Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Jameson
“You’re not going to fucking believe this, Jameson.”
I glance up from my desk to find my brother standing in the open doorway of my office. “Believe what? That you still haven’t shaved? You’re right. I don’t believe it. Do you need me to spot you some cash for a new razor?”
It’s just past nine on Monday morning. I beat him to the office today.
It’s a fucking miracle since I waited until the very last minute before I dragged my ass out of my bed.
I didn’t want to leave Sinclair, but she was fast asleep, so I got myself ready for the day, kissed her cheek while she was still in dreamland, and then left her a message on the dining room table before I headed here.
Chuckling, he runs his hand over his chin. “I may keep it. There’s nothing wrong with change, right?”
Not sure what to make of that, I move to stand because I’ve got a meeting twenty minutes from now and need to head in that direction soon. “What is it that I’m not going to fucking believe?”
He smiles. “I’m about to nail down another deal.”
“With who?”
“Rosetta Ballew.” He glances toward the window before his gaze levels back on my face. “She inherited Sweet Nothings three years ago when her dad passed.”
I’m well aware. Rosetta is a decade older than me, with two year old twins and another baby on the way. Her father’s candy empire was left to her after his untimely death. Since they had been estranged for years, she wasn’t expecting to land at the helm of that company.
Her story was front page news and a staple on every gossip site for months. It made sense that people wanted the inside scoop since Rosetta won every acting award imaginable two years ago for her portrayal of a vindictive young woman with a penchant for murder.
“Denia had reached out to her before she died,” Holden explains. “Rosetta wasn’t looking to sell to Carden. I’m pretty sure she hung up on Grandmother because she was pushing too hard for the sale.”
I smile. “Sounds about right. Grandmother never gave up easily. If she wanted something, she’d move heaven and earth to make it happen.”
Holden laughs. “We know that from experience.”
Indeed we do. She was ruthless when it came to business, but there was a lot more to her. She had a soft spot for both of us, even when we didn’t live up to her ideal. I have more experience with that than my brother ever will.
“I have no idea why Rosetta changed her mind.” He glances at the floor. “When she called this morning, she said she’d been meaning to reach out to Grandmother, but then she died. I wish to fuck she would have made the call sooner.”
Me too.
“When is that meeting happening?”
He looks at me. “Next week. She wants me to put together a proposal. We talked about what she’s looking for, so I know where she wants us to land in terms of price. Employee retention is a deal breaker for her.”
“We’ll keep her team in place,” I state.
“We will. I’ll cement this deal, James. I’ll do it for Denia.”
I know he will.
“How are you and Sinclair doing?”
The question comes out of left field, but I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it. I’m not about to tell my brother that I spent all of last night in bed with my life-long crush. “We’re working through some issues.”
He holds my gaze with his. “I’m glad. I know how close you two were before things fell apart.”
I take a step forward. “What about you?”
His left brow cocks. “What about me?”
“You and Finella didn’t make it,” I point out that undeniable fact. “What happened with that?”
His eyes close briefly as he shakes his head. “We’re not going there, Jameson.”
Maybe we’re not at the moment, but we’ll get there. He’s my brother, and although I’ve carried a lifetime’s worth of anger and resentment for him on my shoulders, I can recognize pain when I see it.
“I’m going to work on the Ballew deal.” He looks toward the doorway. “You should work on getting an assistant.”
That’s topping the list of what’s on my agenda for today. “I’ve got it covered.”
“I meant to ask if you’ve heard from Mom recently.” He laughs. “She called me last week. They’re in Spain now.”
Our mother’s life took a turn after I graduated college. She remarried and set off on a honeymoon with her second husband that has yet to end.
“I saw them,” I tell him with a smile. “I had dinner with her and Al in Geneva six or seven months ago. They’re well. They’re happy.”
“Good.” He exhales with an audible sigh. “There’s something else. We need to take Denia to the beach one last time. She wanted her ashes scattered in the Atlantic. I’m thinking the last Saturday of the month if you’re free.”
It’s a journey I don’t want to take, but honoring her is something I have to do. After everything she did for me, I owe her that. “I’ll be there.”
“We can head up to the beach house after work on Friday,” he suggests. “We’ll be back in the city by Saturday night.”
“I’ll pack an overnight bag.”
He nods. “It won’t be easy.”
The tremor in his voice doesn’t shock me. He loved our grandmother as much as I did. I go out on a limb to offer him what I know I’ll need to get through those twenty-four hours. “We’ll take care of it together. We’ll give her the send-off she wanted.”
“Damn right, we will.”