32. Sutton
Chapter thirty-two
Sutton
I climb behind the wheel of my car a few days after Bash and I decided we wanted things to be real between us and put the key in the ignition, but when I turn it, the engine won’t start.
I try again, and the same thing happens. With a huff, I get out, grab my stuff, and head back toward the condo. I’ll call Becca and see if she can swing by and pick me up, or call a rideshare.
“What’s wrong?” Bash asks when I walk into the kitchen and set my stuff on the counter.
I whirl around, nearly jumping out of my skin at the sound of his voice.
Damn, my husband is hot, all shirtless in just a pair of boxers, his dirty-blond hair tousled with sleep and wearing that damn necklace that’s sexier than it should be.
I wish I didn’t have a meeting this morning, because I’d like to get naked and let Bash have his way with me. But I can’t. Sadly.
“Sutton?”
I tear my gaze from his mostly naked body. “My car won’t start.”
He grabs his keys from the counter. “Take mine. I’ll call a tow truck and get yours to a mechanic.”
“No, it’s alright. I’m going to call Becca and see if she can pick me up.” I take my phone out of my purse.
“Love, I insist.” He steps closer to me.
“How will you get to the airport?”
“I’ll get one of the guys to pick me up. Drive my car while I’m gone.” He shakes the keys at me, and I finally take them from him. “It’s safer anyway.” I side-eye him. “Your car is old, and I worry about you.”
I rear back. I love my car. She’s been reliable for years. “She’s not that old, and she’s perfectly safe.”
He puts his hands up in surrender. “Alright, but I’m serious. Take my car. Leave me your keys. I’ll have yours towed, and we can pick it up when I get back.”
“Okay.” I nod. “Thank you.” I give him my keys.
“Of course.” He gives me a quick peck on the lips. “Have a good day. I’ll call you later.”
I smile. “Can’t wait. Love you.”
“Love you too,” he says as I head out the door once again, this time to his SUV.
Which does start, not that I expected otherwise, and I finally make it to the office with plenty of time to spare before my first of many meetings. The morning flies by, and it’s just after lunchtime when my cell phone rings. I almost don’t answer it, but then I see who’s calling.
“Hello, Glenn.”
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Henderson. I’m calling in regard to your inheritance.”
“Wonderful.” I fiddle with the pen on my desk, twirling it around.
“You have satisfied the terms your grandmother set out in her will …”
“Good.”
“But,” he says, and my heart sinks. “I need you to sign some papers.”
“Okay. You can email them to me. I’ll sign them, scan them, and send them back.”
“Unfortunately, I need hard copies of this paperwork.”
“Okay. I’ll print them, sign them, and mail them to you, overnight if that’s what you need me to do.”
“I suppose I should have led with this, but I need to witness you signing them. In person.”
That’s a little odd. He expects me to fly all the way to upstate New York? I mean, it is a sizable inheritance, so it’s worth it, but still. Before I can ask him when we can arrange a meeting for, he’s speaking again.
“I’ll be in Tampa next week for a conference. Would you be able to meet me on Monday or Tuesday?”
“I’m sure I could make that work.”
“Perfect. I have an old colleague with an office in Celebration. I’ll check with him to see if he would be amenable to letting us use one of his conference rooms for an hour. Does that work for you?”
“Yep.”
“Wonderful. Let me confirm with him, and I’ll send you the information. Is there a day or time that doesn’t work for you or a time that works best?”
I quickly check my calendar. “Both of those days are wide open for me, so any time works.” I’d prefer it if Bash could come with me, but I’m an adult, and I can handle meeting a lawyer and signing some paperwork alone.
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Goodbye.”
I hang up the phone and drum my fingers on the desk. I can’t believe I’m actually going to get my inheritance. I thought for sure there’d be a fight from my father, but for once, luck appears to be on my side. I should call Anders, make sure his company is still interested.
“This is Anders,” he says when he picks up the call.
“Hi, Anders. It’s Sutton.”
