“Poor man. He never stood a chance, did he?”
He laughs. “I like you.”
“Same,” I state, feeling more relaxed.
Living far from my family isn’t ideal, but if this guy who is reserved and observant approves of me, maybe all the Aldridges will be as welcoming. Who cares about Henry?
Vance remains silent for the rest of the trip. When we arrive in Baker’s Creek, we stop at the Aldridge mansion first.
“Here, I promised your friends that I’ll bring you home,” he keeps the engine running. “I’ll just take your stuff to The Lodge.”
“Where am I staying?”
“The presidential suite, at least until next week.”
“Thank you,” I say and kiss him on the cheek.
Sophia
When I enter the house, I expect to see Leyla and Blaire. Vance mentioned they were waiting for me. Instead, I find Henry sitting on the couch staring at his laptop and holding the phone to his ear while speaking loudly.
“I understand your concerns, but we are moving forward. Ms. Aragon will be there tomorrow morning. She’ll be able to explain to you more.”
He exhales and listens attentively then, after several nods, he speaks, “Yes, I understand that this is an unprecedented situation. We’re not going to blame it on anyone. From this point on, I want you to also pay close attention to what happens around the company because that kind of behavior won’t be tolerated. If you get a complaint, I expect you to take care of the issue immediately and not to be depending on my brothers, myself, or Ms. Aragon to do your job. Do we understand each other?”
I shouldn’t say this, but he’s so hot when he’s giving orders and showing everyone he’s all-powerful.
He’s also infuriating, and sometimes I swear I can’t stand looking at him because his arrogance knows no limits. And yet, all I want in this precise moment is for him to take me into his arms because I missed him. It’s not hard to remember that it’s because of him that my dream of occupying an executive office is once again shattered.
I’m shoved into this hell hole to help him. Finding my anger and remembering my new purpose is easy. He’s going to regret pushing me this far. I will hold onto these for the next months. Maybe until I quit or find a good excuse to hire a hitman.
“Did you just threaten someone else?” I ask when he hangs up.
He rubs his temples with both hands and exhales. “Yes, I have been firing and threatening people all morning, Sophia. Do you have a problem with that?”
“You can fire me if you want to,” I offer.
He chuckles. “Sorry, I already exceeded my quota for the year. Plus, you’re stuck with me until I say so.”
I clear my throat and cross my arms. “Let us get a few things out of the way before we begin this new arrangement. I am here against my will. The only reason I agreed to move is because, as you mentioned, I need this job. Also, the factory requires me to be here. If my parents didn’t depend on me, I’d be quitting and marching to your competition to ask for a job.”
“Just a reminder Ms. Aragon, you have a non-compete clause in your contract and you can’t work in the hospitality industry for at least five years after you’re no longer part of the company.” He sounds like a drone, and I want to slap him a couple of times to see if he’s even human.
“Did you memorize my contract?”
He nods. “Since we’re getting these tedious processes out of the way, Pierce is preparing a new contract for you to sign. We didn’t increase your salary, instead, Aldry’s will be paying you as a consultant. We are providing housing and paying for your expenses for the next twenty-four months.”
“I’m only staying until you leave.”
“Exactly,” he agrees. “Which is why I am adding a six-month buffer in case we have to stay longer. Remember, this isn’t just about getting my part of the inheritance and fleeing the joint. We’re making sure that Baker’s Creek and Happy Springs become one hundred percent independent from the Aldridge family. We don’t want our children tied to the town out of obligation. If they come to visit it or decide to live in it, it’ll be because they love Baker’s Creek and they are proud of being an Aldridge.”
I crook an eyebrow because that doesn’t sound like him, “Blaire’s speech?”
“No, it’s a combination of everyone. We came up with a mission statement while we decided to fire more people at the factory,” he states.
And only Henry Aldridge will treat this as a business plan. No one should be surprised if he hires a group of consultants to reorganize the family structure.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” he continues talking enthusiastically. “The young ones are committed to this new cause. Hayes and Blaire are staying for good. They are trying to sell us on the town. I told them about the corporate offices we’re opening in Portland, and they seemed to like your idea.”
“Are you staying after the stipulations are fulfilled?” I ask concerned.
“I’m giving myself two years to find the answer, Ms. Aragon. Do you have any other questions about the amendments or your new role in the company?”
Role in the company? Before I ask about that part, I want to make sure my parents are covered under this new arrangement.
“You haven’t mentioned anything about my parents,” I state.
His eyebrows pull close. The crease on his forehead increases. “The only reason your brother didn’t kill me is because I’m his boss. A heads up would’ve been nice. I can see you have nothing but good things to say about me.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t look good on you, Mr. Aldridge,” I say with a straight face. It’s hard not to laugh imagining how my dad must have looked at him. Maybe he even told him what an asshole he is…in a very educated way, of course.
“Well, that was an unpleasant surprise, and not because your parents aren’t delightful. I wouldn’t know since…they don’t like me,” he states. “Do you have any idea how hard it is going to be to change their minds?”
