This was Ben’s reality. He tried not to take it out on his brother. If Ben could, he’d escape too. But he loved this company and wanted it to succeed.
“It’s time to decide which side of the force you choose,” Ben said.
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, Obi Wan, I’ll really think it over and let you know.”
“Take some time. Rich won’t make a move until May. Come to the board meeting at the beginning of April and let us know. I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news. Mom will say I didn’t try hard enough to sway you.”
“Because everything is always your fault.”
“Exactly. I thought the baby of the family was supposed to be the favorite.”
“You’re my favorite.”
“Uh-oh. You’re sucking up. What do you need?” Ben asked, as if he had time for anything else.
“I was looking over my portfolio and I had a question.”
Right. The portfolio. Because as CEO, Wes was still paid a salary, even though he hadn’t stepped in the building for years or attended a board meeting. Granted it wasn’t as much as he would get if he was acting CEO, but still he was being paid for doing nothing more than being born first.
Ben pushed the irritation away. He knew Wes had argued the salary issue, but their mother basically forced it on him. He rolled his shoulders and let out a breath. None of his anger was for Wes; his brother was a great guy.
“What’s your question?” he asked, hoping he could help.
“It says here that I have to name a beneficiary.”
“Yeah. You haven’t done that before?”
“I did. I put you. But if I were to get married, do I need to change that or does it automatically go to my wife if I die?”
Ben held the phone out to assure himself he was still talking with his brother. Yep. The display said Wes, and the photo was of the two of them on Wes’s boat.
“Is there a specific reason why you’re asking?”
“Yes. I’m getting married tomorrow. Do you think you could come? I’d like to have you here, but it’s last-minute and hours away. I know how busy you are.” It almost sounded like Wes was talking him out of it, but he could tell his brother did want him there.
This was the issue in their family. Real feelings weren’t generally appreciated. It was better to feign respect for one another and not look too deep. Ben and his brother had always been the exception. They’d been close, even when their parents had used every tool to pit them against one another in competition for everything from toys, to their attention.
“I’ll be there. What time and where?”
The sigh of relief on the other end of the phone assured Ben he was right. His brother wanted him there.
Ben jotted down the information, and then got back to the issue.
“This woman. Is she pregnant?”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Do you love her?” Ben hid the surprise in his voice. He couldn’t imagine his brother allowing himself to fall in love. Or even know how to go about it if he’d decided he wanted to. Neither of them were equipped for such a task.
“I care about her a lot. I’m closer to her than anyone. Maybe even you.”
“This woman is replacing me and getting the money I didn’t even know I had coming?”
“You won’t miss it. Besides, you’re working yourself into an early grave. I doubt you’ll outlive me even though I’m three years older than you.”
“This is true.” He needed to do something about his life. He was about to get back to the original question when his assistant came in the office carrying a folder. “Can you come back in ten minutes?”
“Of course.” Anna ducked back out of the door, practically melting from the room. The girl rarely spoke to him or made eye contact. He hadn’t been the one to hire her. She’d been forced on him when Uncle Rich hired someone else, saying Anna made him uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable wasn’t the word Ben would have used, but he did make sure he never lost his temper in her presence for fear she might break out in tears.
When the door quietly clicked shut, he got back to his brother.
“There’s a form for you to fill out to change your beneficiary from me to your new wife. And, God, does that sounds weird as hell. I can have Albert draw it up for you.”
“Do you think there is any way you could do it without telling Mom?”
“You’re not planning to tell Mom you’re getting married?”
“No. I already know she wouldn’t approve. I don’t need the drama. I’ll tell her in a few years.”
“You’ll make sure I’m there when you show up with your six kids?”
“Definitely.”
“Okay. Then I’ll keep it quiet.”
“Thanks. You’re the best,” Wes said.
Second best, Ben mentally corrected his brother’s statement.
“You’ll be there tomorrow?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Ben couldn’t wait to meet the woman who finally stole his brother’s heart.
* * * *
“What are you doing with your week off for the honeymoon?” Jamie asked when they were alone in their office on Thursday afternoon.
Wes shrugged as he reached for his laptop. “Probably work and maybe play video games online.”
“Very exciting.” She laughed at his expression.
“Make sure to tell your dad I said hi. How was his appointment?” Weston knew the situation with her father, and Jamie was happy he cared enough to ask.
“He’s still in remission. Almost ten months. I think he’s got it this time.” Colon cancer was a bitch, but her father was a retired cop and FBI agent. He was a fighter.
She went around to her desk to pack up her laptop. They both jumped when Rob Blain walked into their office.
“What’s this?” he said, gesturing to both of them with different hands. “No. No. The laptops stay here.” He pointed down, indicating their office. “No work while you’re on your honeymoon. You’re supposed to be celebrating the beginning of your lives together. No work,” he reiterated when Jamie opened her mouth to protest.
