The Cruel and Beautiful Series Boxset

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The Cruel and Beautiful Series Boxset Page 105

by A. M. Hargrove


  Thirty-Two

  BRANDON

  The television interview went a little too well. Jenna thinks it’s funny. I don’t. Sitting in my office, I look over the candidates I have for new positions here at the garage and the mobile business. I’ve hired an office manager for the front desk. She’s an older woman who ran a dental office until the dentist retired. She could possibly retire, too, but she’s not ready to die, or so she told me. I’ve named her the gatekeeper, as she’s kept the string of women whose cars are in perfect condition from wasting my time.

  My phone buzzes.

  “Mr. Connelly, the truck is here.”

  Everything up to now has felt like a dream. Designing the truck and seeing the specs on a computer can’t compare to seeing it in person.

  I’m out of the office like I’ve been fired out of a gun. There in the parking lot sits the truck. Braedon’s name takes up most of the real estate on the side. I think of Kym. We’ve talked a few times, but she’s withdrawn from school. I’ve offered to finish paying for her tuition, but so far she’s turned me down. I’ll have to talk to Jenna about helping me devise an anonymous scholarship for her. It’s the least I can do.

  “Brandon.”

  Turning, I find Kenneth standing a few feet away. I walk over and shake his hand.

  “What can I do for you?” I ask.

  His attention turns toward the truck. “I see you’re doing well for yourself. I saw the interview.”

  “Yeah, Jenna helped me with it,” I say with no condemnation. Again, I ask the question, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  His eyes fall downcast. “I did love her, too.”

  I nod. “What’s not to love?”

  “I want her to have this.”

  He holds out a ring that almost makes me blink from the sparkle it emits.

  “You should give it to her,” I say, not wanting to be in the middle of this.

  “She won’t take it. I thought you could give it to her.”

  His sincerity is so evident I don’t feel the sting his words should have brought.

  Waving his hand away, I say, “I’m more than capable of giving Jenna the ring of her dreams when the time is right.”

  His head bobs. “I’m sorry. It’s just she meant a lot to me. She was my best friend. And I owe her so much for making me face the truth and stand up to my parents.”

  “And now you can move on.”

  Agreeing, he says, “I just started dating someone. A woman, actually.”

  That shocks the shit out of me. “A woman?”

  He shrugs. “I like women. I like men. Now I can explore all my options while being honest with my partner and myself.”

  “What about Horace?”

  “Did someone say my name?”

  I turn around to see Horace with a wide grin. He moves in and hugs me. It happens so fast I can’t stop it.

  “Happy to see me?” He wiggles his hips, and his hand slaps my ass. Before I can say or do anything, he dances out of my grip and gives me a little wink and wave. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

  If I wasn’t laughing, I might have punched him.

  “Horace is helping me find myself,” Kenneth says. “We’re friends.”

  “For now,” Horace says.

  “I really should get back to work.”

  “Work?” Horace’s brow lifts, and he points.

  Following his outstretched finger, I see a group of women with handmade signs that say things like I Love You Brandon and Brandon Is So Hot He’s On Fire.

  Groaning, I weigh my options. Thankfully, the man delivering the truck walks over.

  “Are you Mr. Connelly?”

  I nod.

  Kenneth says, “Make her happy.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “And don’t think you’re not inviting us to the wedding,” Horace adds with a wink. “I can’t wait to see that fine brother of hers again. He’s happy every time he sees me.”

  I don’t dare ask what that’s about, but watch them walk away for a few seconds before turning my attention to the guy with the paperwork.

  Later, the bell rings on the door that leads from the office to the bay. We’ve closed up, but I’m not expecting anyone.

  “Mrs. Hillary, I’m not sure how you got in, but I promise you I’m happy with my girlfriend, and I’m not interested in meeting any of your daughters.”

  The woman has been persistent to the point of stalking. I’ve felt like a thief entering my own house at night, afraid she’s hiding in the bushes with eight by ten glossies of her unwed children.

  “Is that so?”

  The voice brings a smile to my face. I wipe my hands on a rag and climb the ladder out of the hole.

  “Jenna.”

  She looks like a wet dream my teenage former self conjured up.

  “You know it’s dangerous for you to show up looking all business like. It reminds me of my desk in the office.”

  “Is everything I do dangerous?”

  “Absofuckinglutely. And we are around tools.” I wave my hand around. “I’m in the mood to get you dirty.”

  I reach for the control that hangs from the ceiling. I press the button and the lift takes flight in the empty stall. Fucking her is like a dream. She takes all my cock with no complaints, and I’m in the mood to see how much more of me I can squeeze in her.

  Diving for her, I reach out with my hands as she squeals and tries to run. But damn, if I don’t catch her.

  Later, as she wears my shirt, I tell her all about my day, including Kenneth. We don’t keep secrets from each other.

  “I’m happy for him,” she says. “I hope he finds the kind of love we have.”

  Lightly tapping her perfect nose, I say, “You love me, huh?”

  “To steal your word, absofuckinglutely. And maybe you can show me inside your truck.”

