Zach Twenty minutes. That was how short my interaction with Adeline was. If it had even been that long. And two days later, it was still on my mind. I shut down my laptop and slid it into my bag, the end of day silence I usually loved too loud now that I had her voice back in my head. The Roark Wright deal was done, signed, sealed, and delivered to legal. I’d wrapped up the final details this morning, closed the file, and officially washed my hands of it. Exc ept for the blast from the past that would be with me for much longer than it had taken to get the deal done. “Zach?” I looked up to see my secretary in my doorway, and I groaned when I saw the look on her face. “Who needs to see me this time?” “Alex called down,” she said apologetically. “He needs you up there before you leave.” I checked the time out of habit. Five forty-five. It was too late for a casual check-in, but not late enough to be urgent. Roark. It’s got to be about Roark. “Thanks,” I said, standing up and sliding my bag over my shoulder. “You don’t need to wait for me. I’m sure it’s going to be quick. Probably just some feedback.” She nodded and st epped aside to let me out when I reached the door. “Let me know if you need me to come back.” “I won’t,” I promised. “Not tonight. If it’s about last-minute changes to the deal, I’ll just grab someone from the pool. Go home, Linda. Your kids need you occasionally too.” She chuckled. “You should take your own advice sometimes, Zach. Go home early tonight no matter what happens, okay? Get some rest and we’ll dig in tomorrow morning.” I nodded, but both of us knew that probably wouldn’t happen. Brushing past her, I waved and headed upstairs to Alex’s office, knocking but not waiting before I pushed the door open. “You’re late,” he said without looking up from his computer. “How can I be late if you literally just asked me to come up? It seems to me that I’m right on time.” He leaned back in his chair, his head shaking as he finally looked at me. “I have to go to DC for a few days.” I paused just inside the door. “Okay. That’s nice?” And also not at all what I expected, but maybe we’re still getting to the part about Roark. “Trust me, it’s not going to be nice,” he said. “Anyway, I need you to help Nate and Jesse cover some of my responsibilities while I’m gone.”
I shrugged and crossed the office, dropping into the chair across from him. “Yeah. Of course. Whatever you need.” Relief softened his features for just a beat. “Thanks, Zach. It’s nothing you can’t handle. Nate will be doing most of the heavy lifting. I just don’t want him drowning in both roles again, but I also know neither you or Jesse want to be interim CEO.” I flinched. “I’ll back them up. Don’t worry. Besides, you said it’s only for a few days, right?” “Yeah, but Dad is meeting me there,” he said. “It might end up being more than a few days, d epending on what he’s planning.” I frowned. “Dad, as in Douglas Westwood, our father who has been sunbathing semi-professionally for the last twelve to fourteen months?” He laughed. “One and the same.” “Why is he meeting you there?” He shrugged, but his mouth pulled into a flat line, letting me know that he was unimpressed with the situation. “Honestly? I have no idea. He just said that an old friend needs a favor and that he wants me there.” “That’s suspiciously vague.” “That’s exactly what I said.” I chuckled. “Clearly, you’re thrilled about getting to spend a few days with the old man.” His eyes rolled so hard, I was convinced he’d caught a glimpse of his tonsils. “Of course, and what better place than DC? Nothing makes me happier than leaving my family behind to go make small talk with politicians.” “At least you’ll get some sle ep, right? If Cameron and Jane won’t be going with you.” “I’d rather take my wife and toddler,” he joked. “Being sle
Ep d eprived beats being ambushed every time.” “You think it’s an ambush?” He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, but just be available when I call.” “Always.” “That’s the problem,” he muttered, but his phone rang before I could ask him to explain. “Fuck. It’s Sterling. I have to take this, but I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I know.” I nodded, standing up and leaving before I could get dragged into whatever our oldest cousin was calling about. Sterling was the CEO of Westwood and Sons, West Coast Division. While he and Alex talked pretty regularly, I wasn’t about to stick around on the off chance this was about some new deal they’d send my way. Instead, I took my secretary’s advice like I’d promised and headed home early. I was barely inside the front door before Bear came loping toward me, my German Sh epard that was seventy-five pounds of enthusiasm with absolutely no respect for personal space.
