Chapter 5
ALL WENT WELL
“Hey there, Zac. It’s Uncle Spencer.”
“Uncle Spencer,” Zac yelled into the computer screen. He loved these little visits with Zac, his sister, and his best friend.
For years, they’d kept him grounded. More in the past few months.
When he thought everything he’d been building was going to tumble with a quick blow of the breeze, it’d been Coy Bond there telling him he had this.
His best friend from college. The one who knew more about him than his own family.
The same guy he gave shit to when he found out Coy got his sister pregnant. The man who was supposed to be watching over his sister like Spencer had done.
And the one time in his life he really lost his cool composure.
“Your hair is wet. Have you been swimming in the ocean or just had a bath?”
“We just came up from the beach,” Coy said, leaning in. “We are lucky we got your message to talk.”
His sister, Angel, came onto the screen as she picked Zac up. “This one needs a bath now. He’s got sand in his shorts.”
“In my butt,” Zac said and giggled.
“Yeah, might want to take care of that,” he said, laughing.
“Say bye to Uncle Spencer right now. Maybe we’ll call him later if he’s around.”
“Bye,” Zac said, waving as his sister carried his nephew out of view.
“How’s work going?” Coy asked. “Want to get off video?”
“Nah, I’m good.” He leaned back on the couch, put his feet up, and had the laptop on his chest. “Unless you want to.”
“Nope,” Coy said, picking it up and carrying it with him. “I’m going to get food though.”
He closed his eyes as the device moved around so it didn’t get him dizzy, then it was set on the counter as Coy walked through the kitchen looking for food.
The place that felt like a second home to Spencer.
He missed visiting often like he’d done when Coy first had the house. He even had his own suite there that they promised they’d never give to anyone. Not even another child.
Not that he’d hold them to it, but it was a nice thought.
“How are things there? Filling lots of cavities?”
“That and more,” Coy said. “Which you don’t care all that much about. It’s the second time you’ve called in a week.”
“Am I not allowed to talk to my family?”
“You always can, but you rarely do. Or are you bored having so much time on your hands there?”
He let out a short laugh. “I’m still working close to fifty hours a week and I’m sure it will be more soon. I’m diving in and will be traveling.”
“Fifty is less than seventy. Or maybe it was more before. Hope you’re not doing that to yourself there.”
“No. I don’t want to and am not sure it will happen. Maybe. Hard to say. It’s just completely different here than what I’m used to.”
“Not as cutthroat?”
“Definitely not that.”
And not something he was sure he’d ever miss. Being the only senior managing attorney, Braylon was the only one above him. He knew he wouldn’t really move up unless he got some other title.
No partnership. No carrot dangling over his head.
But also no blood to be drawn. No quota to be met.
But a bigger salary and bonuses that could rival his last job in a heartbeat.
If all went well.
And he proved himself.
Which it felt like he’d been doing since the day he was born.
Not because the pressure was put on him by his parents, but rather himself.
“I couldn’t handle it. We know you can handle just about anything, but me, I like this small island of mine.”
Coy could have had his practice in Boston. Where it’d be bigger, better, and make more money.
Money the guy didn’t need when he was an heir to a billion-dollar fortune with his brothers.
But instead he was on a small island off the coast of Boston that his family helped build. Spencer’s sister was the other dentist in the practice and, from what he’d heard, they were both crazy busy.
Guess being the biggest didn’t mean it was the best.
Finding happiness should be right up there on the list and it was what he was finally telling himself he needed to do.
“I had all these ideas in my head of what I thought I wanted and learned that wasn’t the case. I’ve adapted here quickly and find it’s more my preference.”
“That’s good to know. Do you see West often?”
“Twice since I’ve been here. You know about the last interview and this was the second time.”
“Scared the shit out of you, didn’t it?”
“No,” he lied. “It’s not like I haven’t been around billionaires before.”
“My father is nothing like West.”
“You’ve met him?”
