by MJ Fields
“I’ll answer after you tell me. You planning on sticking with her?”
“I certainly didn’t ask her to live with my son and me if I had alternative intentions.”
“Then she’s going to want you here.”
“I don’t think a woman like Nikki needs her boyfriend to come to work with her.”
“She’s family, Rafferty. Like it or not, I know her better than you do. Hope you see the value in her and keep her around long enough to know her as well as I do.”
Shit ass grin still on his face, he walks toward the building. I increase my pace, refusing to be a step behind. “One more question.”
He turns his head, surprised to see me by his side. “Shoot.”
“Are you high?”
“Yep.” He chuckles. “I grow the best.”
Jesus Christ.
Walking in with Shep, we stop at the receptionist’s desk. Donna, I believe her name is, greets us. “Good morning, gentlemen. Mr. Hawthorne and Miss Winterfield are already in the second conference room. Third door on the left.”
Shep takes out a toothpick and puts it between his teeth. “Any coffee in there?”
“Yes, sir. Pastries, as well, if you’re hungry.” Her cheeks turn pink.
He smiles, a twinkle in his eye, as he leans his arm on the desk. “Damn, they’re pulling out the pastries for me?”
She giggles. “Apparently, you’re important.”
“We’re all important.” He winks, the smirk still on his face.
Breathlessly, she replies, “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
I step around him, not needing to sit and watch the show. “Nice to see you, Donna. Shep, let’s go.” I move around him to get into the conference room.
I walk in with Shep right behind me. Beckett smiles. “And there they are.” He’s wearing a crisp navy suit and matching tie.
Shep takes a seat at the head of the table. “Here I am.”
Watching Beckett try to hide the fact that it annoys the fuck out of him that he’s in Beckett’s seat amuses the hell out of me.
Beckett, always the gentleman, sits down and asks, “Would you like some coffee?”
Shep moves the toothpick around between his teeth. “You serving or Nikki?”
“I’m more than capable.” Beckett winks. The fact that the tips of his ears are starting to turn red says otherwise.
“Black. But only if it’s hot, eh? Can’t stand lukewarm coffee.” He leans back in the chair, clamping his hands behind his head.
He’s just about to make himself really comfortable and put his feet up on the table when Nikki smacks him in the back of the head and hisses, “Manners.”
“Nikki, Raff, would you like a cup?” Beckett asks.
“Any tea?” I ask, knowing damn well this is killing him.
Beckett looks back at me. “It’s good coffee.”
“He’ll take it with cream,” Nikki answers, “and I’m all set, thank you.”
I pull the white legal pad from the center of the table and take a pen from the holder. In large letters, I write: Let it be noted that on this day, the 23rd day of November, Beckett Hawthorne served coffee at his own business meeting.
When he sets my cup in front of me, I show him.
“You’re a fucking wanker,” he mumbles beneath his breath.
Sitting down at the end of the table, he clears his throat and turns on his iPad. “Guys, you there?”
We hear a few loud yeses, and he turns the iPad around. On the screen are his two brothers, Lex and Theo.”
“Hello, boys,” I call out, lifting my hand.
“Oh, heya there, Raff. Long time no see, ay?”
“Shep, Nikki, these are my brothers. They handle Hawthorne Hotels Europe. But seeing as this is such a big conversation, I thought it would be good to have them here as well.” The door opens, and in walks a woman with short dark hair and a dark skirt suit.
She sets a briefcase on the table. “Hello. My apologies for being late. I’m Leigh, Mr. Hawthorne’s attorney.”
Shep stands up to greet her. “Shepard Granger.”
“Nice to finally meet you.” She smiles, but I can see in her eyes that she’s a shark.
I stand up, shaking her hand as well. “Rafferty Graham.”
Beckett clears his throat. “Thank you, Shepard, for coming in. As you well know, Hawthorne Properties, US, would like to purchase The Springs Mountain Resort along with the land, solely owned by you.”
