Chapter 13 Comfortable In Life
COMFORTABLE IN LIFE
They were doing so well with the conversation until Kenzie said she planned on staying in Utah.
He had time to change her mind, just not as much time as he’d like.
The clock was ticking. He’d been able to put his mother off for a week with nothing more than a few texts. She had other things on her mind to worry about. Two more grandchildren being born soon and Rowan’s new girlfriend that Nelson was positive would be a fiancée soon.
But he’d be flying to North Carolina after Talia had his niece and she was due in two weeks. Then two weeks after Laken would have his nephew and he’d see his mother again there.
He needed a plan before then.
Thankfully West and Braylon were giving him space.
“I’m starving,” he said. “Let’s get some food before we start walking around.”
“This way,” she said, grabbing his hand. She went to pull it away, but he threaded their fingers together.
As much contact as he could get with her, he was taking.
“This is a nice park,” he said. “I’m so used to big city living, but I enjoy my townhouse in New Jersey.”
“Why get that if you’re in Manhattan? Why not get a place there?”
“Cost,” he said. “I could have but would have had a fraction of the space. And I’m on the road so much it doesn’t really matter. I’m not in the office much either. When I’m home, I’m remote if I need to be, or go in when I want and don’t worry about rush hour traffic.”
“Do you enjoy traveling so much? I mean has that been your wish rather than having one stable job?”
He saw the vendors in sight. “Let’s get something to eat and I’ll explain more while we walk.”
“Works for me.”
They moved closer and looked around. He settled on a hot dog and fries. He rarely ate like that and it’d hit the spot. Kenzie got a large pretzel with dipping cheese sauce.
Once they were seated at a picnic table with their food and water bottles, he started. “I’m sure you know the history of West by now?”
“I did look a few things up. You told me your father died and I know he was in the Army and you moved around a lot.”
“We did. I won’t bore you with all those details. Everyone has had to work for their careers. West took care of our education.”
She snorted. “Must be nice.”
“I know. Sorry. But Braylon, Laken and West had debt and West cleared it all when he could. Braylon always knew he’d work for West, the same with Laken.
Foster right there. Elias likes North Carolina and he wasn’t moving.
He always had a thing for beer, it made sense.
Fifth Kid Brewing is massive and growing yearly. ”
“I’m not much of a drinker, despite the shots that say otherwise, but beer hasn’t been my thing.”
“We’ll keep that between us,” he said. “Or Elias will feel the need to make something you’d like.”
“I won’t be around long enough for that.”
Hearing those words only drilled a hole in his gut, making his hot dog not want to stay put.
He’d ignore it though because it wasn’t the time to dispute it. “Rowan went to college in California and never left. He owns Sixth Surf. He manufactures and designs custom surfboards. Lives on the beach and is loving his life.”
“That sounds awesome. I’m going to assume West played a part in those businesses?”
“He did. We all were told the same thing. Come up with a business plan if we wanted to run something and he’d make sure he got it off the ground. The rest of us needed a plan too. We didn’t have to work for him if we didn’t want to. That’s our choice.”
“But you’d be nuts not to unless he’s a tyrant.”
“Most people think he is. There was a period of time I thought it, but not now.”
His brother just did too much for him to feel that way.
“You decided you want to work for your brother too?”
“I want to be just like him,” he said, laughing. “There is a joke in the family that I’m mini-West. Or I was. But I see what it takes.”
She coughed on her pretzel, some cheese on the corner of her lip. He wiped it off with his thumb.
“You want to be a billionaire?” Her appalled expression told him where she stood.
“Who doesn’t?”
She raised her hand. “Me. Comfortable in life is my goal.”
“I can understand that,” he said. “But everyone’s level of comfort is different. Do I think I’ll end up like West? Probably not. Maybe. I’m learning from him and when the opportunity arises, I’m going to make an investment in a company myself.”
He wouldn’t share that he had bonuses or tiny shares in any company that he touched. Nothing like his other siblings since he hadn’t been working for West that long. And right now, he was going in and fixing problems rather than starting new ventures. Slowly learning that way.
But he’d proven his worth with Laken’s husband’s business, building it from the ground up.
West had confidence in Nelson’s ability now.
“It’s good to have those goals. I bet you’ll do well for yourself.”
It was a canned response that he didn’t care to hear.
“The last of us is Talia,” he said. “She’s married and is having a baby in a few weeks. She’s less than two years younger than me. She lives in North Carolina and works for West running his charitable foundations.”
“That has to be a fun job. Helping people and businesses.”
“Talia loves it. Not something anyone thought she’d do, but it’s working. Anyway, there is some history of me. My traveling is hit and miss. I could be gone a month or longer, or just a few days. Depends on what West has going on or problems in other businesses.”
She nodded, then reached for one of his fries and dipped it in her cheese sauce.
“Try it that way. It’s great.”
He did as she’d said. “It is. Do you come here often?”
“I have. The path is fun to walk around. Thanks for this, Nelson.”
“For what?”
She blinked her eyes and chewed. “Surprising me. Taking me on this much-needed date. I haven’t been on a date in almost a year. I’ve just had so many other things on my mind.”
He reached over and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear that the wind had picked up to wave around. “You’re welcome. Would you be opposed to me doing this again?”
“Doing what?”
“Coming to see you?”
“You’re going back to New Jersey from here, right?”
“I am.”
“That’s a much longer flight for you to do for a weekend,” she said. “And I’m cramming next weekend for exams.”
“It’s my time,” he said. “If I came and you could spare me a few hours?”
She shook her head. “You’re crazy. You want to fly all this way to go on a few hour date?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Problem with it?”
She let out a short laugh. “I must be just as crazy, but I don’t have a problem with it.”