5. Brodie
There was a comfort in the routine of waiting at an airport gate, waiting for my flight to board. When I started this company, years ago, all of this was new to me. I rarely left Haddarville growing up.
Taking my textile idea to Montana, because that was where I could find land to build a manufacturing plant, was a terrifying idea. But I’d managed to talk my way into an investment, and things just never stopped from that point.
Now it was flights every week or two, always first class, to meet with businesses and governments around the world.
I’d spent the last few days wrapping things up locally. I was sent on sabbatical on Monday, and it was Friday now, and today I was going home. Not Big Sky, Montana, but the town I’d grown up in. The place I hadn’t been back to since I left.
An odd blend of trepidation and excitement thrummed in my veins as I boarded, and settled into my seat. I wasn’t surprised when an older woman wheeled a small carry-on bag to the set next to mine, and stopped. These flights were always so full.
“That’s my seat,” she muttered.
I slid easily from my window chair. “Can I put your bag up for you, ma’am?”
“Thank you.” She gave me a tight smile and stepped aside, so I could lift her carry-on into the overhead bin.
We settled back into our seats without much more conversation.
She looked maybe thirty-five or forty years older than me, with silver hair, and signs of age lining her face and neck. Her age didn’t seem to slow her down, though. She’d strode over here with an easy gait, and moved about the same.
I’d let her be the one to decide if she wanted to be chatty or not. I wasn’t a small talk person. Which made things rough the first several years of working with investors and potential clients.
I’d learned to talk about the most banal bullshit, but if I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t.
I pulled my tablet from the pocket of my laptop bag, along with the digital pencil, and set to work on the logistics of my new fabric design. I needed a material I didn’t have yet, but I was determined to figure it out.
“Are you an artist?” The woman asked. Was that a sneer in her tone? If so, it was subtle, so I may be imagining it.
No one sneered at my work. “In a way, I suppose. I’m a CEO, but I used to be an engineer. There’s an art in that type of creation.”
“Really?” A cautious curiosity slipped into her reply. “What industry are you in?”
“Textiles.”
She let out a clipped huff. “I could introduce you to my granddaughter.”
I heard that, or similar things, a lot. My daughter-slash-son is single, and the two of you would hit it off.” I resisted the urge to say does she like rich, quiet men? Because that was something I heard a lot too. “Tell me about her.” I prepped myself to pick out the highlights of whatever praise came next.
“No. That’s not a conversation for strangers.” Her tone held a hint of finality.
Sounded like a good reason not to ask for more information. I turned my attention to my tablet again, keeping half an ear on the boarding instructions from the flight attendant. A short while later, we taxied to a runway, and then we were in the air.
The conversation seemed to be long over, until my row mate turned to me again. “I’m Donna,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you, young man.”
“I’m Brodie.” I shook her hand. “Is Salt Lake your final stop, or just a layover?”
“It’s close enough. I’m visiting one of the towns an hour or so away. Another granddaughter is getting married.”
“That sounds exciting.”
Those were the words that came out of my mouth, while my brain rocketed ahead, connecting the pieces. True, a lot of people got married, and quite a few of them were in Utah. There was no reason to believe this woman was going the same place I was.
Aside from the fact that everyone in Haddarville knew the name Donna Lantrey, even if they’d never met her.
This was way too much of a coincidence.
“Oh, this one is lovely.” In a blink, Donna’s attitude shifted. “She’s brilliant. Successful. And all at such a young age.”
“What does she do?” I was really hoping the answer was something like heart surgeon or Peace Corps or anything other than?—
“She works in technology. I have to admit, I don’t understand most of what she says about her job, but she’s a Vice President. She’s going to take a position from someone like you one day.”
Possibly, from what I remembered about Sylvie. “I’ll consider myself fortunate she’s in a different industry, then.”
Donna chuckled.
My life had been filled with bizarre coincidences. Some were crushing and others got me where I was now. I wasn’t in the mood for more, though. I knew from Aubrey that her grandmother wasn’t a fan, and polite conversation would go out the window if Donna ventured down an insulting path.
