by Alina Jacobs
The one talking to his auburn-haired girlfriend was Garrett. Classic middle child, he was younger than Mace and Archer and older than Blade and Weston. Chief financial officer of Svensson PharmaTech, he was an asshole, but he was self-sufficient, which usually allowed me to excuse his more annoying behavioral quirks.
Weston and Blade, owners of the ThinkX consulting firm, were Irish twins—only nine months apart. Blade never met a spreadsheet he didn’t love, and Weston was an arrogant jerk who was only slightly tolerable. They had also recently moved their company to Harrogate, which meant I had one more thing to keep from going off the rails.
Then came my youngest full-blooded brother, Parker, who was a know-it-all scientist and CTO of Svensson PharmaTech. He had been cute when he was little, but now I was concerned he might snap one day, and if he didn’t go for us all, he’d at least poison Weston.
“I barely had anything to eat!” Weston complained to me.
“Are you serious?” I snapped at him. “The mayor just collapsed.”
“And everyone is talking about it. Ida said he’s probably just drunk. She said he’s been partaking a lot lately.” Weston mimed guzzling a bottle.
“You have no shame, do you?” Mace asked, incredulous. He turned to me. “I’m staying here; Josie wants to organize a food donation.”
“And I’m going to drive Hazel and her sisters to the hospital,” Archer told me, jingling his keys. He was engaged to Hazel, Meg’s younger sister.
I wished I was going with him. Meg looked so lost as she listened to one of the firefighters. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her.
“I hope you’re only going to be giving them healthy food,” Fleur said to Mace.
Right. She was still here.
Garrett crossed his arms.
“Fleur,” I said brusquely. “I am going to have a car take you back to Manhattan.”
“But I wanted to cook for your brothers. I was going to make grapefruit peel steaks. You’ll see—they taste just like a steak but better!”
Davy, one of the youngest, pretended to vomit while the other children laughed. I forced myself not to make a face.
“We will make other arrangements for supper.”
“But I’ll see you this weekend, right?” she asked, trying to pull me down for a kiss. I didn’t budge.
“No.”
“So, is this the sum total of your grand plan?” Garrett asked acerbically as we rode in the revamped school bus back to the Harrogate Estate. Originally built in the Gilded Age by the Harrogate industrial scions of old, it now housed my family—well, parts of my family.
“I do not want to deal with you right now.”
Garrett ignored me. “You’re going to parade increasingly obnoxious and ill-equipped women through here to, what, make Meg jealous?”
I closed my eyes and leaned against the window. “Fuck. Off.”
The kids complained that they were hungry when Remy pulled the bus up in front of the house. No one had made any food because we were going to eat at the party.
“Guess we should have stayed after all,” Garrett said, stepping off the bus. “Hunter makes a bad decision, and we’re all shocked. Shocked, I say! Come.” He motioned to our younger brothers. “I’ll order pizza.”
Fuck my life.
I had never wanted to be here in Harrogate, acting as the surrogate father to the ever-increasing number of half brothers my dad would send our way. The only saving grace of being in Harrogate was Meg. But after years of circling each other, I was still no closer to winning her back.
Archer: Mayor Barry is awake. He’s asking for you.
Meg was sitting huddled in a chair when I arrived at the regional hospital. She looked up at me. Her makeup was smeared, and her hair was a mess, but all I wanted to do was cuddle her to my chest.
“Meg,” I said, “I’m so sorry.”
She wiped her eyes.
I handed her the flowers I had picked up at the hospital gift shop on my way in.
“Peonies?” she asked. She sounded tired; there wasn’t the usual bite to her words.
“I know you always like to put your hands on my peonies and sometimes your mouth,” I joked. “Though if you want to switch it up, I can totally touch your flower petals.”
Usually that would at least earn me an eye roll. But Meg just looked at the bouquet.
I reached out and stroked her face. “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “Everything will be all right.”
“Why does he want to see you?” she asked warily.
“You always think the worst of me,” I quipped.
“Because that’s usually the safest option,” she retorted. But she took the flowers, burying her face in the blush petals.
Mayor Barry was propped up on pillows when I walked into the room.
“Hunter, my boy,” he said weakly. “Can you believe it? They won’t even let me have a snack. Or a drink.”
“Probably for the best,” I told him. “Though I’m sure you’ll be back up at the mayor’s office in no time.”
He motioned me to close the door. We were alone in the room.
“I’m not going back to the mayor’s office,” he said. “I only have a few days left.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not dying,” he said. “I’m moving to Arizona. I have a hot young side piece there. She’s in her fifties.”
I smiled slightly.
“I have to get out of here,” he whispered, motioning me closer. “But I need you to do something for me, though.”
“Anything.”
He sighed. “I always wished you and Meg would have gotten together. She needs a man in her life to take care of her.”
“She seems like she has it under control,” I said. “She’s smart and resourceful.”
“Still,” Barry insisted, “I would feel better if a man handled the finances. Especially since…” He sighed. “Well… you’ll see once the documents are sent to you.”