“As hard as it’s going to be for you to be…descent?” I respond. “Enough about my parents not bowing to the great Henry Aldridge. I need everything you promised you’ll provide for them in writing. Plus, my siblings are planning on visiting often, and I told them you’d be paying for the traveling expenses.”
“You have a new card. Use it to pay for those expenses.”
“What is the limit?” I ask.
“I doubt you’ll reach it,” he states.
“I could try,” I taunt him.
He laughs, a deep, rich sound that goes right through me making me shiver. “You already tried and let me tell you, you didn’t scratch the bottom of the limit. I just hope you bought plenty of fuck me shoes and lingerie.”
My cheeks heat up at the mention of the two items I like the most. And the desire for him increases which pisses me off so I snap. “What happened the last time I was here won’t happen again. Ever.”
He grins, maraching toward me, grabbing my hand. His thumb glides over the inside of my wrist. His touch is so gentle, the shell around my heart softness as electrical tingles travel through my body. I shiver and suck in a breath. In a matter of seconds, he pulls me against his hard chest.
“Welcome home,” he whispers. His familiar scent—cedarwood and citrus—fills up the small space between us.
His penetrating gaze captures mine, and I can’t remember why I should be taking a step backward. All I know is that I yearn for his mouth, and my wish comes true as his lips lock on mine.
Henry’s arms wrap around my body, gently with such tenderness that I close my eyes and melt as I kiss him back. He threads his hands into my loose hair. The desire to have him increases. I’m now desperate, and I need more. So I kiss him harder until I remember that this can’t happen again.
I fight against my body and my heart, stopping the most delicious kiss I’ve experienced since…since the last time he kissed me.
I push him away. “No. We can’t do this again. I
need you to promise me that what happened on Saturday… We can’t go down this path again. You should know better than that.”
“You are right. Next time I’ll make sure there aren’t any cameras around us. I apologize for my careless behavior, but I assure you no one saw us.”
“I meant the touching and the kissing.” My voice comes out as a shriek instead of a warning. All I want is to go back into those strong arms and just let myself feel because damn if I didn’t miss this asshole. We’ve never been far from each other for so long, but that doesn’t mean that I should take his shit or let him kiss me senseless.
“Our relationship is purely professional, and I detest you too much to…to—”
“Let me fuck you?” he asks amused.
“We’ll keep our relationship strictly professional,” I demand.
He nods. “I’d lie if I say that I wasn’t anticipating this reaction. You’re going to make me work for it, and it’s understandable after my behavior.”
“What are you talking about?”
He walks toward the coffee table where his laptop is, shuts it, and grins. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. I won’t try to kiss you again because as I said before, I won’t force you to accept me. But the next time you’ll be begging me for it.”
“Keep waiting,” I say as he walks out of the house.
He turns around and says, “It won’t take long. You missed me just as much as I did you. By the way, we’re having dinner at your parents’.”
I stare at him, shocked.
Sophia
After a delayed reaction, I march outside the house to confront him. Those damn kisses shut my brain down. I should’ve said more. He is crazy if he thinks I’m going to fall into this game, but I spot my friends walking toward me. Leyla is carrying Arden, Mills’ son, in her arms.
“So-so,” Arden says when he sees me and extends his arms toward me.
“Hey, handsome,” I greet him, giving him a big hug. “Were you visiting the chickens?”
He nods and rests his head on my shoulder.
“He’s tired,” Leyla announces. “We’ve been chasing chickens, feeding the animals, and walking around town. Not in that order.”
“Where is Mills?”
“Working at The Lodge,” Blaire informs me.
“Let’s go inside,” Leyla suggests. “This little one needs a snack and a long nap.”
She takes him away from me and marches toward the house.
“Welcome home!” Blaire hugs me. “I shouldn’t be happy, but… I mean you get a house, and we can spend time there without these men who drive me crazy.”
“This isn’t home to me,” I complain.
“At least for the next year or so,” she reminds me. “It’s not ideal, but look at the bright side. We’re together, and you won’t be missing anything. Now, you’re part of this crazy show.”
“I had a plan, and he destroyed it,” I say sadly, but I’m not sure if it’s because once again he’s setting me back in my career, or because I wish I was in his arms.
God, the way he just kissed me. I won’t be begging for more, but…what if I trick him into giving me one last kiss?
Instead of entering the house, we sit on the porch swing. It’s nice enough outside, and I can’t speak freely in front of Arden.
“You’re not working today, doc?”
“I took the afternoon off,” she says. “I want to make sure you are okay. This can’t be easy for you.”
“Five new executive positions are still open, and I can’t take any of them,” I complain. “What do I need to do to show him that I’m capable of a lot more?”
“You do a lot more, Soph, and I think he knows it,” she assures me. “If you’re unhappy, you should just quit. You are like family to us. We will help you.”
“Do you know I can’t work in hospitality for five years after I quit?”
