Chapter 11
NATE
Wrigley Field was one of my favorite places on earth—and I’d traveled enough for that statement to mean something. Walking in here always grounded me, made me feel like I was coming home even though the crowd was already roaring like summer would never come if they shut up.
Anywhere else, I hated that kind of noise. Here, it never failed to fill me with renewed energy, like it was my own personal charging station.
Only tonight, it did none of those things. I adjusted the brim of my Cubs cap and stepped through the tunnel, my jaw so tight that my teeth were aching as I replayed my conversation with Alex on a loop in my head.
Everything he’d said after breakfast had slotted into my mind with brutal clarity, and sadly, it made perfect fucking sense. I just needed to hear it from Abram himself.
I need to make sure there hasn’t been some kind of misunderstanding.
Generally, naivety wasn’t a character flaw I possessed, but deep down, I was still stupidly hopeful that there was another way. That speaking with Abram personally would clear all this up.
I pushed the thought aside and followed the aisle numbers down the concourse, balancing a beer in one hand and a sacred Wrigley hot dog in the other. I’d been thinking about this thing since breakfast.
Mustard, relish, onions, peppers. Also known as perfection.
After I’d grumbled about inviting two Yankees fans to my private box, Alex had swindled some bench seats for us in a more neutral section. As a result, I was, in addition to everything else, venturing to a part of the stadium I hadn’t set foot in for many, many years.
“Your precious reputation will remain intact,” he’d said with an indulgent smile, like doing me this favor would somehow erase everything else.
I was still deciding whether to strangle him when I reached the row in question and stopped short. Kate and Abram were already waiting for me, but she turned first, her sunglasses perched on her head and hair blazing copper under the stadium lights.
“Look who finally showed up.”
Abram grinned warmly. “Nathaniel.”
Kate’s gaze dropped immediately to the hot dog in my hands. “Is that for me?”
“No.”
She reached out and took it anyway. “Thanks. I’m starving.”
Before it’d even fully left my grip, I snatched it back and took a massive bite, leaving her only about a third and it was mostly bun. Abram leaned forward, clearly tuned into the field where the players were warming up instead of paying attention to our silent standoff.
I handed her what remained of the hot dog and her jaw dropped. “You absolute menace.”
I chewed slowly, savoring the flavors I’d been looking forward to all damn day, and then shrugged once I’d swallowed. “You’re welcome.”
She glared at the sauce-smeared bread in her hand. “This should be considered a hate crime against fans of the opposing team.”
“Suffering builds character.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then I suppose after dealing with you, my character will be amazing.”
“Scoot over,” I said, nudging her knee with my own as I lowered into the seat beside her.
She huffed, then shoved my shoulder once we were both sitting. “I’m getting my own food. Try not to terrorize anyone else while I’m gone.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
She muttered something under her breath and squeezed past me, her hip brushing my thigh as she stepped into the aisle. I ignored the heat that followed the contact and took a long swallow of beer instead.
The second she disappeared into the crowd, Abram spoke, his eyes still on the diamond even though he was clearly talking to me. “You love this game.”
I frowned but nodded. “I do.”
“It shows.” He finally glanced at me, gaze drifting across my Cubs gear before a small, seemingly nostalgic smile appeared on his lips. “You’re lucky to have found something other than work to be passionate about.”
“Yeah. For sure.” I felt the corners of my lips curve.
Not much, considering what this man wanted from me, but it was enough that I saw some of the tension easing from his features.
“My mom and dad used to bring us as kids. Before Charlotte was even born. It wasn’t that often, but it stuck with me. ”
“Your dad is a smart man to have taken the time to make those memories with you.” He let out a short, dry laugh. “Smarter than me, anyway. My business was my baby and I got so caught up in it that I never paused for long enough to consider building anything more permanent.”
What he said was heavier than the casual tone suggested. I suspected, however, that he was easing toward the same thing I wanted to talk to him about. “You did build something permanent. Your legacy will go down in the tomes of history.”
“Whose history? My line ends with me. Once I’m gone, people might know my company, but they won’t care about my name,” he said gently. “What I built is an empire, Nate. Not a legacy. Those are not the same thing. Your dad? He’s leaving behind a legacy. So is your uncle, Harlan.”
