“Sounds good. I’ll let you know how things go in a few hours,” Ridge replies, and then the two of us say goodbye. I sit back in my chair, lean my elbows on my desk to prop up my head, and get my head in the game for what I know will more than likely be a meeting that will last longer than I want, especially when there’s someone else I could be with. Sure, I love my siblings, but when you work with them for eight to twelve hours a day, add in the texts and phone calls, plus the weekly Sunday dinners, sometimes it’s nice to have some downtime away from them.
“Tanner, we need to get to the restaurant. You know our brothers. They’ll eat everything and leave nothing for us, and I’m starving,” Leena interrupts my thoughts.
“I’m coming. Let me put everything in a folder right quick.” I stand up to gather all the shit that’s on my desk, knowing if Ridge gives me the all-clear, there’ll be no me coming back to the office to work well into the night.
“You okay? I know this thing with Marlie isn’t settling well.” Leena may be the baby of the family, but she’s got an intuition much like our mother. The two of them are the soothers in the family, relentlessly caring and giving, no matter if they’re mentally and emotionally drained themselves. That’s why it was hard for me to ask her to help me figure out how to get in touch with Marlie. Even though it was a bust, it was her who found the name of Marlie’s shop, Amaryllis Designs. The website, the store front, it’s nothing but class, elegance, and grace, much like Marlie.
“I will be if things go my way. What about you? Are you alright? Looking a little tired, sister.” I know this job isn’t easy on her. In fact, she might have the toughest when it comes to mental exhaustion. It’s not easy to wrangle a bunch of grown men who don’t know how to fill P.O. orders or time sheets.
“What do you think? I’m counting down the days until my vacation. One hundred and eight days, big brother.” That’s another thing we’re going to have to handle, her job while she’s gone for ten fucking days, with not a man or family member around. I’ll be drinking nightly, worried off my rocker about her.
“Yeah, yeah, rub it in, will you.” I move around my desk and walk towards her.
“Oh, I will. Nothing but an all-inclusive resort and myself. It’s going to be bliss.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder, bringing her in close so I can kiss the top of her head.
“You’ll make sure I can get a hold of you. At least text, or I’ll be on a flight down there to ruin all your fun,” I respond, letting her know just because she’ll be a thousand miles away, that doesn’t mean her brother won’t be around somehow.
“God, do I know. Try not to ruin it, though, okay? I’ll text daily. Otherwise, not a peep.” She’s laying down the law and hasn’t even left yet. It’s gonna be a hard pill to swallow when Leena does leave.
“Loud and clear, baby sister, loud and clear.” I lock the door to the construction office. It’s nothing but a trailer on a couple of acres with all kinds of equipment and supplies around us. It works, though; plus, it’s ours.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
marlie
“Well, hello, there. Don’t the two of you look like the perfect picture of wedded bliss.” It’s the day after my woe-is-me pity party. I just needed a swift kick in the ass from dear old dad. Not that I told him about Tanner, just about life and work. He gave solid advice, saying to live in the moment, that work will be there tomorrow, but life won’t be. So, I got down to business, went grocery shopping, cleaned my house, didn’t open one email or return one phone call even though I could see them coming in on my business line.
“Girl, the best time ever. You need a husband, and stat like,” is how Taylor slides into my car. I’m at the passenger pickup at the airport terminal. Classic Taylor, leaving Ridge to load the luggage in the car.
“Fat chance of that happening,” I tell her, not even getting into the crap that’s happened since she left for Barbados.
“You never know, and we’ll talk about it more on our girls’ night this weekend. Well, if that happens, I should say.” Mysterious Taylor is a dangerous Taylor.
“What did I miss? Are you taking over the world? We all know Marlie’s the brains of this bunch.” Ridge has us locked and loaded, moving so we don’t get called out by the airport authority. I swear they’re so ridiculous at times. One is already darting towards me in a full sprint. The moment the back passenger door is shut, I’m in motion.