“What do you mean?” I frowned. “Shouldn’t Meg be in here?”
“No, no, she can’t know. The girls can’t know.”
I nodded, and Barry rested back on his pillows, eyes closed.
Meg was glaring at me when I walked out of Barry’s room.
“What did he want?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I told her.
“Stop lying to me.”
I didn’t want to scare her about the finances since she was already so stressed out. Besides, maybe it was nothing. But still, I had always been suspicious. Meg had told me that Barry was very secretive about money. That was never a good thing. Besides, he was constantly traveling and eating at nice restaurants, and he was always dressed very fashionably in custom suits. I knew that wasn’t cheap.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said soothingly.
“You’re lying to me,” Meg said, trembling. “You’re always lying to me.”
“I’m not,” I lied.
3
Meghan
“I don’t understand,” I said to my uncle three days later. “You’re moving where?”
“To Arizona!” he boomed. “My love is there waiting for me. She lives in a spiffy retirement community.”
Numerous members of the townspeople were gathered in the hospital lobby, gawking.
“You have a girlfriend in Arizona?” Ida said, crossing her arms. “What are you going to do there?”
“Play golf?” Barry said with a shrug.
Ida snorted. “Who is going to be the mayor?”
“I now renounce my mayorship, good people of Harrogate,” he said as I helped him sit up on his wheeled bed. “The deputy mayor will step in to fill my role.”
The crowd politely applauded.
“Don’t worry, girls,” Barry said to my sisters and me as the medical transport technicians wheeled him into the ambulance. “I already talked to Hunter. He’s going to be taking over control of the finances.”
“Fucking Hunter,” I fumed as I
drove back home. I had camped out in the hospital the last few days while Barry recovered enough for transport.
“That’s what he was discussing with Barry. And then he stood there and lied to me.”
I never should have trusted him. Every time I thought that maybe Hunter had turned over a new leaf, maybe he had changed, maybe I had made the worst mistake of my life all those years ago by not accepting his apology, Hunter was there to remind me that no, he was still a slimeball—a good-looking billionaire slimeball but a slimeball nonetheless.
I mentally made a list of all the things I needed to do. I was behind on my own deputy mayor duties, and I’d had to push several meetings. I needed to check in with Uncle Barry’s secretary. He refused to use a digital calendar, and the elderly secretary kept all his meetings written in very fine pencil in a large leather-bound planner. I needed to add his meetings to my calendar.
While being in the hospital with Barry had been stressful, I did have to admit that I was sort of looking forward to finally being the mayor. Things were changing around Harrogate. Not to mention, I was going to finally have the house to myself! Well, myself and my sisters. But as soon as I cleaned out all of Barry’s stuff, we would have tons more room. As I pulled onto my street, I mentally catalogued the most efficient way to pack up Barry’s things to send to Arizona.
“What the fuck!”
The door to the rambling Victorian house had a large piece of plywood nailed over it.
“What the hell?” I tried my key on the padlock, but it didn’t work.
“Is this some sort of prank? Are people after me?”
The wind blew, and a piece of paper nailed to the plywood fluttered in the wind. I read it, my vision blurring.
“Repossession notice. All content within belongs to the Harrogate Community Bank.”
I felt sick. Before I could collapse, I slumped down on the porch.
“Meg. Meg!”
“Hunter.”
I raised my head and glared at him as he jogged up the rickety steps.
“You!” I shrieked at him. “You knew about this. You knew they were going to repossess my house! Oh my god. I’m homeless.” I wanted to sob but I refused to let him see me like that.
Hunter wrapped me in his arms. “I didn’t realize until it was too late,” he told me. “Because you were at the hospital when the eviction was scheduled, the bank assumed ownership of your possessions.”
I started weeping.
“Don’t worry,” he assured me, resting his chin on my head. “As soon as the bank finishes the paperwork, they’ll sell the house at auction. I’ll buy it for you and give it back to you. It’s the cheapest way,” he said, smoothing down my hair. “Until then, you can live with me. I told you I’ll always take care of you.”
“You’re going take care of me?” I pushed him away. “This is your fault.”
“No it’s not!” he said, incredulous. “This disaster is all Mayor Barry’s doing.” Hunter opened his briefcase and took out a sheaf of papers. “Barry drained all of the life insurance and inheritance money your parents left you and your sisters, then he took out three mortgages on this property. He lied, not me. I’m trying to help.”
“No, you’re not. Helping would be telling me the truth at the hospital. But you wanted to play hero,” I said angrily.
“It wouldn’t have done any good,” Hunter replied patronizingly. Gosh, I hated him! “You wouldn’t have been able to stop it.”
“No,” I said slowly, “but I could have gotten my fucking stuff out of the house. I have nothing. I’m in the same clothes I was in at the party this weekend!”
Hunter smirked. “Obviously I’m going to help you rescue your stuff.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “How? The letter clearly states that all contents in the house belong to the bank.”
