by Taryn Quinn
“Don’t know if you know this, but Dad paid off mom.”
My head snapped up. “What?”
“She didn’t just take off. They made a deal. He’d finance her lifestyle elsewhere if she didn’t try to take him for half in the divorce, thereby forcing him to expose her cheating and other misdeeds in court. Neither of them wanted messy, so she went for it. Last I knew, she was living in Cabo with her new family.”
“Cabo?” I rubbed my thumb between my eyes. “Who the hell lives in Cabo?”
“Our mother does. From what I’ve heard, we have a younger half-sister too. Unsubstantiated, of course. Dad isn’t exactly forthcoming on the subject, and the internet coughs up only so much.”
I didn’t say anything. My mind was so full of Ally that I couldn’t focus on anything else.
If she missed work, she must’ve gone to New York to scope out schools. There was no other explanation. If she was truly sick, she would’ve been home with Sage. She didn’t have any other friends in town she’d stay with. Nor did her budget extend to spur-of-the-moment vacations.
“I did drive her away. Somehow.” I braced my elbow on the desk and raked a hand through my hair. “I don’t know how to do this. Every time I think we’re getting somewhere, we lose even more ground.”
“Hamilton men are meant to walk single file.”
Normally, I laughed off Oliver’s certainty in that direction. For a long time, I’d been half convinced of the very same thing.
Not anymore.
“Meant to end up like Dad, you mean? Bitter and alone, with only his money to keep him company?”
Oliver adjusted his tie. “He has two rather strapping sons as well. One more so than the other.”
“Keep trying with your workout routine. Persistence is key.” I tipped back in my chair. “Fuck, Ol, how do I fix this?”
No sooner had the words left my mouth, I shook my head. “No. Never mind. I did not ask for your advice. There’s desperate and then there’s suicidal.”
“Actually, maybe I should fix this.”
“What? No. God, no.”
His laughter was rich and throaty, like any good movie villain. “Seriously, man, pull yourself together. I thought you only wanted use of her eggs. And from the way you were making out the other day at Laurie’s party,” he cleared his throat, “I’m going to guess you already achieved liftoff there.”
“We weren’t making out. It was a kiss. We just kissed.”
“Hmm, and here I thought you knew how babies were made already.” Oliver whisked his fingers over the hairline-straight seam of his trousers. “That might actually explain a lot.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “Why are you still here?”
“Because you need help, and I’m a giver.”
“You don’t even like Ally. I don’t know why, but you don’t.”
“You are as dense as a two-by-four without all the uses.” He gave a heavy sigh when I stared at him. “I was jealous. Possibly.”
“Of Ally? Why?”
“Not of Ally, per se. Of your relationship with her. The two of you have always been a unit against the world. Before Ally, it was you and me, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“It’s different with Ally.”
“No kidding. But you never fully realized just how much.”
I shook my head. “No. Not until now. Even Marj—” I stopped. “You introduced me to Marj. Kept telling me she would be great for me.”
Oliver shrugged and set aside the folder beside my sandwich wrapper on my messy desk. “I never thought you’d knock her up. Or marry her.”
“One kind of led to the other,” I said drily.
“Yes, well, some of us know how to bag it up. Then again, you’re going bag-free intentionally now, so there’s no understanding you, brother.” Oliver rose and glanced down at me with all the paternalism being six minutes older brought to bear. “Let me try to fix this.”
“No. Absolutely not. You don’t even know what the issue is, and I’m supposed to let you sweep in and muck things up even further?”
“She’s left you without a word. What further muck can I cause?”
I had no answer for that.
“As for not knowing the issue, it’s fairly clear. You made up a nonsense reason to sleep with her that didn’t require brutal honesty, and now you’ve finally realized you’re in love with her.”
“That’s completely—” I exhaled. “Accurate.”
“Now you’ll be stuck with a kid too when all you had to do was admit you wanted to fuck her. As if she would’ve said no. That woman has looked at you with heart eyes since day one.”