  Her grin is sly. “There’s a lift in there,” I say before taking her mouth, consumed by all I feel for this woman. “Have you talked to your mom yet?”

  She turns, giving me her answer. “No.”

  “Come on, Jenna. She’s your mom.”

  “And how’s your dad?”

  She has me there. Although I’d made some kind of peace with him during the Braedon search and memorial service, that doesn’t mean all is forgiven.

  “I’m trying. I’m going to meet him for the yacht event next weekend.”

  Facing me, she says, “You didn’t say your father was going to be there.”

  “Sorry, with everything going on, he’s the least of my worries.”

  “Why is he coming?”

  Sighing, I say, “His latest conquest has a yacht in your event. I should have told you. I’m sorry.”

  Her smile is mild. “Don’t. You’ve had a lot going on. What’s her name?”

  I tell her all of the information. “Well, won’t Mother be shocked.”

  “Don’t tell her,” I warn.

  “Why not? She won’t have a reason to look her nose down on you anymore.”

  “And that’s my point. I want to earn her trust for who I am, not because of how much money I have, or using my father’s name because he was never a father to me. Least of all, to tie us to the woman who he’s dating.”

  “Connelly,” she says, putting it together. “You’re one of those Connellys.”

  “No. They never accepted Dad’s unfortunate mistakes. I’m my own man.”

  “I won’t say a word to Mother. Though I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she meets your father.”

  “Remember, I’m still me. Just like I wouldn’t take Kenneth’s ring is the same reason I don’t drop my father’s name. I can take care of things myself. And my father may have had something to do with giving me life, but he has nothing to do with any of this.” I lift my arms to show the shop. “That’s my mom for working her ass off until I could. When the time comes, you can rest easy that I will take care of you.”

  Thirty-Three
r />   JENNA

  My fingers thrum a steady rhythm on the table as I wait for my father to meet me. I’m a few minutes early, but his entrance is hard to miss. Martin Rhoades reminds me so much of my brother. Except for the silver hair lining his temples, he’s still an attractive man, which is evidenced by the dozen or more heads that turn his way as he heads toward our table.

  “Jenna, baby, how’s my girl?” he asks, bending down to plant a kiss on my cheek.

  “I’m good, Daddy, and you?”

  “Getting there. It’s been slow, but I think your mother and I have turned the corner.”

  The waitress fills our water glasses and takes our order.

  “How are things with you and Brandon?”

  The smile that spreads across my face is hard to contain. “They’re great. Really great.”

  Dad grins in return. “I’m pleased to hear it. His new business venture is doing well. That TV interview was really something.”

  “Oh, Dad, it’s been crazy. He has this fan club of all these women. I warned him how it would happen, but he didn’t believe me. There’s this one crazy lady.” I tell my dad about Mrs. Hillary. By the time I finish with how Brandon is afraid she’ll pop out of his shrubs at night, Dad’s laugh can be heard throughout the restaurant.

  Then Dad sobers a bit and says, “You know something? That brother of his would be so proud.”

  “I know.”

  “Such a sad thing. When your brother lost his best friend, and Cate, well,” Dad spread his hands, “it was a terrible, terrible thing. But everyone knew it was coming. What Brandon has been going through is something altogether different. Honey, it’s unimaginable.”

  My hand clutches my heart as pain razors through me. All this time I equated it to what I felt during the loss of a best friend. But it’s nothing like what I experienced. Dad is right. Braedon’s death was like getting struck by lightning. No warning whatsoever. One minute he was here, and the next he was gone. The heart didn’t have time to prepare for such a loss.

  “Jenna, are you all right, honey?”

  “Oh, Dad. I had it all wrong.”

  “What do you mean?”

  When I explain, Dad grabs my hand and says, “But you didn’t have anything wrong. No one ever knows what the right thing to say or do at a time like that is. We only ever do our very best. You were there for him, and that’s what counts.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I may be biased here, because I’m your father, but you always want to do the right thing. Look at what you were going to do when you thought the family finances were at stake. You were going to marry someone you didn’t love to save them. And look at what you did for Cate when she lost her husband and for your brother when he lost his best friend. I never heard you complain, when you actually lost a friend, too.”

  He’s not totally right, because I didn’t do the right thing where Brandon was concerned, but we won’t go there. I need to get to the reason why I wanted to meet him here today, so I switch gears.

  “So, now that you brought it up, I wanted to ask you specifically about Mom.”

  “Go on.”

  “Brandon is after me to mend our fences, but, Dad, she still hasn’t apologized for the big lie she told me. And to be honest, it ripped my heart apart. I mean ...” I’m suddenly hit with the urge to cry. Gulping back the tears, I take in a load of air to clear my head.

  Dad squeezes my hand. “Jenna, I know. Believe me, I know. And we have had serious words over this. I have given her an ultimatum. Betty and I talked, and this may sound unusual, but we both agree that your mom was never like this up until a few of years ago. She has to change. And she understands this.”

  “Oh, Dad.”

  “It’s that new group of snobby friends she’s been hanging around with. I’ve told her she needs to decide what’s more important to her. But they are not allowed in my home anymore.”

  “Dad, you’d go through a divorce?”

