Didn't Expect You (Against All Odds Book 2)

by Claudia Burgoa

  I don’t add that when we started LNCWare, we didn’t have much money. Once we became successful, I had to bail my father out of the stupid investments he had been making. He almost lost his father’s fortune and was about to sell the rights to every movie Grandpa had made. Not even Ford knows about it. That’s when LNC Investments was born.

  “You’re right, I don’t know anything about your current situation,” I yield. “You might want to start charging Persy and Eros for your services. I understand they are family, but they could be your first clients and referrals too. What happens if tomorrow your boss decides to retire, sell the practice, and the new owners only wanted the clients but not the lawyers? You’ll be out and—”

  “Though you have a point, I can’t contemplate my future career at this precise moment,” she interrupts me. “It’s stressful. Don’t you think I spend enough time considering what can happen if they kick me out tomorrow? I do often, but for now, I’m tied to them. If you don’t mind, I’m trying to have a relaxed weekend.”

  “My apologies. I get caught up on finding solutions.”

  “Thank you for the advice,” she answers, her voice is now soft and relaxed. “Sorry for being defensive. It’s just scary. I…my parents traveled a lot while we were growing up.”

  She tells me how her archeologist parents dragged the family from one archeological site to the next. They switched schools, addresses, and friends often. Which is why Persy and Eros are her best friends. Callie lived with her grandparents for the first three years of her life. Her parents retired before she started high school.

  Nyx had a taste of normalcy during the holidays when she visited her grandparents, who used to live next door to Sheila, Persy’s agent and the wife of my stepbrother.

  “Wait, your grandparents are Bertha and Teodoro Casanova?” I ask, surprised.

  “Yes, they are Mom’s parents. How do you know them?”

  “They lived a few houses down from ours. Dad and his wife moved out after we left the house,” I respond. “Your grandma makes the best cookies in the world.”

  “I’d like to defer, but they are tasty,” she argues playfully while sipping her coffee. “When you have traveled around the world, you learn where to find the best of almost everything.”

  “Where was your favorite place to live?”

  “That’s a hard question,” she answers. “All the countries in Latin America were fun. England is gorgeous. Mostly the countryside. I liked Ireland too, but I’m not sure if I’d like to live in Europe. Visiting yes, but I’d rather be in a more tropical place close to the ocean. I might want to retire to Costa Rica or Peru. I think that’s why Eros wants to set up the business there. He loved it there too.”

  “You’d love my place in Seattle. Except it’s cold during the winter,” I state as we arrive at her parents’ house, which I’m not surprised to see that it is in the middle of a woodsy area and their next neighbor seems to be at least a mile away from their home. “Why did you move to Colorado?”

  “My parents,” she answers. “When they decided to stop digging and start teaching, CU hired them. Eros was in Ithaca, New York. Persy and I were in North Carolina. She was studying at NCU, and I went to Duke. We were close enough to watch out for each other but had our own space because...hello, college. It’s the time when you want to find your own path. Once we were ready to work, we both agreed to move close to the parents.”

  When I kill the engine, I reach out for my mug to drink more of my coffee. Nyx glances at me giving me a mischievous smile. I arch an eyebrow and wonder if she poisoned my coffee.

  “What is it?” I ask, checking myself in the mirror and finishing the cup of TLC she shared with me. I won’t tell her it tastes better than black coffee though.

  “Okay, I’m ready to meet the parents,” I state.

  “Cross your fingers that they’re not naked or having sex by the entrance.”

  I almost choke and start coughing loudly. She watches me with amusement and adds, “I’m warning you. You might regret meeting the Brassards.”

  With that, she unbuckles her seatbelt and leaves me staring at her swaying ass while I’m trying to recover from what she just said.

  “Woof!” Brock barks and I shake my head, wiping the horrifying picture of her parents… I hope she’s joking.

