Chapter One
COLTON
"Come on, brother. You've got to stop being a grump eventually."
My youngest brother Gabe could be a pain in my backside, but as I cocked a brow and looked around at the rest of my brothers, I noted they all had smug smiles. "So, what, you all wanted to meet here to crawl up my ass?"
"No," Gabe corrected. "We wanted to celebrate."
"You're the one who brought the bad mood to the table," Jake directed at me. He was the second oldest and usually the least annoying of them all.
I had to laugh when my middle bro, Spencer, chimed in too. "Dude, come on. I left Penny to stay with Ben on her own to come here. You'd better put on a good face."
"You're the one who started this whole thing and asked about the reason I'm frowning," I countered with exasperation.
"One of these days, maybe you’ll learn what a rhetorical question is," Gabe noted, then asked, "So, everyone wants shots?"
"Yes," I said. There was a nod of approval from the rest of my brothers too. The five of us had come here to celebrate Gabe’s business, Whitley Distillery & Bar, being listed as one of the top five places to be in Boston.
He'd only opened it a few months ago, but it was no surprise to me.
When my brother put his mind to something, he aimed to be the best. That was true for all of us Whitleys.
I downed the shot quickly. It burned my throat but had the calming effect I was looking for.
"You've got a great selection of booze," I praised my brother.
"Thanks. How much time do all of you have tonight?"
The bar was bustling with people. I couldn't see us staying for too long. I had an early day tomorrow, and so did the rest of my brothers. Besides, Gabe had his hands full with the guests. He was the CEO of the distillery by day and insisted on spending his evenings in the bar. He’d aptly named it Whitley Distillery & Bar because everything was in one place, the bar in the front and the distillery in the back.
"We’ve only just arrived, and you already want to kick us out?" Jake asked. Someone was in a good mood.
"I was just trying to figure out how drunk I can get all of you and how much time I have to do it."
"Not me," I said.
Spencer rolled his eyes. "He was just making a joke. Although, come to think of it, maybe getting you shit-faced would take the stick out of your ass."
"Why are you so convinced this shadowing thing will be a disaster?" Cade asked me. He was Spencer’s twin, but the two had very different personalities. Although Cade was channeling Spencer right now.
"Because they're sending this Zoey Thomas to babysit me, and that won't do. I like to call the shots."
"Don't we all?" Cade responded.
We were each CEOs of our own companies. Whitley Industries was a mammoth in the business world.
My father almost ran it into the ground, destroying all of our grandfather's hard work, but my brothers and I had done a great job picking up the pieces after he left. Father had a secret family, which was a long depressing story I’d rather not think about.
So when the time came, we divided up the businesses.
Cade had taken over the coffee branch, Spencer the publishing company.
Gabe was running the craft distillery that he'd expanded in ways none of us could have imagined.
Jake had returned to Boston recently and was in charge of Whitley Advertising.
So yeah, we all liked to call the shots.
Me probably more than them. I figured it was because I was the oldest brother.
I'd been working on a breakthrough in my biotech company for two years, and a few months ago, I'd finally succeeded.
Now we were in the process of bringing the immune-boosting supplement on the market.
Whitley Biotech didn't have a production facility—we were strictly research and development—so we had to partner up with another company to actually make it.
The business worked well, at least from my point of view.
I handed off most of the internal and external communication to my managers.
They’d contact me with emails, requests for meetings, and calls as needed.
For the most part, I ignored it. I was an R&D guy and had to come up with the next discovery. It was what I did best.
But our partners, especially the ones involved in production, disagreed.
They labeled me uncooperative and difficult—which was probably true, because I was busy.
So we were given an ultimatum in order for them to continue to work with us: I had to bring in an expert in organizational management—whatever crap that was—and work with her for a while.
Zoey Thomas was supposed to help me develop my organization and communication skills.
In other words, she was going to babysit me, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I turned to Jake. "Brother, I apologize again for hijacking your wedding with business talk last week.”
"You didn't," he responded.
I felt guilty because the first time I'd found out Zoey was going to work with me was at his wedding. I’d been determined to avoid bringing up the topic, but my brothers could always tell when there was something on my mind.
"It's a good thing you did so we could give you shit about it. I still stand by my original point," Gabe said.
I was looking over his shoulder at his bartenders. They were scurrying about. Gabe was clearly needed, and we were in the way.
He turned to look at me. "At least she's hot."
I groaned. "That has nothing to do with it."
"You know, he does have a point," Cade added. "If you're going to fight with someone for a while, at least it helps if they're good-looking.”
"Just make sure Grandmother doesn't hear about this conversation," Spencer said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I'm 100 percent sure she'll somehow get the idea that she should matchmake you with this Zoey chick."
I waved my hand. "You're way off base. She hasn't even met Ms. Thomas. I haven't met her."
"That won't stop Grandmother," Spencer said. "I mean, look at her track record." He pointed at himself, then at Jake, and then at Cade.
A while ago, my grandmother decided she’d had enough of our nonsense and wanted great-grandchildren.
Since none of us were in serious relationships at the time, she said she'd try to find matches for us.
Her record was perfect, considering three of my brothers were now married or engaged.
But she also had a great-grandkid now, so I was sure she would slow down, since she'd achieved her goal.
If I shared my thoughts with my brothers, they'd probably fight me on it. They seemed determined to fight me on everything tonight.
