With This Cake: A Meet Me At The Altar Novel

by Samantha Chase

  “How dare you leave the office without letting me know! And when we had an important meeting!” his father said as a greeting when Brody called him.

  The thing was, it really wasn’t anyone’s business but his own where he went and why, and he resented being questioned like that–especially after all the years he gave everything of himself to the company. Granted, that was the exact reason he was being questioned but it didn’t make him resent it any less.

  “There was something I had to deal with, Dad, and I did send Eric Hammel in my place. We both know he is more than capable of handling anything you need. The man lived in Paris for a year and actually knows several of the people involved in this project. If anything, he’s a better choice than I am.”

  “That is irrelevant, Brody. What you did today was unprofessional and completely irresponsible! This is not the behavior of a man who is looking for a promotion. And I’ll have you know, I’m considering sending Eric to Paris to finalize this deal. How does that make you feel?”

  “Honestly? I’m okay with it. Like I said, he’s more than capable of doing it and doing it well.”

  Silence.

  “It’s late, Dad. Why don’t we talk about this in the morning?”

  “Oh, so you’re planning on coming to work then? How thoughtful of you.”

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, Brody mentally counted to ten. “We both know I always come to work. There just happened to be a situation today that needed my attention more than the Paris contract.”

  “Your job should be your number one priority,” his father reminded him.

  “Did the meeting go well?” he asked.

  “That’s not the point.”

  “But it is,” he countered. “It sounds to me like nothing was hindered by my absence and Eric’s going to go to Paris to finalize everything so…there’s no problem there. Your problem seems to be with me not falling in line.”

  “It’s not like you to be so defiant, Brody. I called your office and told you we had a meeting and you agreed to be there.”

  “Actually, no. You spoke to Margaret and she said she’d pass on the message. I never agreed. And if we’re going to point fingers, I should remind you that we have always given each other–as well as anyone who works for King Hospitality–sufficient advanced notice when there’s a meeting unless it’s an emergency. Was this an emergency today?”

  Silence.

  “That’s what I thought. Now as I said, it’s getting late and we can talk in the morning, okay? Send Mom my love and have a good night.” He hung up before his father could argue with him some more.

  Then he’d walked back into the bedroom and found Leanna still in the bed and reading on her phone.

  And here they were.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Have you talked to your girls?”

  “You mean Josie and Skye?”

  He nodded.

  “I did. Skye went home because she was tired–she said this pregnancy has made her very sleepy–and Josie decided to go to the gym. So no one knew we were there.”

  “Well, your assistant and everyone in the kitchen knew.”

  “Technically, yes. But they didn’t know what we did in there,” she said, placing a soft kiss on his chest. “I think we both should be very proud of ourselves for being so stealthy.”

  “Thank God we only had to be like that the one time. Personally, I enjoy how vocal you are.”

  “Hey!” Pinching his side, she laughed. “A gentleman would not draw attention to that.”

  “I never claimed to be one.” Pulling her closer, he noticed how they both fell quiet. It had been a rather long and emotional day and it was getting late.

  “Can I ask you something?” she asked quietly.

  “Of course.”

  “Is there going to be a problem for you because of what happened today?”

  It would be easy to make light of it, but he knew she’d see right through it. “A little.”

  “I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t shown up like that…”

  “Hey,” he said softly, rolling them slightly so he could see her face. “You did nothing wrong, okay? I made the decision to leave. I made the decision to skip the meeting.”

  “Yes, but you wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t shown up and dropped all kinds of bombshells like that.” She groaned, trying to hide her face against his shoulder. “Now you’re going to get a bunch of grief and it’s all my fault.”

  Tucking his finger under her chin, he forced her to look at him. “I think you know by now that I get grief on an everyday basis. This is the first time, however, that I’m not arguing it with anyone. I left, I sent a suitable replacement, and there were no issues except my father’s annoyance and he’ll just have to get over it.”

  “Brody…”

  “I appreciate your concern, but everything’s going to be fine. He threatened me with sending Eric Hammel to Paris to finish up negotiations…”

  “So I cost you a trip to Paris?” she whined, pulling away. “It would kill me if someone took a Paris trip away from me.”

  Yes, he knew her dream was to go there and eat her way around the city, but…

  “Trust me, it’s not a big deal. This was a very standard negotiation and if I went, it would have been very brief and no time for fun or sightseeing. I’m not missing out.”

  “But it’s Paris…”

  He shrugged. “I’ve been there before and perhaps someday I’ll go again, but for now, I’m not interested in going.”

  “Oh.”

  “Leanna, you are more important to me than any trip, any contract, any meeting. I’ll deal with the consequences because you’re worth it.”

  And he meant it.

  He just didn’t expect the horrified look on her face as a response.

  Gently, she pushed at him until she could sit up. The sheet was clutched to her chest as she faced him. “I appreciate you saying that, I really do, but that is only going to lead to more problems. Don’t you see that?”

  “Um, no.”