He leans forward, his elbows on the table. “And as you know, I’m not interested in selling my family’s land.”
Beckett looks at Nikki, and she nods once.
“Nikki expected that’s how you would respond, so she’s come up with another possibility, which I believe would be beneficial to both you and Hawthorne Resorts.”
“You’re a businessman, correct?” Shep takes a sip of his coffee.
“Yes, Mr. Granger. I am.”
“So, when I didn’t respond to any of your previous attempts to contact me, you didn’t realize I had no interest? Nikki had to explain what the word no meant?”
“Sarcasm noted, Mr. Granger.” Beckett gives a tight smile.
“The truth is, I’m not interested in any sale. That land is where I was born and raised.”
Leigh pulls out her yellow legal pad and scribbles some notes.
“Shep, please look at the second offer and really look at it,” Nikki urges.
“Are you asking me to read the fine print, so you can show your boss you’ve done your job, or is it something that you think I should read?”
Nikki exhales. “Definitely the latter.”
He pushes the closed file toward her. “If the land was yours, what would you do? If the land was yours to do anything you wished on? Grass and dirt that was given to you by your parents, what would you do?”
She pushes the file back toward him. “Don’t put that on me, Shep. Mr. Hawthorne is offering to purchase the hotel which is rundown and in desperate need of renovation, plus the thirty acres surrounding it, for seventy-five million dollars, with exclusive rights to the area mapped out under a fifty-year term lease.” She turns the pages to a large map and unfolds it, outlining the area with her finger. “Here.”
Shep stays quiet, staring at the map.
“Hawthorne will pay the taxes on all the property that you own,” she continues, “and pay you three hundred thousand dollars annually, with yearly increases for inflation. However, you, or whomever your beneficiary is, must give Hawthorne Resorts the right to renew for another fifty years if they want it. If at any time you or your beneficiary decide to sell the property, Hawthorne will have the right of first refusal to purchase.”
He looks straight into Nikki’s eyes. “And you’d sign this with no amendments?”
“Yes, I would. With that kind of money, you could do anything you want for the rest of your life.”
He pulls out another toothpick, placing it between his teeth. “I do whatever I want now. But land lease sounds interesting.”
“Exactly. The rest is still your land, Shep.”
He leans back and scrubs his hand over his beard. “Well, even if I said yes, I’d want to ask my beneficiary.” He looks at Nikki pointedly. “Then I would have to deal with finding out if the other owner was willing to sell.”
Leigh pipes up, “There is no other owner. Public record shows that you alone own the land.”
Shep ignores her and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. “Public record doesn’t trump a signed contract, verbal agreement, handshake, and proof of three years of payments to my folks. It was never recorded, but it’s here.”
He hands Nikki the paper.
She unfolds it slowly. “We have lawyers who can deal with this.” She takes in a sharp breath, reading.
“Your folks were planning to build there, Nikki.” Shep swivels his chair so he’s facing her. “They paid them monthly for three years. Payments stopped after they all,” he s
hakes his head, “passed. You own twenty percent of the land. You’re also the only person I consider family, therefore my beneficiary, so you make the call, Nikki. I trust you, just like our parents trusted each other.”
Beckett stands up, clapping. “Well, I guess we have a deal, then.”
I snap, “Beckett, give them some fucking time.”
“Ten minutes.” He walks out the door, thankfully taking the iPad with him. Leigh follows.
When the door shuts, Shep looks at me. “This is why you’re here, Raff.” He turns back to Nikki. “You’re one hundred percent sure? This land is ours. We could be the ones to get financial backing. If you wanted to, we could be the ones to fix up the land.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t think we should. Becks has some big ideas with even bigger investors. This is the property he wants, but it’s not the only property he’s looking at. If you sign, imagine what a ski resort like this could do for Holiday Springs. It’s what’s best for you. For the property that he plans on putting millions into, and for the town, Shep.”
