The Wright Love

by K. A. Linde

  I heard voices from the conference room and braced myself for the disaster I was about to walk into. I should turn around. Just walk back out from where I’d come from. But I didn’t. I knocked.

  The voices quieted, and then Morgan’s face appeared. “Hey, Sut!”

  “Hey, Mor.”

  Her eyes darted to my box. “Did you bring me treats?”

  “Am I that nice?”

  “Hmm…no,” she conceded.

  She pushed the door all the way open to reveal the conference room beyond in which Jensen, Austin, Landon, and David were all congregated. Fucking wonderful.

  “Secret family meeting, and I wasn’t invited?”

  “You were working,” Morgan said. “Plus, it’s Wright shit. You don’t care.”

  “Jensen and Landon don’t work for Wright anymore,” I pointed out.

  “True. Why are you here?” Morgan asked with a smirk.

  “I’m on the board,” Jensen offered with a shrug.

  Landon rolled his eyes. “I didn’t want to be invited. I came over to talk about the golf course.”

  “I wouldn’t have even brought it up, but I spoke with our lawyers about the Van Pelts. He thinks we might have to appear in New York if deliberations continue any longer,” Jensen said.

  “Oh,” I said. “That’s shitty. Right before your wedding.”

  “He’ll let them keep our money before he messes up his big day,” Morgan joked.

  “Emery would murder me.”

  “Fact,” Landon said under his breath.

  “So…what are you doing here?” Morgan asked, batting her eyelashes at me, all innocent-like.

  I dropped the box of sweets on the conference table. “I just came by to, uh…” I glanced around the room and then finally landed on David, who hadn’t said anything since I walked in. He dutifully stood by while my family did their own thing. “Can I talk to you?”

  “Sure.”

  He pushed his chair out, and I hurried out of the conference room before my family could butt their noses in. For sure they would. It was a matter of when, not if. This was why Morgan hadn’t told anyone she was talking to Patrick in the first place. Having three older brothers in your business was anything but fun. Morgan at least was pretty good about it. Though she was cynical, and that sometimes made her…difficult. My whole family was, to be fair.

  “What’s up?” David asked.

  I’d moved down the hallway some, away from the conference room where I was sure someone was trying to listen in on our conversation.

  “Well…I brought you a box of sweets.” I laughed. “Though…I guess…they’ll probably be gone before you get back in there.”

  “That’s okay. Just means I have to come by the bakery again.”

  “You should. I’ve been working on making these chocolate-and-strawberry cupcakes with Kimber, and I’m not bragging, but they might be the best thing I’ve ever made.”

  “I’ll have to try them.”

  “I didn’t really have a plan when I came over here and didn’t expect my entire family to be here either. Kind of threw me off.”

  David smiled at my rambling. He looked the same way he had on Friday night right before he kissed me. My heart melted again.

  “I missed you,” he said before I could open my mouth again.

  My cheeks heated. “It was kind of a lonely weekend.”

  “I wasn’t sure if I’d…overstepped.”

  I shook my head and bit my bottom lip.

  “Then, maybe we should do it again?” he suggested.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Friday again?”

  “I’ll have to see if Jen is free.”

  “I’ll plan for it then.”

  “Oh, wait,” I said as it hit me. “I can’t.”

  He laughed. “Are you already bailing? This is quicker than the last time.”

  “Hey now! That was…unfortunate. Different circumstances. This is because my cousins are flying in from Vancouver for the weekend. They’re bringing my aunt, and I’ve never met her. We’re having a thing. You could come by.”

  “Right. Morgan mentioned something about that. I kind of zoned out when she talked about it.”

  He boldly reached out and took my hand in his. My body turned to Jell-O at his touch. My knees going weak and my brain short-circuiting.

  “I’d like to do that.”

  “Do…what?” I muttered, lost in his eyes, which were nearly green to match his button-up today.

  “The party for your cousins.”

  “Right…right,” I said, snapping out of it. “That sounds great.”