  I swallow hard and get down from the car, unbuckling Brock and getting him down after hooking the leash onto his collar. He’s pretty well trained, but I don’t know if the Brassards have a dog or if there’s an animal around that might be close by. I march towards the path Nyx followed and find her right by the door.

  “Ready to meet them? They are probably having breakfast. Let’s hope they aren’t on each other’s menu,” she laughs, moving the handle.

  “Shouldn’t we call or something,” I suggest as she pushes the door open.

  “And miss their show?”

  “Which is why I’m on the edge of my seat,” I joke, walking behind her. “Nothing says happy Saturday better than catching your parents having sex.”

  She laughs walking away from me.

  “Cool, you arrived on time,” Eros says from the kitchen.

  “Where are they?” Nyx asks.

  “Dad went out for a run and Mom’s in the backyard tending her plants,” he says and looks at me. “Who scared you, bro?”

  “Your sister played a fucked-up joke,” I answer, glaring at Nyx.

  She takes Brock’s leash away from me and marches toward the back door. “Yes, think that it’s a joke. That’s what it was…just don’t come crying when it happens.”

  Her maniacal laugh makes me chuckle.

  “She’s in a good mood. A little insane, but in a better mood than yesterday,” I tell him.

  “Only Saturdays and Sundays and only when she’s not working,” Eros answers. “Don’t get me wrong, I adore my sister, but she is too responsible to let her guard down.”

  I stare at him and shake my head. “Then we’ll talk about the company on Monday,” I say, pulling out my phone.

  “You’re leaving tomorrow,” he reminds me.

  “My assistant can move everything around. Unless you plan on paying her, I’m not going to bother her during the weekend.”

  He frowns, narrows his gaze, and asks, “Do you have a thing for my sister?”

  “Not at all,” I lie.

  Do I want to have sex with her? Definitely. Am I going to act on it?

  Never say never, Nate.

  “Okay. Just remember, hands off Nyx. Of my three sisters, she’s the most vulnerable, and I’d hate to kill you. I’m still not sure if Ford is good for Persy, but if I say anything, she’ll cut off my balls, and I like them where they are,” he states. “Now that I delivered my big bro warning, let me introduce you to our mother before we leave.”

  I hate when people tell me what to do, and now that Eros delivered his brief and lame speech, I get it. The reason I want her is because everyone is against us being together. Now that I see the logic in my actions, I can let it go. Let her go.

  Right?

  Ten

  Nyx

  “I love you,” Eros says after the crazy ride through the zipline. “But you’re going to pay for my hearing aid. I think I’m deaf.”

  Nate grins and shakes his head. “Thank fuck I went first. I barely heard her screamfest.”

  “It was…” I’m trying to speak, but I’m still recovering from the ride. My heart beats fast against my ribcage. Blood pumps through my veins. My stomach churns, but I ignore it.

  This wasn’t just exhilarating. I felt free in a way I haven’t felt in so long. Sometimes I forget how wonderful it is to let everything go and just enjoy the moment.

  “This is what you need,” Eros says. “Let yourself loose. You were like that, until you started college. Consider this my most brilliant advice, get off the fast track. Find a good balance between work and life. Get out and enjoy the world. You encourage us to do what we love and follow our dreams. What about
you?”

  His advice isn’t helpful while I’m feeling slightly lightheaded. As I’m about to speak, a wave of nausea hits me, and my stomach is turning upside down violently. One powerful contraction and the little breakfast I had splatters all over the floor. I squat, putting my head between my legs and breathing slowly.

  “Nyx, are you okay?” Eros asks while Nate is requesting tissues or napkins.

  Someone hands me a roll of paper towels. I clean my mouth and straighten up, taking a long inhale of air.

  “Here, drink some water. Just little sips, and don’t finish it.” Nate offers me the bottle of water he had strapped to his belt. This should serve me right, for mocking him. He has a utility belt with a first aid kit, water, a pocketknife, and other things that I thought were useless.

  “Thank you,” I say, handing it back to him after I take a few sips. “This is a sign that I shouldn’t be ziplining or doing crazy things.”