“And you, Nikki.” He looks back at me. “A house needs to be built there for her. That’s my one request.”
Rule Number Twenty-Eight
Create Holiday Traditions That Are True To You
Nikki
Walking around the bar, I still feel like I’m swept up in a cloud of fog, filled with happiness and emotions. Oh, yeah, and also anxiety, because I’m one hour from having twenty-three people here, three of them due any minute, and they are Raff’s parents and apparently, his evil twin.
I stop and stand in the window, waiting for Raff and Nathaniel to pull up. I stare at the spot on the sidewalk where Raff dragged Nathaniel and me outside to make snow angels, and I smile.
He had whispered in my ear, “Snow is my favorite season.”
It warmed my heart when he said it, knowing it had everything to do with the day we met and not necessarily the circumstance in which we met under.
Everything in my life has changed, and I can honestly say theirs have, too—all of ours for the better.
Moments like the one on the sidewalk, making angels without a care in the world who saw—are everything.
But still, thankfully, it was before the kitchen in the flat was filled with Hope’s family and mine making pies. Raff didn’t leave my side even though the bar was packed, but he certainly took a lot of pictures.
I held it together until the pies were finished and when they’d gone home. Then Jenny came walking through the door. Raff gave me a kiss and went to read with Nate.
Apparently, Shep had called Jenny and told her what went on at the meeting.
I excused myself at the office to get my shit together before Beckett came back in. Upon my return, the three men were sitting around the table, and Shep pushed the contract toward me. “Your boyfriend opening a new restaurant and the Sweet Spot having retail space without competition to do all the shit Nellie wants to do is part of the deal.”
“What, how did you know that Nellie—”
“It’s Nellie,” Shep smirks. “Did you really think she wouldn’t pull every punch to get what she wanted?”
“But you didn’t—”
“Nikki, sit down and sign. I need a nap.”
“You also need a ride.”
“Buzz is worn off, and climb down off your high horse. A friend drove me in.”
“What friend?” Raff and I had asked at the same time.
“None of your business.” He scowls.
“You’re doing fine.” Jenny hip checks me. “Everything is perfect. I mean, even if the food ends up sucking, the centerpieces I made are stunning.”
I nudge her. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I look at the beautiful Tag watch Raff gave me last night, telling me it was time we start making every moment count. “I know I should be so grateful for everything I’ve been given, but they should be here by now.”
“Be glad they’re taking their time. We’re getting pounded right now. I’m not even sure Bobby will be off the mountain before dinner.”
“We can hold it for—”
“Oh, please, we don’t hold anything anymore. It’s part of our normal, and trust me; the boys are hoping he gets stuck today so he doesn’t get called in on Christmas. He’s much better at putting things together than I am.”
“Have you started Christmas shopping yet?”
“In July.” She rolls her eyes. “Bobby expects the house to look like Santa’s workshop exploded. He loves Christmas.”
I hold my hand against my anxious belly. “God, I have no idea what to get Nate or Raff.”
“Trust me. It’s better to be last minute. Much more budget-friendly. Plus, they only care about their phones and video games anyway.”
Nathaniel doesn’t have a gaming station, but Jenny and the boys brought theirs here, and he seems to be loving playing with them. And honestly, they’re not playing war games. Right now, they’re playing FIFA on the Xbox. Shep helped them hook it up when he swung by to drop off a surprise from Raff.
It was two oversized chairs that have the option to recline, and Grams and Pops would be more comfortable in them than sitting in barstools or hard chairs all day. Raff also told Shep he thought the Sweet Spot could use them after today. He’d overheard Nellie and me on the phone when she called me last week, letting me know her parents were upset she hired a second full-timer, as they felt like they weren’t pulling their weight at the shop. I suggested they dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus every weekend after Thanksgiving.
I love how thoughtful he is, but even more so, I love that he hears me, and he knows what’s important to me without me even having to tell him.
