“That’s tomorrow?” I almost stutter, my breath quickens and my body freezes.
We’re not ready.
Pierce won’t be here until next Tuesday. Hayes is going to see Mills tonight, but I don’t know if he’ll be back tomorrow.
Vance and Beacon are still unsure on what to do.
“We’ll be liquidating all the assets this Monday,” he informs me. “We both know they won’t show up by tomorrow.”
“Why didn’t you call us?”
“My assistant called the law offices of Bryant LLP. No one responded to our messages.” He hands me a call log with all the messages they left and the people they talked to each time. One of them is Sarah, Pierce’s mom.
“We will be here,” I assure him, my voice coming out desperate. My stomach is tied in knots.
“You and I know that’s impossible,” he assures me. “They never cared about it. The good news is that all the money goes to you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask confused.
“Well, to Carter’s Kids Foundation,” he answers. “But you can do whatever you want with it. So in short, the money is yours.”
That’s a lot of money and the things I could do with it are infinite, but there’s no way I can accept that in exchange of screwing an entire town. The Aldridge brothers are going to help me with the foundation. As tempting as this offer can be, I can’t accept it.
“You can’t do this.”
“It’s my job,” he says and gives me a document. “I just need you to sign this accepting the donation from Mr. Aldridge and another one on this document confirming that none of the brothers are present.”
“Wait, this isn’t true,” I cry out.
“This helps you. Wouldn’t you want to have all that money?”
“No, I don’t care about the money. If you’re too lazy to be here tomorrow at midnight, it’s not my problem. There won’t be any witnesses to sign this piece of paper for you. If you try to get someone else to sign, I’ll make sure we sue you, and they disbar you.”
“Think about all the people you can save with what I’m offering you.”
I rise from my seat and say, “We’ll see you at the house, tomorrow at midnight. There’s a bed and breakfast in Happy Springs. You’re not welcome at The Lodge.”
On my way to my room, I call Hayes, but it goes directly to voicemail. Then I try Beacon, Henry, and Mills, but the same occurs.
Vance picks up on the first ring. “I already said that I’m thinking about it. You’re too pushy.”
“The lawyer is here,” I tell him. “He said they made a mistake, and we have to be living at the house by tomorrow.”
“Fuck. You’re kidding me?” he grunts.
“No, and I can’t find anyone.”
“Who is in town?”
“Only me,” I answer, but when I enter the suite and spot Leyla, I say, “Well, and Pierce’s wife.”
“Fuck, I knew they wouldn’t do it.”
“Vance, don’t judge them so fast. They don’t know what’s happening.”
“Did the lawyer try to contact us at all?”
“He said they called Bryant LLP, but that no one responded. I saw the call log. Even his mother talked to them.”
Leyla snorts and gives me a look. I frown. “Would you mind sharing something with us?”
“Sarah loves to manipulate her son. She might pretend to be ‘supportive,’ but I bet she’s not happy that her baby is leaving town,” she answers. “I’ve no doubt that she did this on purpose, maybe his cousins are doing something, so he loses the money. The possibilities are endless.”
“Fuck,” Vance grunts. “I believe her. Pierce mentioned something along those lines when I was at his place.”
“Well, we ran out of time. Vance, we need you,” I beg him.
“Blaire, I can’t do it.”
“Please, I beg you.”
“What if they don’t follow through?”
“It’s a leap of faith, and if they aren’t here on time, a few of us will stay behind, trying to save the town. You can be here with us.”
“Sorry, Skittles. That’s a huge leap, and I’m not wearing a parachute. Those assholes aren’t going to catch me.” He hangs up, and my heart slows down.
“I can’t believe he’s not coming,” I say out loud, closing my eyes taking a few deep breaths before I open them again. “Hayes is going to be devastated. I don’t even know if we can have them all by tomorrow.”
“Deep breaths,” Leyla says. “Calm down.”
“This is a clusterfuck,” I respond to her calm down. “My zen flew out the window when the lawyer said tomorrow is the deadline. My anxiety is having a panic attack because Vance might not come.”
Leyla gives me a look. “What do you want to do?”
“Save the town. Do you think we can get them here?”
She pulls out her phone and smirks. “Let me piss him off first. He’ll be here, though. Keep trying to get in touch with the rest.”
Thirty-Eight
Hayes
I convince Henry to go back to Baker’s Creek with me, but before that, we make a stop in Vancouver to visit Mills. When we ring the bell, Beacon’s the one who opens the door.
“Great. We have not just one but two assholes visiting this humble home,” he mocks as he steps aside so we can enter.
“I see that you and Mills are close.”
“Very close,” Beacon states. “So close that when you learn that your brother knocked up a puck bunny, you fly to check on him and visit him often to help him with his son. And when you learn that your brother’s grandparents died, you go to their funeral.”
“I had no idea that your grandparents died,” I apologize.
“Sorry, Beacon,” Henry says. “You were not the only who lost a grandparent or has a shitty life. We all did. It is our role as older brothers to keep an eye on you, but don’t think that you’re the only one who needed that brother to stick with you. At least you had Mills.”
“You’re no different than William,” he says. “Both of you.”
