by Zuri Day
As the words left Ryan’s mouth she felt her heart ache. The slight narrowing of Adam’s eyes showed they’d affected him, too. But when he spoke, his tone was casual.
“Are you starting to have feelings for me?”
“You’re a good man, Adam, very easy to like, and yes, I could probably fall in love with you. Right guy, wrong timing, for many reasons. None of them personal. Maybe later on we can hook up again, after both our new ventures are off the ground and life has calmed down. I’d like that...very much.”
He looked at her a long moment, then walked over and tugged her out of the chair. “I don’t think I’ve ever been dumped so eloquently,” he said, pulling her into an embrace. “But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, baby. It sounds as though you’ve already made your decision so of course I’ll support it, and you. Good luck with your business.”
“Thanks, you too,” Ryan said, swallowing the cry that clawed at her throat, blinking back the tears that threatened. She ended their embrace and tried to lighten the moment. “With my brother working for you I’m sure I’ll see you around. When that happens, behave yourself,” she playfully chided. “No undressing me with your eyes or giving me that sexy look that will have me wanting to take my own clothes off.”
“I promise nothing,” he said, punctuating the statement with a look that was as sexy as hell.
“You’re incorrigible,” she said, gathering her things.
“Thank you.” They laughed. “You sure you don’t want to stay for a late lunch or early dinner?”
“Positive. I need to leave before this very tenuous resolve I feel totally melts away. Oh, I’ll send you some information on handling dyslexia. I did a bit of research and think you’ll find it as interesting as I did.”
“Sure, send it over. I’ve overcome it for the most part, except when I’m frustrated or rattled. But I’m open to reading what you found.”
“For frustration and anxieties, deep breathing works wonders. It’s something few people do, fill the lungs with air that expands the stomach so that the oxygen can circulate, stimulate the organs and the body.”
“I can think of an organ and how it can be used for stimulation.”
“On that note...” Said with a smile as she shouldered her tote and walked outside.
Adam walked her to her car, opened the door and placed a light kiss on her forehead.
“Stay gorgeous,” he said.
“Stay handsome,” she replied. “I’ll see you around.”
She kept the smile in place until she’d exited the estate’s wrought iron gates. Then her eyes teared up again. She missed Adam already.
Eleven
Adam hadn’t wanted to stop seeing Ryan romantically, but he didn’t dwell on it. There was simply no time. With the construction for CANN Island underway, he had the freedom to focus more fully on Breedlove Beef Processing Center. The state-of-the-art facility had been erected near the far north end of Breedlove property, downwind from the closest residents and miles away from where the cattle were bred and raised. The exterior of the four-thousand-square-foot building was made of brick, wood and aluminum. The interior was a wonder in those elements combined with stainless steel. Adam knew architecture and construction. Dennis knew meat-processing plants. It had made for a winning combination in creating a facility that at best rivaled and would likely far exceed any other facility in the country.
The first Wagyu shipments were scheduled for the second week in December. Dennis suggested the meat be allowed to age for three to four weeks. So the first butchering had been scheduled to happen next week. Adam was both excited and nervous. It would be his ranch’s first time handling the process from beginning to end. For the past half hour he and Dennis had been in the field, marking cattle for market. Now Adam headed back to meet the workers Dennis had hired and make sure his precise instructions had been conveyed and would be followed.
He pulled a rugged Jeep into a temporary gravel-strewn parking lot. Adam exited on one side while Dennis hopped out of the other. Dozens of men milled around outside, finishing stalls, walkways and other tasks. Adam saw the foreman talking with a group. Rather than interrupt him he simply waved before he and Dennis stepped inside the space.
Dennis placed his hands on his hips and took in the vast interior. “Man, I tell you what. This is a long way from the geodesic dome I built in the backyard.”
Adam looked at him. “The what?”
“You never saw my dome? Oh, that’s right. You never came over.”
“I don’t remember ever being invited. Had that happened, I probably would have accepted and come over. Especially if I’d known you were building something. That’s been a passion of mine from the time I was a little boy. That and horses, or anything to do with a ranch.”
“I remember that side of you well, your love for horses and horsepower, like that souped-up ’65 Chevy you owned.”
Adam laughed. “Ah, that was my baby. Belonged to my grandfather. We still have it.”
“I’d love to see it again. That was a pretty ride. A rich kid who had everything. To me, that was you.”
“Maybe, but life wasn’t perfect, remember? That’s how we met.”
Dennis clapped Adam on the back. “Nobody’s perfect, brother. At least you have an excuse for difficulty reading. I can read fine, just hate to do it.”
“Why?”
Dennis shrugged. “Never was into the books much. Even now, I only read when necessary. Otherwise I’d rather be doing something with my hands or outside.”
“I can understand that.”
They stopped in front of a large enclosed space. Dennis stood next to Adam. “Does Ryan know about your...problem?”
Adam frowned, remembering he’d told her and wishing he hadn’t, even though there wasn’t another human on the planet who could have been more understanding, and even though he’d largely conquered the condition. “Yes.”
“Just asking,” Dennis said, his hands raised in apology.