She stares at me. “Is that even legal?”
“Yeah, a non-compete clause is pretty standard when you handle sensitive information like I do.”
“Well, then get started on that factory. With the experience from that place you can then get a job in something else.”
“That’s what I’ve been planning on doing. I already registered for some culinary classes down in Portland. Dad might teach me a trick or two, too.”
“Why would you need that?”
“So we can create new ice cream flavors, truffles, and other treats. I figure that I need to train my palate and learn about desserts before we start experimenting.”
Blaire was going to help me with that but with her pregnancy, she can’t tolerate many sugary treats which is ironic because she loves her sweets and usually eats dessert before dinner.
“You can pay people to do that for you or wait until the baby is born,” she suggests.
“That’s a long time from now, and what if you never recover your sweet tooth?” I ask and she growls in despair. “Listen, Mom always says that if you want something done right, you need to know how it’s done in the first place.”
“I guess it makes sense,” she answers unconvinced.
“She’s a wise woman.”
“What did she use to do before the stroke?”
“She owned a Mercado,” I answer.
She’s the first friend who I’ve told about Mom in…well, years. I stopped telling people about my situation around grad school. Everyone looked at me with pity. Blaire is different though. She’s a survivor so she takes this just as a conversation. Not gossip, or another sad story that she can claim as hers by saying, ‘Well, I have a friend whose mom…’”
So, I explain further. “A store where you could find international food, clothing, and knickknacks. Dad owned a Latin cuisine restaurant. With all the expenses, we started losing money. Eva’s husband bought the restaurant to help. At least the place is still within the family.”
“What happened to your mom’s store, and is Eva the oldest sister, or the one before Marco?”
“Eva is my oldest sister, but she’s younger than Santiago,” I explain. “Then it’s Alexa, Marco, and me. We lost Mom’s store.”
“How do they feel about having your parents move here?”
“They are okay with that. Santiago traveled with my parents to make sure the place is safe, and please, don’t take it personally when he starts asking you questions,” I plead. “They don’t help financially, but they love to judge my decisions.”
“Why don’t they help them?” she asks. “If my parents were in need, my brothers would pitch in too.”
“In the beginning, they used to be in charge,” I say, and then give her the entire explanation.
I was in high school when Mom had a series of strokes. My siblings and cousins stepped up to help. They convinced me to go to college because they had it under control. I was working to help at least with my expenses. My parents had saved enough money to send us to college. Instead of using it for my tuition, I offered them to pay for Mom’s expenses. I wouldn’t be the first or last person with a student loan. They agreed, as long as I finished college.
I helped Dad when I had free time. Once I graduated, they pushed me to go into grad school because they knew how important it was for me. I applied for a scholarship at Merkel where you could intern, and they’d pay you for grad school as long as you worked for them for at least three years after acquiring your diploma.
By the time I graduated, I had two jobs, plus the internship at Merkel. I was helping more at home. Suddenly, they all had a lot of financial responsibilities. Since I had the means, I took over. It wasn’t their intention to dump it all on me, but it worked out that way. They always tell me to quit, that we will all figure out how to support them together.
“Even when I bitch about my job, I know this is the best for everyone,” I conclude.
“Best for your family, but what about you?”
“I feel like I’m never going to get past this point, you know,” I admit. “This is
it. Until I retire, I’m going to be a permanent fixture in Henry’s office. Money is all I can get from him, and I want more.”
When I finish that sentence, I’m not sure if I referred to my career or the man. He’s never going to give anyone more than what he promises in all his dating contracts. He hasn’t even offered me one. At least, I’d know the limits and our expiration date.
“So much more,” I repeat, closing my eyes and remembering the kiss he just gave me. “And I know it’s an impossible dream because this is my life, and I can’t get past this.”
“You sound defeated.”
“No, just… I feel like all my hard work is going to waste. It’s when I visit my parents I’m reminded why it’s so important. It’s because of this job that Mom is still around. I’m just…these are my five minutes of feeling sorry for myself. Once I move away from this swing, I’m going to be okay with what’s happening. I might complain about my bad luck, but I’m lucky not to have lost my mother when I was eighteen. It’s a compromise. A balance. A bargain I made with God promising to do anything he puts in front of me in exchange for having Mom at least a few more years.”
“It can be more than just a few,” she offers.
“The prognosis was that she wouldn’t recover and would die soon,” I mumble, hugging myself. “I’ll take any extra time with her.”
“We’ll make sure it’s longer. That’s a promise.”
Those words give me hope and also the strength to continue. As I look around the property, I realize that ever since Henry moved into this town, I’ve felt more at home than I have in several years. It’s not about the place, more like the people who I’ve been sharing my time with. Every weekend when I visit, I feel happier. It’s better than any other place. I was wrong about one thing, this place isn’t hell or the town that we need to fix. And these people are more than just the family Henry refused to acknowledge.
I rest my head on her shoulder. “It’s good to be home.”
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