Loved You Once

by Claudia Burgoa

  “Is everyone going?”

  “I’m going to be there,” Pierce confirms.

  “What about Mills and Henry?”

  “Henry has been working his ass off. There’s no doubt that he’ll be there to make sure everything runs smoothly,” I say. “He might not be busting his butt to save the town, but he’s doing it because he likes to win. For him, getting through this challenge is a win against our father.”

  “Beacon?”

  “I spoke to him yesterday. He’s pissed at me—like everyone else—but I’m going to tell you what I told him. If you decide not to go that’s okay. I have a plan to help the town if you decide not to join us and Father’s properties are sold. Maybe not all, but as many people as I can. Blaire is staying too, no matter what happens. However, things will work out a lot better for everyone if we stay together as a family.”

  “So, if I don’t go, you don’t care. You’ll still send me a Christmas card every year,” he semi-jokes.

  “I hope it’s more than sporadic calls and holiday cards. Blaire and I would love to see you often, even if it’s just to patch you up.”

  I look at his arm. “What happened with the stitches?”

  “They’re gone. I know how to pull those suckers out.” He grins. “Skittles is not going to be happy, but I had shit to do.”

  “Can we count on you?”

  “You’re asking me to leave my brothers-in-arms for a group of assholes who have never given a fuck about me. What would you do?”

  I scratch my head. “Honestly, I wouldn’t quit. I failed you—all of you,” I pause, rephrasing because this isn’t just on me. “No, we failed each other because a relationship is a two-way street. Can we get past that and try to build a future as a family? We deserve a chance to become brothers and friends.”

  He stares at me.

  “Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself.”

  “Let me think about it,” he answers.

  “I’m sorry, too,” Pierce says. “This family thing is hard to do when your family is so screwed up, ya know?”

  We both look at Pierce, puzzled by the comment.

  “Mom’s family isn’t easy. I don’t have brothers, but my cousins are a bunch of fucking losers, and I’d rather be alone than have to interact with them—or you for that matter. I just lumped everyone in one pile and ignored them.”

  Vance nods a couple of times. I give him a hug before he leaves, and Pierce does the same. Instead of going back to bed, we head to Pierce’s home gym. I swim a few laps in his pool. After breakfast, we load the rental, but he stops when we spot his wife by the barn. There are a couple of trailers, and she’s helping load the animals.

  “It’d be so much easier if we just split.”

  “Offer her the house,” I suggest.

  “I already did. She could have the house, the animals, and enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life,” Pierce says as he watches her helping the animals into the trailers. “Nothing is enough. Then some days, she tells me she doesn’t want anything.”

  “What does she do for a living?”

  “She’s a veterinarian,” he answers. “I don’t even know what she’s going to do in Baker’s Creek.”

  “Does she own a practice?”

  He shakes his head. “No. She works for an animal shelter. At least she did while she lived with me. Let me go and see if she needs money for the plane.”

  While I wait, I lean on the car, observing Pierce and his wife. She gestures a few times toward an old truck, then to the dogs that are running around them in circles. Leyla crosses her arms while Pierce speaks. He points at the side of the house and then at the old truck. She shakes her head. He tosses his hands up in the air and looks up at the sky.

  This would be funny if it wasn’t uncomfortable, and it hits me that this is going to be my life. Watching them fight every single day. I stare at the ground and say, “I hope you’re burning in hell, William.”

  After a few minutes, Pierce jogs toward the me. “Fuck, I swear she’s impossible.”

  “What happened?”

  “She wants to drive to Baker’s Creek,” he says. “Because according to her fucking phone, it’s only a nineteen-hour drive. I swear she doesn’t have a sense of self-preservation, and worse, she wants to drive that fucking piece of shit.”

  He points toward the garage. “I bought her a truck a couple of years ago. She refuses to use it, so it’s been collecting dust. But you know what, we’re taking it to Baker’s Creek. Damn, why are women so stubborn? No, it’s not all women. It’s just her.”

