Chapter 38 #2
I’d read and re-read Gramps’ letter a dozen of times, until I had to pull myself together and come to this family meeting.
I still had no idea what I wanted to do…
about anything. It was probably for the best that I remove myself from whatever we were going to do, but I ached at the thought.
This had been my plan, my dream for so long, but I was the one who’d fucked it all up.
No one else but me had gotten involved with the man who held our fate in our hands.
Ever and I stood against the tasting bar, sipping glasses of wine she had poured as soon as I walked in.
It was good to have a bestie who knew when I needed a drink to get me through something.
For this, I seriously needed the fortification.
Everyone sat in little clusters chatting away, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying, no matter how much I tried.
“Stop it,” Ever said as she smacked my arm.
I rubbed the spot and tried to look innocent. “Stop what?”
“Eavesdropping. It’s not a good look if you can’t cover it up well.” My cousin knew of what she spoke. Ever was a pro at it. “Have you decided anything? About working with Clay?”
I took a sip of the white wine and tried to tell myself drowning my sorrows wasn’t the way to go, but I wasn’t listening. “I already told you,” I stated as I placed the glass back down. “If he wants to move ahead, which I highly doubt, I can’t work with him.”
“Why not?” She stared at me, making me feel like a bug under a magnifying glass.
“Because,” I hissed.
Shaking her head, she stood and leaned over to grab a bag of oyster crackers from behind the bar. “Not good enough,” she said as she tore open the bag and popped some in her mouth.
“It has to be.”
“You’re going to make me nuts. Why does it have to be?” The silence stretched between us as I tried to figure out an answer. When none was forthcoming, she jumped back in. “Exactly. You don’t have a reason.”
“I do.” At least I thought I did. “Ever, I love him. Working with him will destroy me. I can’t pretend I don’t and I can’t pretend as if there’s a future for us.”
“But what if there is a future?”
“There isn’t.”
“But what if there is?”
“Why are you my best friend? There’s isn’t, Ever.
I should have been smarter about this whole thing from the start and not gotten involved.
” I leveled a look her way, clearly implying it was her fault that I wound up in Clay’s bed.
She was the one who started the whole “fling” thing in the first place.
She rested her hand atop of mine. The look on her face was more serious than I can ever remember seeing.
“You never gave up thinking about a future for us, for our legacy, for our dreams. Why are you so quick to throw your own in the trash? You’re our change, Ree.
If you can’t make it happen, what chance do the rest of us have? ”
“Hey,” Kellan’s disembodied shout drifted from the computer, grabbing everyone’s attention, “can we get a move on? The bus to the park leaves in thirty minutes, and I can’t be late again.”
“How are you always late, bro?” Logan asked.
Kellan shrugged. “It’s a gift.”
“Yeah, I’m with Kel,” Beck chimed in. “Seth’s watching Abby, and I worry I’m going to wind up with dozens of new toys getting shipped to the house if I don’t save him.”
We all laughed at the way he cringed. No one, not even Beck’s best friend, was safe from my niece’s wiles.
“Okay,” Aunt Martha spoke above the murmuring voices. “In order for Abby to not bankrupt Seth, we’ll move this along.” She looked at me and it took everything in me to hold her gaze. If I was strong like Ever said, I had to face what came my way. “We have to discuss the situation with Montgomery.”
I swear every gaze in the place turned to me.
I didn’t miss the way Ever sidled back to stand by my side.
I don’t know if they were expecting me to break down in tears or run away or get angry, but they were clearly anticipating something.
Gramps’ letter made me think a lot over the past few hours, but I wasn’t sure I could be the leader he thought I could be right now. Not in this situation. Not with Clay.
Even with all of that, I had to say something.
“I’m sorry.” My mom opened her mouth, but I waved her off.
I needed to get through this. “No, Mom. I have to do this. I probably fucked this all up and I shouldn’t have gotten involved with Clay, but I promise to do everything in my power to make it right.
” I had no idea what that was, but the offer was there.
Uncle Randy rolled his eyes, and I feared what was coming next.
“You didn’t fuck anything up.” I felt like a fish out of water, my mouth just opening and closing.
I didn’t doubt my uncle loved me, but the man was not generally my champion.
“There’s not a damn thing in what we signed about that boy buying our property.
