Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
August
H onestly, I should have found a way to fake a cold. A broken leg. Maybe I could actually break my leg. Yes, all of that sounded a lot more reasonable than going on vacation with my two brothers and sister, two nieces, all the spouses, and my ex-wife.
Yes, I couldn’t forget the fact that I was about to go on vacation with my ex-wife.
There had to be some form of medal for acting like a dumbass.
I knew there was probably a way to get out of this. However, disappointing my nieces wasn’t going to be an option.
“Uncle August,” Keelie whispered, and I leaned forward, grateful that she could now enunciate August. I had been Uncle Agag for way too long. Hayleigh was right behind her with her words, and I was so damn grateful to be an uncle. “Can you sit by me?” she asked, her voice soft, her eyes wide.
I reached out and tugged on her tiny pigtail.
“I’m in the other car, with all of the things.”
Seriously, every single thing we could possibly need for the house. Since I was driving up alone, they had filled my car to the brim with every single food item, game, or anything else that we could possibly use. We had booked a few rooms in a resort up outside of Vail, and though we weren’t going to be skiing, we were going to be enjoying ourselves just as a family. But that meant entertaining each other, and two kids. “So you’re not going to be with me?” she asked, her little eyes filling with tears.
It was like a kick to the gut to see my little niece hurting. But I also knew she was probably playing me. Maybe not on purpose, but she and her cousin both knew that if they asked me for anything, I would move heaven and earth to give it to them. It was just going to be a little more difficult for the next couple of hours while we drove up the mountain.
“I am going to hang out with you for the entire next week. You’ve got me. But you’re going to be driving with your mom and dad up into the mountains.”
“And I’m okay at driving right, baby girl?” Luca asked as he came forward, resting his chin on my shoulder. I knew he was making odd faces for his daughter, and I did my best to look stern, as Keelie giggled.
“Excuse me, I was having a conversation with my niece. Get out of the way, Daddy.”
“I love you, Daddy. And Uncle August.”
And right then and there, my heart just burst.
These kids were seriously too cute for their own good. I might not ever get a chance to be a dad, but I was a damn good Uncle August.
“Hey, August, you have a minute?” Heath asked, and I leaned forward to kiss Keelie on the cheek, before leaving her alone with Luca. We were at Heath’s house, all of us packing up the cars for the fifteenth time. Devney and Paisley had the spreadsheet, and I was fine with them going through it all. Honestly, it just made sense for them to be the ones organizing this, because I was pretty sure if we were going into battle, I would want all three women, as well as my sister Greer, handling the organization behind it all.
“So Greer is already up at the resort with Noah and Ford,” he said, speaking of Greer’s husbands.
“I know. They got there last night to make sure it was all set up.”
“Well, they’re set up there, but it looks like parking’s going to be an issue.”
I frowned. “It’s a resort. How’s parking an issue?”
“Because it’s set up on the mountains, and the reservation apparently had smaller print when it comes to how many cars we’re allowed to bring as one reservation.”
I scowled. “Can’t we just pay for an extra car?” I asked.
Paisley cleared her throat as she came forward. “You would think so. But no. I have already laid into them because it clearly wasn’t on any of the forms we signed but is on their website ten pages deep. So they might’ve covered their ass there legally. If you want, I can raise a big stink again, but I don’t think we’re going to be allowed to have the extra car.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “So what does that mean exactly?” I growled.
“It means we’re going to put everything that was in Paisley’s car in your car, stuff it to the roof, and you two are driving up together.”
Paisley stiffened beside Heath, and I had to wonder if she had known that this was going to be the outcome.
I ran my hands through my hair. “Are we going to be able to fit every single thing that you guys need for your entire lives in just one car?” I asked, my voice only a little bitter.
Heath just raised a brow. “Yes. We’ll make it work, but it might make things…sticky.” He was doing his best not to point out the fact that neither my ex nor I wanted to deal with a long car ride together, but it seemed we didn’t have a choice.
“So why did we need two separate cars to begin with?” I asked, and Paisley just gave me a look.