  With a small eye roll, she started again. “Brody, you mean everything to me, but I would never skip out on an event or meeting with a client. That’s just not smart. And we’re both mature enough to know that there are going to be times when we can’t see each other when we want. Sometimes you’ll have to work late, sometimes it will be me. That’s just part of life. There has to be a balance. You need to find a balance.”

  For a moment he could only stare at her, but then he realized she was right.

  “I have a feeling you jump in with both feet when you make up your mind about something,” she went on. “You say you want to change and so you’re changing, but you can’t go from one extreme to the other. Promise me you’re going to think things through before you make any major decisions.”

  Taking her hand, he kissed it. “I promise.”

  That seemed to please her because she visibly relaxed. “Okay then.” She lay back down and smiled up at him before yawning. “Sorry.”

  “No need to apologize. I’m tired too.” Reaching over, he turned off the lamp on his bedside table before taking Leanna back in his arms. “Goodnight, love.”

  “Mmm…goodnight.”

  Much to his surprise the next day, there was no angry mob waiting for him when he got to the office. Everything was business as usual and it wasn’t until it was almost time for lunch when his father came to see him.

  “Can I buy you lunch?” he asked with a smile, and Brody felt a little apprehensive.

  “That would be nice, Dad. Thanks.” He stood and grabbed his phone before walking around his desk.

  They rode the elevator down to the lobby and walked out to the garage while talking about very neutral topics–his father’s trip to Japan, adjusting to the time difference, his mother’s sudden desire to get a dog–nothing to wave a red flag about.

  Brody offered to drive and they opted to go to the local country club where they always had a table waiting for them.
He was letting his guard down and certain that perhaps after putting his foot down over the phone, his father had time to calm down and they were going to be okay.

  That idea was quickly shot to hell as soon as they placed their orders.

  “I’m going to give Eric Hammel the promotion,” his father said mildly.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I thought about what you said last night, and Eric is extremely competent. I hadn’t been paying much attention to him because I was grooming you, but once I looked over his credentials and reviewed the work he’s been doing for us, I believe he’s the right man for the job.”

  “You’re joking, right? This is just your way of putting me in my place because of what happened yesterday.”

  And for the life of him, Brody wasn’t sure why he was even taking the bait. Didn’t he just yesterday decide that he didn’t want the damn promotion? He should be thanking his father right now, but instead, he was offended.

  “It occurred to me after we got off the phone that maybe I’ve been carrying you. You work hard and you put in the hours, but I’m also having to make apologies for you when you offend people. That’s not what we want at the executive level. Eric’s much more mild-mannered. A people person. Plus, he’s married and has a family so he has something he’s working for. He understands responsibility.”

  “And I don’t?” he asked incredulously. “Seriously?”

  “You’re a single man with no one to worry about but yourself. Sure you’d be able to pick up and go on a moment’s notice and stay away as long as needed without any distraction, but how often have we needed that sort of thing?” His father shook his head. “I think you’re doing a fine job where you are and maybe down the road we can revisit this.” He paused and took a sip of his water. “Plus, Eric’s never missed a meeting.”

  That was it. “Leanna came to see me yesterday and she was very upset and I went after her,” he stated with just a hint of defiance. “She’s important to me and I couldn’t just let her go with the way we left things. I…she…” He sighed. “I was the reason she was upset and it bothered me. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her so…I made the snap decision to go after her. I knew Eric could handle things but there was no one there for Leanna.”

  His father’s expression was mild as he slowly lowered his glass. “Interesting.”

  “Dad…”

  “I’m very impressed, Brody. In a million years I never would have guessed it was a personal reason that you left–and certainly not over a woman.” He paused. “She’s the one you’re bringing to lunch next weekend, right?”

  “As long as nobody cancels,” he murmured, reaching for his own glass.

  “No one’s going to do that again. There were extenuating circumstances, but I’ll make sure everything goes as scheduled.” He paused again. “Maybe I’ll wait on making a decision about Eric and the promotion.”

  “That’s not necessary, Dad,” he said, seeing his opening to share his stance on where he saw his future. “Actually, I’ve been thinking…”

  “Hey! Sorry I’m late!” Travis said as he walked up to the table.

  “Late?” Brody asked. “I didn’t realize you were invited.”

  “Well that was rude,” his brother said with a snort. Once he was seated, he grinned at his father. “I got held up on the call with the San Diego people but everything’s good now.”

  “That’s wonderful, Travis. Thank you for taking the time to handle it. I appreciate it. Not everyone takes their responsibilities seriously these days.”

  Oh, good Lord…

  “What are you talking about?” Travis asked.

  Brody had to sit back and listen to his father tell the very exaggerated version of what happened yesterday. As soon as he was done, Brody told his version.

  “Wait, so you left because of the baker chick?”

  “Her name is Leanna and I’m getting tired of making that correction,” he all but growled.

  “Sorry. I didn’t realize that was still going on.”

  “No one expected it,” his father chimed in. “We all just thought she was a good distraction for the one weekend so your brother would behave himself and not upset you and Charlene.”