  “What about New York?” I ask him.

  He looks at me. “You don’t expect me to let her drive to Baker’s Creek with two dogs all by herself, do you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “This is the right thing to do. She has to be there because of me,” he rambles, looking toward the trailers where they are loading the animals. “It’s a nineteen-hour drive. She has to take a few breaks so the dogs can walk around and have some release. Then, she has to stop for the night. Maybe I’ll book two rooms either at Twin Falls or in Boise. If she goes alone, she’s risking herself and the dogs. As I mentioned, she has no sense of self-preservation.”

  I almost tell him that he doesn’t have to justify himself with me. It makes total sense that he wants to ensure her safety. After all, she’s his wife. However, I do ask the obvious question, “What about the meetings you scheduled in New York?”

  He rubs the back of his neck with one hand. “Fuck. I’ll see if Sophia can reschedule them for next week.”

  “You’re going to cut it too close,” I say, trying to hide the panic.

  “Trust me, I’ll make everything happen.”

  I pat his back. “Drive safely and don’t kill each other.” I climb in the car and leave.

  At five o’clock, I arrive at Henry’s office. Sophia is by her desk. The last time I was here, I hadn’t notice that there were at least five other desks in the area.

  “How many minions does he have?” I ask when I arrive at her desk.

  She looks up and smiles at me. “Hayes!” She stands and gives me a hug. “I wish you had brought Blaire with you.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart. She’s getting the house ready.”

  “And building a chicken coop,” she adds. “He’s in a meeting, but you can go in. It’ll irritate him to see that we don’t respect his conference calls.”

  “You’re going to miss him when he’s gone,” I tease her.

  “Nope, I’m already planning all kinds of parties in his office,” she answers with a wide smirk. “Go ahead. I made reservations at a restaurant close to his penthouse. Hopefully, you can get him out of the office. He likes to bitch, but I notice he’ll do whatever you say.”

  I enter Henry’s office. He’s sitting by his desk, looking at the monitor. Without losing focus, he waves at me to enter.

  “This transition needs to happen by Friday,” he says. “I’m heading to Baker’s Creek next Tuesday and from that point forward, you’ll have to travel to us.”

  “You’re fucking me,” the guy who speaking to Henry says.

  “Nope, I’m dead serious. That’s why I want you to be the interim CEO. It’s a twenty-four-month contract. You don’t like permanent positions, which is why I think this is the perfect job for you.”

  “Who is taking over after I leave?”

  “That’s a great question. We’re going to start looking for your replacement six months before the contract ends.”

  I take a seat on the leather couch and text Blaire that I’m at Henry’s.

  Blaire: Sophia texted me already. She even sent me a picture.

  Hayes: How’s the chicken coop?”

  She sends me a picture of the coop.

  Blaire: It’s done!

  Hayes: You are good with your hands.

  Blaire: When you’re back, I’ll remind you just how good :wink face:

  Hayes: How about if I call y
ou later tonight. You can try them on yourself while I watch.

  Blaire: I’m busy working the front desk. Let’s talk later.

  When Henry ends his call, he says, “Fuck, we have a mess. Pierce called. The wife is heading to Baker’s Creek, and he has to drive her.”

  “No, he offered to drive her,” I correct him.

  He gives me an inquisitive look, and I shrug. “What’s the plan now?” I ask, because Pierce’s life is not up for discussion.

  “Sophia set up a few videoconferences for Friday. I’m going to be there in his absence. You should stick around. Maybe we can both leave that evening and head to Baker’s. What’s happening with the others?”

  I recount my conversations with Beacon and Vance. His frown deepens as I speak. When I finish, his face is crimson.

  “You’re fucking kidding me. You told them it’s all good if they don’t show.”

  “Yeah, because I want them to know that above everything, they are my brothers.”

  “You mean I can cancel everything I’ve done, and you try to fuck my life seven ways till Sunday for failing you.”