  “It won’t come to that. I love your mother with my whole heart. But I won’t be placed behind her societal wishes and have her lie to her own daughter just to get what she wants ever again. When you and Ben were born, I knew then there were only two things that were important to me. Your health and your happiness. My family always came first. Somehow your mother stopped seeing things that way. I think she lost her way for a while.”

  “I hope she comes around, for your sake, Dad.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. She will. I have faith.”

  Over lunch, we talk about a lot of different things, but my heart aches for my dad. I hope my mom sees the light and realizes exactly what kind of man she risks losing.

  As we stand to leave, Dad says, “Good luck with the yacht show next week. I know it’ll be fantastic. I plan to be there.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Honestly, I can’t wait for it to be over. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends with it, and helping Brandon get the new business up and running.”

  “Ben keeps telling me it’s going to be a huge moneymaker. In fact, he keeps talking about franchising.”

  Running a hand through my hair to smooth it into place, I say, “Ben is always looking for a new deal.”

  “He got that from his old man.”

  “Yes, he did.” I put my hands on Dad’s shoulders and lean in to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for meeting me.”

  “Are you kidding? Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

  A thought pops into my head. “You know, Dad, we need to make a lunch date once a month. Father-daughter thing.”

  “Let’s make it happen.” We walk out arm-in-arm until I get to my car and he waves me off.

  When I get back to my office, Helen immediately barks out orders for this and that. She’s been a bear for the last two weeks.

  “We have a week to go, and you act like we have a year,” she shrieks.

  “Exactly,” I say calmly. “Helen, the thing is, everything is taken care of. All the caterers are on point. I sent out another email this morning with all the instructions for each of them. It listed where they each needed to be and when they could set up with their respective menus. You should’ve received a copy of it. Our fliers went out, with the last of them being delivered today. All email blasts are scheduled. All ads are scheduled. All Facebook ads and posts are scheduled. The final thing that needs to be done is to physically post the signs in front of each yacht and the main signage at the yacht club, and lastly the maps. But we can’t do that until the day before the event. What else do you need to do?”

  Her jaw sags as though she’s getting ready to lick the floor. “Oh. Well, okay then.” Never a thank you or fuck you very much from this woman. If she didn’t have me here, she wouldn’t be able to pull up her panties, I declare.

  After Helen is appeased, I keep thinking about Brandon and what my dad said. His loss was so different, and I wonder if there was anything different I could’ve done. The only thing I know is you have to take each day at a time. I think about something that would make Brandon happy, and I call my friend that’s an artist. She agrees to paint a picture of him, but I have to find one that Brandon loves.

  When I get home from work that night, I call Brandon. “I can’t move. Every muscle feels like lead that’s been dipped in acid.”

  “What happened?”

  After I explain about Helen, he says, “Quit. Come to work for me full-time.”

  “Let me get through the tour, and then I can process all of this. But honestly, I can’t wait for tomorrow to get here. Once the day starts, I’ll be too busy to think about her.”

  “Want me to come over?”

  “I always want you to come … over.” I laugh at my little joke. But then I add, “But you know what? I really need a good eight hours tonight. And as much as I love you, I wouldn’t get eight.”

  “Yeah, Brutus is more like twelve.”

  “Hahaha. You are such a comedian.”

  “I only speak the truth.” And does he ever.


  “So, can I plan on seeing you tomorrow then?”

  “You know it. I can hardly wait.”

  “Me either. Love you.” A huge yawn escapes from me.

  “Jeez, someone is really sleepy.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Sleep well, and I love you, too.”

  My alarm wakes me, and I jump into the shower. A text from Brandon awaits me when I get out.

  Good luck and I’ll be looking for you.

  Aww. He’s so sweet. I get dressed and head to the kitchen when I hear a knock on the door. Knowing it’s Brandon here to surprise me, I open it, saying, “You couldn’t wait to see me, could you?”

  But it’s not Brandon. It’s my mother standing there, holding a bag and two cups of coffee.

  “Actually, I couldn’t, and I hope you allow me to come in.”

  Waving her through the door, she moves directly to the dining table where she sets the bag and coffee down.

  “Can I bother you for a couple of plates?” she asks.

  Grabbing two out of the cabinet, I hand them to her, and she places a huge cinnamon scone onto each plate.

  “Please, sit, Jenna. I’d like to talk.”

  No harm in eating breakfast while she talks, I suppose. Breaking off a corner of the scone, I nibble on it while she begins.

  “First, I want to tell you how sorry I am. I nearly destroyed our relationship by lying to you about the family finances in trying to force your hand in marrying Kenneth.”

  The scone falls back onto the plate. Thank God I hadn’t taken a big bite or she would be administering the Heimlich maneuver right now.

  “Wh-what did you say?”

  “I’m quite certain you heard me correctly.”

  “Did Dad make you come over here?”

  A tinkling laugh comes out of her. “Your father has done a great many things, but he’s never forced me to say or do anything in my life I haven’t freely chosen to do on my own.”

  “Then why after all this time?”

  “I finally realized that those so-called idiots I thought were my friends were nothing but a bunch of snobby-faced assholes.”

 

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