“Well, hello. I take it you have good news?”
I chuckle. “I do. It seems everything on my end is just about done. I have a meeting with the lawyer next week, and I hope, I think, ownership will be transferred to me then.”
“That’s great news. Congratulations.”
“What’s next? What happens now?” I spin the ring on my thumb. Do you still want this chain?
“Once you have all the paperwork, give me a call. I’ll have our lawyer put together an offer, and we can go from there.”
“Okay.”
“We want these hotels, Sutton …”
“I gathered that …”
“No, I mean we really want this …”
I blink a couple of times until the light bulb goes off. Oh.
“Got it. I’ll give you a call once everything is official. Hopefully next week, but it might take until the week after.” I fiddle with the papers on my desk. I don’t entirely know how the whole transferring ownership works.
“Sounds good. And Sutton, if you need anything, anything at all, just give me a call.”
“Thank you.” I’m not sure what I could need from him, but the offer is appreciated.
We say our goodbyes and hang up. I get to my feet, stretching my back.
The more pregnant I get, the more I ache.
I roll my shoulders a few times. I grab my water bottle and decide to fill it up and maybe go down to see Becca or just take a short walk.
I could use some movement to get rid of all this nervous energy.
I quickly lock my laptop and head down the hall to the small kitchen where I fill my water bottle and snag a donut hole out of the box sitting on the counter. Do I need the sugar? No, I do not, but I definitely want it.
I head out of the kitchen to the elevators and down two floors to where the medical team has their offices.
I hope Becca’s not with a patient. I know a couple of the guys aren’t traveling with the team due to injuries.
My eyes light up when I see her door is open.
I knock on the doorframe before poking my head in.
“Knock, knock.”
She sets her tablet down on her desk and beckons for me to come in, so I do, taking a seat across from her.
“Hey. I was just thinking about you. How are you feeling?”
“Good for the most part, except when she lies on an organ.” Becca’s mouth drops open. “What?” I ask, glancing around. “Do I have sugar on my face?”
She beams at me. “She? You’re having a girl?”
“I am.”
She jumps out of her chair and runs around to me.
“That’s so exciting. I’m so happy for you.” She pulls me into her arms.
“What’s going on?” Hadley asks from behind us.
Becca lets go of me and steps back. She gestures for Hadley to join us before tipping her chin at me.
“I’m having a girl.”
Hadley squeals and jumps up and down, clapping her hands. I shake my head at their antics.
“Now, to be fair, I’d be this excited if you told me it was a boy,” Hadley says, pointing at me.
“Agreed,” Becca says. “We’re just excited. Who else knows?”
“Just Bash.”
Becca and Hadley exchange looks before Hadley grabs the other guest chair and drags it closer to the desk while Becca and I sit back down.
“How are things with you two?” Hadley asks when she’s seated.
“Good, really good.” I fiddle with my ring, twisting it on my finger.
“What’s wrong?” Becca asks.
“I’m just nervous. I heard from my grandmother’s attorney.” I tell them about having to meet with Glenn.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Hadley asks.
“Or I can go. Or we both can,” Becca says.
“I—thank you for offering. I’ll let you know.”
“Of course,” Hadley says.
“We should hang out this weekend. I know we’ve been trying to plan another ladies’ night, and Ansley is out of town with the team, so it won’t be all of us, but we should get together and watch the game,” Becca says.
“I’m in.”
“Me too. Just tell me when and where. I’ll bring snacks,” Hadley says.
“Should I invite Madison and Aubrey too?” Becca asks, grabbing her phone off the desk.
“Definitely,” I say.
“How about we meet at my place at four tomorrow? We can hang out then order dinner and watch the game,” Becca suggests.
“Works for me,” Hadley says.
We spend the next few minutes making plans for tomorrow night before Becca has to see a patient. Hadley and I part ways at the elevators; she’s heading home, and I’m heading back to my desk to finish the rest of my day’s work.