  “That’s right, but I know you wouldn’t just quit because you’ve invested too much of your money and time to abandon everything.”

  He glares at me. “What are we going to do if they bail on us?”

  “They won’t. You have to trust them,” I explain. “Give them the time to think about their choices. We’re offering them a family, something none of us were offered before. Our mothers forced us to interact. This is different.”

  He scratches his head. “All I hear is philosophical crap and that I might get screwed. Lucky me. But as a consolation prize, you’ll be inviting me to your first child’s christening.”

  “I might even make you the godfather,” I joke.

  “You have to get them to Baker’s Creek, Hayes. You swore you’d do it.”

  “Trust me,” I insist.

  He walks around his office taking several breaths.

  “I understand your need to be in control,” I try to ease his irritation. “The frustration that’s eating at you because you can’t do anything but wait.”

  “No, you don’t,” he says with a loud voice. “You’re asking me to leave all I know and what I own for something that might fall through as early as next week. To trust you and those guys who have only been inconvenient to my future.”

  “Inconvenient?” I repeat, confused by the word.

  “That’s what my mother called all of you. If it wasn’t for you, she’d have merged with Aldridge Enterprises. She didn’t give a fuck about your father not being faithful. She was angry because she couldn’t close a fucking deal. William had other kids, and they were inconvenient since I wasn’t his only heir. I was a fucking transaction to her.”

  I blink a few times, surprised by his confession. Debra was cold, but I had no idea she was this heartless. He’s just as alone as Beacon, but at least Beac has G and maybe his bandmates. He’s not jaded or bitter. This guy … his parents screwed him over royally.

  “All I can say is that I’m going to do my best to make sure that by the end of this ordeal, you have what you always wanted.”

  “See, that’s a fucked-up promise because I don’t even know what I want anymore.”

  I grin. “Then we’ll discover it together. Gather your things. We’re going out to dinner.”

  “It’s not even six.”

  “Who cares, Henry? You’re your own boss.”

  He agrees, grabbing his jacket, and we march outside his office.

  “You’re slacking, Mr. Aldridge,” Sophia teases him while typing on her laptop.

  I notice she’s the only one left in the office.

  “Sophia, why don’t you join us?”

  She doesn’t acknowledge me, and it’s Henry who speaks. “You can use some food, Ms. Aragon. Join us.”

  “I have a few more things to do, but thank you for the invitation.”

  “You can leave that for later,” Henry insists. “Gather your things and join us.”

  Looking at him I say, “I’m impressed. You’re starting to act like a human.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” he grunts.

  Thirty-Seven

  Blaire

  On Friday, Sophia calls me around seven in the morning while I’m jogging around town.

  “According to Twitter, you inherited the town,” she says, when I answer the phone. “I didn’t even know the town was property of the Aldridges.”

  “Good lord, I don’t know what’s worse, their tweets or your obsession with their social media. Stop reading trash,” I quip. “Is your boss going to yell at you for using his time for personal calls?”

  “No. When I’m on the phone with you, I tell him we’re discussing the factory.”

  “Which we’re not. Just remember I don’t lie,” I say, stopping by the house where I spot two trailers and a dark SUV with Colorado plates right outside the gate. “Pierce and his wife have arrived.”

  “Goodie! Hayes said she isn’t very nice.”

  “That’s a big lie. I was on the phone with her for almost an hour, and we hit it off.”

  “You’d hit it off with a phonebooth.”

  “Those don’t even exist,” I complain. “I bet you’d like her.”

  “Are you going to greet them?”

  “Yeah. Don’t hang up, okay.”

  I wait until the trailers and the truck pull inside the property and park by the barn before I make my way inside. Pierce waves at me when he climbs down from the SUV and heads to talk with Easton.

  When I reach the car, I see a woman getting out of the truck. She prances toward the trunk and opens it. Two dogs jump out of the back and start jumping around her. I look at her closer. She’s about my height, dark auburn hair, green eyes and a beautiful face. She wears a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt and a vest.