  “But I still want that date.”

  “Me, too,” I admitted.

  I was uncertain of how I’d gotten to this place where I was comfortable with going on a date…yet I was happy that it was happening. The best I could do was not second-guess it. And, as I stared into David’s eyes, it was hard to feel anything other than sure about this.

  Ten

  David

  I wasn’t surprised that the welcome dinner for the Wright cousins was at La Sirena. It was Morgan’s favorite restaurant in town, and she’d persuaded me several times to go there for work-related events. No matter that we had a restaurant on the top of our building for that exact purpose. This was what she wanted, so this was what she got.

  Not that I expressly disagreed with her. The food was unbelievable. Latin fusion with a twist. Plus, the cocktails were out of this world.

  Mostly, I was wondering why I was showing up for this thing at all. I’d met Jordan and Julian Wright last year when they showed up for Christmas to be with their dad. I wasn’t a Wright though and didn’t think I needed to meet their mother. But Morgan had invited me…and then Sutton. Well, I couldn’t deny her anything.

  That was how I ended up at a Wright family event as the only person not expressly family. The most I’d done was share a quick kiss with the youngest Wright, which had been playing on repeat in my mind. It had taken all my self-control not to kiss her again inside Wright Construction when she showed up after she got out of the bakery earlier this week.

  I entered La Sirena and walked around the corner to the private wine room that Morgan had reserved. I pushed through the door, and my eyes found Sutton across the room. She had a glass of sangria in her hand and was shaking her head at Austin. Morgan and Jensen were speaking to their cousins and aunt while Landon and Patrick held court with the women—Emery, Heidi, and Julia.

  Sutton’s eyes twitched to the open door, landing on my face. A smile crept onto her lips, and her entire demeanor seemed to shift when I entered the room. As if she had just been getting by, and now, she was blossoming in the sunshine.

  I nodded my head at Morgan before sauntering over to Sutton. “Hey,” I said with a smile of my own. “You look great.”

  And she did. A flowy navy-blue dress with pink-and-white flowers, which tied up around her neck and waist. Her hair was curled at the ends, and she had on a dusting of sparkly makeup. She was practically glowing.

  “Thanks. Annie and I went shopping this afternoon. She’s a bundle of nerves about starting med school. So, all she does is shop.”

  “I’d probably be nervous, too.” I turned to Austin and held my hand out. “Hey, man.”

  He shook a little harder than normal. “Hey.” He tilted his head toward the bar. “Want to go get a drink?”

  “Austin, you’re not drinking!” Sutton hissed.

  He held up his hands. “I was going to walk David to get a drink, Sut. I’m perfectly happy with my water.”

  I could read the deeper meaning behind his words. I was pretty sure Austin had been gearing up to this conversation all week. Morgan had probably kept it from happening at work. Better to get it over with.

  “Yeah. A drink would be great.” I gently touched Sutton’s arm. “We’ll be right back.”

  She nodded and then nervously glanced between us.

  Austin and I moved across the small ro
om and back out to the main bar. He leaned against the bar and appreciatively eyed all the liquors before averting his gaze. A black bartender with coily curls, wearing a red flannel shirt, came by, and I ordered a Texas Honey cocktail. She winked at me in response and began to pour the bourbon concoction.

  “So…you and Sutton?” Austin finally said.

  “Yep.”

  “When did that happen?”

  “Recently.”

  “Are you sure that y’all should be dating?”

  I looked him dead in the eye. “If she thinks she’s ready, then she’s ready. I would never pressure her to do more than she’s comfortable with. All of this is up to her.”

  “Good. She’s been through the wringer. She’s strong, but I worry about her. We all do.”

  “I know you do. I was there the day Maverick died,” I reminded him. “I remember what she was like before and what she was like after. Maybe not like you all do, but I can see the difference. I don’t ever want to see her that unhappy ever again.”

  The bartender slid my drink to me, and I took a sip to steady myself.

