Loved You Once

by Claudia Burgoa

  Why is she here?

  Because since my father died, I’ve been doing what I’ve never done before. Praying for a miracle. For her.

  It’s probably something less magical and more practical. Like my father saying “Fuck you, Hayes” in his own way. Well, the joke is on him because seeing her doesn’t make me angry. It makes me everything but.

  If only I knew why she came. But that shouldn’t matter now. She’s here, and this is my chance to be back in her life. And the only way to do that is to earn her trust, and show her I am different from that coward she dated before.

  But can we become something more?

  What if she’s happy?

  I can’t ruin her new life just because I did that with mine.

  Running a hand through my hair, I decide to go to the conference room. First, I need to know why Blaire is here, and Mr. Parrish can answer my questions. But when I enter the conference room, Henry is speaking and already making some decisions.

  “I vote that we sell the ski resort. It needs too much work.”

  “We don’t know who gets the resort,” I remind him.

  “What if he split his fortune in equal parts?” He asks. “I’m not running a fucking resort for you, assholes.”

  Isn’t it obvious that he should be the one running it?

  “You own Merkel Hotels and Spas,” I remind him. “You could potentially buy our shares and do something with it since you have experience.”

  “Fuck no!” He growls. “It’s a money pit.”

  He’s always growling like a wounded wild animal, pushing away everyone, in case they’re around to hurt him. I glare at him as a way to remind him I’m not part of his staff or in the mood to tolerate his fucking attitude. I wish his assistant, Sophia, was here. She seems to know how to control him. Instead, she’s in town with Arden, Mills’ son, and we get to babysit her asshole boss.

  “Have you heard from Vance?” I ask Mills.

  “No. I have a friend searching for his unit,” Henry interrupts. “He’s a fucking Delta Force or some special forces officer. Did you know that?”

  I look at him. “Our little brother is a badass?”

  “According to my sources, he is, and he’s not easy to track down,” he answers.

  “As I said, we need everyone to be here in order to read this testament,” the lawyer says in a monotone voice and checks his phone. “Just a reminder, you’re running out of time.”

  “We don’t even want the fucking money,” Beacon says. “Keep it, man.”

  His green eyes, which look just like everyone else’s, spit fire, even when his posture seems relaxed.

  He sits next to Pierce. Both wear suits, but even though they look alike, it’s easy to see the differences between them. Pierce seems like he’s in his element while Beacon is about to rip off his clothes because he hates wearing suits.

  It’s surprising how six guys, who came from the same father, can be so different. I’m thankful that fifty percent of our DNA comes from a different source.

  Science, gotta love it.

  Blaire used to say I was the nerdy one of the seven, and she wasn’t wrong. Mom is a doctor. My grandparents were scientists. Science is all I know.

  I could even explain to her why I loved her through science. Once upon a time, Blaire loved me because of that.

  Blaire said it wasn’t just DNA, but the sociological and geographical elements around us that made the seven of us so different. We didn’t grow up together. We only saw each other twice a year up until Carter died.

  “We get it. You’re important and have shit to do for your fans. I am a busy man, too,” Henry yells. “You’re not all that, you know.”

  I look at Henry and say, “You could be less…”

  I don’t finish. Why even bother. This might be the last time I see him, and there’s no point in telling him that he’s a fucking asshole.

  “Excuse me if I’m not trying to be pleasant. Us faking being a family was over a couple of hours ago, once we buried William,” Henry grunts. “Just because we came from the same asshole, it doesn’t mean we’re brothers.”

  “Well, this might be our last day faking it, so can you try for once in your fucking life to be human?”

  He storms out of the conference room, and I wonder what’s really upsetting him. He’s an asshole, but he’s not as soulless as he likes to pretend. Clearly, he’s having trouble adjusting to something. Maybe Dad’s death affected him more than he wants to admit.