“A few weeks back, I would have agreed, but after these few weeks, I discovered that I am nothing like William. By trying to avoid messy feelings and becoming him, I failed myself. We missed a lot of years. Fuck, I lost twelve years with my girlfriend.”
“That was pretty fucked up. I hope she doesn’t forgive you. She deserves better than you.”
“I agree. She deserves the best, but she forgave me.”
“You two are back together?”
I nod.
He grunts and glares at me not believing me.
“Where is Mills?”
“He should be back soon. He had a meeting with his people.”
“Why are you here?”
“He needed a babysitter, and I volunteered. Again, that’s what you do for your family.”
“As a family, can you move to Baker’s Creek with us?”
He glares at me. “Are you sure Skittles forgave you?”
“You can call her to confirm.”
He pulls out his phone and dials her number and sets her on speaker.
“Did you forgive his fucking ass?”
“What do you mean we need to be there by tomorrow?” He frowns, looking concerned. “No, he said next Friday. I was there.”
He looks at me and gives me the phone. “She needs to talk to whoever is in charge. I assume that’s you.”
“What happened?” I ask concerned.
“Hayes?”
“Yes, Stardust. Is everything okay?”
“No, nothing is okay. I’ve been calling you, and your voicemail keeps picking up.”
I check my phone, the roaming isn’t working, so I’m not receiving any calls. “Henry, are you getting calls on your phone?”
He looks at it and starts tapping it. “Fuck, I forgot to have Sophia turn on the international plan.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter why you can’t get calls. The point is that you have t
o be here tomorrow by midnight.”
“Calm down, and tell me what happened, please.”
My blood boils as she tells me about her conversation with Mr. Parrish. My anger spikes when I learn that he tried to reach us, but Pierce’s law firm didn’t forward the messages.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m worried and upset,” she answers. “Pierce is on his way. Vance isn’t sure if he’ll join us, and well, you guys are in Vancouver.”
“If I can get Mills on board, we should be out of here…” I check the time. “Listen, if we can’t get out of here tonight, we’ll be there tomorrow morning. Henry’s flying us in. Can you try to talk to Vance again?”
“Uh-huh,” she confirms. “I’ll try again tomorrow once everyone is here.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I assure her.
“He wanted me to sign an affidavit where I confirm that you weren’t here,” she pauses. “Also, he told me that after they sell everything, the money goes to Carter’s Kids Foundation.”
I chuckle. “Of course, father would donate everything to you. He thought we’d be pissed with you or maybe that you’ll try to play us so you can keep the money. Fucking William, he put on some crazy ass show!”
“It’s almost over,” she assures me.
“Love you,” I tell her, not adding that it’s not over.
We’re just beginning. Mills, Vance, and Beacon aren’t on board yet, and then we have to live with each other for eighteen months. This is going to be a fucking freak show.
“I love you more,” she says and hangs up.
“She really forgave you,” Beacon confirms. “So, we have to be there tomorrow then?”
“Yes,” I answer, surprised by his reaction. Maybe I shouldn’t be; he adores Blaire and most of all, he trusts her.
“What happened?” Henry asks, so I bring him up to date. Once I finish my story, he calls Pierce and puts him on speaker.
“I’m on my way,” Pierce answers annoyed.
“Did your family try to fuck us over?”
He sighs. “Mom insists it was a mistake because they’re all busy.”
“And you believe her?”
“She doesn’t win anything if I stay or go,” he answers. “Why would I believe Mr. Parrish?”
“Because if she’s like my mother, she’s still pissed at William and at us, his children,” Henry answers. “Listen, I don’t want you to fight with your mother, but I want you to be aware that Merkel Hotels and Spas is firing them. I don’t feel comfortable doing business with people who can’t pass a simple message, especially one that almost makes me lose a deal. With that said, make sure you help Blaire with tomorrow’s deliveries.”
“If that’s all, I have a plane to catch,” he says, and the line goes dead.
“What’s the plan?” Beacon asks. “I could fly back to Oregon with you. I’m not sure about Mills though. Is Vance in?”
I rake my hair with my fingers and tell them what Blaire said. They look at each other, but we stop talking because Mills enters the apartment.
“Why are you all here?”
“We need to be there tomorrow,” I answer.
“No, I’m not going,” he says.
Beacon gives Mills a worried look. “What happened during the meeting?”
“They’re releasing me from my contract,” he says, closing his eyes. “The doctor isn’t sure if I can skate again.”
“You can,” I reassure him. “I can make that happen.”
“Only if I move in with you.”
“No, you don’t have to move to Baker’s Creek. We’re setting a practice and you can visit us often. We’ll treat you until you’re ready to go back,” I promise him.
A shadow of emotion covers Henry’s face, but he doesn’t say a word.
“Just give the guy a chance and pack your things. Arden could use a break from the hockey life,” Beacon says. “Hayes needs us. Skittles already forgave him.”
“She did?”
Beacon nods.
“It’s not just me. Henry and Pierce need you, too,” I correct. “We’ve been working our asses off to ensure that everything runs smoothly. There’s a lot we have to figure out, but we have plenty of time, and hopefully, you two will help.”