“Fine,” she and Weston said at the same time, making Rob smile.
“And don’t forget, the first week in March. You’re invited to the intimacy discovery retreat in Jamaica.”
She could feel the smile take over her face. Their plan had worked. Not only were they getting a week for their pretend honeymoon, but they were going to get their chance to woo the McCaffertys on a tropical island paradise.
She raised her brows at Weston in an I-told-you-this-would-work look.
“We can’t wait,” she said as Rob backed away to the door.
“Take plenty of pictures of the honeymoon. We want to see them when you get back.” With that last command, he was out the door.
“What are we going to do about pictures?” Wes asked, lifting his brow in an I-told-you-this-wouldn’t-work kind of look.
“I’ll come home a day early. We’ll change into different outfits and go to different locations. We’ll say we spent our honeymoon in Boston. It will be fine.”
He rubbed his temple and picked up his keys from the desk. She hoped the stress wasn’t getting to him.
“See you tomorrow. Eleven, right?” he verified.
“Right. Eleven.” He took a step toward the door and she stopped him. “Wes, if you’re going to change your mind, please let me know. I’d hate to show up and be all alone.”
“I wouldn’t do that. I’ll be there at eleven. I’ll even smile the whole time.” He winked at her and left.
Jamie didn’t sleep that night. It wasn’t a big surprise. She was about to enter into a holy union for the most devious of reasons. Of course she had doubts. Most of which circled around Wes and how this would affect him. Would he be so unhappy he re
sented her? Resentment oftentimes turned to hatred.
Or so she’d understood from her father. Jamie’s mother had resented her father’s hours at the job, and eventually hated him enough to leave and never look back. Originally Jamie had gone with her.
At the age of six she didn’t understand what was happening except she missed her dad and they now lived in Florida. She also didn’t understand why she was always hungry, why her mother slept so much, or why men came to their apartment late at night when she was sleeping.
When her mother got worse, her father came and packed up Jamie’s dirty clothes. They came home, but her mother never did.
She felt resentment for her mother later in life when her father came to a mother-daughter tea. That resentment eventually turned to hatred and then to pity.
She never wanted Wes to feel any of those things about her.
After talking herself out of their plan and back into it three times, she looked over at the clock to see it was three a.m.
Her phone buzzed with a text from her future husband.
You up?
She held her phone and bit her lip. Was he going to call it off? She almost hoped he would. It would spare her from having to do it, and the need to admit she had made a huge mess.
Yes.
Are you freaking out?
Yes. Of course she was freaking out. Wasn’t he?
I’ve been thinking . . .
She was all over the place. She thought she wanted him to change their minds, but now that he was on the precipice of doing it, she felt panicked and strangely alone.
A lot of people panic the night before they get married. Just because we are panicking doesn’t mean we’re doing the wrong thing. It just means we’re thinking about it seriously.
We’re not normal people getting married. We’ve never even kissed.
That’s how it was done years ago.
Years? Try centuries. I guess so.
You’re my best friend. If I get to grow old with you, I’ll count myself lucky. Not everyone has that.
And just like that, she was back in the game, and all the doubts that had kept her awake drifted away.
I’ll see you at eleven, he texted after a long pause.
See you then.
She was getting married tomorrow to her best friend.
Chapter 6
Texting with Jamie in the middle of the night settled Wes’s nerves, allowing him to sleep well until his alarm went off at eight.
He was getting married today. Married.
After rolling out of bed, he went to the window to look at the situation as he did every morning. It was not good. Big, fluffy flakes gathered at the corners of his large windows. The gray sky loomed over the city. Jamie would not be happy.
He smiled at the vision of her grumbling the whole way to the JP office.
At least she would be able to leave for Virginia tonight. And he would be here in Boston. Alone with his video games.
For an entire week.
His phone buzzed with a text. It was Jamie.
You’ve got to be kidding me with this shit.
He chuckled again.
It’s just a little snow.
I hate it.
See you soon. He didn’t add a question mark, but he was definitely asking. This whole situation was absurd, and he kept waiting for one of them to come to their senses.
As he pulled on his suit coat later that morning to head out, he knew it wouldn’t be him that came to his senses. He was okay with the plan. Welcomed it, actually. He would never have to worry about spending his life alone.
He had someone.
He picked up the bouquet of flowers he’d helped Cindy pick out and headed for the JP office.
As he went through the metal detectors, he saw Jamie waiting by the door, pacing and biting her lip. She was wearing the green dress, and the heels. Her hair was pulled up in a twist and she was wearing makeup.
She thought their wedding was makeup worthy. This was a big deal.
When she spotted him a huge smile came across her painted lips and he knew this was a good thing he was doing. Being married to Jamie would not be a hardship or an annoyance. It would be an adventure. And he could use a little adventure in his life right now.