  “As long as you didn’t catch some flu during your last trip,” Eros says. “Every time you catch a bug, I get sick too.”

  “My last trip was to New York with Persy. In a private jet. If I get sick, she’s the one who would get it. Not you. Also, it’s summer. Flu season is months away.”

  “You’ve been traveling for the past couple of months. Your defenses are low, and you probably caught a bug,” he insists.

  “Time to find a new career,” Nate suggests, bringing the conversation back to the plate. “You might be working so hard you’re getting sick.”

  “It was the ziplining,” I argue. “I’m doing what I love. I always wanted to be a lawyer.”

  “To save the Rainforest, push laws that will save the environment, and…you wanted to be an activist,” Eros recalls and stares at me. I’m not sure if he’s challenging me to fight him or just telling me how disappointed he is about my life. “Instead, you work for a greedy bitch, you live off of takeout, and you completely forgot how to have a good time. Look, now you’re sick because your body is asking for a break.”

  I stare at him dumbfounded. Yes, things didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I became a career-oriented woman who wants stability. If I lose my job tomorrow, my savings will last me for about six months. I have a cushion, and he doesn’t.

  Perhaps I should remind him who bails him out every time his bank account is overdrawn? Me. Well, other times it is Persy. But if it wasn’t for us, he’d be living under a bridge.

  Wouldn’t he?

  “You chose to be like our parents, I refuse to do the same,” I state, then bite my lower lip regretting my comment.

  “What does that mean?” He glares at me, his nostrils flaring.

  Nate watches us, puts himself in between us and then says, “Let me take you home. You don’t look well.”

  “We have business to talk about,” I remind him.

  “No, that can wait till Monday,” Nate says, worry sketched in his blue eyes.

  “I have work on Monday. Unlike you two, I have a boss who expects me to be there on time.”

  “We can do a conference call,” Nate suggests.

  “How about tomorrow?” I ask.

  He frowns and lets out a loud breath. “I… Fuck, Ford is in New York.”

  Eros and I look at each other and then at him puzzled by his reaction.

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  “Nothing. I don’t have plans, but I’d rather not work tomorrow. It’s a part of balancing my life. I can teach you a trick or two if you want.” He winks at me.

  “Dude,” Eros says.

  “Just giving her options since you seem to be worried about her,” Nate jokes, but I think his mischievous eyes say we could do a lot more than hang out tomorrow.

  “I can try to be off by seven on Monday,” I offer, not engaging with my brother or Nate’s flirtatious advances.

  “Works for me. If we’re not working today, I rather go home. I have to talk to Misty,” Eros announces. “Are you sure you’re okay driving her to her house?”

  “You’re not going to profess your love for her, are you?” I ask.

  “No. We’re still friends. She asked me to help her today since her fiancé is out of town,” he explains.

  Somehow, I don’t believe him.

  “Please, don’t do anything stupid,” I beg.

  “I won’t, Mom. You two behave,” he gives Nate a warning glare.

  “Who is Misty?” Nate asks on our way to his car.

  “One of his closest friends. She’s getting married, and he’s now wondering if maybe she’s the love of his life—or the one who got away.”

  “Is she?” he asks.

  I shrug. “Persy and I think he’s just missing the attention Misty used to give him. I just hope he doesn’t do something he regrets later. Sometimes he doesn’t think about the consequences of his actions.”

  “In contrast, you overthink them too much,” Nate argues, and he’s right.

  I always weigh the pros and cons of every action, but that’s the key to my success.

  “One of us has to be the sensible one in this family,” I say. “If all of us were like my parents, we’d be a disaster.”

  “Balance,” is all Nate says after he opens the passenger door for me.

  When he gets in the driver’s seat I say, “You’re an adrenaline junky.”

