Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
COLSON
Me
I fucking hate watching you walk into your house without me. Even if I got you for dinner and an hour in a hotel, it’s getting harder and harder to say good night without you going to sleep in my arms.
Sophie
Ugh, I feel the same.
Me
Sleep well, baby.
Sophie
You too.
Sophie
My lunch appointment just canceled on me. Which means I have an hour before I need to be back at the office.
Me
Tell me where. Tell me when.
Sophie
My house. 1 p.m.
Me
How strong is your bedframe?
Sophie
LOL. I have no idea. Why are you asking?
Me
Because I’m about to fucking break it.
Sophie
I just brought some of my things over to The Dalton Group and saw my office for the first time. It’s beautiful, Colson. They’re letting me choose paint colors and furniture. It’s going to be a dream space. I’m just so excited.
Me
I’m so fucking proud of you. You deserve this. And you’re going to love it there.
Sophie
I think so too.
Me
We need to celebrate.
Sophie
I still have a week left at my firm. No celebration yet, LOL.
Me
If you don’t want to call it a celebration, then we’ll call it a date.
Sophie
When?
Me
Tonight? Tomorrow night?
Sophie
Tonight is gymnastics.
Me
Then I guess I’ll just have to take Ellie there tonight.
Sophie
You’d better be good.
Me
We both know I’m not capable of that.
Sophie
Ha!
Tomorrow night, date?
Me
I get to see you two nights in a row. Fuck yes.
Me
Hayden comes in a few days. I was thinking maybe I should put something together so he can meet the whole fam? And you could meet Dutton?
Sophie
Ohhh, I love that idea.
Me
I was afraid you were going to think it was too much.
Sophie
I didn’t say I wasn’t anxious about it, considering I haven’t seen your family since we started dating and I’m sure they want to semi-murder me over the Gordon thing.
OR that this will be the first time my family has ever met the family of the man I’m in a relationship with.
It’s a hard yes to both. Still, I think it’s a good idea that everyone meets.
Me
Hear me out on this part—I don’t think we should bring in the little ones yet.
Let’s get past this big introduction, and then let’s tackle the littles.
I know how excited they’ll be, but bringing in the girls is a major move, and I want to make sure they process this news correctly because it means they’ll be sharing their parents.
That’s a lot to understand for two ladies who are so young.
Sophie
Yes, yes, yesss. Agree.
Me
Good.
Sophie
And for the record, I adore you.
Me
You know I feel the same way.
Out of all the places I could have chosen for tonight, including my house, I had picked Charred as the location for our family gathering.
Nestled in a private room, which was fully staffed with some of our most attentive employees, everyone was mingling with one another.
The three couples—Hart and Sadie, Beck and Jolie, Walker and Alivia—were in attendance.
So was Eden, along with our cousin, Dutton.
I’d given Troy an invite as well. Given his relationship with Sophie, I thought it was important for him to be here.
He showed up with Hayden, and I could see the relief on my girl’s face the moment the two guys walked in.
She didn’t mention it, but I could tell she appreciated the backup.
Not that the Westons held anything against her or had any ill will.
Sophie had had a job to do, and she’d done it well.
Still, the reassurance of having her family here had to alleviate some of her stress.
In preparation for tonight, I had told our staff to remove the large table, giving us ample space to move around, rather than being confined to a chair with only access to our neighbors.
Instead of a full meal, I requested hors d’oeuvres, and in lieu of having them passed in trays, I requested stations to be placed in the corners of the room, allowing everyone to eat when they felt hungry.
We were a few hours in, and the highlight of my evening was watching Sophie. Although she was never far from my side, when she veered off a few steps to have conversations with each of my siblings, it made me fucking smile.
Especially when she was with Eden.
Of the whole group, my sister was the most challenging to win over.
She allowed no one in. Eden believed trust was earned; it was never given.
And trust took time; it didn’t come immediately.
Shit, in most cases, for her, it never came at all.
But to see her engaged with my girl was a promising start.
Even though I was part of Hayden and Hart’s conversation, discussing some of the new yachts that had recently hit the market, my gaze kept returning to the two women.
The way they were so focused on one another.
How, even though I was sure Sophie sensed my stare, she never glanced my way, staying fully concentrated on my sister.
They were powerhouses. Two women who had lived through their fair share of darkness. Survivors who were now unstoppable.
They had more in common than they thought.
“Eden’s still single, isn’t she?”
I turned around, not realizing Dutton was behind me. The man moved like a ghost, soundlessly, without any warning.
With my back now to Hayden and Hart, I replied, “She is.”
Dutton had been here the last two weeks, diving deep into our business while spending his nights and weekends surfing. I couldn’t smell the saltwater on him, but I swore his hair was already a shade or two lighter than when he had arrived.
“Why do you ask?”
“I realize I see things that not everyone else does. That’s because I’m trained to look in the middle, where the start and end of an equation meet. And the middle is where the magic lies.” He pushed back several pieces of hair.
“That middle told you Eden was single?”
“No. It showed me that someone in this room can’t take his eyes off her, and he doesn’t want anyone to know that.”
“Ah, yes. Troy … I do know that.”
“Does Eden?”
“Not that I’m aware of. But even if she knew, it wouldn’t matter.” I gave my sister a glance, still in a deep conversation with Sophie.
He nodded as my eyes returned to him. “I feared that. It’s …”
“Complicated, yes.” I sighed.
Unspoken words passed between us—about a past that neither of us was willing to discuss, but a past that Dutton was aware of, making his statement hold even more weight.
“It’s good to have you here, buddy.” I clasped his shoulder. “I hope it means you’re going to be spending more time in LA.”
“I don’t know … we’ll see.”
Despite him preferring a life in the shadows, I could always tell when Dutton’s eyes were on me, the color impossible to miss. The icy blue was like a goddamn neon light.
“Now that you’re up to speed with our operations, I’m sure you could do this next phase from anywhere.”
He adjusted his collar, making sure it overlapped the lapels of his sports coat. “You’re right about that. Usually, I’m pretty eager to take off once I hit this stage. That hasn’t happened this time.”
The funny thing was, none of us knew where Dutton was staying in LA.
He wasn’t at his parents’ house. He hadn’t asked for a hookup at the Cole and Spade Hotel in Beverly Hills, even though he knew we had an in.
He wasn’t staying with any of us. But since we respected his desire to keep things secretive, none of us ever asked him.
“Are you saying you’ve missed California?”
He nodded. However, the movement felt like he was assuring himself, not me. “LA’s got a lot to offer. Good food”—he smiled—“dependable sunshine, and killer surf. And the fucking women …” He let out a burst of air.
I chuckled. “We have those, yes.”
He nodded in the direction of Sophie and Eden. “Looks like you’ve found yourself a good one.”
“I have.”
“I’ve enjoyed talking to her brother. He seems like a great dude.” He kept his voice down since Hayden was standing close. “And he loves Sophie’s little girl something fierce. That says a lot about a man—the way they are around kids, especially when they’re not their own.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
He rocked back on his feet. “He mentioned he was going to be watching Ellie over the next couple of days.”
“He is.” I chuckled, thinking of Hayden with our two princesses, up to his fucking eyeballs in girlie demands.
“You know it’s one thing to fall. But when that relationship comes with an incredible family on both sides …
” My voice drifted off as I looked at Troy and Hayden, knowing the others in Fort Lauderdale were just as stand up and solid as them.
“It makes the foundation even stronger.”
He put his arm around my shoulders. “It’s good to see you in love. You deserve it, my man.”