"If you're needed somewhere else, we can entertain ourselves," Jake assured Gabe. Clearly, he'd picked up on the fact that the bartenders were waving at our youngest brother in panic.
"I'll be right back," Gabe said.
After he left, Spencer said, "You know, Grandmother might try her hand with Gabe next."
"You think so?" Cade asked, nodding toward me. "I mean, he's way younger than the golden boy. Colton is going to be an old lone wolf soon enough."
I stared at both of them. "You two actually have conversations about this?"
"Only when shots are involved," Cade clarified.
"Or when we want to give you shit," Spencer added.
"Man, you make it so easy for them," Jake said, shaking his head.
"I think you're both nuts," I said before deciding to share my theory with them. "Grandmother has Ben now. She wanted a great-grandkid. That's why she started all this." I patted Spencer's shoulder. "You gave her what she wanted, so I'm 100 percent sure she won't continue her matchmaking project."
My three brothers were silent, and that clued me in that they thought I was the crazy one. Jake started laughing first. Cade followed him. But I was convinced I was right. And if not, she could focus on Gabe. Or on our three half brothers.
Spencer just chuckled. "Keep telling yourself that if it helps. But if you don't brace yourself, it's going to smack you right in the face."
"What is?" I asked.
"You'll see," Jake replied.
"Jesus, what's gotten into all of you?"
"Ah, Jake is right. You're making it easy for us to taunt you," Cade concluded.
I'd been so buried in work these past few years that I was kind of out of it when it came to my family.
I'd joined them as often as possible but hadn't been there nearly enough.
And I'd definitely lost my footing when it came to my brothers' bullshitting, but I’d get the hang of it again soon. I was sure of it.
"I think we should get out of Gabe’s hair," I suggested.
Jake's smile faded. He leaned over the counter, glancing at Gabe, who was mixing drinks alongside his bartenders. Was he understaffed, or had a bartender called in sick? I had to talk to him about it. He was heading straight to burnout.
Takes a workaholic to know a workaholic.
"Why are there so many people here tonight?" Spencer asked.
“That list got published yesterday. Maybe people came to check it out,” Jake suggested.
There was a long line to get drinks. Gabe and the bartenders were not going to be able to handle everything.
"How are everyone's bartending skills?" I asked.
"I can follow a recipe," Cade said.
"I probably can too," Jake replied.
Spencer shook his head. "I can't stay. Promised Penny I’ll be home soon."
"You go home. You've got a kid, but the three of us can stay and help Gabe. Right?" I asked, glancing at Jake and Cade.
"That's a good idea," Jake said. "Let me just text Natalie."
Cade nodded. "I'll tell Meredith that I'm going to be late.”
Guilt gnawed at me. I was used to calling the shots, but I wasn't a jackass. Of course they had other plans.
"Go if you have plans with your women. I'll stay here and help Gabe on my own."
"No, the girls will understand," Cade said.
I still wasn't used to three of my brothers having significant others.
It had been just us for as long as I could remember.
Obviously, we dated, but until last year, no one we ever dated had been part of the group.
Natalie, Meredith, and Penny were considered family now, and I liked all of them a lot.
"Want to ask Gabe if he actually wants you here?" Spencer suggested. I knew he was only half joking.
"We all know you like to be in charge, Colton, but maybe double-check with him," Cade added.
I walked behind the counter, straight to my youngest brother, tapping his shoulder.
He looked sideways at me. "Sorry. I'll be right with all of you.”
"How about Jake, Cade, and I give you a hand?"
"Are you serious? That would be amazing."
Gabe never pretended to have things under control. If we offered help and he needed it, he accepted it. Something that was more difficult for the rest of us. Especially for me. I hated asking for help.
I looked up at the rest of my brothers and nodded at them to come behind the counter.
Spencer waved and headed out, and Jake and Cade came right next to me.
"All right. You have recipes somewhere?" Cade immediately asked.
Gabe nodded. "Guys!" he called to his two bartenders.
"My brothers are going to help. Here's what we’re going to do.
You two will take over any of the custom house drinks we have on the menu, and my brothers will mix all the standard cocktails.
We've got the recipes right there." He pointed at a stack of cards that was hidden under the counter.
I grabbed the box and put it out so we could all easily reach it.
"We’re on it," I said.
Gabe winked. "You can take the workaholic out of the office, but you can’t take the work out of the workaholic, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not a workaholic. I just like to get things done."
"That's why we haven't seen you for, like, a million years," Gabe replied.
"Okay, less talking. Get to work,” I said.
We all started prepping drinks, and it really reduced the customer wait time. Most of the orders were for a wine or beer, and that was easy to do.
As we worked, I got to thinking. It wasn’t that I was a workaholic, just determined.
After Mom passed away, I’d made myself a promise: my work would make a difference.
And I'd kept that promise. I regularly had breakthrough ideas.
In the biotech field, that was what kept the business strong.
Some discoveries were easier than others to create and bring to fruition.
This last one had been particularly time-consuming.
But because I didn't give up, I now had something to show for it.
I couldn't wait to see the new drug on the market.
If that meant having to put up with a third-party employee breathing down my neck, then so be it.
I'd dealt with a lot of crap in my lifetime. I’d deal with this too.
I could certainly put up with Zoey Thomas for a year. But I had a hunch she wasn't going to last that long.