“Hey, buddy,” I said as he pushed his head into my chest like he hadn’t seen me in years, his tail wagging so hard, it nearly knocked over a side table. “Yeah, I missed you too.” Theo’s voice came from somewhere de eper in the house. “He’s been like that all afternoon. Going absolutely nuts.” “What does that mean?” “He’s obsessed,” Theo clarified, appearing in the entrance to the cavernous hallway that led to the rest of the house. “That squirrel who used to live in the backyard has taken up residence again and Bear has decided that it’s personal this time.” Bear huffed like he understood every word, already turning toward the back door with purpose in his stride. I sighed but set my stuff down and moved to follow him. “Yeah, alright. Let’s go before you take out a wall.” Theo trailed behind me when I walked to the kitchen to grab the leash. By the time I turned around, he was already halfway into a jacket. I frowned at him. “I’m coming with you,” he said. “Bear and I have been waiting for hours.” “And here I was, not knowing that I was the only person in this household who actually works.” He laughed. “I finished up my last meeting early and came home. To be fair, I can answer emails from anywhere.” “Sure, but is that what you were doing? Because I have a feeling you were terrorizing the squirrel with Bear.” “Why do you always think I’m terrorizing something or someone?” he asked as we st epped out into the yard. I shot him a grin over my shoulder. “How about because you usually are?” As soon as he got outside, Bear locked onto his target like he had a job to do, but the squirrel, predictably, didn’t care. Theo shoved his hands into his pockets, his head shaking as he watched the dog. “That’s going to be an epic battle until the squirrel decides to move on again.” “We’ll let him burn off energy for a few minutes before we head out,” I said. “He’ll be impossible otherwise.” Theo nodded, waiting with me until Bear finally trotted back over. We left the house with Bear on his leash just ahead of us. Neither of us said much for the first block, but after we turned the corner, I felt him looking at me. “What?” I asked. “I heard Alex called you in,” he said. “Is everything okay? We’re not battening down the hatches for the next scandal already, are we?” “Not yet.” I chuckled. “We’re all good for now. He’s just going to DC for a few days and he wants me to help Nate and Jesse cover some of his stuff.”
“DC?” He let out a low whistle. “He must not be happy about that. Doesn’t he hate that place with a fiery passion?” “He does, but Dad insisted.” Theo winced. “That sounds awful.” “It’s not that bad.” He snorted. “You hate that kind of thing too.” “I don’t hate it,” I corrected. “I just don’t want it permanently.” “Yeah,” he agreed. “Neither do I. Poor Alex.” “Poor Alex has wanted that big chair our whole lives,” I reminded him. “He’ll live. Even if he might need therapy after a few days in Washington with Dad.” “Ain’t that a fact,” he said, then laughed. “On the other hand, he needs therapy already. God knows, we all do. Especially after the last few years.” “True. Maybe our next acquisition should be a mental hospital. We can all move in there together.” Bear zigzagged ahead of us like he was mapping the neighborhood one scent at a time. Theo watched him for a beat before he nodded his agreement. “We could do that, but the hospital will have to be in Texas if you want everyone moving in. Trent called earlier. They had an appointment with the baby doctor this morning. Charlotte is doing well and the little one is still on track for summer, but it sounds like Trent is still trying his best to ke ep Charlotte as quiet and relaxed as possible.” I snorted trying to hold back a laugh. “Good luck to him. He’s definitely going to need it.” “Oh, and I spoke to Jane too,” he said. “Apparently, Cameron tried to feed Emma a crayon. Kate was not happy.” “What did Emma do?” I asked, chuckling as I thought about my three- year-old n ephew trying to convince his two-year-old cousin to eat a crayon. “I bet she really let him have it. She’s going to run Nate’s house with an iron first by the time she’s five.” “She probably already does. According to Jane, she turned the tables and grabbed the crayon, then tried to feed it to him instead.” We turned the final corner into the dog park and our quiet walk turned into loud, joyful, organized chaos. Beyond the area that had been fenced off for dogs, kids laughed and screamed on the playgrounds in the wider park, and where we were, dogs were barking and racing around. There was a small art market set up in the adjacent park as well, folding tables standing under canvas tents with paintings propped up everywhere and other pieces displayed on every surface. Bear’s ears went up and he was pulling at his leash like he’d just remembered he had a purpose in life beyond chasing squirrels. “Easy,” I muttered, adjusting my grip on the leash. Theo scanned the area and I knew that look on his face the second he zeroed in on a target. It took me all of two seconds to find the
