“What?” I said.
“Oh yeah. Your name is on an office there. That key I gave you is no joke. Deon Keane, you are the Chief Executive Officer of Loche Corporation Enterprises.”
That dream I had with Nathan and Cherri came blasting back into my mind. Was it just a freaky premonition? “I’m the C.E.O.?”
“Seems dear old dad had some plans up his sleeve that even I didn’t know about. From the day the company was incorporated, I’ve been listed as Vice President and you’ve been listed as C.E.O.” Nathan kicked the dirt on the gazebo floor. “It’s been a pain in the ass getting them to function without us, but I told them they need to just toe the line until we can figure all this shit with Connor out.”
“So, what? After all this is done, you’re gonna go and be an 18-year-old Vice President of a Fortune 500 company?” I asked.
“Pretty much, although I’ll technically be President now,” Nathan said. “I plan to go to business school and eventually get my MBA, but Connor had me studying that shit when I was ten, so I know how things go.” He looked over at me. “What about you? Will you join me? Vice-president?”
“I never considered myself much of an office guy,” I replied.
“I’ll let you keep the Grizzly Adams beard,” he joked.
I ran my hand along the scruff. “It’s something, isn’t it? Do you think I should cut it?”
“At the risk of sounding so creepy, no. Cherri likes facial hair,” Nathan replied, then he held up a hand before I could quip back. “No, don’t comment on it. Let that be the first and last time that ever happens.”
“Deal,” I said. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll join you. Currently, I’m still a wanted man, so I have to get all that sorted out first.”
“Yeah,” Nathan said. “I’ve been in contact with your P.O. I never let on for a second that we were looking for you or anything, only asked what we would have to do if it turned out all of this had been manipulated by Connor. Turns out, he’d been threatened by our old man a time or two, and would be willing to look the other way—in exchange for money, of course. He’s pulled your warrant back and is currently reporting visits to keep you in good standing. You can’t run around robbing gas stations or anything, but at least for the time being you aren’t actively being hunted by the cops.”
“Wow. Thanks, Nathan,” I said.
“Yeah.”
I thought about what the coming days were going to hold for us and imagined getting to just settle down and be some office guy with my brother and go home to the love of my life every day. It felt like too boring and normal a life for me to deserve. I’d fight for it if I could have it, though.
“Well, if it’s okay with you, I really want to go and see my mom. I can’t imagine how much she’s gone through these past eight months,” I said.
“Cherri took pretty good care of her,” Nathan said. “They lived together for about six months.”
“Cherri and my mom did?” I said.
Nathan nodded. “Yeah. Cherri like… flipped her shit at the beginning of our last semester and got kicked out of her house, among other things. She went to stay with your mom until The Royal Court got the band back together and she came to live here.”
I remembered seeing my mom talking about her roommate leaving about a month ago. That was Cherri. “Wow.”
“Your family has missed you quite a bit, Deon. We had to cope by just being there for each other,” Nathan said, and I was slightly surprised he included himself.
“Well, I’m home now,” I said.
“That’s right, you are.” He stood up. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”
Nathan and I went back inside the main house and grabbed my bags. We carried them up stairs and down a few doors to one on the left side. He opened it and I was smacked in the face by Cherri’s delightful, inviting smell. Her things were scattered all around the room and I immediately felt like I truly was home.
“My old room?” I said.
“Yeah,” Nathan said. “I remodeled it, made it special for you guys. Cherri’s been staying in here already, as I’m sure you can tell. I’ll give you the rest of the tour later. For now, go and see your mom.”
I set my bags down, then turned around and pulled Nathan into a big hug. He wrapped his arms around me, and with all prying eyes gone for the moment, we shared an extended hug. Brothers reunited after all of Connor’s best attempts to put space between us. I really did love my brother. Hopefully the future held plenty of opportunities for us to get to an even better place.
“Alright,” Nathan said, pulling away and flicking a tear away. “Get out.”
I laughed. “You got it.”
Walking around him, I made my way downstairs to the cars parked in the lot in front of the house. I clicked the button on my keys, and a white Tesla flashed a couple of times. A whistle came out of me as I climbed in and started up the car. I honestly never thought I’d have a car like that of my own. That was what awaited me if I did take my position at the company. I could get my mom into a nicer house, get her a nice car, and make sure she’d only have to work if she wanted to.
Yeah, that was the life I wanted.
The drive from South to North Postings was plenty of time for me to come to the realization that business school and working with my brother seemed like a damn good future. I’d pretty much written off getting to have one, but if fate was suddenly offering, I wasn’t going to say no.
The lights were on, shining against the early evening sky as I pulled up and parked in front of my mom’s house. My heart was beating wildly for some reason as I walked up the walkway and pulled my hand up to knock on the door.
It opened before I even made contact.
“Deon,” my mom said breathlessly, tears gathering in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. “My baby.”
My throat tightened and tears were in my eyes a moment later. I held my arms out and she ran into my embrace. “Mama,” I said with a smile. “I’m home.”
26
Cherri
“Ugh, Cherri, I love these two new friends,” my mom said. She squeezed Brayden close. “You’re such a pumpkin!”
“They were around before,” my dad said. “But it seemed like you didn’t really like them before.”
“Gee, thanks dad,” I said with a chuckle.
Brayden was excitedly leaning into the snuggle with my mom. “I mean, it isn’t as if we didn’t know that.”
“True,” I said.
Alistair leaned back in his seat and rubbed his belly. “There is nothing like your home-cooked meals, Rebeccah.”
“It’s so true,” Avery said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nikki this food-happy.”
Nikita was half-asleep in her chair, with a lazy smile on her face. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this food-happy.”
“Thanks for doing it on such short notice, mama,” I said to my mom, who saw four hungry young adults walk through her front door, and took the challenge head on.