  “You can only stay around this area,” she tells the dogs who begin to sniff around the car and then walk toward Pierce.

  “She’s cute,” I state.

  “Maleficent cute or Snow White cute?” Sophia asks.

  “Ariel beautiful,” I answer.

  “Hey,” I greet her. “You must be Leyla.”

  She gives me a guarded smile. “Yes, and you are?”

  “Blaire. We spoke over the phone a couple of nights ago,” I answer, hugging her. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  Her eyes open wide when I release her. “Sorry, I’m not great with strangers.”

  “Well, she’s meeting just the right person,” Sophia says on the other line. “You’re going to make her an extrovert before the end of the week.”

  I roll my eyes. “Soph, I’ll call you later.”

  “No. I want to know everything about her. Fuck, I hate that I’m missing all the fun.”

  “Again, this is not a reality show. And you’re definitely not the host of this circus,” I say, before hanging up.

  “Sorry. That was Sophia. You’ll meet her soon,” I tell Leyla, putting away my earbuds. “How can I help?”

  “Pierce is checking the barn to make sure it’s ready for the kids,” she explains to me.

  In that moment, Easton and Pierce approach us.

  “It’s ready,” Pierce announces. “We’re going to unload the horses first. Do you want to do it, Leyla?”

  She nods and waves at me, running toward the trailers.

  “Is the house ready?” he asks me.

  “Not just yet. The beds should be arriving today,” I inform him. “Dishes, small appliances, glassware, and all that stuff should be here tomorrow. I can get you a couple of rooms at The Lodge. We can move in on Saturday.”

  “That sounds good.” He looks toward Leyla. “I’m heading to The Lodge so I can join a conference call. After that, I have to fly back to Colorado. I’m leaving the truck and taking one of the cars that we have in the garage. Could you keep her company? She’s pretty independent, but this town is new to her.”

 
I give him a reassuring smile. “She’ll be fine.”

  A couple of hours later, there’s a truck from Happy Springs delivering hay and food for the animals. Leyla sets the chickens in the coop, which she loves. Her dogs stay in the barn, and before Pierce leaves, he gets Easton to quote him an indoor and an outdoor arena.

  “Thank you for everything you did. I should’ve come sooner to make sure everything was ready for my kids.” Leyla’s gratitude is apparent, and it makes me like her even more.

  “Hey, they’re settling, and you’re here. That’s all that matters. Not to be nosy, but what exactly do you do with them? Are you a therapist?”

  “No, I’m a veterinarian.” She looks around the street and says, “I don’t even know what I’m going to do while I’m here. I used to work at a shelter.”

  “We can look at the building where we have our medical practice. Maybe there’s enough space to set up a practice or even some kennels where you can offer boarding,” I suggest.

  “I could just apply for a job at the veterinary hospital,” she replies, her attention everywhere. “This is a pretty place.”

  “It is, but we’re going to make it better. Sophia and I have been toying with the idea of opening a few new stores, making this town cozier. We could use some help.”

  “I would like that very much.”

  Friday evening, Mr. Parrish arrives at The Lodge, and he summons me to one of the conference rooms.

  “I wasn’t expecting you until next Friday,” I declare, taking a seat. “What can I do for you?”

  “Good evening, Ms. Wilson. As I said, I’d be here when the thirty days were over.”

  “Which is next week,” I point out.

  “Well, my partners found a discrepancy,” he explains, pulling some papers out of his briefcase. “You see, we have to count from the moment you received the news. I let it slide and added a note that we couldn’t find you—until four weeks ago.”

  He gives me a strange look and says, “twenty-nine days to be exact.”

  “What does that mean? We have a week to move into the town.”

  “Everyone should be in the house by tomorrow,” he says. “It was thirty days from the moment the last of the seven of you learned that William died. Not from when I read the will.”