“Granddad, you can’t sell your dementia meds.”
“Some of the other residents can’t afford them. I’m helping them, and all I ask for is whiskey. I’m not screwing them over, though, Esther, in room 216—” Walter licked his lips, and Archer winced. “She’s nice.”
“Please, Granddad. I don’t want to get the call telling us you’ve been busted for selling prescription drugs.”
“I’m careful, and I’m not the only one. Bernie in room 184 sells his pain meds. He doesn’t really need them, so he lets the others have them.”
“Why don’t the nurses have them?”
“Because we convinced them we can handle our own meds. We’re adults not babies that need our asses wiping.”
Archer groaned, dropping his head in his hands. Why had he agreed to take Walter out? “I think I need a drink.”
Chapter Nineteen
CAIN STARED AT the blueprints for the new Hardings store in front of him then turned the page around. Nope, it didn’t help make what he was staring at any easier to understand. He checked the name at the bottom and furrowed his brow. There was no way in hell this man had created this design.
Standing, he picked up the blueprint and left his office, walking over to Cecil Pearson’s Office. Knocking on the door, he opened it and stuck his head inside. “Got a minute?”
Cecil looked up from some papers he was reading and nodded. “Yeah, come in. How are you doing now that you’re back home?”
“It’s good to be home in my own place.” He sat on the other side of the desk and placed the blueprint between them.
Cecil glanced at it, looked at Cain, then looked back at the design. His mouth opened then snapped shut. “What the...?”
“Yeah, I know. He’s a grad student, right?”
“He’s much better than this.” Cecil picked up the design and turned it in several different directions. “Does it follow the project briefs?” Cecil glanced up at Cain then back to the design.
“I haven’t checked to be honest. I saw this and that it’s listed under you, but knew this wasn’t your work.”
“Shit.” Cecil ran a hand through his hair. “He has such great potential that—between us—I’m envious. His free hand work is outstanding.”
“Maybe a bad day. Want me to speak to him?”
Cecil stood, taking the blueprint with him. “No, I’ll do it now. He can’t turn in work like this. If this had been accepted, we’d be in shit with Hardings.”
“Hardings is too big. We can’t fuck up their account.” Cain rubbed the back of his neck. Hardings was an outlet store chain that had grown in popularity the past few years and were in the middle of a huge expansion project. The last thing they needed was to mess up the account and potentially lose hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of work.
Walking back into his office, he saw a light blinking on his cell. Picking it up, he read the message and burst out laughing. Archer was out with Walter and learning things he shouldn’t be. Not about his grandad, anyway.
Archer: He wants anal sex or just something to shove up there! I need a huge hole to open up and swallow me.
Archer: Maybe some bleach too.
Archer: I need to bathe in the stuff. Knox got his burger and left. The bastard dumped me to deal with Granddad on my own. I’ve disowned him. He isn’t my brother anymore.
Cain: Or you could tell Walter that Knox knows all the best places to go if he wants some adult fun.
Archer: Oh! I never thought of that. That would serve the fucker right, wouldn’t it? Can you imagine the look on Knox’s face when Walter turns up at his place ready to go out and party?
Cain laughed again. He liked Walter. He kept life interesting, and he gave absolutely no fucks who he pissed off while doing it.
“What’s so funny?”
“My new granddad.” Cain smiled at Gaynor as she walked in and sat across the desk from him. “He’s...direct, let’s say.”
“Lydia’s dad?”
“You know Lydia?” Cain was surprised to learn they knew each other.
“My brother was in the same year as Quince, I think. My mom and Lydia met up for coffee every month or so. I’ve met Walter too.”
Cain chuckled. “Archer’s out with him, and Knox did a runner when Walter started discussing sex.”
Gaynor laughed. “I bet he did. As you say, Walter can be very direct as in he doesn’t care who he offends. If he has something to say, he’ll say it. I really like him.”
“No, you like the shit he causes.”
“Busted!” Gaynor smiled. “I saw Cecil with a face like thunder. I made sure to stay away, so I came in here. What happened?”
“There’s an issue with the design for Hardings new store.”
“The mega store they’re planning to build? The really expensive store that’s going to make us a ton of money and bring god knows how much work our way? That Hardings?”
“The one and the same and we have the potential for much more if we can nail this design. If I hadn’t caught it...”
“We’re professional enough that someone would have seen it.”
“These things can and do slip through. We’ve all seen the pictures on social media. Wheel chair ramps that end at a wall or toilets with no doors because the dimensions were wrong.”
Gaynor winced but nodded. “Yeah. Shit, Cain.” Sighing, she sat back in the chair. “Tell me about your vacation.”
Cain smiled briefly and looked at the paper work scattered on his desk. What did he say? He met the most amazing man who rocked his world and left him behind only to find out that he was now his new brother? Man, what a mouthful, but the sex was out of this world amazing.
It would certainly surprise Gaynor to find out he’d had sex with a man.
“It was good. Sun, sand, sea.”
“And hot men in speedos.”
Cain smiled and glanced away. “Hot women in bikinis that left nothing to the imagination.”
“Not interested in the women, Cain. Tell me about the men.”
Cain swallowed and looked at Gaynor. Biting his lip, he slowly nodded. “There was this one guy...” He went back to the moment he’d seen Archer walk into the bar and instantly felt his body respond.
“A man?” Gaynor’s eyebrows practically shot off her head. She watched him for a few seconds then said, “He must be good to put that look on your face.”
Cain pursed his lips. “It’s complicated. Shit, that’s all I’ve been saying about the whole thing.”
“How can it be complicated? You had a vacation fling? With a man as well. Never saw that coming.”
Cain bit his lip and nodded. “Me either, but I did, and we both walked away very happy until I saw him again.”
Gaynor leaned forward, staring avidly at Cain. “Where? When? Who is it? Do I know him?”
Cain nodded, chewing on his lip. “Please keep this to yourself.”
Gaynor tutted. “When have I ever told anyone what you say to me.”
“The man I met was Archer.”