Chapter 31
Trevor
“Can we drive this everywhere?” Zara isn’t even fully strapped in yet, and she’s already madly in love with my side-by-side. “Can it go on the road?” Her eyes widen. “Can I drive it?”
“We can drive it everywhere on this property, but not on the regular road.” I finish buckling her into the harness I ordered to keep her safe. “And you can drive it when you’re sixteen.”
Her lower lip pokes out. “That’s so far away.”
I make sure none of her hair is caught in the straps, then tap her on the tip of her nose. “It will be here before we know it.” Rounding the front of the vehicle, I climb behind the wheel, starting the engine before backing out of the garage.
Maren sits beside me, the dessert she made balanced on her lap. Her dark eyes scan the landscape as the setting sun casts it in a golden glow. “It’s really pretty out here.”
I take in her profile, backlit by the last light of the day. “Breathtaking.”
Work was crazy today, so I didn’t get to find my way to her wing of the building until it was time for us to leave.
I hated not getting to see her throughout the day, but it was a necessary evil.
I had a timetable to stick to. We didn’t have to leave early to pick Zara up, but we did have to leave in time to make it to my parents’ for family dinner. Or there would be hell to pay.
Primarily because we have one of their beloved grandchildren in tow.
When we reach my parents’, I park in the closest possible place I can, then work on getting Zara’s chair out of the back.
I initially planned to bring the van, but then decided that wouldn’t be fair.
Everybody else gets to ride in a side-by-side, and there’s no fucking way I’m going to make Zara do anything different.
It only takes a few extra minutes to break down her chair and reassemble it, so it’s not really that much extra effort. And watching her point out every squirrel and bird she saw as we wound our way through the trees was worth every second.
Quinn takes over the final steps—getting in a little more practice since he’ll be responsible for this if the need to dismantle Zara’s chair during the school day arises—while I help her get unbuckled.
It takes a little trial and error to figure out the best way for her to transfer, especially since she prefers to do as much of it on her own as she can, but soon we’re rolling toward the back of my mother’s house.
She hosts enough events here that require caterers to bring in fully loaded carts of food, that there’s actually an elevator already in place.
It’s not big enough to hold all of us, so I send Maren and Zara up together, sprinting up the stairs and into the house so I can beat them to their destination.
It isn’t difficult to operate the small lift, but since it’s Maren’s first time, I want to be there in case she needs help.
“That was awesome.” Zara greets me with a bright smile as I slide open the door between us. “I’ve never been on an elevator in somebody’s house before.”
It’s something she’ll get used to very soon, because I’ve got a structural engineer working with the same company who installed my mother’s elevator to figure out where we can put one in my house.
Zara is capable of making her way up and down the stairs, but one wrong move could send her tumbling.
Plus it’s exhausting. I can only imagine how tiring it will be for her at bedtime after a long day at school.
“Hello, hello, hello.” My mother beams as she heads our way, an apron tied around her waist and a smudge of flour across her nose.
“How was everyone’s day?” She points at Zara.
“Not you. I already know how your day was.” She gives her a wink.
“It was magnificent because you spent it with your Nana DeeDee.”
“It was great.” Zara leans to peer around my mother in the direction of the kitchen. “Are there lots of people here?”
“Just a normal amount.” My mother steps around Zara’s chair, taking over for Maren. “And you’ve already met everyone.” She pushes Zara down the hall, running through the list of everyone who’s coming to dinner.
Maren takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she watches them walk away. “I guess I better just get this over with.”
“It’s just like being at work. With more food.” I tip my head from side to side, considering. “Or like girls’ night with less alcohol.”
“The less alcohol is the part I’m worried about.” Maren doesn’t look enthused as she peers down the hall. “It already sounds chaotic in there.”
“Oh, it definitely is.” I loop an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “But you have my permission to yell at anyone you want to.” I grin. “Especially my brothers.”
I can’t imagine what Maren’s childhood was like. Don’t have the first clue of how big of a shift it would be for her to go from essentially being an only child with no relatives to speak of, to being sucked into a big, loud family with boundary issues.
“I guess that sounds like fun.” Maren sighs again before stepping out of my embrace. “Let’s go before your mom starts getting suspicious.”
“Sweetheart, you’re living in my house, working for my company, and I just bought your sister a petting zoo.” I hook an arm around her shoulders. “Suspicious doesn’t begin to describe what my mother is right now.”
Probably planning a wedding. I know my mom is champing at the bit to get us all paired up and settled down. It’s been relatively smooth sailing up to this point, so she likely has an inflated sense of optimism about how the rest will play out.
I’m not as optimistic.
Maren seems to be accepting of how much I work. Not a single time has she said anything about my commitment to McKinley Security Systems. And it may genuinely not bother her. Now. But that doesn’t mean it never will.
I’m also sure Maren wouldn’t even consider letting me drag her to the altar. And it wouldn’t be fair of me to try. Especially when I don’t know what’s going to happen next. When the next shoe will drop.
Who it will hit when it lands.
So my mother’s hopes and dreams of another wedding will have to put their target on someone else’s back.
“Oh my God.” Maren presses both hands to her head, eyes wide. “Do you think she thinks we’re fucking?”
“We are fucking.” Will be again as soon as I get her home and in my bed. “But I’m pretty sure my mother prefers not to think about her children screwing, so you’re probably safe there.”
“Good.” Maren seems relieved. “That would have made tonight extra uncomfortable.”
“I should probably warn you, though…” I can’t resist the urge to aggravate her. Just a little. “Everyone else totally thinks we’re fucking.” I give her a wink before dropping my arm and stepping away. “Come on. Let’s go eat.”