“So not true. I drive her crazy. If she had heart eyes—whatever the fuck that is—she wouldn’t run away from me every time I get near her. It’s like I have a fungus or something.”
Oliver held up his hands, palms out. “Officially entering territory labeled ‘do not need to know’.”
I laughed again. “Oh, and the stuck with a kid part? Wrong. I want that kid with Ally more than anything. I want a family with her. Goddammit, we already are a family, and I want it to be official.”
Oliver shook his head. “Oh no, you don’t. I already reached my wedding quota with you, pal. One was awful enough. Another would be beyond the pale.”
“I didn’t say we were getting married. Yet.” But now that the idea was rattling around in my head, I had to admit it wasn’t displeasing.
She was having my baby, assuming all went to plan. Why not be my wife too?
“Why not?” I repeated under my breath while my brother gazed at me as if I’d grown horns, a tail, and sprouted red skin.
“Before you hear wedding bells, Romeo, you need a bride. Yours is currently MIA. I offered to help you, but if you’re so certain you can continue to bungle this all on your own, then fine.”
“Seth!”
We both glanced toward the doorway as Sage scuttled into the room. Actually, that was a misnomer. A few days ago, Sage might’ve scuttled. Her self-confidence appeared to waver with the tide, and she often seemed content to hug the wall.
Today was a different story. She walked into my office with her head held high and her assets swaying. Visibly swaying in her tight denim miniskirt and a top that barely covered her breasts. Not that I paid much attention. Sage was a cute girl—and I imagined she had gotten more than her share of catcalls on her way over here in that outfit—but my eyes were solely for Ally.
Now and forever.
“What are you wearing?” Oliver demanded, shocking me almost as much as Sage, who apparently had just noticed he also was in the room. She’d zeroed in on me at my desk like a laser pointer.
“Pretty sure they’re called clothes.” She sniffed at Oliver and returned her attention to me. “Ally hasn’t been to work for three days. She hasn’t been at your house so you can impregnate her, has she?”
My eyebrows lifted. So much for assuming Ally had employed discretion regarding our activities. Thanks to Ally sharing with the diner patrons her comical observations about my prowess the day after we’d first had sex, I’d understood it was known that we were lovers. But being lovers didn’t mean babymaking necessarily.
“What has she told you?”
“Are the private details besties confide in each other really important?”
“I’m her best friend, and yes, they are.”
“No, you’re the best friend with a dick, which automatically slots you lower on account of the dick.”
“She likes my dick, thank you very much.”
Oliver stepped away. “Awkward moment.”
“If she liked it so much, why did she run away? She never misses work. And she hasn’t slept in her bed. So whose bed is she sleeping in?” Sage stepped forward and impaled my chest with a flame-red nail. “Huh?”
“Thanks for the vivid picture, but I can guarantee she’s probably sleeping alone and is perfectly safe.” I tried to ignore the icy jabs of panic pricking between my ribs.
“She’s extremely level-headed.”
Sage made a noise in her throat. “Until she hooked up with you.”
“Since when do you hate me?” I held out my arms. “I always thought we were good.”
“You could hurt her, so I have you under a very watchful eye, buddy. If she’s with child, she doesn’t need additional stress from your inconsistency.”
“With child?” Oliver snorted. “Welcome, Madonna. Oh, and I’ll have you know, Seth said they only kissed. Virgin birth, is it now?”
“I did not say that. I said when you saw us—never mind.”
As if I’d never spoken, Sage whirled on Oliver, swinging her hips in a way that made my brother’s eyes flare wide. “Did I ask you? No. Why are you even here? Don’t you have shameless hussies to lie with?”
“Shameless hussies? The fifties ended a long time ago. Oh, and newsflash.” He dropped his gaze lewdly to her attire. “Depending on point of view, you might fit into one of those categories you’re casting aspersions on.”
I winced. Now he was going to get it. And he deserved it too.
