Chapter Nineteen
ELLY
THE DELICIOUS, sweet smell of lemon floats across my nose as I slide into one of the barstools in the kitchen. Sloane and Hallie are laughing as they work effortlessly around each other like a dance.
“What is that wonderful smell?”
Hallie turns to me with a big smile. "Sloane showed me how to make Mr. Harlow's favorite lemon bread, I hope everyone likes it." She points toward the oven at two square bread cakes with powdered sugar sprinkled on them and a white drizzle zig-zagged over the top on a cooling rack.
"It smells delicious." I sniff the air in exaggeration and rub my stomach as I respond.
Sloane moves to the other side of the island across from me and starts cutting a tiny loaf of yellow bread into small cubes. She licks her thumb and forefinger on one hand as she sets the little bread cubes on a piece of wax paper with the other hand.
I watch the way Sloane moves and the only way to describe it is graceful. “Sloane, you seem to glide when you walk, have you ever been a dancer?”
She glances up at me through her lashes and smiles. “I was in dance and ballet from when I was a small child through some of college, but I didn’t finish.”
“I can tell, I’m jealous. I don’t think the average person understands the struggle of the vertically challenged. Just the other night, I had to use one of the stools to reach a glass. I would like to know who in this house put the glasses so high.”
Sloane and Hallie both laugh, and Hallie says, “I’ve honestly never even thought about what shelf the glasses are on. If you haven’t noticed, most of the people in this house are pretty tall.”
“Oh, I’ve noticed. I have a kink in my neck every evening.” I say with a laugh while exaggerating rubbing my neck.
Sloane laughs as she pulls three napkins from the holder in the middle of the island and sets them side by side in front of her. “I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.”
Circling back to the whole dancing question, I ask, “If you were dancing part way through college, that means you must have been good, can I ask why you stopped?”
Her smile falls making me regret asking, but she takes a deep breath and says, “My parents died in a car accident before I finished, and I couldn’t afford to pay for all of it.”
I reach over and put my hand on her forearm. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, I was the only kid in my parent’s house growing up and I always wanted to be part of a big family. If it means I have to choose, I will choose to be here every time.”
I let go of her arm and sit back on the bar stool. "I know what you mean, about wanting the large family experience, I never had siblings, and I always wished for the big family I saw on TV. But it looks like you got your wish, you're definitely surrounded by family here."
Her face softens and her shoulders lift and fall with a small sigh. "I know, I don't know how I got so lucky.” She looks up at me again, her green eyes get serious, "What about you, Elly? Are your parents still living?"
The chuckle that slips through my lips is one step away from a snort, and I go one step further and roll my eyes. "Yeah, but I can count on one hand how many times they came together for any type of family occasion."
Her eyebrows knit together and her shoulders slump. "Oh. That stinks." She picks up two bread cubes and puts them on one of the paper napkins and slides it toward me.
I shrug my shoulder as I pull the napkin to me. "It is what it is, you know?" I slide off the stool and walk to the refrigerator to pull out the carton of milk and hold it up to Sloane in question, asking permission to get some.
She waves her hand at me. "You don't have to ask, make yourself at home."
As I'm pouring the milk into a glass, which Hallie jokingly sits on the counter in front of me, I smile because of the way they make me feel included, and it seems effortless on their part, even though they know exactly why I'm here.
"You're all so nice, people where I'm from just aren't as nice." The smile falls as I'm closing the carton, and my chest squeezes a little as I think of how Gray made his feelings about my presence known on day one. "Well, maybe except for Gray."
Then I think of his warmth and the chaste kiss last night when he made me feel better. He didn’t have to do that, he could have just walked away. Warm tingles spread through me when I think of his rough hands holding my face while his soft lips pressed to mine.
Sloane pops a cube of bread in her mouth as she looks at me. "It’s not that he doesn’t like you, he doesn’t like what you represent. You're a threat, and taking care of this family is something he takes extremely seriously."
Rolling my eyes, I chuckle. "Isn’t that the truth? This is the first time I've been sent out to do this type of job, I don't know what I was thinking when I accepted the assignment." I scrunch my nose as I say, "It's just not who I am."
“What do you mean? Isn’t that what your company does?” Sloane asks, confusion knits her eyebrows.
“No, my father’s business deals in many forms of acquisitions and sales, but the one aspect of his business I always said I would stay away from is underhanded and predatory at best. It exploits businesses or property so he can resell at a higher price.” I wrinkle my nose in shame as I say it.
