His Best Friend's sister: The Cohan Billionaire Brothers Book Six

by Layla Holt

Megan stifled the urge to bounce up and down on her seat like Matt would. The beaches and the mountains looked breathtaking from above.

  “We’re about to make our landing at the airport in the sky,” the pilot said and the helicopter landed without the fanfare of an airplane.

  Megan was sad to be on the ground again but also excited to be in the island. They travelled by shuttle bus from the airport to their five-star hotel which was bang on the beach. They were welcomed with deliciously cold cocktails which they sipped as they checked in.

  She was relieved to learn that Max had reserved two rooms for them. They followed a uniformed worker who carried their luggage to the elevators and then to their third-floor rooms.

  Left alone in her room, Megan slid open the balcony doors and stepped out. A salty breeze blew on her face and body and she let out a shriek of delight. Everything was so pretty. The impossibly blue sea with white crested waves moving over the surface.

  The people in swimsuits strolling the beach and others lying down on loungers. She needed to be out there. It was a little late for a swim but a walk would be lovely. Megan stepped back into her room, quickly arranged her clothes in a closet and then replaced her jeans with a pair of shorts.

  She left her room and rapped on Max’s door. “Great minds think alike,” Megan said when he opened the door wearing shorts. “Feel like a walk?”

  “I was about to come and ask you the same thing. Let’s work up an appetite before dinner,” Max said.

  They headed downstairs to the garden and followed the path that led to the beach. Contentment came over her as she inhaled the sweet sea air. A slight wind kept away the humidity. They kicked off their sandals and padded barefoot on the warm sand.

  Megan slid her hand into Max’s. “This is as close to heaven as you can get.”

  “Yeah,” Max said. “There’s something about the beach that makes your problems shrink.”

  Megan glanced at him in amusement. “What problems do you have Max?”

  “Everyone has problems,” he said and then grew solemn. “Seriously though, I’m at a point in my life where everything has aligned. With you in my life, everything is perfect. I’m at peace.”

  It probably wasn’t the right time to have that talk with Max. The one about discussing things with her before making plans. Treating her like an equal partner in their relationship.

  “And you’re very well off,” Megan said. “I would have been okay with taking the ferry to the island. You didn’t have to hire a helicopter Max.”

  “I wanted to,” he said. “None of the ladies in my life want me to splurge on them. Not you and not my mom. What’s all this money for then if you can’t bring a smile to the woman you love?”

  For the first time in her life, Megan felt truly loved by a man. A good man.

  “Are you happy Megan?” Max asked.

  “I’ve never experienced this level of bliss,” she said. “Like you, everything is aligned in my life. I’m at the right place at the right time.” She wanted to add with the man she loved, but the words got stuck in her throat.

  “How’s the campaign going?” Max asked.

  “It’s exciting,” Megan said and proceeded to discuss the details with him.

  “You belong at Candin Inc,” Max said, his voice filled with awe.

  Megan’s face heated up. She got carried away when she spoke about work and she could go on and on for hours. “I guess I’m more of a Cohan than I thought.”

  “I suppose that means that you’re kind and hardworking, and ambitious as heck,” Max said.

  Megan’s throat seized up with emotion and it took a while before she could speak again. “You make it sound so good while Luca made it seem like a shameful trait.”

  “That was his insecurity speaking,” Max said.

  They’d walked so far that they were only meeting a handful of people taking an evening walk.

  “Thank you for booking two rooms,” Megan said. “I want to do things the old-fashioned way.”

  Max stopped and faced her. “I don’t care about that. All I care about is loving you, Megan. The rest can wait.”

  Relief and gratitude surged through her. “You’re such a beautiful man Max Foster and I’m blessed to have you.” This time she did not hesitate. “I love you.” She went on tip-toe and kissed him. For the first time in her life, she had a relationship that felt grown-up and free of pain and unnecessary drama.

  Chapter 22

  Megan was on her second glass of wine and she was beginning to feel the effects. Maisie had invited the team for drinks to celebrate the success of the awareness campaign. Candin Inc had been featured in several TV and radio interviews and were portrayed as industry experts who also cared about the wellbeing of their customers.

  After her third glass, Megan pleaded to be excused and took an Uber home. She was not much of a drinker and two glasses was her absolute maximum. Even then, her head still pounded in the morning.

  Too tired to check her phone, she brushed her teeth, changed into her pajamas and fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep. Sure enough, the following morning, she was awakened by a pounding headache and her ringing phone.

  The sharp, sudden sound, was like a knife piercing through her scalp. With a groan, Megan rolled over to the edge of the bed, stretched her hand to the bedside table and fumbled for her phone.

  The light from the screen momentarily burned her eyes and she sealed them shut. She answered the call without checking who it was.

  “Megan?”

  Megan’s eyes shot open. Why was her mother-in-law calling her so early in the morning? “Mama? Are you okay?”

  “It’s Luca,” her former mother-in-law said, her voice tinged with hysteria. “He’s been hurt bad.” She launched into an explanation in Italian.

  It was those people he had taken to hanging around with. He had been badly beaten and dumped in an alley. Megan didn’t say it but she was sure that it had to do with a woman.