And then I got it. I was supposed to be bringing Dakota, while Paisley brought her husband. So now, somehow, the two of us were the two single people on this family trip. Therefore, we could fit into one car.
“So we’re just going to leave your car here?” I asked instead, not waiting on an answer to my previous question that I clearly didn’t need, and Paisley nodded.
“It’s not a big deal. I should be able to fit my bags amongst the cars. And on the way there, I’ll get some work done.” She raised her brow. “If you don’t mind driving.”
There was an odd tension in the air, and Heath just looked between us, his gaze darting at our volleys.
“I have shit to grade too. Books I need to read for the next curriculum. But sure, you can work.” I didn’t know why I was making a big deal about this. I didn’t want to sound like an asshole. Ostensibly, it came naturally.
Paisley sighed, her shoulders dropping. I could have kicked myself, but then I saw the gleam in her eyes. “No, no, no. We can take turns. Anytime that there’s a rest stop we’ll just jump out while the car’s running and pretend that it’s not insane.”
Heath cursed under his breath. “Okay, okay, I love this whole bickering thing, but I thought you guys were over it. It’s going to be a long fucking trip if you guys don’t stop it.”
“Language!” Devney called out as she strapped Hayleigh into her car seat.
My twin pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re heading out in a few, come on, let’s go stuff the bags inside. The kids are already getting strapped in, meaning we are going to be late.” Heath wandered off then, and I gave Paisley a look.
“You ready for this?”
Paisley shrugged before giving me an odd look. “Never. I can drive though. If you truly have work to do. I’m sorry, I just assumed you wanted to drive because you always do…or rather, did.”
“It’s fine.” I shook my head, then let out a sigh, finally relaxing a bit. “I got most of it done already. The couple of hours drive up to the mountains isn’t going to be a big issue. And it’s not like I was planning on grading in the car. I’m sorry. I’m in a mood.”
Her lips twitched. “I’ve been in a mood for a while now. But at least I get to ignore the phone calls while on the road, right?” At that moment, her phone buzzed, and she cringed when she looked down at the readout.
“Who is it?”
“ The Dallas Star .”
“Why would the Dallas Star be calling you? We live in Colorado.”
“Jacob’s family has business ties there, so evidently, they want an exclusive interview. Not that anyone’s getting an exclusive interview.”
I cleared my throat. “I didn’t realize divorcing Jacob was going to be such a big issue. I mean…press-wise.” I needed to take a few lessons in not being an idiot.
She gave another one-armed shrug. “It’s just going to get worse.” I frowned at her, and she shook her head. “No, I’m not going to dwell on it right now. We have an entire car ride to do that. Come on, the kids are waiting. And we need to empty my car.”
I nodded tightly, and I went to move her bags to my vehicle. She didn’t have that much, and I figured the only reason we had decided to bring an extra car was so the two of us wouldn’t be forced to be in the same car.
And while we could have figured out a way to swap vehicles to the point that I wouldn’t have to ride with Paisley, I wasn’t about to break up family time for my siblings just because I was forced to drive in a car with my ex-wife.
Soon we were on the road, with me trailing behind the others since Heath liked to be in front, and we had to make sure Luca didn’t get left behind because the guy got distracted about everything on the side of the road, and then we were in the quiet, without music or podcasts, as Paisley went to work on her laptop in the passenger seat.
“You can play something. Or listen to a book. I promise I can pay attention to more than one thing.”
“I didn’t want to bother you,” I bit out.
“I just have a few details on this contract to work through. I don’t plan on working this entire trip. I don’t want to work at all, but things got a little behind with the wave of press and with the sale of the company.”
As we drove up the highway, I frowned over at her after going over her words. “You’re selling something?”
She nodded tightly. “The matchmaking company. We’re almost done with all of the paperwork, but the original owners wanted to try something new, and while they weren’t the overall shareholders, I wasn’t about to hurt the company by being set in my ways. It’s a good move, and it’ll make everyone a lot of money. So what could be wrong about it?”
“Probably because selling a matchmaking company while your divorce is in the news isn’t the thing you really want to deal with.”
