He held up his phone. “I have to slip away for a second. Just wanted to make sure you were good.”
My heart plummeted to my toes. “Oh. Yeah, yeah, I’m good. You don’t have to stay by my side all the time. Go to what you need to do.”
“You sure?”
I forced myself to nod. “I’m sure, yeah.”
“All right. Thanks.” He picked up the phone and stepped away from the table as I let out a heavy sigh.
I pushed my half-eaten plate of food away and drained the rest of my coffee into my stomach. I wanted to hide away from the world. I wanted to coop myself up until this hell I’d found myself in finally passed.
You need to be happy for your friends.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy for them. I just wanted what they had for myself. I wanted children and a home, a man who loved me, and a kitchen table all my own to fill with the family we created together. I wanted my father to actually like a guy I had a crush on instead of frightening them away and adding to my loneliness.
But, more than that, I wanted my own slice of happiness. Even if it still came with that loneliness.
“You okay?” Sadie asked.
She reached across the table and took my hand as the guys started clearing the table.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just—I’m so tired, you know?”
She squeezed my hand. “I can imagine.”
I snickered. “Of course, you can. You’re—what?—five weeks out?”
She smiled. “Four, as of yesterday. The doctor actually said the twins could come at any time and everything would be fine.”
Willow sat down next to me, holding her little one up to her breast. “I’m so excited for you.”
Sadie released my hand. “Honestly? I’m about ready to cut them out myself. I’m over this unrelenting nausea. And my hips are killing me.”
I giggled. “I bet. Have you and Will settled on names yet?”
Will piped up from the sink. “We haven’t decided.”
Sadie shook her head. “We really haven’t settled on names yet.”
I shook my head. “Well, maybe it’ll be one of those moments where you look at their sweet faces, and their names just come to you.”
Bryce barked with laughter. “Yeah, right. Pat and I debated over Marie Lee’s name for days before we came up with one.”
Willow grinned. “Yeah, apparently, ‘Marie Lee’ was ‘baby number one’ for a week after they brought her home.”
Sadie’s jaw dropped open. “You’re kidding.”
Bryce reached for my dirty plate. “I’m really not. So, don’t be like Pat and me. Settle on the names now.”
Everyone nodded, but I couldn't even bring myself to fake my participation. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get away from the family dynamics long enough not to be jealous. Sadie looked like she was about to burst from the fullness of her joy, and Willow still had that sparkle in her eyes almost two years into her relationship with Bryce. It made me sick with envy. I wanted what they had, but everything in my life worked against me when it came to obtaining it.
Maybe my destiny was to be alone for the rest of my life. Or, maybe I was nothing but a supporting character on the main stage of the lives of the Remington family. Either way, it made me sick to my stomach. So, I softly excused myself and booked it back to the guesthouse as quickly as I could move.
13
Bart
I muted my deep sigh. “Well, I appreciate the call, even though the news isn’t fantastic.”
Mr. Derecho clicked his tongue. “Don’t discount the other three properties, though. Just because those three have come off the market doesn’t mean—”
“I know, I know. I’m just frustrated that the three left require the most work.”
“If you can get the headquarters in Houston sold, however, you’d have the money for a nice remodel, even after you put down a down payment.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I have a lot to think about. Can I call you back?”
“Do you want me to be honest?”
I blinked. “Don’t tell me you have buyers for the other three properties already.”
“I told you these things would go quickly, especially with how business is booming in your area. Your company put Conroe back on the map, but that comes with consequences.”
I wanted to growl at the man. “How long do I have before I need to make a decision?”
“Ideally, yesterday.”
My face fell. “Ha. Ha. Ha.”
“I can try to hold these properties another few days, but after that, I have to start showing them to people. This isn’t just costing you money; it’s costing me money.”
“I know, I know.”
I was angrier at myself than anything. Every second I continued to waffle around would cost me more than I had bargained for. And now, after solidifying the renovations for our new headquarters, it felt like I was back at square one with finding a place for the refinery.
I slid my hand through my hair. “Let me call you back after dinner tonight. I want to clue my brothers in and get their opinions.”
Mr. Derecho sighed. “I’ll keep my phone on me.”
“I appreciate it, thanks.”
As I hung up the phone, I turned and found Will staring at me. He had his hands on his hips, and his brow squinted like Mom always did whenever she was trying not to pry. It made me grin, thinking about Mom.
Dad would know what to do.
But, just as Will stepped off the front porch and headed toward me, the one number I never wanted to see roll across my phone screen popped up. And I braced myself as I picked up the phone call from our bank.
“This is Bart,” I said.
Will motioned for me to put it on speaker as the woman on the other end of the line started talking.
“Am I speaking with Bart Remington?”
Will nodded. “And Will Remington.”
Bryce jogged up behind me. “Also, Bryce.”
The woman giggled. “I’m glad I’ve got the three of you here. I have some news.”
I puffed my cheeks out with a sigh. “Let me guess. Not the best kind of news.”
She snickered. “It’s… a bit of a roadblock.”
Bryce took my phone from my hand. “To whom am I speaking?”
The woman cleared her throat. “My apologies. My name is Caroline Branfield. I’m a loan officer with—”
Bryce interrupted her. “Is something wrong with our loan application?”
“That’s why I’m calling, yes.”
My head fell back. “What do we need to fill out now?”
Will nudged me as Bryce shot me a look. “What my brother means is, what's the next step?”
Caroline’s words made me cringe. “There are no last steps, actually.”
Will blinked. “So, we have the loan?”
She paused. “I’m afraid not.”
I groaned as I put my face in my hands. “Fucking hell.”
Bryce cleared his throat. “Is something wrong with our paperwork, Miss Branfield?”
She started shuffling papers around. “It’s not about your paperwork, Mr. Remington. It’s about your assets. For the loan you’re requesting, the three of you don’t have enough collateral to offset the balance of the loan should the bank have to foreclose.”