It’s why I didn’t run away like Sawyer did.
I love my sister more than anything, and I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. Always.
And I’ll do the same for Sawyer, whether or not he wants to accept my help. I don’t give up on my family. Never, ever, ever.
My phone starts buzzing again, and dread squeezes my heart. My mother’s name flashes on the screen. I pick up, steeling myself for a tense conversation. I took two months’ vacation from work, but I haven’t told her where I am, or what I’m doing. She doesn’t know I just drove halfway across the country to set up a new life for my sister.
“Mom,” I answer.
“Darling, how are you? Your father and I were wondering if you’d come by the house to talk about the position on the board. He’s been itching to have you accept.”
“Mom, I’m on vacation. I took two months off, remember? Plus, I already told you. I don’t want the board position.”
I hate lying about where I am, but in this situation, I have to. My parents didn’t approve of Lucy getting pregnant—and they certainly didn’t approve of her keeping Roman. Lucy called them cold-hearted when they kicked her out, but I prefer to think of them as set in their ways. Deep down, I still believe they mean well, even when they’re hurtful.
My mother huffs. “He’s been holding this position for you for a year, Rae. You’ve more than proved yourself. Your father wants to retire within the next few months, and he would like to know that the company is in good hands. You owe this to us, Rae.”
Heat rises up my neck. Owe it to them? That’s not how I see it. I did them a favor by going to work for my father. I put my dreams on hold and changed the whole course of my life. I don’t owe them anything.
“I don’t want to be on the board, Mother. I already told you, once Dad retires, I want to start my own business.”
“The garden thing?” I imagine her waving a hand, dismissing my silly ideas.
“Landscape architecture.” I try not to seethe as I speak through my teeth. “Remember that beautiful garden you stare at every day? I designed it. I know I could make a business from it.”
“Of course, honey. Well, in any case, your father and I are waiting for your acceptance. We can announce it to the board at the next quarterly meeting.”
“I. Don’t. Want. It.” I enunciate as clearly as I can, pinching the bridge of my nose. “And I’m not even going to be in town. I’m on vacation.”
My mother isn’t listening. “I’ll have to delay the dinner party I’d organized, then. When did you say you’d be back? I asked the Beauforts to come over. I was hoping you’d be there.”
I try to contain my frustration. I know she means well. She does. With Sawyer gone, and Lucy disgraced—in her mind, at least—I’m their last best hope at a good daughter. She’s been trying to set me up with the Beaufort’s son for the past year.
William Beaufort, rich gazillionaire with a perfect, veneered smile and an impeccable résumé. A Beaufort-Montgomery union would be the next great corporate power couple.
Barf.
We went on one date about six weeks ago, and when I got home, he sent me a message.
Hey beautiful, he’d written, Thanks for a great night.
The message was followed by a photo. A picture popped up of William Frederick Beaufort the Third, in the nude, hiding his junk as he flexed in the mirror. Rippling abs, muscles carved from stone, and a come-hither look on his face.
He looked like he’s taken that picture a thousand times for a thousand different girls. I’d been revolted and hadn’t spoken to him since.
A dinner party with him and the parents doesn’t seem like my idea of a good time. I don’t exist to stoke the pathetic flame that will never exist between William and me. I’m not here to make my parents happy.
I’m here to find Sawyer, and finally tell him my side of the story. I’m here to give Lucy the future she deserves and provide a stable support system for Roman. I’m here to start a new life with my family together, for once.
When my siblings are reunited, I can go back down to Houston and tell my parents the truth. I can beg them to come meet their other children again and try to bring my family back together. Then, I can start my own business. Work in gardens instead of oil refineries. Living, photosynthesizing, beautiful plants instead of fossil fuels.
A girl can dream, right?
Right now, though, I’m reminded of how self-absorbed my parents are. Doubt swirls inside me, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to create the big reunion I’ve been wishing for. I let out a sigh. “I have to go, Mom.”
“Okay. I really wish you’d told me you’d be away. I hate cancelling with the Beauforts.”
“I did tell you. Multiple times.”
“Goodbye, honey.” The phone clicks, and I close my eyes.
My parents are infuriating. They’re self-centered, and they’ve been too wealthy for too long. They have inflated egos and warped values.
But they’re my parents. I still want to bring Sawyer and Lucy back together with them. I want to at least try to have a relationship with them. I want a family. Parents included.
But first, I have to take care of Lucy and Sawyer. I need my brother and sister beside me.
My eyes drift over to the small bouquet of roses Nadia gave me, and my resolve strengthens. I’ll go out with Nadia tonight. If anything, it’ll be a good place to get more information on Sawyer’s whereabouts.
If Benji shows up, who cares? I don’t owe him anything, and I’m sure as hell not going to tiptoe around his overinflated ego.
I need to keep my focus on what’s important: my family.
5
Benji
When I walk into the Blue Cat bar, I almost turn around and walk right back out again.
She’s here.
Invading my turf. Turning my world upside down. Storming the castle gates and making herself at home, looking like a goddess while she does it.
I wish she wasn’t so beautiful. It would be easier to hate her if her smile didn’t light up the room.