  “He’s asking for you. Will you come? Please?”

  She couldn’t say no. Not to Luca’s mother. His parents had been wonderful to her and had begged Luca constantly to change before he lost her. “I’ll be there,” Megan said.

  As soon as she said goodbye, she called her agent and in five minutes, she was booked on an evening flight to Italy. She called Max next and told him her plans. He offered to go with her but this was something she needed to do by herself.

  Now wide awake, Megan hunted her drawers for a Tylenol. When she found it, she washed it down with the bottle of water on her bedside table. That and a cold shower did the trick and she felt like herself again. She called her brothers and Maisie, letting them know that she was going to Italy for a couple of days.

  Rather than call her parents, Megan walked the short distance to her parents’ home to let them know in person.

  “If you’re not back in two days, I’ll come for you myself,” her mother said.

  “I don’t understand why they want you there,” her father said. “You’re not a doctor and you and that boy are divorced.”

  Her father was right but she had lived with them as a family for five years. She couldn’t turn her back on them when they needed her. “Luca’s parents are good people and if they want me to be there, I will be,” Megan said.

  “Very well, but like your mother said, if you’re not back in two days, we’ll both come and get you,” her father said fiercely.

  She stayed at her parents’ for as long as she could, catching up and making plans for the company. The barrier between them was slowly disappearing. Later, she returned to the cottage to pack and get ready. Max was taking her to the airport and she only had an hour or so before he came for her.

  The nearer it got to her departure time, the harder the butterflies in her belly flapped. She hated leaving the security of home even if it was for a few days. Then there was Max. They’d grown even closer after the weekend trip he’d taken her to Catalina Island. It had been a magical weekend a
nd the week that followed just as special, seeing Max every day after work.

  They’d gone for dinner, for an evening walk and cooked dinner together. It seemed so wrong to be catapulted back to her old life.

  Misery coated her like a wet blanket but when she heard Max’s car, her heart lifted. She flung the door open and drank in the sight of him as he closed the distance between them.

  “Hey sweetheart,” he said and held her close.

  Megan inhaled his manly scent and lay her head on his chest. “I’ll be fine.”

  Max drew back and cupped her face. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you? I have a bag ready.”

  “Absolutely not,” Megan said firmly. “I’m grateful for the offer but I really need to do this alone.”

  “What if you get hurt? I’d never forgive myself for allowing you to go alone,” Max said.

  Megan narrowed her eyes. “You’re not allowing me to go alone Max. It’s a decision that I’ve made.” She inhaled deeply. “Luca is in the hospital. He’s not going to hurt me.”

  “Okay but call me if you need me and even if you don’t. For the record, I’ll worry about you twenty-four-seven.”

  “Please don’t,” Megan said. “I’ll be fine.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “We really have to go.”

  Was it his imagination or was she withdrawing from him? She was silent on the drive to the airport and her mind seemed so far away. Max did not need to guess who she was thinking about. He couldn’t believe that her jerk of an ex was back in their lives.

  He didn’t want to tell Megan this but it hurt that all Luca had to do was summon her and she took the next flight to Italy. What if it was a plan to get her back to the country? He took his hand off the steering wheel and forked his fingers through his hair.

  He was a trained security specialist but Max was keenly aware that he was letting his fears take over. He couldn’t think logically where Megan’s safety was concerned. He couldn’t differentiate the real fears from the ones borne of his imagination.

  At the airport, Megan clung to him which was a comfort as it told him that she hated their parting as much as he did. She felt so small in his arms and so vulnerable. It took everything he had not to beg her to let him go with her.

  They finally let go of each other and she flashed him a brave smile before turning and walking away. He stood watching her until she disappeared inside the terminal.

  Max trudged back to his car. He checked his phone and saw that Dean had called him as had Jaime. He called Dean first.

  “Has she left already?” Dean said.

  “Yeah, she’s gone,” Max said, unable to disguise his misery. “I should have gone with her.” Images of a hurt Megan filled his mind.

  “She’ll be fine. Megan knows how to take of herself. She did for five years,” Dean said.

  Max was barely listening. What was stopping him from taking the next flight? “I’ll go after her. I’m not letting her be in that country by herself.”

  “Wow Max, take it easy. Seeing how clueless you are, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Women don’t like that. Wait hang on.” The phone went quiet before Dean returned. “Ruby said to tell you that going after Megan will be a big mistake.”

  “Okay,” Max said.

  He returned Jaime’s call next. Jaime went straight to the point. “Did you actually let her get on that flight alone?”

  “I’m still seated in my car at the airport, fighting with myself not to take the next available plane to Italy,” Max said and then in the next second, he made a snap decision. “I’m going to go.”

  “Good man. Now I can rest easy,” Jaime said.

  Chapter 23

  Megan hadn’t lost her love for Italy, its people and the flowery language. It felt good to be surrounded by men and women firing off Italian at the airport. It reminded her of the very first time she had met Luca. She had fallen for him at first sight.

  The hotel had sent a car for her and minutes later, she was on the way. It was early morning and she had time to take a short nap before she had to go and visit Luca at the hospital.

