by Hamel, B. B.
We stay like that for a few minutes before she gets up and pulls her panties back on. She makes a face and sighs.
“I think we’d better go,” she says. “I’m not exactly, uh, in good shape here.”
I laugh softly and get myself together. “Yeah, fair enough.”
“Plus, we have all we need, right?”
“No reason to stay for the boring stuff.”
She grins and once we’re settled, we head out. Fortunately, everyone’s moved on to a different room, and we can hear the echo of the product demonstration drifting out into the main hall.
I glance back at where Liam was standing, but he’s gone.
The way he was so direct with me does make some alarm bells go off, but I can’t tell if I’m being paranoid or not. He’s right that this little fight between me and Whit was inevitable, and it makes sense that he’d want to pick sides.
Still, I don’t know. I’ll have to be careful and follow Amy’s advice. She’s good at this sort of thing.
“Let’s go home,” she says softly.
I squeeze her hand and we leave the building together, the world even more uncertain than when we started all this.
9
Amy
“Sweetie, I’m just dying to talk to my son’s new wife.”
I bite my lip, pacing along the front porch in the early morning mountain air. Ever’s mom is on the phone, and I wouldn’t have answered for anyone but her this early in the morning.
“Well, let’s get together then,” I say.
“How about brunch today? I can come get you around ten. I’m right across the valley, after all.”
I bite my lip. Of course his mother knows where we live, it’s just…
I guess I thought this was our private little oasis. I had it in my head that we were alone out here, away from all the bullshit and everything else. I could pretend like we were married for real in this place. But no, of course Faye knows about our house.
Faye Bloom is the only person that’s not directly involved in this fight for succession, at least as far as I can tell. She’s always loved her sons equally, so I’d be surprised if she picked sides.
Still, I’d better be careful. I’ve always really liked her, but she’s still Ever’s mother.
“That sounds great,” I say.
“Wonderful. It’s a date.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up the phone. I sigh and head back inside. I make some coffee and the smell of it finally lures Ever from his room.
We’re staying in separate rooms right now. We’re still pretending like we’re pretending, so not sleeping together in the same room is part of the game, even if we’re also having sex. It’s all pretty confusing but I get the sense that separate rooms are an important milestone right now.
“Morning,” he grunts. “Were you talking to someone?”
“Your mother,” I say, pouring him a mug.
He coughs. “She’s here?”
“No, she called me.” I pause for a second. “At seven in the morning.”
He chuckles. “She’s probably been awake for hours waiting to call. Seven is plenty late in her mind.”
I sigh. “I’d better get used to that.”
“Yep. Or just don’t answer, like I do.”
“You’re such a good son.”
He grins and salutes me with his coffee before setting it back down on the counter.
“What did she want?”
“Brunch,” I say. “She’s picking me up at ten.”
He whistles. “A Faye Bloom bunch. I guess you really are family now.”
I purse my lips. “Is that a thing?”
“Oh, yeah,” he says. “She gets me to do brunch at least once a month. Doesn’t matter where I am, I’d better get my ass home. I think Whit and his wife do it too.”
I sigh and sit down. It’s strange to think of myself as part of the Bloom family, but…
I am married to Everest, after all.
“Well, I guess I’d better get ready.”
“God luck,” he says. “And if she tries to get you to drink, don’t do it.”
I hesitate, on my way back to my room. “Why not?”
He grins. “She’ll drink you under the table. Trust me.”
“I’m not afraid of your mom.”
“You should be. She’ll get you drunk and extract all your secrets, one by one. Believe me, Faye Bloom seems sweet, but she’s a killer under all those smiles.”
I frown at him and shake my head. “Your mother is perfectly darling,” I say, and head back to my room.
Ever always was the type to exaggerate. Faye’s been nothing but kind to me for all the years I’ve known her. I can’t imagine she’d try to get me drunk just to get secrets out of me.
That’s just Ever, talking out his ass.
* * *
“This is my favorite spot around here.” Faye Bloom gives me a kind smile as we slip into a booth. The place is called Reggie’s and it’s basically an upscale diner. “I’ve been coming here for years.”
“Do you stay at the mountain house often?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “Sometimes. Depends on the weather. It’s closer to the hospital though, so that’s an easy choice.”
I nod as the waitress comes back. I order coffee and pancakes and Faye orders the same. Just before the waitress leaves, she gives me a look.
“Say, what do you think about mimosas?” she asks, leaning toward me. “Oh, you know, something fun with your mother-in-law.”
“Ah,” I say, eyes wide, feeling like a deer in the headlights. I hate saying no to her, but Ever’s warning starts ringing in my ears. “No, thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” She smiles at the waitress and the woman heads off. “So when did you realize you loved my son?”
I cough a little, sputtering my water. “Sorry, what?”
“Ever,” she says. “You two have been friends for a million years. Why the sudden marriage?”
“Oh, uh,” I say. “Well, we sort of fell into it and then…” I shrug.
