“There’s a new bar that opened up in Lakewood. Heard it’s more for an older crowd.”
I could hear Kyle moving around. “Fuck, when did we become the older crowd? I’m barely thirty-three. I don’t know about you, but thirty-three don’t feel old, Bishop.”
Laughing, I said, “Wouldn’t know, I’m still thirty-two.”
“Yeah, not for long, though.”
“Okay, well, we could go into Boston.”
“You paying for the hotel?”
“How about if we just stay at one I own?”
He laughed. “Hell, sometimes I forget you’re richer than sin.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll call up and let them know we’re coming. Just for tonight?”
“Hunter and I both have the next three days off. I say let’s make it a weekend.”
“Will Adam go for that, you think?” I asked.
“We’ll tell him it’s an early practice run for his bachelor party.”
I chuckled. “Should we invite Aiden?”
Kyle lost it laughing. “He’ll say no, but I’ll invite him.”
“Great. I’ll pack a bag and let Ken and Bryce know I’m leaving for a few days.”
Ken Roberts and his brother, Bryce, both worked for me on the farm. Ken was my right-hand man and helped me with pretty much everything from planting seedlings to wrapping up Christmas trees. Bryce was also a huge help when it came to keeping things running smoothly on the farm. He worked more for me during the Christmas season, though.
“Did you ever ask that hot horticulturist out?” Kyle asked.
“Yes.”
He laughed. “Dude, tell me you slept with her.”
“Shut the fuck up, Kyle.”
“Well, if you don’t move on that opportunity soon, someone else will.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said before changing the subject. “I’ll see you in a few then.”
“Sounds good. See ya in a few.”
Henry, the valet for the royal suite at the Marquee Hotel, opened the door for us to walk in. The Marquee was one of the most expensive and luxurious hotels in Boston. It had been my grandfather’s pride and joy, and now I was the proud owner of it. The royal suite had once been Granddad’s apartment. When he passed away, my father and I had it remodeled into the best luxury suite in the hotel. It was twenty-five-hundred square feet. Floor-to-ceiling windows gave guests a sweeping view of the Boston cityscape. There was a mix of modern and vintage décor, with some pieces still in the suite that belonged to Granddad.
Kyle walked in and immediately went over to one of the three sofas that sat in the living room. He dropped onto it and sighed. Hunter made a beeline for the media room. It held a sectional sofa, a pool table, a large-screen TV, and a table that was big enough to sleep on but was used for cards and board games.
As he walked through the door, Hunter said, “I call the media room.”
“Damn it,” Adam said, bringing up the rear.
“Looks like the living room for us, Adam,” Kyle said from where he was sprawled out on the middle sofa. The other two sofas were on either side of it, forming a large U. The open-space suite gave off an airy feeling and was one of the reasons I loved staying here. That and the views of Boston.
“Won’t be so different from my current sleeping arrangements,” Adam mumbled as he dropped his bags to the floor.
Kyle and I exchanged a look, and he lifted his brows and shrugged.
Adam had seemed overly eager to come with us this weekend. Aiden had, as we’d predicted, passed on the guys’ trip. It wasn’t a shock. Willa was pregnant, and he was happy simply being with his wife and his son Ben. Aiden had officially adopted Ben, Willa’s two-year-old son from her previous marriage. They made the perfect little family.
I headed into the bedroom and let out an overexaggerated sigh. This was the very room Abby had stayed in when she’d moved to Boston. As soon as the manager found out that my wife was checking in, they’d put her in the royal suite. She hadn’t stayed long. Just long enough to meet with her lawyers and serve me papers stating she wanted a legal separation. The divorce papers came soon after that.
I had called her a few times, only to have her break down on the phone. I’d known at the time she was lost and confused, but once the divorce papers came, I stopped trying to reach out and let the bitterness and anger take hold. That was why, when she tried to call, I’d sent her calls to voicemail.
She came to Boggy Creek a week before the divorce hearing, but I’d been out of town with Kyle and Hunter. We’d gone to Florida, where I had gotten shit-faced drunk, flirted like a dog in heat, and ended up sleeping with someone. The guilt nearly ripped me in two.
When Abby had asked to talk to me before the hearing, I was a mix of emotions. Angry, confused, hurt, and guilty as fuck. I’d told her we had nothing to talk about, and the look on her face had nearly dropped me to my knees. I still hadn’t been able to get her heartbroken expression out of my dreams. At the time, all I wanted to do was hurt her like she had hurt me.