Instead, Sage beamed. “Really? Do you honestly think so?” She fluffed her hair. “I’m going for a new look. Wholesome hasn’t really been working for me.”
“Why?”
“I’m hoping to encounter no-strings sex,” she said matter-of-factly.
Oliver smirked. “Encounter it? Like sex is a living, breathing entity of its own?”
“In my world, it might as well be.” She glanced back at me. “Anyway, that’s irrelevant right now. I’m worried about Ally.”
“I am too. But I’m sure she’s fine. You’ve tried calling her?” I dug out my phone. I hadn’t done anything but text her now and then, wanting to give her time and space.
“Yes. She worked on Sunday, then told me she was taking a few days personal time. But she didn’t book it with the boss. She just keeps calling in sick. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“You think she went to check out a school?”
Sage shrugged. “Maybe. She didn’t say much about that either. Just that she had to start going after what she wanted. She mentioned before that she was interested in Baruch in the city.” She tugged up her V-neck top. “Maybe we should drive down there, scope out the situation?”
“Scope out what situation? And I think we need a bit more to go on than to just pay a visit to some random school.” Oliver glanced at me. “I’m going to play a hunch, and if it pans out, I’ll get back to you.”
“Oh, hell no,” Sage said. “Any hunches get routed through me. She’s my best friend.” She pointed at me. “Quiet, you. You’re the one who wouldn’t know how to give a girl the fairytale if someone gave you a picture book with directions.”
I stayed quiet. I was still tangled up thinking about my supposed inconsistency. And handing out fairytales—what the fuck was that about?
Perhaps I was the cause of Ally being so wary to take the next step. Hell, I’d never told her in so many words that I wanted to either. But she was my closest friend. Surely, she had to have some inkling about my inner workings. All of this had taken me by surprise. I was still feeling my way. It wasn’t as if I was some expert.
I’d never fallen in love with my best friend before.
Never wanted to be with someone so much that everyone—and everything—else except my little girl paled in comparison.
So maybe I was screwing this up without even knowing it. By not coming clean. By not being clear and saying the words.
By not giving her the goddamn fairytale.
“I’m handling this on my own,” Oliver told Sage. “I may be completely off-base. In any case, I have private business with Alison myself.”
I pushed my phone back in my pocket and crossed my arms. I was still working out the proper method of handling this, but obviously the phone was not it. No fairytales granted there. “What private business?” I demanded.
“Private,” Oliver repeated, already moving toward the door. “If I find out anything, I’ll be in contact.”
Sage chased after him. “I’ll tail you in my car if you don’t tell me where you’re going.”
His laughter drifted down the hall. “Honey, you couldn’t keep up with me if you had a Ferrari. Stay here, pet.”
“Pet?” Sage spun around and propped her hands on her hips. “He’s a complete jerk. How can you even stand him?”
I jerked a shoulder. “Probably comes from sharing a womb. It creates a bond.”
“Ugh.” Sage flopped in the chair opposite my desk. “He’s going to find her and make everything worse. She needs the womanly touch, not an interfering male.”
“Ally knows her own mind. She can handle Oliver.” I gazed at the folder on my desk. My fingers were itching with the need to trace the words she’d written.
Your Ally Cat.
If she wasn’t mine yet, she would be.
A knock sounded at my door and it opened. “Seth, the Parsons are on their way in to sign the papers for the—” My father broke off, his gaze alighting on Sage. “Well, hello there, Sage. What a pleasure. I didn’t expect to see you here.” My father’s smile could have burned a hole through glass.
“Hi, Mr. Hamilton. I’m sorry to interrupt business.” Sage was already jumping to her feet.
“No, no, you’re never an interruption. Stay, please.” He glanced between us, a disturbing glint coming into his eyes. “I can talk to Seth later.”