  “I thought she’d be good for his image,” Travis went on. “You know, he started relaxing a bit and was becoming more likable.”

  They talked about him as if he weren’t even there and it was a struggle not to lose his temper.

  “I’m all for him relaxing but when she becomes a distraction that keeps him from his job, then I have a problem,” his father replied matter-of-factly. “We all manage to balance our personal lives and our professional ones.”

  “Yes, but it’s new to him. I’m sure in time he’ll see…”

  “I’m right here, dammit!” Brody snapped. “And I don’t appreciate this line of conversation. It was one meeting in a span of almost a dozen years of work and I refuse to sit here and have you both belittle me because of it!”

  Everyone grew silent–including those in the tables around them–and thankfully their waitress returned to take his brother’s order. It was the perfect reprieve and as soon as she was gone, Travis had the good sense to change the subject.

  “Charlene and I are having our final meeting with the wedding planners next week. She’s still a little disappointed that we aren’t getting to use the company jet for our honeymoon or go to Europe, but…” He shrugged. “I still think everything is fantastic.”

  “You need to reel her in a little, Travis,” his father replied sharply. “She’s a lovely girl, but a little bit on the spoiled side. If we didn’t say no to some things, who knows what else she would have asked for.”

  Brody was relieved that he wasn’t the only one feeling that way and then wondered why his father had given him so much grief when he brought up this exact issue before the engagement party.

  “She’s not spoiled, Dad. She just wants the wedding she always dreamed of.”

  His father frowned, his annoyance obvious. “A four-day engagement party was uncalled for and the act of a spoiled brat.”

  Looking uncomfortable, Travis shifted in his seat. “Now you sound like Brody.”

  “He was right! It was a circus! And I’ve had more than a few calls from the event planner about the wedding because your bride-to-be likes to keep adding demands on my staff. Reel her in now, Travis, or your life is going to be hell. You’ll never be able to please a woman like that because she’ll always be asking for more.”

  Before his brother could respond, Brody interrupted. “Excuse me, why was it when I mentioned this, I was treated like public enemy number one who had to be confined to the bakery trailer so I didn’t upset anyone?”

  “This isn’t the time, Bro,” Travis said wearily, but their father had no problem explaining.

  “We were already knee-deep in that ridiculous event and it was too late to change it. Honestly, we were all exhausted at that point and it was just easier to keep you quiet than tell Travis they had to scale it back.”

  “Wait, what?” Travis demanded.

  “Are you serious?” Brody asked in the same tone–not that their father was even remotely put out.

  “When Daren got married, everything was simple and elegant. Normal,” he added for Travis’ benefit. “But he’s always been the more level-headed out of all of you. Then you and Charlene come along and she immediately wanted to put the King Hospitality staff to work. At first I didn’t mind, but then I find out she has an event planner in the family and only utilized her for the cakes! Leanna’s company is one of the best in this region and yet that wasn’t good enough for her? I knew right then and there that she was going to be a handful.”

  Beside him, his brother sputtered and tried to defend his fiancée, but ultimately, nothing came out.

  “And you,” his father said, turning to him. “I figured if you ever got married that you’d fall somewhere in between your brothers. Hell, I still believe you’d ra
ther elope or get married at a courthouse while on your lunchbreak rather than deal with everything that goes into a wedding and being on display like that.” Pausing, he took another sip of his water. “I wonder where our real drinks are. Has anyone seen our waitress?”

  “Dad…”

  “But here’s the thing, Brody, I have no idea if you’re serious enough with Leanna that you’re thinking of marriage, but if you are, I would be more open to allowing you the company jet and pay for your honeymoon to France or Italy.” He glanced at Travis before returning his attention to Brody. “Why? Because I greatly doubt Leanna would be as demanding as her cousin. I’ll have to get to know her better at lunch next weekend.”

  At that point, both brothers were rendered speechless and it was just as well. Lunch had just arrived.

  Clapping his hands together, his father grinned. “Everything looks delicious! Who’s hungry?”

  Brody knew he wasn’t.

  The old man was playing them–pitting them against each other–and that’s when so much of his life and why he did the things he did fell into place. And it took him thirty-two years to realize it.

  He had no idea how to get through the rest of this lunch. His appetite was completely gone.

  And so was his respect for his father.

  Chapter 15

  A party without cake is just a meeting.

  Things had been going well.

  Like really well.

  So much so that Leanna began to wonder why she waited so long to tell Brody how she felt. For over a week, there had been a shift in their relationship. He was more attentive, smiling more, laughing more, and it was almost like he was a completely different person.

  Most of the time.

  There were also times when she saw a sadness in his eyes–mostly when he didn’t realize she was watching–and she had to wonder what he was thinking.

  The biggest change was how he didn’t talk about work nearly as much. There was a part of her that wondered if some irreparable damage was done the day of her big feelings reveal–otherwise known as “the feelings incident”–but any time she asked, he told her that had nothing to do with anything and that he was fine.