  His mom died. We’re really all he has, and yet, he acts as if he doesn’t need us for shit. Maybe he’ll end up like our father, or he’ll be the one seeking us during the holidays.

  Who the fuck knows what’s going to happen after today?

  I learned early in life to be ready for the unexpected. Hope isn’t a word I use often. Not even when I explain to my patients what to expect after surgery. Too many times, the outcome isn’t what they expected. The damage is irreversible. I studied medicine to save lives, but truthfully, I don’t feel like I’ve done any of what I set myself to do when I embarked on this journey.

  I don’t even remember what I expected when I chose medicine. Maybe it had to do with saving lives, but I haven’t saved anyone, not even my loved ones. I wonder if my father learned anything in his lonely, selfish life or while he was dying. If I could tell him something, it would be the fact that money can’t buy you everything. Not the love of his sons or his health.

  Is that how I’m going to end?

  Alone with not even one of these fuckers giving a shit that I died.

  Without her.

  “Oh, fuck,” Beacon says, his eyes open wide. “This is going to be fun. How are you, Gorgeous?”

  “Hey, kid,” I hear Blaire’s melodic voice greeting my little brother.

  I turn around to see her. The first thing I notice about her is her long dark hair, covered by a black beanie hat. Even when it’s braided, I can spot a few pink strands mixed in. She wears a long skirt that accentuates her curves, and my entire body is aware of her.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Henry asks, as he enters the room.

  “Do you think I’m happy to be here?” Her voice is smoky, soft, gentle yet firm.

  She tosses her hands up in the air. “Why don’t we just get this over with?”

  “If my father left you anything,” Pierce threatens her. “I’ll make sure you never touch it.”

  “She’s right. Let’s get through this last family reunion.” I swiftly put an end to the nonsense because if any of these assholes insults her, I’m going to punch him.

  “Hayes,” she whispers my name, and all the emotions I’d buried deep inside my head when I entered this room unleash at the sound of my name.

  I want to hug her, to kiss her, to tell her that nothing has been going well since I left her. That I…

  “Why is she here?” Pierce asks no one in particular.

  “Your father stated clearly that this can’t be read unless his seven sons were in the same room,” the lawyer explains, handing over a package to each one of us.

  “That document is outdated,” Pierce states. “Our brother Carter died twelve years ago.”

  “Let’s get this over with, so I can go to bed,” Blaire says. “Tomorrow, I have to drive back to the airport.”

  “It’s only noon,” Henry says exasperated.

  She huffs and ignores him.

  “We have to catch up, Skittles,” Beacon says, calling her by her old nickname. “If you want, I can give you a ride. Where are you going?”

  “You were always my favorite,” Blaire states. “San Francisco. I’m sure it’s out of your way but thank you for the offer.”

  “Nothing is out of the way. I’ll do it,” he assures her with a serious expression.

  Beacon was almost fifteen when Blaire came into our lives. We might not have the same mother, but our mothers and his grandparents tried to push us to have a relationship. Not that it worked that well.
r />   In any case, these guys met Blaire almost at the same time I did, and they adored her. She has a way with people, but especially with children. She’s sweet, charming, even enchanting. I’ve seen her in action. She volunteered at the hospital while in college and would visit the kids in the oncology ward, playing with them for hours while bringing them treats, mostly Skittles. She always carried a few bags with her.

  “Mr. Parrish, would you mind reading the will,” she says, ignoring everyone.

  “And please explain her presence,” Pierce reiterates.

  Please do, because even when my heart has been waiting for this moment, my mind wasn’t ready to see her again. The wheels turn in my head; my father did something very, very stupid. And, whatever he tried to do, it’s going to come back and fuck us all the way through Sunday. The disconcerting excitement of seeing Blaire dims by the thoughts of what’s to come.

  “As I explained earlier, Mr. Aldridge wanted all his children present when his testament was read. In the absence of his son Carter, he requested the presence of his widow. Blaire Noelle Wilson.”