“He loves Harry Potter, and I’m sure he’ll grow out of that phase soon, so I’ll get him some merchandise.”
“Soccer and basketball,” Jenny suggests.
“And we’re going to learn to ice skate and do some skiing as well.”
“See, you just spent a grand on things they’ll love for a few months and then toss aside while you’re clipping coupons to save ten cents on tampons. Isn’t motherhood grand?” I love that she acts like they’re a bother but looks at them like they set the sun.
She scoffs, “I suppose it is,” and winks. “You’ll see...one day.”
I ignore her comment, even though it fills me up with something like butterflies. “I am so happy to be back in Holiday Springs.”
She nods to the window. “Well, I’m glad, too. I’m even more ecstatic that you’re head up your ass in love with someone…” Her voice trails off. “Wait, is that—? There’s two of them?”
My jaw drops. I’m not sure if I should laugh out loud or scream. “They’re not only twins, they’re identical twins.”
“The vicarious whore in me is begging you to see what that would be like. Please tape it!”
“Jenny!” I gasp, softly punching her arm.
“Don’t worry about it. The whore in me, unfortunately never wins like I wish she would. And even if I could wave a wand and make it happen for the three of you, there’s no way I could. I’ve known you all my life, and these past couple weeks, you’ve been simply glowing.”
I inhale deeply through my nose and exhale slowly. “He loves me. I believe this will work out just fine.”
“Say it again, for the voices of doubt in the back,” Jenny jokes.
“He loves me. I believe it will all work out.”
“Now go get your man.”
I can feel the tension in the air. I swing my gaze back to the Graham family, with mine following suit.
“Is that Raff or Arthur carrying that baby seat?”
“That’s Raff.”
We watch as Raff mouths something, and his twin turns around, nods, and walks back to the car, taking the carrier with him.
Nathaniel leads the others to the door and four people, plus a little pink bundle, move toward the entrance. Raff runs his hands through his hair, and by the looks of it, he’s been doing
that a lot since he and Nathaniel left the house.
His eyes meet mine, and he shakes his head.
“I think he needs a drink.” I start to walk away, opening the liquor cabinet.
“Make it three,” Jenny calls after me. “Oh, hell, grab yourself one, too.”
Nathaniel calls my name. I stop and turn around, straightening my sweater. Smiling brightly, I walk over to Raff’s family.
“This is Nikki.” Nathaniel grins proudly. “Nikki, this is Uncle Arthur, Grandma Emma, and Grandpa Sam. And this is my cousin, Grace.”
“It’s so nice to meet you all. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“She’s very sweet, Nathaniel,” Emma says, beaming.
“Looks a lot like your mom,” Sam adds under his breath.
“Hey there, Nikki, I’m Arthur. Whatever you’ve heard about me is true. But things have changed, Grace can attest.” He holds out his hand, and I shake it. The fact that he looks exactly like Raff may take some getting used to.
“I’m sure you’re all hungry and tired. Everyone should be here shortly. Just make yourself at home.”
Emma smiles politely. “I’d like to freshen up. I’m sure we all would.”
“Of course! How about you head upstairs?”
Arthur ruffles Nathaniel’s hair. “You mind chilling with Grace, so that I can grab a quick shower?”
Nate takes the carrier. “No problem.”
As soon as they walk away, Nate looks at me. “Dad’s been polite, but I’m guessing he had no idea that Grace existed.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
He shrugs. “Feel bad for him for not knowing, but excited I have a cousin. All of my friends have siblings and cousins. I’ve always wanted that, too.”
I give him a squeeze. “Then let’s be thankful and grateful for everything today.”
Raff moves behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and setting his chin on my shoulder. “Thankful and grateful for everything,” Raff repeats.
“I mean, look at that face!” I gush, wishing I could pull the sleeping baby from the carrier and hold her in my arms.
“Trust me, I have been, which is the only reason I’ve been holding my tongue.”