She scowled over me. “I love that everybody seems to be in PR these days.”
“What? I read things.” Though I’d done my best to ignore any mention of my ex-wife in the news recently.
She snorted. “You do. And the process of selling the company had been going on longer than my divorce. Although it felt like forever for my divorce.” She rolled her eyes at that, and I changed lanes, getting out of the way of an eighteen-wheeler that was already having issues with the mountains.
“So, other than Jacob being an asshole, what happened?”
“What happened with Dakota?” she shot right back. “I was surprised not to find her here.”
I scowled. “Dakota and I just didn’t work out,” I said vaguely.
There was no need for her to realize that Dakota had dumped me because she thought I still had feelings for Paisley. Because that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Fine, don’t tell me. However, I’m not going to be able to hide why I got a divorce soon. Because Jacob will be marrying the lovely Lydia Samson soon.”
My foot revved the engine a bit, and I held onto the steering wheel, making sure I didn’t lose control. “He fucking cheated on you?”
The laugh that escaped her throat was anything but humorous. “Yep. Nearly the whole time. And her family makes a lot more sense than my family as far as who he should be married to. So I don’t know why he didn’t just marry her to begin with. But no, he wanted to fuck her when he was fucking me over. So yes, soon people will realize that the timeline of his upcoming nuptials are going to be a little too tight for everybody to be happy about it. So now I will not only be the woman who got left behind, I’ll be the scorned woman, the other woman.”
“I’m pretty sure Lydia would be the other woman.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I was just the other woman that he happened to marry for a little while. He thought he could use my money, my business ties, and mold me into the woman he wanted, and it didn’t work out. It’s fine, Lydia fits him like a glove, a snakeskin one. And they can be happy and take over the world together, and I will just take over the business world, and crush him with my stiletto whenever I can.”
Emotions warred within me, at the pride of knowing that she could break him, but anger at the fact that that man had dared to hurt her.
Because in the nonchalance, and her anger woven through it, she was hurt.
And damn it, I didn’t want to feel anything.
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything.”
Yes, I did; I was the one that had started this all, but I wasn’t about to make this all about me. Not when this was our family trip, and I needed to get over myself.
“If you want, I could beat him up. But I feel like you should be the one to do that.”
Her lips twitched. “That is very true. I’ve always wanted to kick his ass, but I’m not a violent person.”
“You’re not. And frankly, I’m not either. I joke about it, but I’ve never beaten the shit out of someone.”
“It sounds like it’d be a lot of work. And then we’d have to deal with icing your hands, because no matter what, you’d still hurt yourself. There are other ways to break a man down though.” She winced. “When I’m talking about this, I’m not talking about you. I’d like to think that you and I have found a reasonable middle ground here where we don’t hate each other.”
“I don’t hate you, Paisley,” I whispered.
I heard her swallow, before she let out a breath. “I don’t hate you either. Sometimes I used to think it would be easier to, but for some reason I’m going on your family vacation, because I love those two women that happened to marry into your family, and Greer is becoming a good friend as well. So, I am fine. Everything is fine.”
“Your voice got a little high when you said that.”
“It did, didn’t it?” she said with a laugh. “I have a couple more emails to deal with, and then I’m going to relax on vacation. With your family.”
“The girls are your family too.”
“Yes. And I love those nieces of yours.”
“They are pretty amazing.”
“They have you wrapped around their finger.”
“Pretty much. Did you hear that Keelie wanted me to drive her, and no one else?” I said, sounding like a proud uncle.
“I didn’t, but I can believe it. Those girls are loved beyond all measure.”
“They are. And I’m grateful we all live here to make sure they’re never alone. You know?”
“I do. Should I say congratulations on the upcoming happy news?” she asked, and I heard the bitterness mixed with humor in her voice.
That could only mean one thing.
“Let me guess, Devney and Addison mentioned the fact my parents are getting married again even though I thought they were already married.”
“I do not understand your parents.”
“If you ever do figure them out, let me know because I have no idea what the fuck they are thinking. They’re literally insane.”