“No. I’d have no reason to, but I’ve heard enough about him. Charlotte really likes him. If he was a dick though, she wouldn’t.”
Charlotte was married to West’s brother, Foster Carlisle, and was sister to Amanda Bond, who was married to Coy’s brother Drew.
“He’s not. You hear all these things about him, but in person, he’s pretty laid back. If you get a chance to be around him. Most of my time is spent with Braylon. Some with Nelson, and when Laken comes back from maternity leave, I’m sure with her.”
“You said you’re traveling soon. Where?”
“Maine. Some fishing village or something. It’s a packing plant that West took over years ago. I’m going out with the new consultants that were just brought in.”
“At least you’re not going in the winter. Might be relaxing.”
“Boring,” he said. “Good thing we are there for work. I hope to get it done in a few days to get back.”
“Get a beer with the locals or your consultants.”
“I’m not sure she is the beer type,” he said drily.
“Now we are getting somewhere,” Coy said, picking the laptop up again with a sandwich on a plate. Guess that was what all the banging around was.
“Not anywhere to get.”
“Bullshit,” Coy said. “Describe her to me.”
“We aren’t in college anymore.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t still act like it. I don’t want to think I’m getting old.”
“We are,” he said. At least he felt it at thirty-five.
“Zac is keeping me young. Got to stay in good shape for the next one.”
“Is Angel pregnant?” he asked, sitting up fast and reaching for the laptop before it hit the ground.
“No,” Coy said. “Doesn’t mean I’m not trying to convince her though.”
“You didn’t Zac.”
“Nope, but we’re more careful now. I’m sure we’ll try for another soon, but you know Angel wanted to work a few years. I’d like to not have too many years between them though. We’ll be happy with whatever happens since your sister is doing all the heavy work for it.”
Carrying the baby, sure. But they had a nanny who watched Zac days. Smart too with their schedule.
Though he knew his sister and Coy were both very hands on.
Just like he wanted to be when his time came.
If it ever did.
Didn’t seem as if he had much time for a woman. At least the past few years.
Now, maybe he’d put himself out there a bit.
Or not.
Better to just stay focused on the job for now.
“And you need to pamper her too,” he said. Though he knew Coy did.
“Always. And now you’re evading my question about the consultant, which isn’t like you. What’s her name?”
No reason he couldn’t share that. “London Westerly. She and her sister Paris started a consulting firm and it’s under West’s umbrella. The Carlisle Group is their biggest client while they build another base.”
“Damn,” Coy said. “I want to say that sounds like they got lucky... but knowing what I know of him, are they family? Isn’t West’s full name Westerly?”
He smiled. “Yes. His first cousins. They don’t want anyone to know that, but I figured it out in an hour.”
“Braylon didn’t tell you?”
“No. I think he wanted to see if I’d find out. They didn’t want me to form an opinion knowing it was their family.”
“Just like you don’t want anyone to think you got your job through family connections either. Which you know damn well you didn’t.”
He sighed. “It got my foot in the door. I know that.”
“Spencer. In this world, you need that. That doesn’t mean anyone is giving you a free ride.”
“I know.” If he told himself that enough he’d believe it.
“So you’re going on a trip with London and Paris?” Coy asked. “The names make me want to laugh and that is horrible.”
“All nine of the siblings have city names. They don’t know I know that.
I’ll let them tell me when they want. And as far as I know, it’s just me and London.
She deals more with operations. Paris with the HR end.
This is an operations thing. And in a small town fishing village with her walking in, I’m going to need every ounce of patience I’ve got. ”
“Shit. She’s hot, isn’t she?”
He laughed. “I can only say this to you. She is. But her personality is so abrasive that every man within a mile gets their back up once she opens her mouth.”
“Good thing you can handle it.”
“Yeah, lucky me. So it’s going to be a long trip even if it’s only a few days.”
“Consider it a vacation of sorts that you don’t get to take often.”
“Hardly that,” he said. Not if he had to spend the time controlling not only London’s tongue, but his body.