Now, like the good businessman I suspect he is, he may try to change that, but he ain’t gonna succeed. ”
There were a lot of “damn rights” and “no he won’t” flying around the room, and I didn’t know what to do with any of it.
Ever leaned close. “I told you, you didn’t have to worry. We have your back.”
That may be true, but Conti-Montgomery had the resources and Reginald seemed like he knew what he was doing.
I could feel the tears burning behind my eyes at the support everyone was showing, but it didn’t completely change how I felt.
I was worried they weren’t seeing the big picture. “But without that possibility, he may no longer be interested.” It was one of the things I feared most. That he would leave us hanging.
“I don’t think we have to worry about that,” Aunt Martha offered. She looked down at her watch and a sly smile crossed her lips. “Larry, can you pull up the news link I sent you. I believe everyone will want to see this.”
“Is now really the time, Mom?” Uncle Mike asked.
“It is indeed.”
My father turned toward another computer and clicked a link. We all tried to huddle around the screen as a commercial aired.
“What are we watching?” Kellan called out from his screen. “Either pick me up so I can see or send a damn link.” He grumbled as Dad copied the link in the chat. “Always getting left out.”
“Dear God, Marsh, you need to get a damn TV screen in this place,” Jax called from the back, but none of us paid his complaint much mind.
A female newscaster stopped my cousin from responding.
“And now we’re heading over to Conti-Montgomery headquarters where the long-awaited press conference by new President and CEO, Clayton Montgomery, is about to take place.
It’s been a whirlwind few days for the hotel conglomerate, as the situation involving Clayton’s stepfather, Reginald Aster, evolved, and Clayton was elevated to top position. ”
I gasped, unable to believe what I was hearing. President and CEO. Clay? “Wha—,” I sputtered.
“Just listen,” Aunt Martha whispered next to me.
The camera cut to a podium, where Clay stood.
There were people surrounding him; Giovanna, Lachlain, Sofia, and others, but all I could focus on was him.
He looked deliciously put together and sexy in a black suit, white shirt, and bright blue tie.
The color reminded me of what I saw every morning staring back at me in the mirror.
Still, there was something wrong. He looked tired, the spark I was so used to seeing appeared dimmed.
“Good afternoon, everyone.” God, his voice drifted over me, and I tried to hide my reaction.
It wouldn’t do at all to let my entire family know he could still make my nipples hard and my panties wet.
“As you know, a warrant was issued several days ago for Reginald Aster’s arrest for fraud and embezzlement.
” My hand flew to cover my mouth. “I’d like to thank the police for their work during the investigation and for facilitating his quick apprehension. ”
I looked around the room, everyone watching the small screen intently. They did not appear as stunned as I was. “Did you kn—”
Mom shook her head and put a finger over her lips.
“Yeah, shush,” Ever whispered.
I focused my attention back on Clay, his words not even registering.
God, I missed him. He challenged me and confounded me and made me feel more alive than I’ve ever been in my life.
I’d always wondered what it would be like to find someone who so perfectly fit me, who simply “got” me.
I’d never expected it to be a billionaire from Manhattan, but that’s what I’d gotten.
I just didn’t know how I was supposed to keep him.
So, I guess that means, we trust him now?
My mind replayed his words from moments ago. Several days ago would have been when I raced out of New York. Was I a pawn in Reg’s scheme? Was that why Lachlain had mentioned the police as I’d stood arguing with Clay?
“That’s why I’m excited to announce Conti-Montgomery will be starting on a new venture shortly, in the tradition of my father, Charles Montgomery.
” Clay grabbed my attention once again. I missed a good few minutes of the press conference, but I wasn’t about to miss this.
“I’m confident Father would have loved what we have planned, and although I believe I may run into a little trouble along the way, it won’t be too much for me to handle. ”
Logan and Ever both groaned at Clay’s wording, but my heart soared. If ever a man was speaking directly to someone, he was doing it right now.
“Man, I certainly hope we don’t run into any kind of trouble,” Uncle Randy bemoaned.
“Oh, I do. I think having a little trouble is the best way to live.” Clay’s deep voice had me spinning around.
He was leaning against the open door to the tasting room.
With all my focus on the press conference, which obviously was not live like the little banner indicated, I hadn’t even heard him enter.
The suit was the same, but the distant look I’d seen moments ago was gone.
In its place was fire, playfulness, and desire.
I hope he knew what he was doing, because I was ready for it.