Mills rubs the back of his neck. “Fine, you’re going to have to help me pack because I can’t leave Arden’s stuff behind.”
“Let’s take the essentials,” Henry says. “We’ll have Sophia come back for the rest next week. She’s the only one of us who can travel around.”
“How about you, Beac?” I ask.
“Don’t worry about my shit. I can borrow clothes from all of you, and my bandmates can move my stuff when the studio is ready.”
My shoulders relax, knowing that these two agreed. I feel more confident that we’ll pull through this first step. That we will be at the house by tomorrow night. If only Vance could just take me out of my misery.
The next morning, we arrive in Baker’s Creek around nine. By eleven, we’re organizing the kitchen, assigning rooms, and trying to reach Vance because he’s not answering our calls or responding to our texts.
Our first official dispute begins when Pierce tries to claim two rooms, one for him and another one for Leyla.
“The stipulation says that you two must stay in the same room,” I remind him.
“You are crazy if you think I’m going to share a room with him,” Leyla argues, her voice loud enough that I’m sure the entire town can hear her. “I need my space, and if you want me to stay, you have to accommodate the one thing I’m requesting.”
“Listen, I wouldn’t mind sending him to the barn with the animals,” I tell her. “However, Dad specified that you two need to share a room.”
She huffs. Pierce looks at her and says, “You can sign the divorce papers.”
“The master bedroom is big enough for the two of you, and there’s an en suite where we can fit a bed,” Blaire explains, taking them both by the hand. “See, this room is almost as big as an apartment.”
“When can we order the bed?” Leyla asks.
“I’ll do it today,” Blaire answers.
“That was your room,” I tell her, when we begin to take her stuff out of the master suite.
She shrugs, “That’s okay.”
“Hey, in six months, your room is going to be bigger than that.”
“What?” she asks confused.
“We’re building our dream house. They are breaking ground in a couple of weeks,” I inform her. “We need to go to Easton’s office to approve the design.”
“That’s a big step,” she says with a mischievous smirk. “Are you sure you want to take it?”
I close and lock the door of the bedroom. Walking toward her, I say, “I missed you, Love.”
“It’s the middle of the day, and the house is full of people,” she warns me. “Arden is in the room across the hall taking a nap.”
“Then you have to be very quiet, Stardust,” I whisper, taking her lips and kissing her hard, before I move my mouth along her neck.
She smells like vanilla, flowers, and my favorite, Blaire. I’m grateful that she’s only wearing a tank top, so I can run my mouth along her shoulders and plant kisses behind her ear, making her shiver.
“Missed you,” she moans, lacing her fingers in my hair. “I’ve been aching for you.”
I scoop her into my arms, setting her on top of the freshly made bed. I crawl over her and stare at her beautiful face. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“Feel free to show me, Dr. Aldridge,” she answers in a low, sultry voice.
I drink in every part of her body as I undress her slowly and kiss every inch of her skin. My cock pulses when I nip her breast, and she gasps.
“Shh, you’re going to give us away,” I whisper, sliding my hand up her thigh and brushing her swollen clit with my thumb.
Blaire pushes her hips up, seeking friction. “Please,” she begs.
S
preading her legs, I open her folds with my fingers. Bending down, I lick her pussy from the top all the way down to her sweet entrance. I do it twice and then suck on her clit. She puts a pillow over her face, muffling a moan. I slide two fingers inside her and lap at her slit. It doesn’t take long for me to find a rhythm, stroking deeper, sucking her harder.
She squirms beneath me, saying nonsense against the pillow. I lazily circle her sensitive bud with my tongue, adding another finger as I anticipate her orgasm. Her body jolts, her legs thrust up in the air, and she grinds against my face when she reaches her climax. I slide up her body, kissing my way as I go. She moves the pillow from her flushed face, and I take her mouth and give her a hungry kiss.
She wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me close. Her thighs cradle me, and I reach for my shaft and caress her tight, wet entrance with it. I shudder as she lifts her hips, and I thrust inside her. I place my hands on her hips and pull out, plunging back in. She cries out as my cock fills her again, and I kiss her. There’s nothing more life altering than making love to this woman. My woman.
Her arms tighten around me as she arches beneath me while I continue filling her up. I pound into her fast and hard.
“Hayes,” she moans. “I’m so close.”
She buckles around me. I muffle her screams with my mouth, drinking her orgasm and controlling my own urge to scream as I’m coming.
There’s a bang on the wall. “Dude, it’s too early to be fucking.”
“Beacon, I already told you to stop cussing around my kid.”
Blaire and I laugh, and she kisses my jaw. “I love you.”
“I love you more, and I hope you don’t leave my ass because you have to live with my family.”
“It’s going to be interesting, that’s for sure.”
It’s almost midnight when Mr. Parrish arrives at the house. He’s like a vulture waiting for us to fail and pick at our bowels, feeding from our fiasco.
“Where is everyone?” he asks.
“Arden is in bed already,” Mills answers. “You don’t expect me to wake him up just to satiate your stupid curiosity, do you?”
Loved You Once Page 26