“Don’t worry about it. Defense mechanism.” Adam began walking the periphery of the main floor. Dennis followed suit. “After being properly diagnosed, I was given tools to counteract the effects of dyslexia—the use of phonics, color codes, exercises in how to focus. Ryan emailed me a few natural remedies. Kinda cool what she does, healing various ailments through natural means.”
“A bunch of hocus-pocus if you ask me,” Dennis said. Then after a beat, “Are you and my sister dating?”
“We’re friends,” Adam said.
“With benefits?”
Adam’s pause in movement and barely raised eyebrow was the only physical reaction to Dennis’s inappropriate question. “Friends, period.”
They stepped onto a rectangular-shaped area of the concrete floor. Dennis wisely changed the subject.
“This holding pen came out real nice,” he said.
“It’s called a lairage,” Adam corrected.
“Maybe,” Dennis responded. “But in lay terms it’s a pen that holds animals, so that’s what I call it—a holding pen.”
The humor melted the frostiness that Dennis’s comment had created. “Where are the guys?” Adam asked.
“In the main conference room, boss, waiting for you.”
“Let’s get this party started.” Adam headed toward the stairs, confident that he’d chosen the right man to bring his dreams into reality.
* * *
Today was a big one for Adam. In mid-November, after five years of planning, three years of implementing those plans and almost a year of working with a PR and marketing team to brand the company as one dealing with only the most exclusive members of the hospitality industry, Breedlove Wagyu was being unveiled. It had been a long and hard road with a steep learning curve. But in the process of acting as both boss and eager student, the makings of an empire had come together—
assembling a meatpacking industry dream team, acquiring livestock, monitoring intake for maximum quality, building the processing plant, and securing national and international customers to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
The black-tie event he’d planned would take place at the CANN Casino Hotel and Spa and give two hundred people from all over the world a taste of the meticulously prepared meat. As often happened when attending an event there, Adam was staying in one of three deluxe suites that were used almost exclusively by the Breedlove family. Ryan had spent the previous night there, too. They hadn’t seen each other since that day at the ranch, but they’d kept in touch. Without the physical distraction, each had learned greater aspects of the other. Their friendship deepened. When he asked if she’d escort him to the dinner, she’d said yes without hesitation. When he shared plans to spend a few days at the hotel in his private suite and asked if she’d join him, she’d hesitated only briefly before saying yes to that, too.
“I’ve missed your stimulating organ,” she’d told him.
“I’ve missed everything about you,” he’d honestly replied.
Adam had surprised Ryan by having a gown delivered, one he said had been customized just for her. Again, she’d been moved by his attention to detail. Meticulous not only in business, but in his personal life as well. She’d argued the gift was too extravagant, had thought the chiffon dress she’d purchased from a designer outlet store had been a steal of a deal. But once she’d stepped into Adam’s gift there was no comparison. The stretchy silk fabric caressed her body, had structure while at the same time being flowy and light. The color was that of a deep burgundy wine with colorful crystals—the name of which Ryan didn’t remember and couldn’t pronounce—splashed as though tossed across the bodice and down a skirt that draped into a short train. When she looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized the woman who looked back at her.
* * *
Adam had gone for simple and classic. A tailored black tuxedo had been paired with a white shirt, striped vest and black tie, his black suede shoes the only nod to his understated fashion sense. As he looked in the mirror, he felt hands run up his back and squeeze his shoulders before Ryan came from behind him and looked at his mirror image.
“You look hot, guy.”
“Thank you, gorgeous.” He ran a hand over soft curls that glistened slightly thanks to the hairdresser who’d styled him less than an hour ago. He turned to face her, admiring the Grecian-styled burgundy number with crystals haphazardly splashed from head to toe. “You...look amazing. I love your hair like that.”
“Yes, well, take a picture, because any style that takes longer than ten minutes is one I won’t wear much.”
Adam fingered the thick tresses that had been flat-ironed and now flowed over her shoulders.
“So...what’s our story?” she asked.
“Story?”
“We’re attending a high-profile dinner together, one that I imagine will be covered by the press. Dennis will be there and he already suspects we’re seeing each other. So when people ask, what is our story?”
“You are a beautiful woman, a vegetarian friend who graciously accepted my invitation to a dinner serving tons of meat. To me, that makes you a very accommodating friend and a superspecial date.”
“People will assume we’re dating.”
Adam placed a gentle kiss on Ryan’s temple and whispered in her ear. “Take a deep breath, darling, and don’t worry about it. Worse assumptions could be made.”
He placed his hand at the small of her back, letting it slide to the low vee cut of the dress, then lower, to her butt. They exited the suite and crossed the hall to the elevator. “You sure you’ll be all right surrounded by plates of premium beef?”
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. Ryan moved close to Adam and pressed her body to his. “This will be enough premium beef to distract me,” she cooed, squeezing his Grade A rump. Adam lowered his lips to hers, searing her with a kiss that lasted one hundred floors.
