I glanced at my watch. It was already two. I would have to run through the airport if I was going to make my connecting flight. I stopped quickly at the information desk to make sure I had the correct gate, and nothing had been changed. The attendant tapped on the keys and frowned as she waited for the information. “Sir, it looks like that flight has been delayed by two hours. You have plenty of time.” The airport attendant looked up at me and smiled.
“Great, thanks.” My gut sank, I’m not going to lie. I just wanted to get home to my baby. I slowly walked toward the gate I was supposed to board at, stopping on the way to grab a coffee. It was going to be a long night if I didn’t get some caffeine in me.
Once I had found my gate, I sat down at a table in the small lounge and opened my briefcase. I figured I may as well do some work while I wait. I opened my laptop, and before starting, I booked two tickets for Tuesday evening. She was going with me; I didn’t want to hear any more about it. We needed quality time. If our parents couldn’t take the girls, one of my brothers could.
I sat there, sipping my coffee, working away, when my phone pinged. Glancing down at the screen I was surprised to see Mike’s name; after all, it was the middle of the night. The message was simple enough: “Call me.”
I dialed and waited, finally hearing his voice. “Hey, Carter.”
“Mike, I’m sorry to have to cancel on you guys on such short notice; there’s been an issue at home that I have to tend to.”
“I hope it’s not the girls?”
“No, no, everyone is fine. I received a call when I landed, but I had no choice; I had to turn around. I won’t be back until Wednesday morning, and I can only stay in town for a couple nights. I have to be back home for court on Friday afternoon.”
“It’s understandable, but I didn’t even know you were coming into town.”
“What do you mean? Felice messaged me. She set up a dinner meeting to go over adoption papers.”
“Seriously, Carter, I had no idea. But there is something I would like you to see.”
“All right, email over what you want me to look at.”
“I just did before you called.” He sounded down and a little strange to me.
“Everything okay, Mike? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I’ve been better. I think it’s best you just open the email, Carter.”
“All right. Let me just take a quick peek and make sure I got it.” I opened my email on my laptop, connected to the Wi-Fi, and waited for emails to download, finally seeing Mike’s name. I opened the attachment and almost choked on my mouthful of coffee. I was no stranger to seeing these documents. I dealt with them more than I dealt with anything else, and I was suddenly grateful for everything I had in my life.
“Mike, are you sure this is what you wanted me to look at?”
“Yep.” He cleared his throat. “You are someone I trust.”
“I’m sorry, man. I’m shocked. Felice’s message said she wanted me to look over adoption papers.”
He let out a deep laugh. “How long have you been in touch with her?”
“She messaged me a couple weeks ago. Now that you mention it, her texts came across as desperate.” Then as I sat there thinking back, she had never once mentioned Mike in any of them.
“Desperate, that’s funny. She’s been fucking everything with a dick. Maybe her candy has finally run out and she’s looking now to revisit old flames. Anyway, we’re through. So if you wouldn’t mind looking over the paperwork, I would appreciate it.”
“Yeah, no problem. Why aren’t you trusting your lawyer?”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t have one. I was planning to represent myself with one of those DIY kits. She bled me dry, and I’m hanging on by my fingernails. I have the bar still, but she emptied all of our accounts.”
“Mike, you cannot represent yourself with a kit you bought off Amazon,” I chuckled. “Don’t worry and don’t submit those papers. We will get things together. You’ve got a lawyer now. I’ll be in touch with you on Monday morning. We’ll go over everything, and I’ll get proper documents drawn up.”
“Thanks, Carter. I just don’t know how I will pay you.”
“No need to worry about it. I do a certain amount of pro-bono work per year, and I haven’t hit my quota yet.”
“Thanks, Carter.”
We hung up, and I texted Felice letting her know I was cancelling, and then I buried myself into work until I heard the call for my flight. I packed everything up and got into line with my boarding pass. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and looked at the screen.
“What do you mean you have to cancel? You’re going to cancel on this?”
I scrolled down and saw a naked picture on my phone of the one and only Felice. I hit delete and blocked her number. If she thought for one second that that was going to entice me or that there could be anything between us ever again, she would have other thoughts once she received Mike’s divorce papers with my name signed on the bottom.
I relaxed into my seat on the plane and closed my eyes. Once the plane was in the air my mind went back to the night that Hope walked back into my life.
32
Carter — Thirteen Years Earlier
The anniversary dinner had been two weeks ago—two weeks since I had seen Hope. She had left a couple messages on my phone, but I had been too hurt to return her calls. In those two weeks, I had fended off Felice more than I cared to count. I had also called in sick more than I had in the past three years, I hadn’t been to the gym, and I had barely left my apartment.
I was sitting on the couch, looking for something to watch, when someone pounded on the door. “It’s open,” I called from the couch.
I heard the door open and close and then Hunter’s voice behind me. “Man, what the hell has happened to you?” My brother walked in and looked around my destroyed apartment. “You do realize that Carson is going to be back soon. He’s going to flip,” Hunter said as he looked around at the mess of dirty clothes, pizza boxes, and old takeout food containers that were strewn all over my apartment.
