcom more. “What do you mean? Are you not back in California?”
“No, your father is with me in Montana.”
That didn’t sound right . . . what was going on?
“What do you mean, with you?”
She laughed. “Well, it turns out, there’s still something between us.”
“What about Phil?” Malcom asked. “You know, your husband?”
“Oh, we’re separated, honey. I didn’t want to bother you with the drama since you’ve been so swamped with the new condo project.”
Malcom’s mind reeled. His parents were back together? After how many years? “Mom, I’m never too busy to talk to you. This is news I should have known . . . What about Dad’s wife?”
Another laugh. “They’re getting a divorce.”
“Since when ?”
“Oh, a few weeks, maybe.”
“I don’t understand . . .” he said, a headache now appearing with full force. “You and Dad divorced and totally upended our lives, and now you’re back together and laughing about each other’s divorces?”
“Life’s strange, isn’t it,” his mom said.
Malcom had no words anymore.
“But really, Malcom, what were you thinking? You need to call Bronson right now and apologize.”
He blew out a breath. This was what he was getting out of his mom—another upside-down revelation of how she and his dad were back together? But her real concern was that he needed to play nice with a stepbrother who was likely a criminal?
“Look, I need to go,” he said. “I have to wade through a lot of things.”
“Oh, I know, you’re always busy,” his mom said in a flippant tone. “Call your brother before you do anything else.”
Then she hung up.
Malcom couldn’t quite believe it. Was he in a living dream—or more accurately, a nightmare?
He crossed to the door of the trailer and opened it. Standing in the doorway for several minutes, he breathed in the crisp autumn air. Everything seemed to be going smoothly on the construction site right now. His gaze strayed toward Lori’s shop. He couldn’t make out the exact details of her window decorations, but it looked like she’d made a lot of progress already.
He kind of wished he were still asleep on her couch. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt comfortable around her. And that dang kitten was pretty cool too. But mostly, Lori was easy to talk to, easy to be with, easy to be himself around, and of course, not hard on the eyes.
Okay, so she was beautiful, and he loved how it was all natural. Not primped and preened like Penny. He thought back to the moments before he’d zonked out the night before when she’d gotten that phone call from her mom. Hearing part of the one-sided conversation, he could tell her mom was asking about him—and Lori was trying to brush it off quickly. Which was fine. They were just friends, after all.
His phone rang, jolting him out of his straying thoughts. Penny was calling.
There was no way he was taking her call. And yes, he’d checked to see that his company email account had been disabled—which he’d have to inform his lawyer about. Besides, he’d rather talk to his brother instead of Penny, which was saying a lot. He sent the call to voicemail.
Then he called his lawyer.