The flight attendant interrupted to ask if we wanted drinks, and with a polite reminder that because this was only an hour-and-twenty-minute flight, there was no meal service.
Donna asked for a ginger ale in a can, and a separate cup of ice, and I was fine with water. When our drinks arrived, I poured Donna’s with a flourish.
She was delighted. “Why, you’re almost a professional.”
“Being the man in charge doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to take care of the people around me.”
Her grunt was one of being impressed.
The distraction was enough to convince me there was no way this woman was who I thought she was. I should go back to my work, and leave this alone. That wasn’t who I was though.
“Which town are you visiting?” I asked.
“One no one’s ever heard of if they’re not from there.”
Most of the state, then. “I’m heading someplace similar, to visit family and friends. The number of people who don’t believe I’m actually from a place called Haddarville is too high to count.”
“Huh. Small world. Are you looking forward to going home?” Her question held an air of you’d better answer this correctly.
Fortunately, I didn’t give a fuck what she thought. “I am. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends. Is your granddaughter getting her dress from Aubrey? That’s one of my stops—visiting her.” My only planned stop.
“Not if I have any say in things.” Donna scowled.
This conversation was about to go downhill. “Aubrey excels at what she does.”
“I hope you don’t find out otherwise, you seem like a nice young man. Aubrey is willful and outspoken. She’s ignored a real career in favor of her little harlot shop, and she doesn’t even have a man to show for it.”
Aubrey was talented and smart and driven by different goals than so many people. And this conversation was pissing me off. “I mean no disrespect, Mrs. Lantrey, but I won’t listen to you talk about my fiancée that way.”
Donna’s face went pale, and her brows pinched. “I beg your pardon?”
“I didn’t expect to meet you this way. May we start over? Mrs. Lantrey, I’m Brodie Watson and I’m engaged to your granddaughter, Aubrey. Pleasure to meet you.” I couldn’t force the kindness into my voice this time.
Her smile returned, but it wasn’t so bright. “I see. What line of work did you say you were in?”
We spent the rest of the flight discussing the marketing bullet points of high-end fabrics. That I’d started the business. That I led it—I left out the bit about the board required sabbatical—and that it was a multi-billion-dollar, international powerhouse.
She seemed impressed.
I was bothered that it took a bank account like mine to win approval for Aubrey.
This was going to be an interesting situation to explain when we got to town. Especially because the only polite thing for me to do, when I realized she was going to call an Uber, was to offer to drive her to town in my rental.
That was another hour and a half of awkward conversation.
As we reached town, I tried to be subtle about looking around, as if it hadn’t been nearly twenty years since I was last here. Growing up, I thought this place would be stuck in time forever.
And a new ache bloomed in my chest at the distant sight of an abandoned warehouse on the other edge of town. It was still there. Probably still empty. Clint used to escape there and dance when we were in high school, and I’d tag along and watch.
Clint. A name I hadn’t considered beyond checking up, in ages. Now that I was looking at Haddarville again, the last couple decades vanished, and I missed him again as if I’d just broken up with him yesterday.
I needed to not linger in those memories. Not much had changed about the town, but it was enough that I could see Haddarville finally moving into the future. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
“Let me drop you at the hotel, so you can freshen up and check in,” I said.
Donna shook her head. “I’m not staying in that place. We’ll go to Aubrey’s, and Sylvie can bring me to my hotel once we’ve all met.”
Lovely.
I parked in one of the spots in front of the vintage clothing store, opened Donna’s door for her, and we headed inside.
Aubrey was at the register. She was still the girl I’d known back when, but mature. Stunning. Her blond hair was pulled into a style I couldn’t name if my life depended on it, and her sleeveless top showed off a stunning collection of tattoos. Those were new.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
She looked up, and her gaze passed over me. Her brow furrowed when she saw Donna. “Grandma. I didn’t expect you here so soon.”
“I needed to get here before you dug your claws into your sister.”
Any doubts about what I told Donna evaporated at her snide tone.
Before anyone could say anything else, I said, “Hey, Peach, I missed you” and strode toward Aubrey.