She stands in the same spot for a second before finally following, catching up to me in a few rushed steps. “I hate you.”
“You’re a liar.” We reach the doorway opening to the kitchen that serves as the center of my parents’ home. Resting my palm on Maren’s lower back, I urge her toward the breakfast room. “Go sit with your friends. Talk some shit about me. It’ll make you feel better.”
Maren shoots me a glare, but does as I suggest, going to take her place at the table where Mariah, Brooke, and Ruth are already seated. They pour her a glass of fruit-filled sangria from the pitcher my mother prepared as she plunks into a chair.
“She know you love her yet?” Titus steps in beside me, casually tipping back the bottle of beer in his hand. Like he didn’t just ask me the most loaded question ever.
“What the fuck kind of question is that?” I turn back to watch the women as they laugh hysterically, likely at my expense. “We aren’t even close to being at that point.”
My older brother chuckles, shaking his head. “Man, you were at that point the day you saved her from the fire.”
At that point I’d known Maren for two months. We were already at each other’s throats. Anytime our paths crossed, we fought. Annoyed. Instigated.
And our paths crossed a lot.
“She deserves someone who can give her more time.” I can’t seem to make myself deny Titus’s claim, so I deflect. “So does Zara.”
“Bullshit.”
My attention snaps to my brother. “Fuck you.”
“Stop being a fucking coward.” Titus shakes his head, gaze drifting to his wife. “I did enough of that for all of us.”
“I’m not being a coward. I’m being realistic.” I grind my molars together before admitting, “I know what I am and what I’m not. I can’t make her my top priority, and that’s not fair.”
“Bullshit.”
“You gotta stop saying that.” I rake a hand through my hair, frustrated with the conversation. “It’s not bullshit. Trust me. It’s the same problem I have every time I try to get into a relationship.”
“And Kara dying didn’t fuck me up for relationships?” Titus’s expression turns a little judgy. “If I can get past that, you can sure as hell get over thinking you have to make McKinley your top priority.”
“I do have to make McKinley my top priority.” Why doesn’t he get this? “Hundreds of people count on me making it my top priority.”
“I’m not trying to hurt your feelings here, but you aren’t the be-all end-all of our company’s success, dick.
” His eyes shift to where Zara is helping my mom at the counter.
“And it’s okay to have more than one top priority.
” He gestures at our mother and Maren’s sister with his beer.
“Look at mom. She made dad build a mini ramp and platform so Zara could reach the counter. But that doesn’t mean she loves Birdie or my twins any less.
” His focus comes back to me. “Two things can be true. McKinley can be a top priority, and so can Zara and Maren.”
“I’m stretched fucking thin enough as it is. How in the hell do you think I’m going to—”
“You could probably start by buying a fucking petting zoo.” Titus tips his head.
“Oh, wait. You already did that.” His lips press into a pondering curve.
“I guess you could move them into your house, hire Zara a bodyguard, and build a ramp to your front door.” He clicks his tongue.
“Shit. You did all that too.” He turns to me, expression filled with false confusion.
“It’s almost like you’re already making them a priority. ”
“The ramp isn’t actually built yet.” I want what he’s saying to be true.
Want to think there’s enough of me to go around.
But history has shown me there’s not. “And I didn’t see Maren once at work today.
I didn’t have time. I literally ran from one problem to the next and didn’t have a second I could offer her. ”
Titus now seems genuinely confused. “So? You think she wants you up her ass all the time?” He shakes his head.
“That one will kill you if you annoy the fuck out of her all day.” He gestures at the group of women happily sipping sangria and enjoying each other’s company.
“And they would help her hide your body.”
Could it be that simple? That easy?
A smile curves my lips. “She would kill me, wouldn’t she?”
Maren is independent as hell. Has been on her own pretty much her entire life. Having someone around all the time probably would drive her fucking nuts.
It’s possible, my extensive work hours could be something she wouldn’t hate.
“Absolutely she would. And probably wouldn’t feel bad about it either.” He grins. “She’d think you deserved it.”
“I probably would. I’m kind of a pain in the ass.” And I think Maren actually likes that about me. The same way I like that she’s not one to back down or take shit.
“You would definitely deserve it.”
Titus sobers as Walker walks in, the whole feel of the kitchen shifting with my cousin’s arrival. He watches Walker go straight to where Birdie is hanging out with my dad and the rest of our brothers in the living room, waiting until Walker’s out of earshot before asking, “How’s he doing?”
I’ve been so fucking busy with Maren’s move, getting Quinn set up to go to school with Zara, and figuring out the logistics of making my house accessible, I haven’t checked on our cousin nearly enough.
While I spent Monday dealing with the laptop fiasco, he was sifting through the records of his mother’s death, hunting for the closure he’s never had.
“He seemed okay when he brought Lindsey around and introduced her to everyone.”
Titus shoots me a questioning look. “Who’s Lindsey?”
“A woman I hired to help out in the warehouse. She’s got a pretty great resume, so we’re hoping after she goes through training, she might be able to take on a more managerial position.
” Now that I’ve got Ruth, everyone has someone helping to carry the load of their division except Walker.
It would be great if we could find someone reliable to fill that void.
Someone who’s also willing to put up with a whole lot of silence.
“Don’t let mom find out. She’ll start plotting.” Titus keeps his voice low. “And that’s the last thing Walker needs right now.”
I watch my mother as she teaches Zara how to cut the flat, herb filled dumplings that are Ruth’s favorite with a pizza roller before carefully sliding them into simmering broth.
“He might not have anything to worry about for a while. I think she’s managed to get her hands pretty full for someone who had zero grandchildren a couple years ago. ”
“Yeah, but you know our mom.” Titus chuckles. “She’s always been an overachiever.”