by Laura Pavlov
“Love you, Laney.” She gave me one more hug and thanked me no less than a dozen times throughout the evening. It felt good to have pulled off such a grand surprise for a woman who’d always been like a second mother to me.
“Love you, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ford, Harley, and Jack took her home, and Harrison and I made our way back to the house. We both collapsed in bed within minutes.
It had been one heck of a day.
And I was thankful for all these moments with him.
“I don’t understand why we’re going up in the tree house,” I whined as I climbed the ladder.
We’d spent the entire day in bed after the party, and I would have been just fine staying there for the rest of the night. I was exhausted. Harrison had gone out for a few hours to take care of a few things at the winery while I’d slept some more. But when he came home, he insisted I get dressed and come with him.
To sit in my childhood tree house.
Really?
We had a very comfortable bed back at home, so I didn’t know why he insisted on coming here.
“My parents are going to want to come out and then they’ll insist we go in and visit. I say we just go grab some takeout and eat it in bed,” I grumbled on my way up the ladder.
“Stop your whining and get up there.” He smacked my butt from behind me.
“It’s dark as all heck,” I said as I got to the top rung and looked down at him.
“Oh. Is it?” he whispered before clicking something in his hand and lighting up the entire tree house and the overgrown tree that held it.
I gasped, as twinkle lights lined the ceiling, and I climbed inside. There were white floor pillows, vases filled with white flowers, and champagne with two glasses. A little plate with chocolate-covered strawberries sat in the middle, and photos of the two of us were hung on a clothesline wire all the way around the space. I covered my mouth as I took it in. Pictures over the span of twenty years hung from the string. I turned around to say something, and Harrison was down on one knee, looking at me like I hung the moon.
“Laney Mae Landers, I have loved you my entire life. I loved you when you threw sand in my face. I loved you when you loved me too. I loved you when I pushed you away. And I love you today.”
“Harrison,” I said, the word breaking on a sob.
“There was never a doubt we were meant to spend our lives together. You’re the only one for me.”
“Say it,” I said, swiping frantically at my tears and he chuckled.
“Laney, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”
“Yes,” I shouted, lunging at him before I even looked at the ring he was holding.
Because none of that mattered. All that mattered was that we were going to be together forever.
He laughed and leaned back to look at me. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He held out the ring and my jaw hit the ground. It was a princess-cut diamond, and it sparkled in the light coming from above.
A whistle came from below and I peeked out to find both of our families. His brothers and Harley. My brother and Gia. Monica stood beside my parents. And I turned back to look at Harrison and shook my head with disbelief.
“You’re not the only one who can pull off a surprise,” he said.
“You’re damn right about that.” I leaned through the door, waving at everyone below.
They all said they’d meet us inside, as apparently my parents had set up a bunch of appetizers and cocktails to celebrate. But Harrison and I sat in the tree house reminiscing about our childhood and dreaming about our future together.
Always together.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Harrison
I had several meetings in the city and received a call from Big Joe, a college buddy I’d kept in touch with. He usually came out this way for business at least once a year and we’d get together.
“Har, my man. Sorry for the last-minute call. My company cut travel budgets this year and they were only sending the top two reps, but someone got sick last minute, so here I am.”
“Well, if they knew what was good for them, they’d have sent you off the bat,” I said with a chuckle. Big Joe was a good guy, and a top salesman for his company.
“No shit. And get this, I ran into Coop at the convention, haven’t seen the dude for years, and we run into one another here. What are the chances?” He laughed. Coop was a fraternity brother who was a year older than us and a bit of a ball breaker, but he was an okay guy.
“Small world. How long are you guys here?”
“It’s a short there and back for me. I fly out in the morning. Any chance you can grab dinner? Laney’s welcome to come, too. I miss the shit out of that girl,” he said, and I chuckled. He and Laney had been good friends back at Columbia.
I scrubbed a hand over my face as I thought about it. “I can’t meet you in the city, but you’re both welcome to fly back with us to Napa and join us for dinner. We’re meeting my mom, Laney, and Ford’s wife at the winery in an hour.”
“All right. Sounds good. Count me in and I’ll see if Coop wants to tag along. He kept asking me for your number so he could give you a call, so I’m guessing he’ll want to join us.”
“Okay. Meet me in the lobby in thirty,” I said, as I walked into Ford’s office to find him staring at his computer from behind his desk.
“Got it. See you soon.”
I ended the call. “We need to leave in half an hour. Are you almost done here?”
“Yep, that works. Thanks for crunching those numbers. I just took a look at everything and I think we’re going to have a record year,” Ford said, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms over his head.
“Not a problem. You know I like that stuff.”
“You always were a numbers nerd,” Jack said with a laugh as he entered the office.
I rolled my eyes. “Big Joe’s in town for the tech convention and he ran into Coop, so they’re both going to meet us in the lobby and join us for dinner back at the winery.”
“Big Joe’s a cool dude, but I don’t remember Coop.” Jack dropped to sit in the chair beside me.
“Yeah, he was an older dude. I wasn’t all that close with him. He was the one who locked us all out in the snow for hours in our underpants.” I laughed.