“I was worried you weren’t coming,” she said as she came up to meet him.
He handed her the flowers and shook his head. “I’m not late. I’m right on time.”
“But you’re usually early, so right on time means you’re late.” She held the flowers up to her nose and sniffed. “Thank you for the flowers.”
“Do they make up for only being on time?”
“Yes.”
Cindy came in then, stomping her boots on the rug. One look at them had her beaming before she pointed and turned serious. “You’re not supposed to see your bride until she comes down the aisle. It’s bad luck.”
“I’m not worried about bad luck. I was worried about my groom making a run for it.”
Cindy made a noise of disbelief. “He wouldn’t leave you, Jamie. It’s obvious he loves you too much.”
Jamie laughed and looked him right in the eyes as she said, “Yes. So obvious.”
He refrained from making a face, though it was difficult. “Let’s go. Cindy has to get back to work.”
Cindy patted his shoulder and went into the room to take a seat near the front. Wes looked back toward the door. Hoping his brother was coming.
He couldn’t blame him for not coming. It wasn’t like Wes had given him time to make plans.
They’d always had a difficult relationship. The two of them together were great. But their parents were always working against them. Setting them up to be competitive. It was especially hard on Benji, being the younger child. It didn’t seem to matter what he did, he wasn’t good enough for them.
But he was good enough for Wes.
Then he came in. He watched Jamie’s look of surprise as Wes hugged his brother and turned to his bride.
“Hi, Jamie,” Benji greeted her, having met her just last week.
“Hi, Benji.” It took a second for Benji to look down to the bouquet in her hands and put it together.
“Wait. You’re the bride?”
“Yes. You remember Jamie,” Wes said, hoping to play it off as normal. It didn’t work.
Benji looked between them, probably waiting for one of them to say they were joking. When neither of them did, he pulled Wes away by the arm.
“Excuse us for a minute.” Benji released him when they were at the end of the hall. “What the hell is going on? I asked you if there was something going on between you and you said no. You said you were just friends.”
“Things change.”
“Since last week?”
It might have seemed a little fast. “Yes. Well. When you know, you know.”
“And you all of a sudden know?” Benji looked doubtful. “You gave me her phone number so I could ask her out.”
“And you didn’t call, so—”
“It’s almost eleven. If we miss our appointment we’ll have to wait until next Tuesday,” Jamie called from the entrance.
“Please support us in this decision,” Wes asked his brother. “I know it’s quick, but it’s important to me that you’re here.”
“I support you. Let’s go inside. I would hate for you to have to get married on a Tuesday. And at least I get to be the best man.”
“Actually—” Wes stopped him at the door. Jamie was waiting by the door to make her official debut. “Before you perform the duties of best man, would you mind walking Jamie down the aisle first? Her dad isn’t here.”
Benji looked between them before letting out a long breath and nodding. “Yeah. I’ll walk her in. Go ahead. We’ll meet you in a minute.”
“
Thank you.” Wes winked at Jamie and then patted Benji on the shoulder, feeling practically giddy with happiness. “Don’t run off with my girl,” he joked before turning to go into the room.
* * * *
If Jamie had any doubts about marrying Weston Archer, they would have been obliterated at the moment he asked his brother to walk her down the aisle so she wouldn’t have to do it alone.
It was a rare and beautiful thing to have a person care so much.
Benji turned to her when they were alone in the corridor. “You’re sure about this?” he asked her as the music started up. “I mean, you could have had this.” He gestured at himself, making her laugh. “I’m younger and richer.”
She shook her head at his joke. “Thanks, but I’m set on the elderly brother who’s waiting for us.”
“Don’t hurt him, okay?”
The smile fell from her face at the abrupt change. “I promise I would never do anything to hurt your brother.” Except badger him into marrying her.
“You can’t promise that, now can you? People hurt other people all the time without intending to.”
“I guess that’s true. Then I’ll say I care about your brother. And I won’t hurt him any worse than his family already has.” She wasn’t really sure what the deal was with Wes and his family. She just knew that Benji was the only family member he actually liked and spoke of. She knew his parents had been cold.
“Touché.” With that he held out his arm formally and she took it.
She felt silly walking down the tiny aisle to the front of the room with only one person in attendance. It felt similar to putting on a concert in front of a mirror with her hairbrush. Still, she made it to the front, and Benji moved from her side after a quick kiss on the cheek, to stand behind his brother.
The justice of the peace went through the preliminaries. At the offer to interrupt the proceedings by a just cause—no one spoke. Wes squeezed her hands and smiled.
They went through the promises to love, honor, and cherish one another. It didn’t feel like a lie when she said, “I do.” She did love Wes.
Maybe not in the way most brides and grooms loved one another, but she thought what they had might be deeper than just the romantic kind of affection.
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