  Megan checked into the cozy hotel she had chosen for its proximity to the hospital where Luca was admitted. The friendly woman at the reception handed her the keycard and directed her to the elevators. It was a small hotel with only two floors and she easily found her room.

  The first thing she did was jump into the shower. It felt good to stand under the hot water and let it wash away the stickiness on her skin. After her shower, Megan wore a night shirt and slipped into bed with her phone. She texted Max first letting him know that she had arrived safely and then did the same with her family.

  She waited a few minutes to read Max’s text but five minutes later, he hadn’t messaged her back and her eyelids were growing heavy. She turned the volume of her phone down and pulled up the covers.

  Megan woke up to warm sunshine on her face. She cracked one eye open thinking she was at the cottage. A heaviness came over her when she recalled the events of the previous day. Thoughts of Max filled her mind. What was he doing? She ached for him. Reaching for her phone, she checked her messages.

  All the others had replied apart from Max. He’d probably been called to cover for someone and was busy. Megan pushed the covers away and trudged into the bathroom. She got ready for the day and went downstairs for a late breakfast.

  She served herself bread rolls and black coffee from the buffet table. As she ate, memories of her mother-in-law constantly trying to fatten her up came to her mind and Megan laughed softly.

  After breakfast, she left the hotel and walked to the hospital. It was odd how detached she felt from Luca’s hospitalization. She felt sad for his parents and of course she wouldn’t wish any harm on him, but going to see him felt like a duty. The last one she was ever going to do for him.

  She gave her name at the reception downstairs and was given Luca’s floor and room. It wasn’t visiting hours yet but there was a waiting room upstairs.

  “Megan,” her mother-in-law cried as soon as Megan stepped into the room. She rushed to her and they hugged.

  Luca’s dad was slower and she noticed that his gait had changed in the time she had been away.

  “Papa,” Megan said as she held him tight. They sat down together and they told her the whole story again.

  A nurse peered into the room and told them they could see Luca.

  “You go first,” Luca’s mom said. “He’ll be so happy to see you.”

  Megan smiled and braced herself to face the man who had once been her husband. It felt so long ago and it was less than six months since she left Italy, for what she had hoped would be the last time. Still, she wasn’t going to stay.

  She had booked a flight back home for the following day. She had meant what she told her parents. Two days at the most.

  Arranging a smile on her face, Megan knocked lightly on Luca’s door and after a beat, pushed it open. Luca turned to her and she swallowed down a gasp. His mother had not been exaggerating. His face was a mess. One eye was bandaged and his face had cuts and bruises.

  “I knew you would come,” he said, staring at her through the one eye that was not bandaged.

  “Hi Luca,” Megan said, approaching the bed.

  “Hi sweetheart. Can you pass me this glass of water?” he said, gesturing at the table that was an arm’s stretch away from him.

  And just like that, he catapulted her to the life she had lived with him. Luca had been demanding, wanting her to do everything for him. He never used the word ‘please’ and clearly that had not changed.

  She did as she asked and gave him the water. He took a sip and gave the glass to her to return it to the table. Megan gripped the glass tightly. It was childish to even think of dumping the rest of the water on his head. First, he was in the hospital and second, Luca did not deserve any of her emotions, even anger.

  “Did you bring all your things?” he said. “I have great plans for us. We’re going to be the p
ioneers of Candin Inc in Europe and Italy will be the headquarters.”

  Megan stared at him with morbid fascination. Luca was insane. There was no other explanation for a man with such a selective memory. They were divorced for goodness’ sake. Divorced people did not get to make long-term plans together.

  He rambled on about how impressed her father would be with the rapid expansion. She didn’t bother to point out that Jaime had beaten him to it. Candin Inc had a European branch now in Asencia, thanks to Jaime and his wife Princess Ariana.

  “It’s going to be fantastic,” he said.

  When her father had given her that idea, she had excitedly gone to Luca and told him. He had flatly said no. He was busy with the vineyard which had been an excuse to say no. He’d had nothing to do with the vineyard since Megan took over.

  She waited for him to talk himself out. “I’m not here to stay Luca. I agreed to come out of respect for your parents. We’re divorced and done.”

  A flash of panic came over his eyes. “You don’t mean that. I know I made a mistake but—”

  “A mistake? Is that what you tell yourself? Look, I gave you five years of my life. Too many if you ask me but what’s done is done. If there is nothing else, I’m leaving and I wish you all the best in your life,” Megan said.

  “Don’t do this,” Luca said, his voice taking on a pathetic begging tone.

  Megan turned and walked to the door.

  “Please Megan. We can start again. I promise I’ll be a good husband. I’ll never look at another woman.”

  She opened the door, stepped out and gently closed it behind her. Megan paused at the door and reveled in the feeling of relief that came over her. She felt as if she had dropped a weight off her shoulders. There was no doubt in her mind now that she had finally washed her hands of Luca permanently.

  She returned to the waiting room.

  “How is he?” Luca’s mother asked.

  “He’s okay,” Megan said, sitting down next to them. “He wants me to come back to Italy.”

  “What did you say?”