“Just fell in love,” she says, almost wistfully. “Well, I saw it coming. I mean, the way you’ve been looking at him, it’s so obvious. He was totally clueless, of course, but I’m glad he figured it out.”
I almost argue with her right then. I’m tempted to tell her I never loved him, that’s just crazy, there’s no way, I mean, no way she’d notice that.
But no, I have a role to play. “I guess it was obvious,” I say, smiling sheepishly.
“Don’t be embarrassed, dear. I’m so happy you’re in the family. Ever’s always been… you know, difficult. He does what he wants and nobody can tell him otherwise.”
“I know all about that,” I grumble as the waitress returns with our coffee.
“You’re sure about those mimosas?” Faye asks with a wink.
I wince. “I’m sure.”
Faye laughs and sips her mug. “I really hope you can calm him down, you know.”
“I think I can,” I say. “He’s already doing much better.”
“True. He’s been staying in one place, at least. And did I hear you two showed up to the backpack launch?”
“We did,” I say, surprised. “You heard?”
“Oh, Whitney was complaining about it.”
My heart starts beating fast but I fight to keep cool. “Why?” I ask as calmly as I can. “We didn’t even see him there.”
“Oh, you know Whitney, everything’s so difficult with him. He thinks Ever is trying to take his job.”
“Is it his job?” I ask her softly.
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I’m under the impression that Ever’s father hasn’t made a decision yet. Not the final decision, at least.”
Faye sighs. “That’s true. But we all know what he’s thinking.”
“Maybe. That doesn’t mean he won’t consider Ever though.”
“That’s also true.” Faye looks a little uncomfortable. “All
this fighting, I really hate it.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m not trying to make you pick sides.”
She shakes her head, a sad look on her face. “I love my family,” she says softly. “I love my boys, my husband. I even love the company. But I’d burn that company to the ground if I thought it would stop them all from fighting each other.”
I bite my lip. “You’d really do that?”
“In a heartbeat. I’d give it all up. I love my boys more than anything in the world.” She smiles at me. “And I’m so happy you married Everest. Really, Amy. I think you’re exactly what he needs and I couldn’t be happier.”
I smile back at her but inwardly, I want to scream.
This poor woman. She really is in the middle of this, trying not to pick sides. Meanwhile, her son is lying to her, and her other son is trying to fight that son, and her husband is more or less allowing it all to happen.
It’s so messed up. She doesn’t deserve any of this, and I hate myself for the part that I’m playing.
Brunch goes smoothly after that. She asks me about kids and I nearly choke on my food, but we get along really well, and I’m in a great mood when she drops me off back at home.
But that mood sours when I spot Ever.
I march up to him and plant my feet. He’s sitting on the front porch, drinking a beer, shirtless and magnificent.
“You’re such a fucking asshole,” I say to him.
“Excuse me?”
“How could you do this to your mother? All this lying and this fake marriage thing. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He grunts and blinks at me. “What the hell?”
“You’re such a dick.”
“What… I mean, what the hell?”
I glare at him. “Your mother’s a saint!”
I turn and storm into the house.
I know that was irrational and maybe a little mean, but hell, he deserves it for what he’s putting his mother through. And I deserve worse for my part in it all. I just hope that at the end of the day, Faye isn’t too badly hurt by how this all shakes out.
She’s the only innocent person in all this madness.
10
Ever
I leave Amy alone at the cabin and head into town to grab some supplies.
I guess that’s not really the right word for it. It’s not like we’re living in the middle of the wilderness. There’s a decent-sized town maybe fifteen minutes away with a huge grocery store. We’re not exactly roughing it.
I stop and get some groceries then head over to the hospital to visit my father. I wanted to bring Amy with me on this trip but she’s clearly not into me today. That’s fine, I don’t blame her. I totally agree with her about my mother.
I hate misleading her. That’s the worst part of this plan by far. My mother’s always supported me, no matter what, and it’s always meant the world. Even when my father has been his angriest, my mother was there to calm him down and to smooth things over. I think, without her, we would’ve killed each other a long time ago.
She’s the heart of this family. Lying to her is a genuinely horrible and difficult thing to do, but it’s necessary. She couldn’t mislead my father, even if she wanted to. So if this is going to work, I have to keep her in the dark.
Damn, though, it fucking sucks. And I don’t need Amy to remind me of it.
I head into the hospital and into my father’s dark room. He looks at me from his hospital bed, a newspaper in his hands.
“Still married?” he grunts at me instead of a greeting.
“Still married,” I echo. “Still alive?”
He grins. “Feeling better, too.”
“I’m sure.” I sit down next to him. “Do you know what Whitney’s been up to?”
He frowns at me. I have to admit, he does look a little bit better than the last time I saw him.
“I can guess.”
“He’s spreading rumors.”
“About you?”
I nod. “Says I’m a danger to the company. Wants everyone to stay away from me.”
He barks a short laugh. I didn’t expect any sympathy from him, but the mirth is still annoying.