Even before reaching one of the hotel’s smaller ballrooms, a buzz of excitement was heard. Ryan watched as Adam squared his shoulders—unconsciously, she thought—and entered the room with a confident swagger that seemed etched into a Breedlove’s DNA. Immediately, they were the center of attention. Or Adam was, to be more precise. Reporters, clients, well-wishers, women, all moved toward him as if drawn by a magnet. The more assertive females seemed to have little regard for Ryan as they tried to maneuver past her to be by his side. Ever aware, Adam reached for Ryan’s hand and held it tightly as he engaged those close enough to speak or ask questions while navigating his way to the front of the room and the Breedlove table. The gesture made her feel protected. Clearly, of all of the men in the room, she was with the prize.
They slowed as they reached the table directly behind the one where Adam’s family sat. Ryan saw Dennis, looking fresh and clean-shaven, all gussied up for the occasion. He stood to speak to them. Ryan didn’t see her brother dressed up often. She thought he looked quite the executive in a double-breasted navy suit. She couldn’t say the same for the snake beside him. Of all the people who could have been his plus-one, why’d her brother bring Luke?
Dennis had barely finished speaking before Luke thrust out his hand. He spoke to Adam but was drinking in Ryan as though she was the last glass of water in the Mojave Desert.
“Good to see you again, Adam. You, too, Ryan. You’re looking good.” He held out his arm for a handshake. Adam shifted Ryan away from him. If that move didn’t tell Luke that she was off-limits, his barely concealed scowl surely did.
Ryan remained quiet and suppressed a smile. Oh those alpha males!
Luke dropped his hand and cleared this throat. “Um, Dennis has been bragging about the beef you raised. Wish I could have been a part of that process but...I’m looking forward to dinner.”
“Dennis spoke very highly of you,” Adam said. Ryan felt Adam was leery of Luke and thought his was a diplomatic answer that allowed his opinions to be kept to himself.
“Rusty, there—” He nodded at an older gentleman whose tanned, weathered face told a story that included years in the sun. “He’s been with the family a long time, is an expert on animals and already worked at the ranch. Whenever possible, we like to promote from within. So that’s what we did.”
“That’s an excellent thing to do for your employees,” Luke replied. “I just met Mr. O’Brien. Great guy. But I told Dennis to let me know if an opening comes up. I could use a change of scenery and I think the Vegas lifestyle might work.”
Or not, thought Ryan.
Adam said nothing, just gave a slight head nod and continued to the next table, where his family sat. His chagrin with Luke was palpable. Ryan gave his forearm an affectionate squeeze and heard him exhale. Relax.
“There’s the man of the hour!” Christian stood and gave his brother a hearty hug while Nick and Noah chatted with Ryan.
“Babe.” Adam pulled her closer to him. “This is my older brother, Christian, and his wife, Lauren. She’s the good taste behind that dress you love.”
“Oh my goodness, you picked this out?” Ryan leaned down to give Lauren a hug. “It’s beautiful.”
“Looks like it was made for you,” Lauren said. “The way that color highlights your skin...fabulous!”
“Thank you. That’s a wonderful color you’re wearing. Are you a model?”
Lauren laughed. “Hardly.”
Christian heard the comment as he sat down beside her. “See, babe, I told you. You could be.”
Lauren shook her head.
“You really could be. That color is very complementary. What is it, like a...”
“Emerald green,” Lauren said. “Christian’s favorite color for me to wear, right, babe?”
“No,” Christian said, lowering his voice so that only Lauren and Ryan could hear. “My favorite color on
you is nude.”
Lauren gave him a playful swat. “You’re so bad.”
Christian kissed her cheek. “That’s why you love me.”
Adam introduced Ryan to the others at the table she’d not yet met. When meeting his grandmother Jewel and stepgrandfather Will Breedlove, he reminded her that while out horseback riding, their home was the one they had seen with the imposing cedar arch whose inscription announced La Hacienda Breedlove. He introduced Lauren’s parents and told her that Lauren’s father also worked for CANN International. Once they sat down, Adam explained that he would have introduced Noah’s and Nick’s dates, had he known their names.
“Until those two,” Adam continued in a whisper, “I thought Christian was the ultimate playboy. These guys took playing the field to a whole other level. They built a whole new stadium for their game.”
The evening began. Ryan found herself enjoying what she thought would be a drudge to get through. Though identical, she quickly learned one way the twins were different. Noah was quiet. Nick was a hoot. Five minutes in and it felt as though she’d known him forever and easily imagined him the irksome younger brother that Adam described.
A venerable army of waiters began serving courses with an equally proficient group of bussers quickly clearing the used china after each one. Ryan watched the orchestration in awe. The first course, a chilled vegan soup, was exquisite.
The table made quick work of the second course. The bussers appeared from several entrances to do their thing. She picked up her glass of tea and sat back to watch them, to admire their efficiency and ability to move around bone china while hardly making a sound. As a group neared her table she locked eyes with a woman who was...no...it couldn’t be...her birth mother, Phyllis.
“Are you all right?”
Adam’s voice pierced through Ryan’s shock. Only then did she realize her hand gripped his forearm. The woman faced her fully, her features better lit under the table’s light. She could have been her mother’s twin, but it wasn’t her.