I frowned. What the hell was his deal? He was always sweet as could be to Sage. In fact, he was kind to most everyone in town except Ally, which royally pissed me off. Of course, Sage’s parents had just landed one hell of a nice deal when they recently sold their B&B to a developer who had plans to make sleepy Crescent Cove “more cutting edge” and “more in line with the times.” Whatever that meant.
As much as I hated thinking my father was that shallow, this certainly wasn’t the first time I’d been confronted with evidence that money was all that mattered to him.
But it would be the first time I called him on it.
“No, we need to talk right now.”
Eighteen
Seth
I rose and walked to the door. “Sorry about the timing,” I said to Sage as she sailed out. “It can’t be helped.”
“Par for the course from a Hamilton,” she said under her breath before turning a sunny smile on my father. “Have a nice day, sir. It was good seeing you again.”
“You too, Sage. Don’t be a stranger. You’re welcome here anytime.”
With a bounce of her blond curls and a flounce of her non-flouncy skirt, she was off.
I closed the door and turned back to my father. He raised an eyebrow and gestured with the Hamilton Realty folder in his hand. “Why do I have a feeling this has nothing to do with the Parsons deal?”
“Because unlike you, work isn’t the center of my world.”
“Forget center. Sometimes it’s barely even in your peripheral vision.” Huffing out a breath, he sat in the chair Sage had vacated and crossed his legs. “What is it now, Seth?”
I didn’t sit. I leaned against my desk and crossed my arms. “I’m starting a family with Ally.”
Wow, those words didn’t burn my throat nearly as much as I’d feared. Not because they weren’t true, but because they were. Saying them to my father was acknowledging their truth. Their power.
And from the expression on my dad’s face, I might as well have thrown down a gauntlet.
“Is this about that contract business?”
I didn’t ask how he knew. In an office this small with paper-thin walls, he could’ve easily overheard us talking.
Which also meant Shelly had probably heard Ally and me having sex. That should probably embarrass me. And yet…
I wanted to tell the world she was mine, in every possible way. Even the graphic, inappropriate ones.
Or Oliver could have told him. I wouldn’t have put it past my twin to hop on the phone to my dad the minute he h
ad walked out of my office. The timeframe was insanely tight, but Oliver worked fast.
Still, he’d said he wanted to fix things with me and Ally. Telling my dad wouldn’t fix anything.
Then again, there was my lawyer. My lawyer who golfed every Sunday with my father and had a shark emblem on his golf shirt rather than an alligator.
“Talked to Artie, hmm?”
My father glanced away, all the proof I needed. “Don’t be ridiculous. That would violate client confidentiality.”
Yep. I’d called that one right. At least it hadn’t been Oliver who’d blabbed. I really didn’t want to have to kick his ass since he was purportedly doing me a favor with Ally.
Though, God, I’d sunk low if I was accepting his help. Oliver’s love life was even worse than mine. He went through women like ties. Actually, he probably used ties with women, since his tastes veered toward the dominant side. Yet another thing I had no desire to ponder.
“That contract was a mistake.”
My father didn’t reply for a long moment. “But she signed on the dotted line, didn’t she? She agreed to take money for your child. Just like Marjorie did.” He lifted his head and narrowed his flinty eyes on mine. “Women are all the same, Seth. You may think I was wrong for offering a payout to your mother.”
“Considering I only learned about that today, can’t say I’ve had much time to process. But wrong seems like a good place to start, yes.”
My father went on as if I hadn’t spoken. “The truth is, it was a test, and she failed.”
“Ally didn’t fail, and who tests someone you love?”
You did. You were probably playing Hamilton games without even realizing it.
“I wouldn’t do something like that to someone I love. I won’t do it again,” I amended, though the situations were vastly different.
“You don’t love Alison.”
“How the hell do you know? Because you didn’t love Mom? Because I didn’t love Marjorie the way I should have?”
“I loved your mother. You will never understand.”
“Then tell me. Explain it to me. I’m begging you.” I spread my arms wide. “I’m standing right here, waiting. Listening.”