“I don’t understand why they would get together after they were divorced. I mean, things were probably said the first time, and they got back together?”
I looked over at her, as I took the exit for the resort.
“If anything, you and I are evidence that people can somehow find a way to create a friendship, if anything, after a divorce.” Look at me, sounding all calm and adult like. There was nothing inside of me that was calm at that moment.
“Exactly. We’re finding a way, and we’re not fighting or bickering at every turn. Look at us, we spent an entire trip up into the mountains so far and we haven’t screamed at each other or bickered at all. I call this progress.”
“Exactly. And yet, my parents love yelling at each other, to the point it’s almost a prelude to them wanting to get married again. At least we’re all old enough that once they divorce again and realize that it was all a fucking mistake and there are no such things as second chances, they’re not going to try to split up the family again. And we’re going to do all that we can to protect those kids. Because my nieces? They’re never going to know that Grammy and Grandpa are horrible fucking people. They’re only going to know the good things.”
Paisley studied my face for a moment, and I couldn’t read her expression as I was trying to focus on the road, and then I realized what I had just said.
There were no such things as second chances.
Well, it was the truth, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if Paisley and I needed or wanted a second chance.
But maybe second chances could be friendship, there was that at least.
As we wove over the next highway, we were quiet for a bit, as I listened to a book, and she finished up her work. And as we crested over the ridge, the grandeur of the resort in sight, I blinked.
“This place is huge. And they don’t have parking?”
“It looks like it. I’ll deal with that paperwork later. Because I’m grumpy.”
“Enjoy yourself first though, okay?”
“Will do, okay.”
We pulled into the visitor parking at first, not knowing exactly where we were supposed to be. Then jumped out of the car to go get our keys for our rooms. The resort wasn’t all one big building, it was multiple buildings set into the sides of the mountains to blend in. Some places were little cabanas with mini kitchens, and I knew that Greer and her husband were in one of those, and that’s who we were bringing most of the food for. The other buildings were more like hotel and resort rooms, and the way we had booked it, meant that the two families with kids would share a large living room area, a common place so that way they wouldn’t have to double up on things for the girls, and Paisley and I would have separate rooms on either side of that.
Or at least that’s what I thought.
“What do you mean that’s not our reservation?” Paisley asked, her voice icy.
There was something fucking hot about the way her voice slid like sin and frost down my spine.
I needed to get out of that mindset.
“It’s just like I said. We have one cabana, and two sets of suites. There are full king beds on either side of the suites, as well as a common area with multiple bathrooms in one, and one main bathroom in the other. This is what the reservation is,” the lady was saying, and I didn’t like her tone.
My brothers were giving me an odd look, as if judging my reaction, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say.
As they went into the details, and Paisley pulled out her printed and digital reservation items, we realized we were getting hosed. It didn’t matter what Paisley had on paper, or what we had paid for, we were going to be forced to take what was left or leave.
When Greer and her husband showed up, they joined in the conversation since they had been on the same reservation, and had signed for what we had asked for, and were not getting.
None of it made sense, and all I knew was now we were holding keys, and I was royally fucked.
Because I wasn’t going to be sharing a room with Paisley per se, but I was going to be sharing a suite, a bathroom, and a door with my ex-wife.
It was that or splitting up families.
Part of me wanted to sleep on my brother’s couch and call it a day, and the rest of me knew I needed to be an adult about the situation and just deal with it.
I truly did not want to have to share a roof with my ex-wife.
Not because I hated her, not because I couldn’t stand to be alone with her.
No, the exact opposite.
Because part of me routinely wanted to be alone with her. Part of me missed her.
Part of me wanted her.
And that part was going to have to get with the program. I was going to be sharing a room with my ex-wife.
And there was no way I was going to be able to get out of this.
I met Paisley’s gaze, as everyone looked cautiously upon us, and I knew it was going to be a long fucking vacation.
At least there was alcohol. Alcohol would save me.
And I would just pretend that I wasn’t going to use it as a crutch. I tried to have resolve, even as I watched Paisley bend down to pick up her bag and told myself it was going to be a really long fucking night.