“Yes,” he said, “but if the bank doesn’t know that an item exists and there is no proof that it exists, they can’t claim that it was taken from the house. If the bank comes and ask you if you took anything out, you just have to play dumb and ask, ‘What item?’ They won’t be able to give a list of anything specific. It’s a loophole. It’s also good for inheritance laws if you and your siblings are fighting over a family heirloom.”
“I can’t believe you. I’m the mayor of Harrogate now!”
“Interim mayor,” Hunter said mildly.
“Whatever. I can’t be breaking the law.”
“I mean, you’re welcome to wear some of my clothes,” he said, “but you’ll have to go commando because my underwear won’t fit you.”
I fumed while Hunter went back to his car and took off his jacket then his shirt.
“Don’t want to get it dirty,” he said with a wink as he picked up the tool kit he had brought. His muscles bulged under the thin white undershirt as he went to one of the boarded-up windows and started using a drill to unscrew the screws
“What are you doing? Stop it!” I said, trying to pull him away. I jerked back as the muscles in his shoulder flexed under my hand.
“I’m getting your clothes. At least your underwear.” Hunter grinned at me. “But maybe not your bra because I did always like it when you just wore my shirt, and I could see your nipples through—Ow!” he complained as I flicked his ear.
“Look, the board’s already off.” He set it aside then opened the window and hopped through.
Against my better judgment, I followed him.
4
Hunter
“I’m going to be arrested and lose my law license,” Meg complained as I led the way through her house.
“I’ll bail you out of jail,” I assured her.
While I hadn’t maliciously lied to Meg about the state of her finances—I did only want to protect her—I also had to admit that this situation was working in my favor. Meg had nowhere to go. She had no money. Barry had been increasingly relying on her salary as deputy mayor to keep the household afloat.
Now Meg would have to let me help her. We would move in together and live happily ever after.
I grabbed some of Barry’s clothes to send to his new home in Arizona while Meg packed up hers and her sisters’ things.
“Just let me know if Minnie and Rose need to come back here. I can break in again,” I reminded her as I took the suitcases from her and carried them downstairs.
“They have most of their stuff at Hazel’s,” Meg grumbled. “They hated living here with Barry.”
I set down the bags then jogged up the staircase to grab the next set.
“Thanks,” she said begrudgingly as I shoved the bags out of the window. Then I helped her back out onto the porch.
“I told you,” I said to Meg, taking her in my arms. It feels so right to have her in my arms. “I’m here for you—whatever you need.” I kissed the top of her head. Meg was as good as mine.
I shrugged on my shirt and jacket then started loading up the bags in my car.
“What are you doing?” she protested.
“They all can’t fit in your little car,” I reminded her. “I’ll swing Minnie and Rose’s stuff at Hazel’s restaurant, then I’ll meet you over at my house. I already told my brothers to make a room ready for you.”
“Are you kidding me?” she sputtered. “I’m not moving in with you!”
“Of course you are; where else are you going to go?”
“You can’t just dictate my life, Hunter Svensson!” Meg insisted, waving her arms. “We didn’t even talk about this.”
“You’re homeless,” I scoffed, slipping on my sunglasses. “Are you going to sleep in the car? In your office? You need somewhere to stay.”
“I’m not moving in with you!” she yelled at me.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” I said, slamming the door shut and heading to Main Street.
In the rearview mirror, Meg ran to her car. I smiled at the reflection.
My younger brother, Archer, was waiting in front of Hazel’s restaurant, the Grey Dove Bistro, when I pulled up.<
br />
“Damn, Hunter,” he said cheerfully as he helped me unload the car. “I can’t believe Meg agreed to move in with you. After all this time, you finally did it!”
“I am not moving in with him,” Meg yelled out of her car window as she parked haphazardly on the street.
“You’re going to get a ticket for illegal parking,” I told her mildly.
“You’re driving me crazy!” She slammed the car door.
“You’re moving in with Hunter?” Hazel, Meg’s sister, asked.
“Absolutely not. Now give me my box of baking supplies back,” she said, rummaging in my car.
“Meg, stop kidding yourself,” I told her, tugging the box back from her. “You have nowhere to stay.”
“I do,” she insisted. “I found a sublease. The current resident is out on business for a month, and I’m renting from her. It was just posted online.” She waved her phone at me.
“You can’t just live in some stranger’s house,” I said.
“It’s an apartment,” Meg said, grabbing the box back from me.
“It’s probably bug infested.”
“It’s a nice building. I’ve been there before. They have a pool. It’s off of Ninth Street.”
Hazel wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t that where that guy with all the dead cacti lived?”
“You dated someone who had a dead cacti collection?”
“He spray-painted them different colors and put little hats on them,” Hazel informed me.
“Why are you dredging the bottom of the lake when you could have me?” I asked Meg.
“Because you’re a liar and a cheat.” She walked back to her car.
I finished unloading the bags then jumped back in my car to follow her. I found her parked in front of a familiar apartment building, struggling to unload all her things. I grinned as I walked up to her.