“He sounds like a dick,” Ford said with a shrug. My older brother was the skeptic, always suspicious of anyone he didn’t know well.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t join a fraternity.” Our younger brother glanced down at his watch and pushed to his feet.
“It’s dinner. And you like Big Joe. You’ve met him several times,” I said.
“Why does he insist on being called Big Joe? He’s a fucking grown up,” Ford huffed and made his way to the door and we all walked toward the elevators.
“It’s a nickname. The dude is huge.” Jack laughed.
“Anyway, they wanted me to meet up with them in the city, but I said we were having dinner at the winery tonight and they were welcome to join us. Harley’s still there, right?”
“Yeah. After she, Mom, and Laney shopped for baby stuff she just hung out there with them and I said I’d meet her there for dinner.”
“Do you mind if the guys ride back with you on the helicopter after?” I asked, as they’d need to get back to their hotel.
“I’m not a huge fan of the idea, but I guess I’ll handle it. Who calls an hour before dinner? They should have called when they booked the trip.”
“Ford. They’re dudes. He didn’t know he was coming, and he hasn’t seen Coop in years. Don’t make it a big deal. They’ll come for dinner and they’ll go back to their hotel.”
“Har’s right. I don’t give people a heads-up when I’m in town. And everyone’s always happy to see me,” Jac
k said with a laugh.
“Doubtful.” Our older brother hissed and stepped off the elevator.
“Montgomery,” Big Joe called out and pulled me in for a hug. The guy was a teddy bear, and we’d hit it off from the start.
“What’s up? Good to see you. Coop, you’re looking good,” I said, leaning in for a half dude hug.
“Thanks for making time for us,” Coop said, his cheeks rosy. He smelled like booze.
“Yeah, no problem. Do you remember Ford and Jack?”
They both extended their hands to my brothers, and Ford barely cracked a smile. Jack made up for it with his animated chatter.
Big Joe filled us in on how he planned to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Tessa, the next weekend. They’d been together since college, and I was happy for him.
“Everyone’s getting married these days,” Jack shrugged. “How about you, Coop?”
“Nah. I’ve got a chick I bang whenever I want to, but who has time for that shit? I’m actually at this convention because I’m starting up my own tech company. Why work hard and give all that money to someone else, right?” His words slurred as he spoke, and Big Joe made a face at me and shrugged. He didn’t know this dude any better than I did.
The guy was three sheets to the wind, and I was already regretting inviting him to dinner.
“I thought you were here with one of the companies hosting the event?” Big Joe narrowed his gaze at Coop.
“Nah. Fuck that. I’m starting up my own shit. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I’m gonna do you a solid, Montgomery, and let you invest early on. I’ll make you a shit ton of cash, brother.”
The comment made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t miss the way Ford glared at him as he sat to his right. Jack’s gaze locked with mine and I shrugged. I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t seen the guy in years, and we weren’t close.
Big Joe glared at Coop before turning his attention to me. “How’s Laney doing? Congrats on the engagement, man. Always knew you two would end up together.”
“Laney Landers? I thought you guys broke up years ago,” Coop said.
“We did. Just reconnected after a few years apart.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing her. I only ran into her a few times on campus after you left,” Big Joe said with a shrug. “Congrats on your wedding, Ford. Harrison told me you recently tied the knot.”
“Yes. Thank you.” Ford loosened one button on his dress shirt and continued to watch Coop closely as he unbuckled his seat belt once we settled on the ground.
I shot Laney a text to give her a heads-up that they were joining us for dinner, and I let Mom know to add two chairs to the table. We got into the car and made our way to the winery.
“So, Harrison, I was hoping to actually talk to you about this business proposition. I’m only going to consider a few investors out the gate and immediately thought of you.” Once we settled in the car, Coop reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a flask, and tipped his head back, taking a long pull. Big Joe and I exchanged a look and he shook his head with disbelief.
“And coming to a family dinner plastered is the best you could do?” Ford hissed.
Coop laughed. The guy thought my brother was kidding.
He wasn’t.
“I came here to catch up with a few old friends and I thought I’d give him first dibs on an investment opportunity in my company. There’s some big names out there wanting to throw in. But I saved a spot for Montgomery, as we are brothers after all.” Coop stared hard at Ford. He’d never win a staring contest with him. My brother didn’t get intimidated, and it annoyed him when you thought that shit worked on him.
It didn’t.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll take a look at it later,” I said, clapping Coop on the shoulder.
“Don’t take too long, though. People are coming out of the woodwork for this, buddy. I’d hate for you to miss out.” He tucked his flask back in his pocket when we pulled up to the winery.
Ford barked out a laugh. “Sure, they are. That’s why you’re here, right? To do my brother a favor?”
Coop flicked his thumb at Ford. “Is this guy always a buzzkill?”
“Listen. Let’s just move on. No more shop talk. Let’s enjoy dinner,” I said, wanting to cut this visit short. If there was a way out of it at this point, I’d take it.