  The old pain comes back. Carter’s widow. That’s so fucked up, and it’s my fault because she was mine and I pushed her away. Can I get past their marriage and everything that transpired while he was sick?

  “You’re fucking kidding me. She gets part of the cut?” Henry, who is the businessman of the group and so much like my father, protests. “She’s not getting more money from us. I’ll contest the will. Pierce, get ready to fight her.”

  “Can we skip the drama and act like grownups?” Blaire sighs and crosses her arms.

  “Where is Vance?” the lawyer asks.

  “He was striding into the hotel when I was sauntering toward this room,” Blaire informs, looking at the closed door.

  In that moment, the door opens again, and it’s Vance, looking even worse than Blaire did when she arrived. He’s even bloody. What is it with these two?

  Did he just come from the war or some battlefield?

  “Sorry for the delay, the guy at the entrance didn’t want to let me in. According to him—”

  “He did the same to me. Tried to send me to a shelter,” Blaire complains and looks at all of us saying, “I suggest you train him or fire him.”

  “Hey, Skittles,” he greets Blaire and even hugs her. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

  “Took a shower, avoided a kidnapping, and I even texted my mother on my way into the conference room,” she says jokingly, and I wonder what that means.

  She touches his arm, which has a bloody rag tied around it, and asks, “You okay?”

  “All good. I’m glad you’re here because I’m too busy to go and search for you,” he says, casually dismissing her question. “What have I missed, other than the funeral?”

  “Nothing,” I answer.

  “Shall we start?” Henry asks.

  The lawyer lists my father’s assets. The Lodge in Baker’s Creek, and the properties he owns around the town. He pretty much owns the entire town and the one next to it, Happy Springs. He also has a multitude of houses: a mansion in Seattle, another in San Francisco, a penthouse in Manhattan, another in Vancouver, ranches in Colorado and Austin, the manor house in North Carolina, The Hacienda in Los Angeles, a plantation in Atlanta and a house in London.

  Is it ironic that he has a house in every place he had a child?

  I wonder if he has any sons or daughters who we’re not aware of because it’s obvious that he owns more than six homes. He has properties around the world, including the factory that operates in Happy Springs. Not to mention several bank accounts with billions of dollars.

  “To receive this inheritance, you have to spend the next eighteen months sharing the Aldridge mansion located in this town. You also have to share the responsibilities of The Lodge, the factory, and Aldridge Enterprises.”

  “She doesn’t deserve a penny of my father’s hard-earned money,” Henry protests.

  The great thing about having a money-grabber asshole as a brother is that he can look like a fool while saying what everyone else is thinking.

  Blaire rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Do you have any idea what I can do with that money?” she asks rhetorically. “Maybe end world hunger, and as much as I’d love to do it, I’m out. If Carter was here, he wouldn’t want any part of it either.”

  “Then, you didn’t know him at all,” I tell her defyingly.

  “I did, and he’d get a kick out of seeing Henry fight for the company and maybe The Lodge. Watch you tear each other apart for money you don’t even need. That’s Carter, the one who threw the match and enjoyed watching you fight.”

  She gives us a sad smile and shrugs. “This was interesting. Let’s never do it again.”

  Her eyes find mine and we stare at each other in silence for a couple of breaths. She gives me a slight nod and turns around heading for the door. I have this impulse to stop her because we should talk. She can’t just walk into my life for a few seconds and disappear forever. I wanted a moment with her. This is my chance to at least find out if she’s happy.

  “Ms. Wilson, I haven’t finished reading the will, and as I told you over the phone, a lot of people count on you,” Mr. Parrish says, stopping her right as she’s about to close the door of the conference room and leave us behind. The lawyer looks at the entire table and repeats. “All of you. Let me finish reading.”

  She sighs and turns back around, looking at him intently. I pull the chair out next to me and tilt my head. She takes a seat and crosses her arms.