Rae’s eyes are drawn to mine. We stare at each other across the bar, tension rippling through the air like pulsing sound waves. Her smile fades, and her eyes harden.
I can’t blame her. I didn’t exactly give her a warm welcome.
Why would I?
She bought out the one place I’ve been able to call home. Stole my career plans right out from under my nose.
I take a seat at the bar, staring straight ahead. I refuse to look at her, even if she’s sitting with Nadia and a few other people, all fawning over her. She’s holding court, regaling them with whatever bullshit happens to be coming out of her mouth. They might fall for her rich-girl charm, but I won’t.
I’m here to get some answers from the guy who sold out. The man I used to think of as a father figure.
I down a beer in four gulps, nodding for another.
A hand claps me on the shoulder. Harold slides onto the bar stool next to mine, nodding to my empty glass. “Slow down, Benny-boy. Life isn’t that bad.”
Harold has a new haircut and a crisp shirt. I look him up and down, frowning. “What if it is?”
“You never know when an angel will drop out of the sky to make it better.”
I grunt, accepting another beer from the bartender. Harold orders his own. He glances at me, and I can’t quite meet his eyes. He lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Benji. I am.”
“Don’t be. Everyone has a price.”
Harold winces, and I regret my words.
“I know we talked about you taking over,” he says softly. “That doesn’t have to change. You can still run the garage, even if the Montgomery girl owns it.”
“We didn’t talk about me running the garage, Harold,” I say, keeping my eyes on my drink. “We talked about me buying you out.”
“Use your money on something better.”
“What’s better than owning my own business?”
“Lots of
things are better than an old garage, Benji. Do something you want to do. You’ve saved money. You’ve worked for it. Use it for something else.”
I didn’t work for all of my money, I almost say. There’s a million bucks in an account with my name on it, and even though it sickens me to use it, I always thought I’d give it to Harold. It felt right to take money from my sorry excuse of a father and give it to the man who’s always treated me like a son.
I won’t get to do that now.
I finally turn to stare at Harold, with his clean fingernails and fresh haircut. Sadness covers him like a blanket, and he puts a hand on my shoulder. “Louise died four years ago, Benji. Four years I’ve been living in a dream, getting out of bed just to chase the grief away. I lost my wife, but I can’t lose everything. I can’t lose my own life. I need to get out of this town. I bought an RV. I’m going to drive until the road ends.”
“What if the road ends here?”
“Well, then I’ll be back.” He smiles. “But I doubt it.” He stares into my eyes, gulping. “Forgive me, Benji. I didn’t do this to hurt you.”
“How much did they give you?” My words are hard. Eyes are harder. I don’t care. The dark part of me wants to hurt him, because he’s abandoning me just like everyone else. He’s leaving me behind for greener pastures, not caring that I loved him with all my heart. He gave me hope that I could have a better life, and that there were people out there with integrity.
He was a father to me. He and Louise—they were everything. They took Sarah and me under their wing when our drugged-out mother skipped town. Harold and Louise gave us things we thought we’d never have.
Hope. A family. Love. A future.
Now, he’s snatching it away again in the name of a fucking RV.
I take another gulp of beer, loving the bitterness of it as it coats my mouth. It suits me.
“Mr. Gilles?”
We both turn to see Rae standing behind us. She shines there, in all her glory. Long, brown hair down to her waist. Thick, black lashes. Lips I’d love to destroy.
That open, honest face that I’m sure is nothing more than a mask.
Harold clears his throat, sitting up a little straighter. “Yes?”
“I’m Rae Montgomery.”
He splutters, coughing. Pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket, the old man pulls himself together and dabs at his mouth.
“Excuse me,” he says. “I wasn’t expecting…” He swallows. “We did everything over the phone and email. I didn’t know you were so young and…” he trails off, staring at Rae’s beautiful face.
Neither did I, old man.
Rae’s gaze flicks to mine, and a wildfire rips through my veins. It torches everything inside me, chasing away all the coldness I’d reserved for her.
“Benji.” She nods.
I nearly groan, catching myself at the last minute. I want her to say my name again. I want her to claw those manicured nails across my back, screaming Benji like it’s her salvation.
But the feeling passes.
I turn my back to her without answering, but I can feel her there, behind me. I can feel her. Like her presence burns a hole in my skin. Like there’s an invisible anchor tugging me toward her. Like she has some sort of force field pointed straight at me, dragging me into orbit around her.
Harold clears his throat. “It’s nice to meet you in person,” he says. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“It was a fair price, Mr. Gilles. A million and a half is more than adequate for the turnover the garage produces,” Rae answers dryly, and I choke on my beer.
A million and a half?
No wonder he sold. That’s half again what my father tried to give me, and probably twice what anyone local would have offered. I wouldn’t even be able to compete with that if I tried. I throw a look at Harold, who gives me an apologetic glance.
Anger floods my chest. Its waves crash against my ribs, making them split and crack under the weight of my pain. I put a few bills on the bar and stand up, trying to ignore the scent of Rae that clings to the air everywhere she is. Her eyes are on me. I can feel them, just like I can feel her, her, her.
Does she think she can buy me, too? Does she think I’ll fold as easily as Harold?