  “Me either,” Austin agreed. “Look, I’m her big brother. I can’t help it if I want to beat the shit out of you for thinking about touching my sister.”

  “Probably doesn’t help that your best friend is now dating Morgan.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t even get me started.”

  “I kind of expected this from you anyway.”

  “Yeah?” he asked. “Well, just know that, if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

  “Got it,” I said with a laugh.

  We shook hands, and Austin smiled. He was serious about how he’d react if I hurt Sutton, but I had no intention of ever doing that. Or at least…I hoped so.

  “Come on. Let’s go meet this aunt of mine. Pretty weird to have a new aunt after I’m thirty.”

  “I could see that. Family is always a bit crazy. New family is definitely so.”

  Sutton appeared at my elbow once we were back in the room. “What was that about?” she whispered.

  “Nothing. Just getting the third degree from your brother.”

  She groaned. “Oh God, I was worried about that.”

  “It’s fine. It was expected. We’re good.”

  “But it’s so embarrassing. We’re not even…” She trailed off. “I don’t know.”

  “And that’s totally fine with me.”

  “Still…stupid, nosy brothers. No wonder Morgan was secretive,” she muttered. “Whatever. I should probably introduce you to my aunt.”

  She gestured for me to follow her, and we walked over to where Morgan and Jensen were chatting with a woman in her mid-fifties with graying-blonde hair and a soft smile. She wore a modest pink blouse and long black skirt that made her seem even meeker.

  “Helene,” Sutton said, “this is the Wright Construction CFO, David Calloway.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “Delighted,” she said. Her handshake was as light as her voice. “I’m so happy to be home. It’s the first time back since I moved to Vancouver.”

  “We’re glad to bring you home,” Julian, the younger of the two cousins, said. He put a protective hand on his mother’s arm.

  Jordan’s face was pinched, and he said nothing, just nodded. His eyes kept darting around the room and then back to his mother, as if he couldn’t quite believe they were there. Or maybe he wanted to get her out of there, away from so many people. He was stern, and I was certain he wanted to bolt. Strange, considering he was here on vacation.

  “How is Vancouver this time of year?” I asked.

  “Well, it’s not Texas,” Julian said with a laugh. “We’re not used to this heat.”

  “It’s the wind and sand you have to get used to,” I assured him. “After San Francisco summers, I thought I’d never acclimate to Lubbock, but I’m coming around to it.”

  “You love the evenings,” Sutton said. “Admit it. It’s gorgeous. And nothing can beat a Lubbock sunset.”

  “Oh, I’ve missed the sunsets,” Helene said.

  “Fine. I enjoy the sunsets and the evenings,” I conceded to Sutton with a grin.

  She blushed slightly at the look and turned back to her aunt.

  “Aren’t you two adorable?”

  Morgan laughed and then covered it with a cough. “Why don’t we grab our seats? I, for one, am starving.”

  Sutton hid her pink cheeks from everyone as they maneuvered around us. My eyes followed the rest of her family. Julian kept his hand on the small of his mom’s back. Jordan walked stiffly behind them. Helene appeared oblivious to the entire thing, but there was something about her. Something that I couldn’t quite place. I didn’t know what it was though.

  “I didn’t quite realize how this would look before you got here,” Sutton said as she gestured for us to sit at the end of the table.

  “Like we’re dating?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “Morgan did invite me before you did. I was already planning to attend.”

  “But still.”

  She was right, of course. It did look like we were dating. And it put pressure on her when she didn’t need it. Or when she wasn’t ready. She had freaked out that first night when she thought we were going on a date. I wouldn’t blame her if she started getting spooked in this situation.

  “Do you want me to go?”

  “What?” she asked with round eyes as she took her seat across from Landon and Heidi. “No, of course not.”

  “Okay. But I would.”

  “That’s not what I want.”

  I moved my hand under the table and clasped hers in mine. Her hand was warm and so fucking inviting. She squeezed gently on my hand before surreptitiously releasing it.