  “For the next eighteen months you’re to live in the Baker’s Creek property. Pierce, who is the only one married of the six, should live with his wife, Leyla Faye Aldridge.”

  “Wait, he knew I’m married?” Pierce asks confused. “How? I haven’t spoken to him in years.”

  Mr. Parish ignores him and continues. “Mills should bring his son, Arden, along.”

  Pierce asks, “Did he know about your boy?”

  Mills shakes his head, but Blaire is the one who speaks, “If you follow hockey, you know he has a son. This guy is considered the hottest single dad in hockey history.”

  “So, you’re a hockey fan?” I ask curiously.

  “No, I’m a Mills’ fan. He’s like my baby brother.”

  Mills gives her a smile.

  “May I resume?” The lawyer asks.

  We all nod.

  “You will share the responsibilities of the companies. You should manage the properties and do what’s best for the towns of Baker’s Creek and Happy Springs. After eighteen months, everything will be divided into equal parts. If one of you walks away before the term is over, all the assets will be liquidated and donated to various charities.”

  “I vote that we take the charity route. Let’s sell everything right now,” I propose.

  There’s no fucking way in hell that I’ll be away from my practice and my life for eighteen months, especially when it consists of living with my brothers, who I can barely stand … but I could make the sacrifice if Blaire is here. This could be my chance to win her heart.

  Would she give me the chance?

  I glance at her. She’s biting her lip, staring at the table, either daydreaming or wondering how she’s going to escape this room.

  I want to reach for her, grab her hand and hold it like the way I used to when she was this close to me.

  Fuck!

  It’s so hard not to touch her. I’m hungry for her kisses—for her. I want us to talk, for her to tell me everything that’s happened in the past twelve years.

  How can I be harboring this craving when we’ve been over for so long?

  There’s always one obvious answer. Because I’ve always been hers. Since the beginning of time.

  Because I never stopped loving her.

  “I don’t think you understand what’s at play,” the lawyer says.

  “Well, then tell us the stipulations, so we can figure out how to end William’s game,�
�� Pierce encourages him.

  His eyes stare at the document Mr. Parrish reads, and he’s about to snatch it away from him and read it himself.

  “In the event that one or all of you decide not to commit to this town, the employees, and the properties, everything will be sold to the pre-approved buyers assigned by William Aldridge. That means The Lodge will be demolished and the land will be donated to the state of Oregon with the condition that nothing is built in its place.

  “The properties he owns in Baker’s Creek and Happy Springs are going to be sold to a developer. All the small businesses in these towns who lease from your father will close, since the developer plans on changing the…”

  I tune him out because what he’s saying is that he’ll ruin the town if we walk away. However, it’s not Dad who’d ruin it, but us, for not following his fucking instructions. He was a soulless bastard when he was alive, and he’s fucking insane if he thinks we’re going to do his bidding when he’s dead.

  “In short, he’s holding us hostages,” Blaire concludes and closes her eyes, because if there’s something Blaire Wilson can’t do, it’s turn her back on those in need.

  It’s pretty simple, she’s going to stay.

  “So, we put our lives on hold because the asshole who spread his seed around the world feels entitled to play with our lives?” Henry asks. “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to live in this godforsaken place.”

  “Put aside the grudges you hold, try to find what little humanity you have left in that dark heart of yours, and think about someone other than yourself,” Beacon speaks. “I’m not saying let’s move in together and make this work, but we can find a loophole to save the town.”

  “Can we take turns?” I ask the lawyer.

  “No, it has to be all of you or nothing.”

  “Can you contest the will?” Blaire asks Pierce. “Modify the terms, so you can donate everything to the town, and they can run their own lives.”

  He looks at her and then at the table but doesn’t answer.

  “Someone has to take charge of the factory and the resort,” Henry says, his voice booming inside the room.

  Blaire looks at me as if asking me to shut him up. She hates when people yell just for kicks.