  “I can balance work with my weekends at the race car track, at a lake, on a plane…you name it. I might be doing it while I take a break,” he defends himself, reaching for the glove compartment where he takes out a container and hands me a piece of dry fruit. “Here, ginger candy. It's good for nausea. Your brother worries about you. He might’ve been fucking around for the past four years, but before that he was just like you.”

  “How do you know?” I ask him as I take a bite of the piece of ginger.

  “About your brother or the ginger?” He hands me his water bottle. “Drink it slowly.”

  “Both? Why would you have ginger with you?” I ask, staring at him.

  “As you mentioned, I’m an adrenaline junky,” he answers. “I carry everything in case of an emergency. Some people get sick after ziplining. Brought it with me in case you needed it. You seem to be a homebody.”

  “Not sure if I should say thank you for being prepared or be upset for labeling me as boring,” I argue. “Now, how do you know about Eros?”

  Before he quit his job, he used to work as a financial consultant in Manhattan. He made a lot of money but, like me, he lived to work.

  “Do you think I’m going to partner with just anyone? I talked with him for about a week or two before we even considered the partnership. We’re a few steps ahead of you. You don’t need to follow his advice but think about what you want long term,” Nate responds.

  “Well, I’ll probably continue what I’m doing for another five years,” I say, drinking a little more water and closing my eyes. I feel so tired. As if all of a sudden someone sucked all the energy out of me.

  Are five years enough to slow down and plan on having a family? Maybe by then, I’ll fall in love. Having a child or two might be in my future. Is that even possible? I have a career, and with a kid, I will have to shift my life to accommodate not only the kid but my… Will I ever meet someone?

  I internally grunt because my personal life is pathetic and just trying to think of the possibilities depresses me.

  “I love my career.” I break the silence and hush my thoughts away.

  “That’s respectable,” Nate answers.

  The car stops and I shiver when his finger caresses the inside of my arm. “Do you need me to take you to the doctor?”

  “No, I’ll be fine. It’s just…I’m not used to flying up in the air outside of an airplane. I respect gravity,” I joke, drinking more water.

  After a pause I say, “It was good, you know. It’s been a while since I let myself just run wild, even if it was just for a few moments.”

  I don’t even know why I confide in him. This is a discussion I usually ha
ve with Persy. My chest tightens because even though I’m happy for her newfound love, I feel we’re not as close as we used to be. Maybe it’s the loneliness speaking.

  “If I say, ‘It’s time to rethink your priorities,’ I’ll just sound like a broken record. Just…think about it,” he says.

  He’s not wrong, but I still have a lot to do before I can leave the firm. Maybe I should start a dream board with what I want to accomplish and create a timeline.

  “What do you want from life?” I ask him curiously.

  “I already have it. This is my life,” he answers.

  For some reason, I want to tell him that it seems just as lonely and mechanical as mine. Except he has Brock. Just because he has plenty of hobbies to keep him occupied, it doesn’t mean it’s a fully lived life.

  “Don’t forget we have to pick up the pup at my parents’,” I remind him, and the sentence sounds too domestic.

  “On it,” he answers. “We’ll pick up the kid before heading home.”

  His words feel weird and wonderful. It’s hard to explain, but there’s that strange yearning inside my chest again. Wanting a man in my life and maybe a child or two. Him telling me let’s pick up our babies from my parents—or his. Wanting more than what I currently have. Something money can’t buy…company.

  A partner.

  I’m not one to want a man in her life or children, but for the past couple of weeks it’s crossed my mind several times.

  What if…?

  Once we arrive at my parents’, he parks and asks, “How are you feeling?”

  “Better?” The word comes out like a question. “Not sure if I have the energy to see my parents.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll just go and get Brock. You stay here, okay?”

  I think it takes less than a couple of minutes for him to rush back inside the car and say, “Fuck, that was… They…they were having sex in front of my dog.”

  I open my eyes and laugh when I get a look at his horrified face.

  “Told you to be careful,” I say laughing, but the laughter upsets my stomach and I barely have time to open the door and throw up the little I had left in my stomach.