The crowd roared as a player swatted a warm-up hit into the outfield, but I barely noticed it. Surprise flashed through me. “You’ve spoken to Harlan?”
“He and I have occasionally crossed paths. We’re friendly when we want to be.” He cracked a smile that was a little warmer this time. “Your cousin Harrison dragged him to New York a few times to see if they could butter me up. He’s a good kid, Harrison.”
“Yeah, he is,” I said carefully. “The best.”
“Your family is something most can only aspire to, son. I wish I’d seen that earlier,” Abram said.
“I could’ve had a chance to build that, you know?
A family. I could’ve slowed down, gotten married, and had a few children of my own.
Never quite made time for it. I just kept telling myself I’d do it later. ”
He glanced at me then, his head shaking. “Later has a way of disappearing much faster than you think. I have few regrets, but that’s one of the big ones. I have enough money to buy the entire goddamn world and no one to leave it to.”
I shifted slightly in my seat. “Your company won’t disappear. We’ve already agreed Pete’s firm will stay on, your structure remains intact, and your people will be protected.”
He smiled faintly. “Twenty years ago, Pete Vanderhaul was the only guy crazy enough to fund my wild idea. He stuck with me through it all, the one man who’s been with me since the beginning. No matter how rough things got.”
“Friendships like that are a blessing,” I said with a nod.
Hinds’ wild idea had also made Pete insanely rich. That was probably why the dude had stuck around, but on the other hand, Pete had struck me as the loyal type.
Abram’s gaze on mine suddenly became a little sharper. “That’s just the thing, Nate. I consider Pete a brother and Kate a niece. They’re not just friends. They’re my only family.”
“Nothing will change in your company’s relationship with them,” I assured him. “Pete will continue to handle your finances and investments. You’re leaving them in good hands with Westwood and Sons.”
That was what it all came down to, his faith in us as a firm versus as a family, but before he could respond, a flash of red hair appeared in my peripheral vision. Kate came back juggling a beer, another hot dog, and a basket of fries. “If either of you touch my food, I swear I—”
Her sneaker caught the toe of my shoe and everything tilted.
“Kate!” I warned.
She pitched forward, her beer sloshing over and some of her fries airborne. I dropped my drink and caught her automatically, one arm locking around her waist, the other steadying her wrist before the tray could dump its contents across all three of us.
She froze against me, and for a split second, the stadium noise dulled into nothing but the rush of blood in my ears. Her body fit against mine like she’d been poured there, the scent of citrus, vanilla, and stadium popcorn clinging to her hair as it brushed my chin.
Her hand braced against my chest, small and warm. “You left your foot out.”
“So now it’s my fault you tripped?” I countered, tightening my grip instinctively when she wobbled again.
Abram chuckled beside us. “Careful, Katherine. Nathaniel might charge a rescue fee.”
She straightened abruptly, like she’d only just remembered he was there. Her cheeks flushed as she stepped back and smoothed her Yankees shirt. The glare she gave me before she sat down again was hard enough to shatter steel. “I had it handled.”
“You definitely did not,” Abram said with a grin.
She shoved the hot dog into my hand. “Hold this while I regain my dignity.”
I glanced at it. “Can I take back the four inches of mine you ate?”
Kate leaned in close so that Abram couldn’t hear. “Only if you want to lose an equivalent amount of inches somewhere else.”
I chuckled in surprise and shook my head. “In that case, your dog is safe with me.”
I was tempted to tell her I had inches to spare, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t need to brag, and if our parents got their way, she might be finding out on her own how blessed I was. For the moment, I tried to focus on the game—and not the big secret gnawing at my insides
Once she was seated, I handed her hot dog back fully intact, deliberately keeping my eyes on the field instead of her knee pressing against mine.
Abram watched us both with a quiet intensity that made my shoulders tighten.
I knew what he was after, what he thought he was looking at, and after that brief chat, I knew why.
The game began, the crowd surging to its feet. Kate shouted aggressively pro-Yankees encouragement, probably just to annoy me. I fired back without even thinking about it, the rhythm of our bickering sliding into a natural back and forth.
As the game rolled on, neither team had gotten a run, so the tension in the stadium climbed inning by inning.
I tried to create another opportunity to talk to Hinds so we could get to the part of that conversation I still needed to have with him, but he was fully absorbed in the game, and Kate was too close.