I won’t sell Sawyer out for anything. He’s my best friend, and I won’t let her walk in here and tear his life apart. She’s done enough damage already.
I walk away without looking back.
When I step outside, I head straight for Sawyer’s house. I haven’t seen him since Rae showed up at the garage, and I need to tell him that she’s here for the foreseeable future.
It’s a short drive to the east end of town where Sawyer lives. I park outside his duplex and see lights still on inside. When he opens the door for me, he looks haggard. There’s a duffel bag on the floor next to the door.
“You’re leaving,” I say.
“Just for a little while. I don’t want to see her.” Sawyer stuffs a pair of socks in the side pocket of his bag before standing up and glancing around the room. “I’ll still check my email, but my phone will be off. Can you let me know when she leaves? I’ll come back then.”
I clear my throat. “She bought the garage.”
I watch his face turn from determination, to confusion, to shock, and finally settling on horror.
“She…she what?”
“Harold sold for one-point-five million. Says he’ll travel the country in an RV. Finally taking that retirement he’s been talking about for a decade.”
Sawyer lets out a breath and slumps down onto the sofa. He drops his head in his hands, shaking his head.
“I knew my family would look for me, but I didn’t think they’d go to these kinds of lengths.” Groaning, he leans back on the sofa and closes his eyes. “She’s the worst of them all, too. Of course they sent her. She probably asked to come herself, just to make my life hell.”
I take a seat across from him, studying his face.
Finally, I ask the question that’s been on the tip of my tongue all day. “What happened between you two?”
Sawyer’s face shifts. The skin around his eyes tightens, and his eyes grow cold.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“No,” he replies. “I’ll tell you.” He stares at a spot on the opposite wall, sucking in a deep breath. Finally, Sawyer laces his fingers together and I can see his resolve strengthening. I don’t know if he’s ever told anyone about this, and I’m not sure I want to know.
Yet, a sick sort of curiosity makes me sit still, nearly holding my breath.
Finally, he speaks. “Our parents are Houston’s rich, oil elite, but you’d never hear about them in the papers. My father owns an oil and gas company. Inherited the company from his father, who got it from his father before him. Old money.” He huffs, bitterness dripping off every word. “He thought the three of us—Lucy, Rae, and me—would follow in his footsteps. Offered me a cushy job and trained Lucy and Rae to be perfect little future wives for whoever my parents chose as husbands for them.”
Sawyer’s dark, haunted eyes lift up to mine.
He shakes his head. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t sell my soul just for a few bucks. I couldn’t take the handouts my father was offering and work for some huge corporation for the rest of my life. I don’t care how much money is in it, I couldn’t do it. I thought Rae agreed with me. She said so. Said she wanted to make an honest living. Talked about working with her hands. Being honorable. Not playing with people’s lives and livelihoods and making shady deals just to line our own pockets. Not doing what my father has done his whole life. Greedy, bloodsucking cunt.” He spits the word out, his lips twisting.
I stare at my best friend as his eyes harden. My heart clenches, and I try to gulp. I don’t know what to say. Sawyer cares about integrity. He cares about values. He cares about doing things right—possibly moreso than anyone I’ve ever met.
He walked away from a life of luxury, just beca
use he didn’t agree with how his family had made their fortunes.
Sawyer lets out a bitter laugh. “We planned on starting a business together, Rae and I. We’d leave Lucy behind—she was only seventeen—but we’d keep in touch with her. Rae had just finished her landscape architecture degree, and I had a business degree. We were going to build our own business, our way. Without the shadow of my father looming over us. We just needed out. My parents were so embroiled in the wealthy life that they couldn’t see it was destroying their very souls. They were strict with us. Expected us to fall in line.” He shakes his head. “I couldn’t do it.”
“But Rae could,” I finish for him.
Sawyer chuckles bitterly. “Apparently. The day before we were going to move out, I found out she accepted the position that my father had originally offered to me. She turned her back on me and took the fucking job.” He huffs, shaking his head. “Can you believe that? We had plans. Dreams. And then I come home one day and find out she just stabbed me in the back. I couldn’t start the business without her. We were supposed to be a team.”
“She lied.” Bitterness swirls inside me, and righteous anger roars. She did the same thing to me. Took the business I wanted right out from under me. Grabbed it for herself.
“She did more than lie,” Sawyer spits. “She set me up. I’ve thought about it so much over the past couple of years, and I think she wanted the job at my father’s company as soon as I refused it.” He lets out a deep breath. “The day I found out, Rae called me up and said she had something to tell me. Said something had changed. Can you believe that? Something changed! Ha!” He snorts, shaking his head. “The only thing that changed was that our father offered her a thick wad of cash. She pretended she was better than him, but she was just the same. Greedy. Manipulative. Weak.” He lifts his eyes to mine. “So, I left. I didn’t want to hear her excuses. I didn’t want to listen to her explanation about how she didn’t want to leave the family behind. I knew what she was about. Money, money, money. Just like our father. Like our mother. Like that whole fucking society down there.”
Won't Miss You: A Brother's Best Friend Romance (We Shouldn't Book 4) Page 4