“So what, I’ll clean it,” I grumbled.
“Good. Are you coming home to Mom and Dad’s with me? They are expecting us around six.”
I glanced at my watch; it was almost three. “What day is it?”
“Carter, man, it’s Friday. We’re going home this weekend...Mom’s birthday dinner...ring any bells?” Hunter cleared the dirty clothes off the chair and sat down.
I ran my hand over my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I had showered or done laundry, and I had run out of clean dishes at the beginning of the week.
“Fuck, man, you better get your act together. Mom will be hurt if you don’t come home.”
“Just tell her I’m working.”
“No damn way. I’m not going to lie to her. Pick yourself up, have a shower, and let’s go. What the fuck happened to you anyway? Where’s Hope?”
I took a deep breath. “She decided that marrying Trent King was a better idea than being with me.”
“I don’t want to say ‘I told you so,’ but I told you, man.”
“I don’t need to hear it, Hunter.”
Someone pounded on the front door. I closed my eyes and looked at Hunter, and then the voice that rang out gave it away. “Oh Carter, baby, open the door.”
I squeezed the bridge of my nose and looked to my brother. “Fucking Felice. She hasn’t given up. Last night she showed up at my door dressed in a trench coat with nothing underneath but red lace panties.”
“Sweet ass! You should totally get with her.”
“Here you go. Here is the show she put on for me the night before last.” I handed him my phone after opening the chat conversation she’d had with me. He scrolled through picture upon picture of nude photos of her.
“Let me get it. If you aren’t going to tap it, I will.” I watched as my brother jumped up off the chair and ran to the door. “Get your ass showered and ready. I’ll
be back in twenty minutes.”
I chuckled to myself, got up, and headed to the bathroom.
We’d been on the road for just over an hour and I had listened begrudgingly to Hunter drone on and on about his adventure with Felice. “Fuck, man, you should have done it. She would make you forget all about Hope.”
That was the last line I needed to hear, because I didn’t want to forget all about her. I wanted her, every ounce of her, right now and forever.
“Have you been to Joe’s?” I casually asked.
“Yep. We called you, but you must have been wallowing.”
“Was she there?”
“Nope. How about, this weekend, you concentrate on nothing but getting the next piece of ass and letting Hope go.”
I threw my phone down into the center console and rested my head back against the headrest. I didn’t want to forget about her. My phone pinged with a message a little while later. Grabbing my phone, I checked my messages, praying that Hunter had taken care of Felice and that she would leave me alone, at least for a while. But as soon as I saw the name that crossed my screen, I threw my phone down and fought the urge to be sick. I couldn’t...I couldn’t even bear to read what she had to say.
I cranked the tunes on the radio the rest of the drive home. As Hunter turned the car down the old familiar street, an overwhelming feeling rose in the pit of my stomach. What if I saw her while I was at home? I mean, she did live right across the road from my parents. After my brother pulled into the driveway, I climbed out of the car. The first eyes I locked on were hers. She stood on her parents’ front porch looking at me, her eyes dark. She raised her hand in a little wave. I turned my back away from her and demanded my brother bring the bags in.
Carter
After dinner I sat in my father’s den, sipping on Scotch, and reading through the evening’s newspaper. Hunter had gone out with Chase and Bryce to see a movie. After they had left, I had finally taken a few minutes to read through the texts that Hope had sent. She was asking to meet me for a coffee. I was sure she just wanted to get her things, but she would have to wait until I was ready. I let out a breath, threw the paper down, grabbed my glass, and sat back in my father’s leather armchair.
“Well, son, how is the studying coming?” My father came into his office and sat down behind his desk, rooting through one of his drawers, looking for something.
“As well as can be, Dad.”
My father took one look at me, got up from his chair, and shut his office door. “Son, what is it?”
“What is what, Dad?”
“Who do you think you are fooling? You look like shit. What’s going on?”
I was quiet, downing the last bit of Scotch from my glass. I made my way over to my father’s cabinet and poured myself another glass. “Want some?” I asked, holding the bottle up.
He nodded. I filled the two glasses and set the bottle down. When I turned, my father took the two glasses from my hand, a worried expression coming over his face. “Are you in some sort of trouble, son?” I said nothing, just sat down and sipped another mouthful of the golden liquid, savoring the burn as I let it slowly roll down my throat. My father sat there in silence, waiting for me to talk. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell him. “Son, if you are in trouble, just talk to me. We can figure it out.”
“I’m not in trouble, Dad.” I sat there, tapping the glass with the ring I wore, listening to the clink of the metal against the glass. “Have you ever wanted something so badly, but knew there was no way you could have it?”
“You know what I have always told you: work hard and you can have whatever you want.”
I rested my head back. “I know, but sometimes those things are just out of reach.”
“No, nothing is out of reach if you want it badly enough. As soon as you are done with this final exam, my friend has an opening at his firm; he needs a fresh family lawyer. He’s already told me to have you forward your grades and resume. A couple of months working there, and you should be able to get whatever it is you want.”
Oh God, he thought I was talking about a physical item. “No, Dad, this isn’t something I can acquire with money. It’s just this girl.”