“Yeah, that’s a good plan. I mean, we haven’t seen or heard from you in years, Coop. Let’s catch up, brother. What have you been up to?” Big Joe said, studying the man as if just realizing he didn’t know who the hell this guy was either.
“Well, frankly, the only thing on my mind is my company. It’s going to be big. Huge, actually,” he slurred.
Jesus. This was painful and he was only making it worse.
The veins in Ford’s neck pulsed, and his gaze locked with mine.
Who the fuck is this guy?
“Damn, Dude. This is your winery? Badass,” Coop said, springing from the car.
“Slow your roll there, Ace. Pull yourself together before you go in there. We’re having dinner with Ford’s wife Harley, Laney, and our mother. Your frat bro attitude won’t fly here,” Jack said, gripping Coop by the shoulder and slowing him down.
“Shit. I thought you were the fun one. Don’t be butt hurt, bro. I’ll let you invest your money as well. I’m not exclusive to Harrison.” Coop winked at Jack and I let out a long breath. This was a mistake.
“I’m not remotely concerned about missing out on anything. I do rather well, if I say so myself. But I am concerned about you disrespecting the women inside, and that shit won’t fly with any of us. So, pull your sloppy ass together, put your flask away, and shut your mouth. We don’t talk business at family dinners, and Harrison was nice enough to include you in ours. You can either join us for a business-free meal, or we can have someone take you back to the city.” Jack stared hard at Coop, and Ford and I watched him with disbelief.
Where the hell did that come from?
Well said, brother.
“Fuck. No problem, dude. Let’s go inside and have a good time,” Coop said, making his way toward the entrance.
“Jesus, dude. I’m sorry. I haven’t seen the guy in years, and he wasn’t drunk earlier when we ran into one another.” Big Joe leaned in so only I could hear as he looked at me in apology.
“Not your fault, man. The guy seems like a bit of a train wreck.” I clapped Big Joe on the shoulder.
I led the way inside and smiled at the hostess before spotting my mother in the dining room. Good, she’d added two seats to the table. There was no sign of Laney and Harley, but Mom stood and greeted my friends.
“Boys, so nice that you could join us. It’s been a long time.” She hugged them and waved her hand at the table for them to take a seat.
“Where are Laney and Harley” I asked, and Ford crossed his arms over his chest waiting for an answer.
“They ran over to check on Laney’s mom. Harley made her some pastries, so they went to drop them off. They should be back shortly. I just ordered us some wine and thought we could visit while we wait for them to return.”
“That’s odd. I texted Laney to let her know we were heading back but she hasn’t responded.” I dropped to sit beside my mother.
“Oh man, Harrison. You still a worrywart with this chick?” Coop’s words were jumbled and slurred, and Mom turned to study him.
She picked up Laney’s phone and handed it to me. “Yes, she left her phone here. I texted Harley to let them know you were on your way back a little while ago.”
“Okay, good.” I said, swirling the wine in my glass when our server, Henry, poured me a bit to sample. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
“Yes. Give me a hearty pour there, bro. I’m sure this is the good shit. Nothing but the finest for the Montgomerys, am I right?” Coop said, and Henry stared a
t him with disbelief.
Mom narrowed her gaze and looked at me, and I just shrugged. “How about we get some appetizers going? Surprise us. I think my friend could use some food about now.”
“You got it, Harrison. I’ll get some bread out here right away as well.”
“Yeah, I haven’t eaten since I landed this morning.” Coop chugged his wine and then set down the empty glass.
Are you fucking kidding me? This was not a brewery, it was a winery. Luckily, the place was packed, and no one was paying us much attention.
“Well, maybe slow down on the wine, and let’s get some food in you first,” Big Joe hissed, and his face reddened.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve all got to learn to loosen up a little,” Coop said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. “So, Mrs. Montgomery. I actually came to talk to your boy about an opportunity. But we don’t discriminate. Hell, I’d never hold out on a fine ass woman such as yourself. So, be aware, your money works here too.”
Ford, Jack, Big Joe, and I were on our feet. All four chairs screeched against the tile floor as we did so.
“I believe you were warned,” Jack said, waving his hand in front of him to escort Coop out.
“Wait. Are you for real? From where I’m sitting, your mother’s money is as green as yours,” Coop said.
“Get the fuck up. Now,” I hissed, surprising everyone.
“Harrison, Harrison, Harrison. You need to chill, brother.”
“If you aren’t up and moving in the next thirty seconds, I’ll have you removed from this restaurant and thrown out on your ass. The choice is yours. If you want to leave peacefully, I have a car ready to take you back to the city. This little reunion, or whatever the fuck this is—is over.”
Big Joe gripped Coop’s shoulder. “Time for you to go, asshole.”
“Not you too, Big Joe. I thought we were cool.”
“You thought wrong, Coop. You need to leave. Now.”
I paused to kiss my mother’s cheek as she remained seated. “Sorry about that, Mom.”
She patted my hand and forced a smile.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Har. Seems like a pretty uptight group here tonight. But I won’t cut you out of the deal over this, so don’t you worry.” Coop stumbled on his feet, and the hostess held the door to the lobby open, watching us with wide eyes.