  I still wasn’t sure where that left us. But I was more than ready to find out.

  It was a couple of hours later before we finished off our meals and were finally leaving La Sirena. It was near to closing. I was sure the staff was happy to see us gone for the night, but they couldn’t deny the generous tip we’d left.

  I fell into step beside Sutton as we descended on the parking lot. I’d parked next to her Audi. She stepped carefully across the gravel in her heels before reaching her door. She turned around to face me as her siblings’ cars all vanished from the parking lot, leaving us all alone.

  “I had a great night,” I told her. “I’m glad I stayed.”

  “Me, too. David, I want you to know that I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you or for my aunt to think we’re a couple. I don’t know what we’re doing just yet. Can we kind of go with the flow?”

  “Absolutely,” I said, taking a step closer to her.

  She stared up at me through thick black lashes. “I couldn’t get Jen to watch Jason this weekend or next. She’s busy.”

  “That’s okay,” I told her.

  “We could always stay in,” she sputtered and covered her mouth. “That’s…not what I meant. What I meant is…”

  “You need to stay in to watch Jason for the night.” I took another step closer.

  She nodded and leaned forward, as if we were magnets.

  “We could have a night in with him if you’d like. I don’t mind.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I adore your son, Sutton. I don’t mind anything that’s easier for you.”

  She smiled and then stood on her tiptoes. Her lips hovered in front of mine. Then, I grabbed her around the middle and dragged her against my body, pressing our lips together. She moaned into the kiss, and I opened her mouth to mine, thoroughly tasting her. I lost all time in that parking lot. I hoped I never found it again.

  Eleven

  David

  “Sorry it’s so early,” Sutton said when I appeared at the house.

  Jason usually passed out in the early evening, so I’d shown up with enough time for the three of us to be together. Being a single parent couldn’t be easy on her. I knew that she’d g
otten Jenny so that she could still have a semblance of a life. Also, it helped now that she was working. But it didn’t seem fair to always make her get a sitter when I used to babysit Jason. He was a great kid.

  “Don’t worry about it. Anything I can help with?”

  “Uh…there’s sunscreen in that drawer. We’re all going to need it.” She hurried down the hallway and collected Jason from his playroom.

  Jason laughed when he saw me and tried to hand me the baby doll and a container of syrup. “Yes! Park!”

  “Thanks, bud,” I said, taking the doll from his hand and staring at the syrup perplexed. “Why do you have syrup?”

  “Don’t ask questions,” Sutton called back. “Modern parenting.”

  I laughed and took the offered syrup bottle, too. Then, he found a stray truck and gave that to me, too.

  “Just what I wanted.” I dropped all of them back into a container and grabbed the sunscreen out of the drawer. “Are you ready to go to the park?”

  He threw both his hands up and yelled, “Yes!”

  “Sunscreen first, Jay,” Sutton said.

  I tossed it to her, and she thoroughly lathered Jason in the sunscreen while he complained intensely about it.

  “You, too.” She tossed the bottle back to me. “No sunburns all around.”

  I laughed but coated my neck, arms, and face as well. She busied herself with filling up a stroller with everything we could possibly need in a quick trip to the park, which, admittedly, was a shit-ton of stuff. I had underestimated how much a toddler needed on one trip out of the house.

  Sutton buckled Jason in the stroller and then pushed it onto the sidewalk. She plopped a giant-rimmed floppy hat on the top of her head and smiled at me. “It’s blistering out here.”

  “Texas summers. Why don’t you let me push?”

  “All right,” she said softly, stepping to the side.

  Jason munched on organic white cheddar puffs and pretzels as we walked side by side down Sutton’s street on the south side of town. It was a newer development, so it didn’t have the shade of some of the older neighborhoods. But there was a park less than a half-mile from the house with a lake, gravel walking trail, playground, and picnic tables. Kind of a dream when you had a toddler.