“Not a bad move,” he muses. “You need some support within the company if you’re really going to take over.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
He shakes his head. “As much as you probably won’t believe me, I truly don’t enjoy seeing my sons at each other’s throats.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “You’ve been pitting the two of us against each other for as long as I can remember.”
“And it made you stronger, didn’t it?”
I shake my head. “No. It made me hate my brother.”
“I didn’t do that,” he says, looking away. “It’s just the nature of these things.”
I sigh. “Well, don’t worry, Dad. I don’t expect you to do anything about any of this.”
“What would you have me do? I’m bedridden and sick. You’re not really coming to your father to tattle on your brother, are you?”
I shake my head. “No. I was just coming to see how you’re doing.”
“Good. Because if you needed my help, you wouldn’t deserve the job.”
I resist the urge to tell him to go to hell and slowly stand up. “You know, at some point, I think you forgot that we just sell camping supplies.”
“Camping supplies, nuclear warheads, who cares? It’s business, boy. You need to be hard if you’re going to succeed, because believe me, there are plenty of people out there that want to see you crumble into dust.”
I look down at my old, sick father. He’s right, there are a lot of people that want to see him disappear—and sometimes, I’m one of them.
“I’ll see you later,” I say.
He grunts at me. At least he didn’t forget who I am midway through the visit. I turn away and leave the room.
It’s a quick drive back to the cabin. I load the groceries up and wander through the house quickly. “Amy?” I call out. “You here?”
No answer, though. I want to apologize to her, or at least tell her that I agree. But she’s nowhere to be seen.
I post up on the front porch and drink a beer as the time slips past. I keep thinking about that conversation with my father and remembering all the times he had me and my brother fight it out. Whenever we’d have an issue, my father would always encourage us to fight about it, to physically fight, until the matter got resolved or we were too tired to keep fighting.
“That’s right, get it out, you two. You’ll fight it out until you’re both strong.”
Problem is, we’re still fighting it out. Maybe not with fists, because Whit knows I could beat him into a bloody pulp these days, but in other ways.
A few hours pass without any sign of Amy, and I’m starting to get worried. I try calling her, but the signals are bad up here and I don’t think there’s much chance she’ll get it. Sure enough, it goes straight to voicemail.
Truly nervous, I change into some hiking gear and grab my flashlight before hitting the trail.
There are a ton of hiking trails around the house. Most of them are pretty simple paths, but some of them can be dangerous. Sheer drops, loose stone, all that sort of shit. Not to mention bears and mountain lions. As I wander around, I star to forget about my brother and my father, and really start to worry.
“Amy!” I shout as I wander. “Amy!”
She’s not a hiking kind of girl. In all the time I’ve known her, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her hike once or even show any interested in it at all. But her shoes were missing and a light jacket, which makes me think she went somewhere. I don’t know where, since she doesn’t have a car.
Ah, hell. If she’s out here, she could be anywhere. The property is huge and the mountains are even bigger. She could’ve wandered anywhere by now.
“Amy!” I shout, walking through the woods as the sun starts to set.
Darkness in the mountains i
s very, very dangerous. It’s easy to slip and fall, and if you do it in the wrong place, you could fall a very, very long time. Landing from a fall like that isn’t fun, not even a little bit.
“Amy!” I shout again. I can feel panic starting to set in my gut. I have my flashlight on, shining it everywhere. I’m moving in a circuit around the house, trying to stick to the main paths, the ones she’s likely to take. I know that eventually I’ll have to go back to the cabin and call the police. I know there are some rangers around here that’ll help search for her. Maybe I should go now, but I can’t bring myself to walk away.
If she’s hurt, if she’s in danger…
“Amy!”
God, I don’t know what I’d do without her. The idea of losing her hits me like a knife to the chest. I don’t know what the point of any of this will be if she’s gone. If she just disappears into the mountains, I think I might just disappear with her.
“Hello?”
I stop in my tracks. The sound is distant, but it’s clear, coming from up ahead of me.
“Amy!”
“Hello?”
I hurry toward her voice. “Keep yelling!”
My heart’s beating so fast. I come up a short rise and through a cropping of trees, I can see someone ahead, sitting on a boulder.
“Ever!” she shouts.
I run toward her. I know I shouldn’t, I should take my time and make sure I don’t fall and break a leg or something, but I don’t care. I’m so relieved to hear her, to see her, that I can’t help myself.
I run as fast as I can. She’s sitting on a rock and I spring up to her, throwing my arms around her and pulling her up against me hard.
“Oh, god,” I say. “I thought I lost you.”
“I thought I lost myself,” she says, laughing a little bit.
“Are you okay?” I pull back and look at her. She seems totally fine.
“I got lost,” she says sheepishly. “I was on the main trail but there was this deer and I followed it down a side trail and then I lost the deer and then…” She trails off. “Well, I got lost.”
“Shit,” I say. “I’m so happy I found you.”