Chapter 30
Claire
“Are you ready to head down to the beach?” Nick asked, picking up my guitar case.
“Yeah. I’m ready.” I smiled.
We walked down to the beach, where my family sat around the bonfire. Everyone talked and laughed while the kids played in the sand. The sun was setting, and it was the perfect time to tell them the news. Opening my guitar case, I pulled out the signed order from the judge and held it.
“I have some news to share with you.” I smiled.
“You’re pregnant!” Simon said.
“No.” I laughed.
“Good thing. I might have had to kick Nick’s ass for knocking up my sister.” He grinned.
“Knock it off.” I reached over Sam and smacked Simon’s arm. “I did something, and I’m hoping you’ll be happy about it.” I handed Sam the signed order.
“What is this?” He studied it. “You did this?” He grinned.
“Did what?” Sebastian asked, reaching over and grabbing the paper from Sam. “Claire.” He stared at me.
“Do you douchebags want to tell us what the hell is going on?” Stefan said.
“Claire changed her name,” Sam spoke. “She’s officially Claire Marie Kind.”
“Yes! That’s awesome.” Stefan stood up, walked over, and hugged me.
“You did that?” Simon grinned. “Your last name is Kind now?”
“Yeah. I did that.” I smiled.
“Damn you.” I saw a tear in Simon’s eye. “Come here.” He stood up and hugged me.
“Congratulations, Claire Kind.” Shaun smiled. “I’ll call maintenance first thing Monday morning and have them change the nameplate on your office.” He hugged me.
“No need. I already did.” I smiled.
“This calls for a night of celebration,” Sebastian said as he held up his beer bottle.
We celebrated the night away by playing music, laughing, drinking, and having one of the best nights of my life.
“Does my mother know?” Simon asked.
“Yes. I told her today at the bakery.”
“And she was cool about it?” he asked.
“Yeah. She hugged me.”
“Okay. Good. I really didn’t want to have to go over to her house and have a little chat with her.” A smirk crossed his lips.
“All is good, my brother.” I hooked my arm around him.
Ineeded Shaun to sign some papers, so I walked down to his office. I froze when the man sitting in the chair across from his desk turned and looked at me as I stood in the doorway.
“Claire?”
“Steve?” I swallowed hard.
“Claire, come on in,” Shaun said.
“What are you doing here?” Steve asked.
“I work here. What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in Connecticut?”
“Wait a second,” Shaun said. “You’re Steve? The Steve?”
“Yeah, Shaun. That’s him,” I said.
“What’s going on here?” Steve asked.
“I’m sorry, Steve, but Sterling Capital can’t help you,” Shaun said.
“What?” He cocked his head at him. “You just said my proposal was excellent and you were interested.”
“Well, that was before I knew you were the Steve. The one who broke my sister’s heart because you wanted to be free to fuck other women in Cabo after telling her you couldn’t imagine life without her.”
I stood there, chewing my bottom lip.
“Your sister? Claire, what is he talking about?” Steve stared at me.
“Turns out I have a whole family here. Shaun is my brother, and I told him all about you.”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“And you don’t have to.” Shaun stood up from behind his desk, walked over to Steve, and helped him up. “Being a douchebag always comes back to haunt you at some point.” He hooked his arm around him. “I don’t do business with douchebags, especially where my family is concerned. Thanks for stopping by, Steve.” Shaun patted his chest, led him out of his office, and closed the door.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I smiled.
“Of course I did. As I said, I don’t deal with douchebags.” He winked.
“Why was he here?” I asked.
“He’s looking for capital to start his own company here in Los Angeles. Maybe now, he’ll go back to Connecticut, where he belongs.”
“I love you.” I hugged him.
“I love you too, sis.”
I walked out of his office, and Steve stopped me as I was heading back to mine.
“Claire, can we talk? I don’t know what happened back there, but I don’t think it’s fair that Shaun denied me because of what happened twelve years ago. We were teenagers.”
“All I can say is that when you hurt a Kind, you pay for life.” I smiled.
“Claire, is everything okay?” Carter walked over to us.
“Steve, this is my cousin, Carter Kind. Carter, Steve from Connecticut.”
“The Steve?” he asked.
“Yes, the Steve.”
“The one who broke your heart?”
“Yep. He’s the one.”
Carter hooked his arm around his neck. “I think it’s time you left the building, Steve.”
“You’re all crazy,” he said, walking away.
I was happy to see Nick’s car when I pulled into the driveway. Walking through the door, a delicious smell infiltrated the air.
“Are you cooking?” I smiled as I set my purse on the island.
“Maybe.” A grin crossed his lips as his arms wrapped around me.
“Four Kinds?” I smirked.
“Damn, you caught me.” His lips met mine. “How was your day?”
“Oh, it was eventful.” I kicked off my shoes, took them into the bedroom, and put them in the closet.
“What happened?” Nick followed.
“I saw Steve.”
“Who?” His brows furrowed.
“My ex from twelve years ago.”
“Oh shit. That Steve? What the hell is he doing here? Where did you see him?”
“At Sterling Capital. He was in a meeting with Shaun when I walked into his office. Shaun kicked him out when he found out who he was.”
“Seriously?” Nick laughed.
“Yeah. He told him being a douchebag always comes back to haunt you.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Seeing him again reminded me how much I can’t stand him.” I reached up and kissed him. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”