group of women at the other side of the park. “Nope,” I said immediately. “Leave them to their peace. They didn’t come here to meet guys.” “Says who?” he r eplied, grinning like a Cheshire freaking cat and reaching for the leash. “Why don’t you let me take him for a while and you can go brood somewhere?” “I don’t brood. I observe.” “Observation is just brooding with better posture and a sharper sense of judgment.” Before I could argue, he took the leash from my hand. “Try not to judge too much, will you? Everyone is just trying to blow off some steam here.” “Try not to embarrass the family,” I called after him when he took off. He laughed and let Bear drag him away. Traitor that he was, not even the dog looked back, only too happy to go help Theo secure his next victim. I shook my head but drifted toward the market now that I was dogless in a dog park. I refused to be the guy who hung around here without a furry companion and I wouldn’t go over to the playground without any kids either, so art, it would be. Our house was full of it, expensive pieces that’d been chosen by people who understood things I didn’t even pretend to. While I’d grown up around it and learned the appropriate reactions as well as the right level of appreciation, I’d never bought any myself. Never invested in it either. Frankly, I wouldn’t even know where to start, but I moved slowly between the stalls anyway, scanning pieces without really seeing them. There were lands capes and abstract shapes along with a lot of portraits that felt a little too intense for a sunny afternoon. None of it really interested me at all, but it was nice to just stroll around. Until something fast whipped by my leg. A kid on a scooter was about to slam face first into the edge of a table. I lunged forward on instinct, my hands shooting out to catch her. She was small enough to lift her clean off the ground by the straps of her overalls. Her scooter banged against the table, shaking all the framed paintings on it. For a second, we both just froze. She blinked at me. I blinked back. “Well, that was a close one,” I said, giving her a quick onceover and finding no visible sign of injury. The kid glared at me defiantly, like I had just ruined her good time. “Lu!” a voice called through the ambient noise in the park. Instantly, my chest constricted but my heart soared. I hadn’t even turned around yet, but I already knew who that voice belonged to. Drawing in a de ep breath, I finally managed to convince my body to work with me, turning in a slow circle until I saw her racing through the crowd. Her strawberry blonde hair caught the light even under the overcast sky, her expression so determined that it was like everything else in the park had ceased to exist. Her eyes locked onto the kid first. “Lauren Caroline Weatherby. What on earth...”
She trailed off when her eyes lifted and she saw me. I lowered the little girl carefully back down to her feet, but the second she hit the ground, she shoved my leg with surprising force. “My scooter is new and now it’s ruined,” she snapped, pointing accusingly at the scratches that hadn’t been there thirty seconds ago. “Thanks to you.” “Whoa,” I said mildly. “I’m not sure a scratch counts as ruined.” “It’s damaged,” she insisted with the kind of indignant rage that only a five—maybe six—year-old could muster. “What if it doesn’t work anymore?” “Then I’ll buy you a new one. Relax.” I was trying to ke ep it cool, but with every passing second, I was more and more aware of Adeline approaching. The kid was Adeline’s? The little girl huffed, but her mother had reached us. I shifted my weight uncomfortably on my feet as she checked the little girl over too. “Lu! Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” Lu—Lauren Caroline Weatherby, apparently—said. “He attacked me.” Both of my eyebrows shot up. “Wait a second, that’s not how I would describe what happened at all. I just k ept her from cracking her head open.” Adeline didn’t react because she was too busy staring at me, those blue eyes still brighter than any I’d ever seen before or since her. Looking into them again, I felt like I’d been thrown back to high school. Up close, there were differences about her that I hadn’t seen before. She was definitely softer in some ways, her gaze not as intent or assessing as it used to be. Maybe she was just tired, but her eyes themselves were still that same impossible blue. For the longest time, she just stood there, staring at me like she was stuck in time. And me? For all my quick wit and wise-ass comments, I just stared right back, trying to remind myself that she wasn’t the one who’d gotten away. She was the one who’d walked away, willingly and with no notice at all. I couldn’t allow myself to get sucked in a second time. If I did, I wasn’t sure I would survive the fallout.