Her eyes grew wide. I reached her before she could say anything, and I cupped her face between my palms. I leaned in and hovered my mouth over her ear. “Play along, and I promise I’ll explain,” I whispered.
I pressed my mouth to hers, swallowing any response aside from a gasp.
Her lips were soft and warm, and she yielded after only the briefest moment of hesitation. The way she kissed back drove straight to my cock, along with memories of every intimate moment we’d shared.
She even smelled faintly like peaches, and fuck if that was just too much temptation.
Donna coughed and cleared her throat. “The two of you are in public.”
Aubrey pressed her mouth to the hollow under my ear. “You have a lot of talking to do.” Her voice was more threatening than a murmur should be.
She looked past me, to Donna. “Let me get Sylvie down here. She’ll be so excited to see you.” Aubrey already had her phone out, and her thumbs flew across the screen. “She’ll be right here,” Aubrey said a moment later.
“No one told me you were engaged too,” Donna said.
Aubrey’s smile was so tight, I worried pieces may crack off. “This is about Sylvie. I would never want to ruin her big news.”
“Mhmm.”
I slipped an arm around Aubrey’s waist, and she stiffened at my touch, before relaxing enough to step closer.
“Grandma.” Sylvie burst into the room from the back. She gave us a brief glance, and raised her brows, then turned to Donna again. “You didn’t tell me you were coming now.”
“I couldn’t let your sister ruin your big day,” Donna said brightly, and pulled Sylvie into a hug.
Aubrey was as rigid as a stone statue against my touch.
What kind of family bullshit was this? Aubrey had complained about her family online, but most of them weren’t in Haddarville when I was here, including Donna, so I’d never seen this in person.
“Let me buy you lunch, we’ll talk.” Sylvie tugged her toward the door.
“I’ll bring your luggage in,” I said.
Donna gave me a brief nod.
Aubrey tossed Sylvie a set of keys. “Take as long as you need, Sylvie.”
Sylvie picked them up from the ground where they’d dropped a few feet away, and she and Donna were gone.
The instant the door closed behind them, Aubrey pulled away from me, anger flashing in her eyes. “You have so much fucking explaining to do, Brodie Watson.”
She remembered me. Nice.
“Or should I call you BW?” She asked. “I can’t believe… Don’t think being an incredible kisser makes up for anything. You gave me your fucking initials, and I didn’t see who you… What the fu”—She clenched her jaw. “Start talking.”
“I was seated next to your grandmother on the plane. I realized it was her when she started talking about you, and the things she said… I couldn’t listen to her say those things about you, Peach. My choices were to tell her she was”—I bit back any insults, we didn’t speak ill of our elders—“I didn’t have a choice but to tell her I was your fiancé, and ask her to stop talking shit about you.”
Aubrey’s scowl deepened. “I feel like you probably had a lot of other choices. You know who I am. You’re BW, from the game. How long…?”
“I didn’t know you were you. You have my word. I had no idea who you were until the other night, when you mentioned Sylvie. Pieces fell together, other things you’ve said, and it clicked.”
The growl she made from deep in her chest was probably meant to be threatening. Was it wrong that I thought it was sexy?
“If you told Donna Lantrey, the rest of the town will know by the end of the day.” Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t… Fucking hell. There’s so much to unpack here.”
“I couldn’t listen to it.” I placed a finger under Aubrey’s chin and forced her gaze to mine. “Even if I just found out your real name, I know for certain you’re not the person she was describing.”
“No, I’m not.” Aubrey worked her jaw. “That’s Grandma for you.”
“We’ll be low key about this,” I said. “If anyone asks why you never mentioned it before, that’s what you tell them. Sylvie’s announcement came out of the blue, before you could make yours, and you didn’t want to steal her thunder.”
“Or I tell Grandma it’s bullshit and you made it up because she’s a mean cow.”
How morbid was it that I wanted to see that conversation? “Do you want to do that?”
“Fuck.” Aubrey screwed up her face. “No.”
I slipped my arm around her waist again and pulled her closer to me. “Like I said online, this is to give you a counter to your family’s bullshit, and nothing more.”