Chapter 54
Brynne
Things have been quiet. Much too calm for the past six weeks. In that time, I found a wedding gown, and my bridal party was tasked with finding a dress they all like. They couldn’t agree so they will wear different dresses in the same ocean blue color. Besides making decisions on flowers and food, the wedding planner and the resort handle everything else. I’ve never planned a wedding before, but the stress that all brides complain about has not been an issue.
The only problem this week is not having my fiancé with me because he’s traveling for work and meeting with a new potential client who specifically reached out to him to design a strip mall. He’s only been gone one day, but I miss him. Especially at night when I have to stay at his house alone, so I convinced Amira to stay with me until he returns. Raven didn’t like feeling left out, so she’s staying with me too.
Milton has been coming to the office more often than he was before. He came twice last week, but I stayed in my office the first time and was on a job site the second. After leaving the site, I worked from home. He’s asked me to lunch, but I decline each time. I only interacted with him at the family home, which has happened twice since our engagement party. When we’re there, I’m cordial, but I interact more with Marilyn and Lisa than him. I even find Colin the First more tolerable than Milton.
Oliver has been quiet. There have been no more calls from him or his mother, and that’s what I want, but I suspect it won’t last long. Currently, there are no court dates on the docket, and as far as I know, he has not been offered a deal by the assistant district attorney. I don’t care what they do with him. My main concern is that he leaves me alone.
Two out of three of my tenants have moved in seamlessly as I have a company handling everything on my behalf.
My phone buzzes, and Colin’s name flashes.
“Hello, Mr. Kincaid,” I whisper.
“My Honeybee,” he says. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
“I have another meeting, so I won’t be able to call until tonight, but I’ll be back tomorrow around lunchtime.”
“How about I take you to our little bistro for lunch?”
“Yes, but I’m taking you. Talk soon. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I blow him a kiss, and we end the call. I sigh and wonder how I got here but remind myself not to question it.
My office door opens, and Ernestine walks in. “Milton is here again,” she says, and I roll my eyes. He’s not working on new projects, so I don’t know why he’s here. “I think he’s here to talk to you.”
Just as the words leave her mouth, the man walks in. “Ernestine,” he says with a smile. “I’d like a word with Brynne, please.” Ernestine nods and practically runs out of my office.
Whatever good mood I was in vanishes. I remain stoic and wait for him to speak.
He clears his throat and takes a seat in front of me. “I’m excited about you joining the family,” he says with a smile.
“Thank you.” When I offer no smile in return, he sighs.
“Is it always going to be this frosty between us?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“We used to be friends. We talked about things other than work. I think the world of you. I was your mentor for years and still consider myself to be. Colin and Heath are my favorite people in my family.” I arch an eyebrow. No wonder Heath was so confident when he was raising hell in this office. He knew there was no way he would face any consequences. “And you’re going to marry one of them.”
I don’t respond because he didn’t ask a question.
“How about we go have some lunch?”
“I’m not hungry.” It’s a lie. I’m starving, and I’m grateful my stomach doesn’t growl. “And I have work I need to get done.”
“As your boss, I’m ordering you to have lunch.” He stands and waits for me to do the same.
“I thought Colin was the boss.”
“Well, I still own this company, and—”
“Mr. Kincaid—” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I’ll be leaving this company in another year, but I swallow the words. He doesn’t deserve that from me. That would show loyalty and courtesy, two things he didn’t grant me. Besides, I’ve already told Colin. He’s the boss and the only one who needs to know. He can tell him if he feels Milton needs to be made aware. “I’d rather not but thank you for the offer.”
He doesn’t leave as I hoped, but there’s no way I will have lunch with him and pretend our relationship is the same.
“I didn’t put Paddy in charge because of anything you did,” he says. “He is family. He’s blood.”
“And I accept that,” is all I say. “It’s your company, and it was your decision to make.”
“But you’re in love with him and angry at me.” He throws his hands in the air as if he can’t understand why that is.
“I’m not angry,” I say as calmly as I can. The one thing I’m not going to do is make him feel better for the way he’s treated me.
“I’d rather you tell me off and get it over with. I can’t take this iciness. That’s why I divorced my third wife. The woman could give me the silent treatment like no other, and it drove me crazy.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re not married.” Hoping he’ll get the hint, I start typing on my keyboard.