“Your future holds so much promise, Carter. Any woman should be happy to have you. You shouldn’t waste your time on those who aren’t. If this is what all this moping is about then I suggest you straighten yourself up.” I looked at my Dad; the serious expression on his face told me he thought I was being ridiculous. “You know, Hunter told me what mess he found you in.”
“I’m in love with her, Dad,” I blurted.
“Did you tell her that?”
“Yes, or I thought I did.”
“You thought you did? It’s either you did or you didn’t.”
I looked at the glass in my hand and shrugged. “She’s in love with someone else.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“She’s engaged, Dad.”
“May I ask who this girl is?” My father tapped his ring on the edge of his glass, waiting for my response.
“It’s Hope.” I closed my eyes. My father had represented her father’s company in a legal battle a few years ago, and after that, our parents didn’t get along. I had no idea what had really happened except that it was a bad business deal gone wrong, but I had always been friends with her. “I know what you’re going to say, Dad—just to stay away and find someone else...”
My father held his hand up to shush me; it was something he had always done to stop anyone from putting words in his mouth. I looked at him and stopped speaking. “Carter, first, don’t put words in my mouth. Second, if you feel that strongly for her, then talk to her. It’s not my place to tell you whom you can and can’t love. I know she’s been home at her parents’. I’ve seen her around town. We have always liked Hope. Her parents? Well, that is another story. But don’t be foolish; we want to see you boys happy in your lives, and right now I can tell you aren’t happy. So, buck up, be a man, and go after what it is you want, not just in your personal life, but your business life as well.”
My father stood, grabbing his glass, and headed toward the door to his office. “Oh, and Carter, take it easy on the Scotch. It’s five hundred dollars a bottle.”
“No problem, Dad. I’ll replace it with my next paycheck.”
“No need. I love you, son.”
“Love you too, Dad.” I sat back in the chair and finished off the glass in my hand. Once I had gathered the courage, I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent Hope a text asking her to meet me at the local coffee shop.
33
Hope
It was close to six. I was supposed to meet Carter at the coffee shop at seven. I was nervous and trying to calm my nerves as I searched through my closet, trying to figure out what to wear. I had pretty much packed everything for my move this weekend. Things with my move had been delayed because the apartment I had rented needed repainting and new carpet. As I searched I became upset the dress that Carter loved on me was already in the city, in his apartment. I glanced at the time, my stomach rolling. Only half an hour to go. I had just showered and put on lotion, vanilla invading my senses. I finally settled on my white sundress and pulled it from the hanger.
I grabbed my purse from the bed and headed downstairs, taking my keys off the hook by the door. I pulled the door open when I heard my father clear his throat behind me. “Good to see you’ve finally gotten dressed. Mr. and Mrs. King are bringing Trent over to sit down and talk. This nonsense has to stop, Hope.”
I closed my eyes, a shake running through my body. “Dad, I’ve already told you, there is nothing else to talk about. He and I are no more.”
I turned to walk out the front door but stopped. Mr. King was walking up the front steps, his wife and Trent trailing behind. I glanced at my watch. Carter would probably already be at the coffee shop, and I desperately needed to meet him.
“Dad, this is so not fair. There is nothing for us to talk about.”
&
nbsp; “Hope, it’s for your own good.” He pushed me aside and welcomed the three of them into the house. Trent looked to me and shrugged his shoulders.
After all the fake pleasantries were exchanged, my father guided all of us into his study. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and knew it was Carter. I pulled my phone from my pocket, and just as I went to type my password in, my father ripped the phone from my hand and placed it in his desk drawer. “You’re not sitting here with your face in your phone all night.” He slammed the drawer shut and that was when I felt my heart sink. He was going to ruin the best thing for me all over again.
“Hope, sit down,” my father barked, closing the door and nodding toward Trent. “Trent, you too.”
Carter
I glanced at my watch. I had been waiting for forty-five minutes. It was starting to get dark. I was still sitting at the little table inside the shop, continuing to wait. With each passing minute, the excitement I had had at the thought of putting my hands on her again was diminishing.
After another twenty minutes, I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see if there were any messages from her—nothing.
I typed out a couple texts and waited, but she never responded.
I ordered another coffee and sat back down. I waited there for another half hour, and when I still hadn’t heard from her, I decided to get in my car and drive home. Fuck this, she was mine; that was all there was to it, and I was going to claim her.
I pulled into my parents’ driveway and inhaled deeply as I shut the engine off and climbed out of the car. I needed to figure out what to say now. The longer the words I had planned to say ran through my head, the more ridiculous they sounded.
I stood by my car for a few minutes and then started walking toward her house. I rounded the corner, and she came into sight. Standing on the porch in a white sundress, tears pouring down her cheeks, my perfect love looked off into the distance. I was just about to call out to her when the front door opened and out stepped Trent fucking King. He placed his hands on her shoulders, then she turned and stepped into him, letting his arms envelop her. In that moment, all the courage and confidence I had had that I could win her back was gone. Watching this unfold before my eyes, I realized that the days we had shared over this summer were all I would ever have with her. It was the end of us.
The Malone Brothers Boxed Set Page 30