“Is that even legal?” Hallie asks. She’s frozen in place, her hands hovering in the air holding the dishtowel and cake pan she just washed and dried.
Clearing my throat, I fold the edge of the napkin in front of me. “Uhm, yes, there is a lot of red tape regarding existing contracts and property and tax laws, but if you know what you’re doing, it’s legal.”
“You mean if you know how to work the system?” Anger is lightly laced in Sloane’s tone. Her face goes slack, and her hands rest on the island in front of her as she says, “That’s why the offer for this land is so high, you’ve already got offers for ungodly amounts of money.”
Embarrassment creeps up my neck, and my face flushes. “Yes, there is a lot of money on the line, and I got mixed up in a power play that I’ve decided I want no part of.”
Sloane tips her head to the side. “What do you mean? You have a choice?”
It feels like the temperature of the room has increased by at least twenty degrees, even though I’m sure it hasn’t, and I look down at the countertop.
“I thought I didn’t. Well, I don’t if I want to stay in my father’s good graces, but I’ve realized my self-worth is more important.
” I lift my eyes to Sloane’s. “I am worried about who they will send after me. He won’t be as soft as I am. ”
“But you could help us? You can tell us what to expect?” It’s not really a question of whether I will help them in my mind, I’m going to help however I can. But even if she doesn’t realize it, ultimately, she’s asking me to choose between them and my father.
Fear blooms in my chest as I realize the trajectory my life is about to take. Fear of the unknown. Even though I’ve always stood on my own, my goal has always been to be valuable to and stand with my father. What am I without that?
For the first time in my life, I feel… free.
And scared.
I know it won’t be easy, I will definitely have to get another job. If I thought I rarely saw my parents before, I’m willing to bet I won’t see them at all.
Taking a deep breath, I nod. “I can tell you what to expect.”
A breath leaves Sloane’s chest, and she nods as the worry lines clear from her forehead and she smiles at me.
Popping a cube of bread in my mouth, the tart sweetness of the lemon bread explodes on my tongue, and I roll my eyes. "Oh my god, this is so good." I hold my fingers in front of my mouth as I chew while I'm talking.
Hallie’s chest puffs out, and she smiles from ear to ear. “Really? You think so?”
“Heaven.” I say and give her a chef’s kiss.
Sloane clears her throat. “You’ll have to tell Gray and Mr. Harlow what you just told us. They need to know if someone else is coming here.”
Nodding my head as I swallow the tart goodness, I say, “I will.” I jokingly shrug one shoulder. “Maybe I can get in Gray’s good graces.”
She leans closer to me and puts her hand over mine. "Gray is suspicious by nature and, since his wife died, overprotective of those he loves. Especially Lainey Rai."
A tickle in my throat has me clearing my throat and I take a drink of my milk. “It’s so sad they both lost their wives.”
Sloane looks over her shoulder at the windows to make sure no one is coming to the house. "Mason told me it tore him up so bad that it made him into the grump we all tease him of being today." She shakes her head as she looks down at her hands. "I can't imagine that kind of pain."
My tongue is tingling, and the tickle feels like a thick coating of mucus in my throat. Loudly clearing my throat, I take another drink of milk. "How long had they been married?"
Sloane's eyebrows pull together as she thinks, making a wrinkle appear above her nose. "Mason said they had been together since they were in high school." She watches me cough in my hand and asks, "Are you okay?"
"Uhm," I cough into my hand again, my tongue feels big. "I'm not sure, what's in the bread?"
Sloane looks at my neck with wide eyes and Hallie steps up beside her, her fingers over her lips. "Your neck is all splotchy red."
Sloane spins around and grabs a binder from the counter behind her and opens it to the page with the lemon bread recipe before she slides it to me. I'm holding my throat and coughing as I look at the recipe: Sesame Oil Lemon Bread.
SESAME OIL!
Oh no.
I jerk my head back up to look at Sloane, my eyes wide. "I'm allergic to sesame seeds." My voice is a whisper, and my words are slurring a little.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Sloane spins and grabs Hallie's arm. "Go get Gray, now!"
Hallie's eyes have filled with tears, and she nods as she spins to run to the back door.
I can feel the skin over my face and head getting hot, and everything is itching.
I'm trying to keep my panic at bay, I've been through this many times as a kid, but there were always epinephrine shots scattered around the house.
My mind spins as I try to remember if I put my shot in my bag or left it in my suitcase at the hotel.
I never go anywhere without my shot, but I don't remember taking it from my suitcase.
My eyes meet Sloane's as the panic creeps up my spine.