“I don’t have any kids of my own. My nieces and nephews are the closest I have to that, Heath and Paddy especially. He followed in my footsteps, and I thought he’d return home and work here, but he didn’t. And that’s because he didn’t want to be near his mother or Colin the First, who acted like a jealous toddler once he got a brother.”
I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose. My stomach growls, and I’m ready for him to leave so I can go to lunch.
“You don’t need to explain. You made your decision, and I’ve accepted it.”
“Have you really? You’re planning on leaving, aren’t you?” I don’t answer. I only stare into his eyes. “You’re going to marry Paddy and quit so you can start your own company.”
I stand abruptly. “What are you implying? That I’m marrying Colin so I can use him to—”
“No.” He stands, too. “You two love each other, and I’m happy for you. You’re a good person, Brynne. I didn’t think you’d be so hurt—”
“Mr. Kincaid, stop.”
“Milton,” he insists.
“Stop. I don’t know what you want from me.” I try to tamp down my exasperation with this conversation. I’ve accepted his decision. I accepted it months ago before I got involved with Colin again. What I’m not going to do is act like my relationship with Milton hasn’t shifted.
“I want you to tell me how you feel,” he practically yells. In all the years we’ve known each other, he’s never been angry with me. He’s never yelled at me. He’s hardly ever yelled at anyone in the office. That’s not his way, and I’ve always admired him for that but no more.
“You’re not ready for that discussion,” I whisper under my breath, with no intention for him to hear my words.
“Let’s discuss.” His voice reverberates through my office.
“Mr. Kincaid—”
“Oh, stop that. You haven’t called me Mr. Kincaid since we first met, and I ordered you to call me Milton.”
“You really want to do this?”
“I do. I’m tired of this weird dynamic between us.”
“Fine,” I concede. I take a deep breath while I mull my next words. “I would have had no issues with this situation if you had been honest with me, but you misled me. We were more than boss and employee. I’d like to think we were friends.”
“Are. We are friends. We’re about to be family.”
“Then why, in all the years, in all our conversations, did you never once mention your architect nephew? You referred to him as Paddy Cake to let me think he was a kid.” When all he does is stare, I snap, “Why?” He has the grace to look away, so I continue. “Is this how you treat your family?”
“It was never personal. Colin is like a son to me. Of all my nieces and nephews, he’s the one I’ve been closest to. Him and Heath.” It takes all my strength not to roll my eyes because he's repeating himself.
“The entire time you were telling me the job was mine, you were recruiting your nephew behind my back. In all the years I’ve known you, you never mentioned an architect nephew. Never. Not once. And you know what? I’m not going to ask you why you did that. I already know, but I wish you had been honest with me from the beginning. You blindsided me, threw money at me, and disregarded me. It’s business to you, but it’s personal to me.”
“Business is not supposed to hurt your feelings, Brynne. I thought I taught you better than that.” He almost sounds disappointed. Or maybe he’s angry. I’m not sure which one, and I’m not interested in finding out.
“Milton, I don’t think there’s anything else for us to say. We have fundamental differences in how we conduct business.” None of that will matter in a year or less when I resign and focus on my own company, but as much as I want that, there’s a part of me that’s disappointed.
It will be like starting over, and it will take time for me to have the resources and tools I have here.
“We’re about to be family,” he repeats.
“Well, like you said, this isn’t personal.” I don’t know what else to say, but I refuse to make him feel better.
“Maybe with you and Paddy getting married, you can run Kincaid Architecture. You’re going to be one of us.” He leans closer to my desk and puts a hand on mine. It’s warm, and I don’t pull away. “I’m fighting colon cancer,” he whispers.
I suspected he was sick, but hearing the words from him causes my stomach to sink. Despite the state of our relationship, I still care about him. I still have him to thank for teaching me so many things. I rest my other hand on top of his.
“They caught it early, and I had surgery and only need radiation.” I exhale in relief at that. “That’s why I fought for Paddy to come here. When I first found out, I was scared, and if anything happened to me...”
He leaves the sentence unfinished, and I want to call bullshit. He’d been trying to get Colin to work here for years. It was always him, and I was the second choice, but I don’t say that. There’s no point.
“I put family first. Maybe it’s a flaw, but that’s been ingrained in me from birth. You’re about to be family, Brynne. That’s important to me. I’ll be back on Friday and you, me, Colin, and Heath are going out for lunch. I’ve already made a reservation.” He pats my hand before he heads for the door.