This new guy is French, a sculptor, and wants to meet in person after spending the past month chatting up my mother online.
“You’re the best, Harrison,” my mother tosses those words out as though she means them.
Ryden is the best when he does her a favor. Joslyn is the best when she rearranges her schedule to accommodate whatever our mother needs.
We all know that Roxy is her favorite, and she rightfully should be. She’s young, filled with promise, and hasn’t disappointed our mother yet.
“Will you take me out for pizza three times?” Roxy takes a step closer to where I’m sitting on one of the stools in my kitchen.
“I’ll make pizza once,” I counter.
Her nose scrunches. “Without anything green on it?”
“You like arugula,” I point out. “Spinach too.”
A long-winded sigh falls from her lips. “Not on pizza, Harrison.”
“This is what I love.” Our mother claps her hands together. “My oldest is getting on so well with my youngest.”
There may be more than twenty years separating my sister and me, but I’d jump in front of a speeding train to save her life. I’d do that for any of my siblings, even though I’d never admit it to Ryden.
“I’m leaving on Friday,” she informs us. “That gives me plenty of time to spruce up my wardrobe and pack.”
Roxy rubs her index finger and thumb together while silently mouthing the word “money” to me.
I shake my head because I’m not tossing a penny my mother’s way to fund this trip. The check I wrote her the other day is more than sufficient to cover her expenses for at least half of the year. She can look to one of my siblings if she wants more for her latest European adventure.
I stand, skimming my hand over the front of my black slacks to chase away a piece of lint. “I have plans, so if you’ll both excuse me.”
Roxy’s hands drop to her hips. The denim overalls she’s wearing are her regular weekend attire. That, along with the bright yellow sweatshirt underneath, is enough to make our mother’s blood boil. She firmly believes in the old adage that ‘you are what you wear,’ but Roxy’s a kid who wants to dress as one when she’s not burdened with the expectations that come with her school uniform.
“What plans?” my sister asks with a perked eyebrow. “Do you have a date?”
“With my best friend and his fiancée for dinner,” I tell her. “Play your cards right, and I’ll invite them over here for dinner while mom’s away.”
“Sean and Callie?” Roxy claps her hands. “I love them.”
I’d ask her to tag along tonight, but I’m wiped. A hard workout this afternoon and little sleep last night left me exhausted. I spent my Saturday night at the office dealing with a sourcing issue for some of the products for Food Harmony. Joslyn offered to pitch in to help, but she handles the recipe part of the business equation. I’m the one who is delegated everything else.
I would have given the venture more thought if I knew the gravity of the responsibility that came with it. On top of Food Harmony, I oversee the operations of a handful of other businesses, including two that survived my grandfather’s death. Very capable individuals run the software company my grandfather founded when he was my age and the string of electronic stores that branched off from that.
I’ve had generous offers to buy both since I took over when I was twenty-five, but those companies are part of my family’s lasting legacy, so until they start to bleed money, they’ll be part of my portfolio.
“They’re getting married, aren’t they?” My mother’s gaze finds mine. “That means you’re the last of your friend group to tie the knot, Harrison.”
“That knot will never be tied.”
“What?” Roxy’s head snaps to the left so she can glare at me. “You’re never getting married? Why not?”
The reason is far too personal to get into, so I give her the condensed version. “I’d make a horrible husband, Rox.”
She laughs. “Says who? You’re a good cook. You clean up the house. You aren’t too bossy, and you have lots of money. Mommy says it’s fourteen billion.”
Mommy has underestimated my wealth.
I see that as a very good thing.
“Money is not the foundation for a solid marriage,” I point out.
“Mom says it doesn’t hurt.” Roxy smiles. “You can at least give it a trial run and get engaged.”
I fight to hold in a grin. “Why don’t you focus on what you want to do while you stay with me? You have summer school how many days each week?”
She lets out a drawn-out groan. “Too many. It’s three-and-a-half.”
Summer school wasn’t necessary to keep up her grades, but as the regular term wound down a few weeks ago, Roxy wanted to enroll in a handful of advanced classes.
“You don’t like being stuck inside while your friends enjoy their time off?” Our mother asks.
Roxy shrugs. “I like it. It’s not boring or anything, but I wouldn’t mind sleeping in sometimes.”
I hear that.
I’d pay a small fortune to sleep through my alarm some mornings, but time doesn’t stand still for anything.
“Let’s leave Harrison to his plans.” Our mother tosses the end of her scarf over her shoulder as she glances at me. “You can pick up Roxy on Thursday evening. Her nanny will be available while I’m gone if you need help.”
“I won’t,” I say evenly.
That earns me a toothy grin from my sister. “I can’t wait, Harrison. We’re going to have the time of our lives.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ava
I follow Declan into the foyer of Sean’s apartment. On the drive over in a rideshare, my oldest brother explained how Sean and his fiancée fell in love.
I had no idea that Callie lived next door to our brother and hated him at first sight before fate crossed their paths again at the offices of Wells when she started working there.
It shouldn’t surprise me that Sean found the love of his life in the most unlikely place. He’s always doing things that no one expects but makes perfect sense to him.
“What’s with the shirt, Ava?” Sean rubs his beard-covered chin. “That looks like something you wore when you were a kid.”
I hold open the front of my blazer to give him a clear view of the T-shirt with the sparkly red lips printed on the front. “I was seventeen when I used to wear this, Sean. That’s hardly a kid.”
“That’s hardly a kid,” he mimics in a high-pitched tone. “Grown-up Ava has extra attitude.”
I smile. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” Declan answers for both of them. “I like attitude. I love how independent you’ve become. I’m still adjusting to the fact that you rented an apartment in the city for two months.”
Sean turns to face me directly. “What city?”
I point at the floor. “This city. I’m staying in Manhattan for a little while.”
“You’re shitting me.”
Both Declan and I laugh.