by Alina Jacobs
"Mom…"
"I hope you're using protection until you know for sure."
"Mom!"
"Liz!" her father yelled into the phone. "Bring that young Holbrook by for dinner when you're up this weekend. I need to look him in the eye. I don't want him sniffing around you."
"I'm hanging up now," Liz said.
The next afternoon, Wes picked her up in a gleaming black Tesla. It was silent and powerful, just like him.
"I see you're ready to impress," she said as he stepped out and put her bag in the trunk.
"Impress who?"
"My parents. They want to meet you." Liz tried to ignore the shocked look on Wes's face as Kal poked his head out from the back seat and licked Liz on the side of her face.
"So, we're having dinner at your parents?" he asked her after a moment and pulled the car into traffic. "That's a hell of a thing to spring on a man."
"It's your fault really," Liz said. "You had to show up at my condo and scare Mrs. Burbank."
"She seems a little old to be living on her own in the city."
"I think she's just lonely. Sometimes I go have tea with her and listen to her complain about her daughter and her grandson, Finn. She doesn't seem to have a problem with her granddaughters."
"Good gracious. You're a saint, Liz."
"I feel bad for her. I don't think her daughter likes her that much. I know Finn's dad despises her."
"I can see why. She's a crazy old bat."
"You shouldn't throw stones in your glass house. If we're talking about crazy grandparents, Harris Holbrook is completely out of control."
"I'm glad he's not here," Wes said. "My life is crazy enough as it is, and I think Harris might put me right over the edge."
"Probably," Liz said as she flipped through the radio stations. "He's nutty."
"It's too bad we're going to your parents' house and not a romantic country retreat," Wes said as they pulled up in front of the Davenports' house.
"Why is that?" Liz asked, feeling her heart start to race.
"I'd really like to finish what I started." He smirked at her.
Liz blushed. "I can't believe you're doing this to me right before I have to face my parents!"
Wes unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over and kissed her. It promised a repeat of the evening in her apartment, plus more. "I wish I could fuck you right here," he growled into her ear.
Someone knocked on the window. Her father peered into the car.
Liz shrieked and pushed Wes off her.
Her father opened the car door.
"Dad!" Liz said and threw herself into her father's arms. Wes came around the car and held out his hand.
"The famous Wes Holbrook," Adam Davenport said. "Your reputation precedes you."
"Be nice, Adam," Liz's mother said as she walked up to them. "Hi, Wes. I'm Florence. You must have had quite a shock with all this news. You Holbrooks seem to be stashed all over New England. Come inside. I have snacks and drinks. Are you staying the night?"
"No, he's not," Liz's father said.
Liz groaned.
"I'm going to the Holbrook Estate," Wes said with a slight smile.
"Daddy, why are you acting like that? Wes is a good man! He's founded a company. He's a billionaire. Look, he has a dog."
"Does he hunt?" Adam asked after studying Kal for a moment.
"He's not a hunting dog, no," Wes said.
Kal wagged his tale at Adam Davenport. Liz knew her father had a soft spot for dogs.
"Well, Wes, I like your dog," her father admitted after petting Kal, "but I don't know if I like you very much."
"That's fair," Wes said. "I'll just grab your bags, Liz."
"The famous Wes Holbrook!" Liz's sister exclaimed when Wes came into the house, carrying Liz's suitcase.
"Stop it, Hazel."
"It's been a while since you brought a man around, Liz," she said.
"Dad, how are you letting him in the house?" a man asked.
"Shut up, Eric!" Liz yelled at her older brother, who was looming threateningly in the doorway to the sitting room.
"Go sit down, Wes," Liz said. She couldn't believe her family was acting like this. This would be the last time she brought anyone around them. "Sorry," she whispered to Wes as they walked into the sitting room.
Ginny handed Wes a glass of cucumber-infused water.
"Thank you," he said.
"Don't feel too special," Ginny said. "It's just what was leftover in my shop."
"Honestly, Ginny," Liz said, her hands clenched.
Liz's mother sailed around the room with a tray and stuck it under Wes's nose. "Coffee? Tea? Alcoholic beverage? Hope you two are using condoms."
Wes inhaled some of his water, and Liz whacked him on the back while Eric glared at them from his spot on the couch near the fireplace.
"Those Holbrook men," Adam said, standing next to his son. "They have children running around everywhere. They're turning New Cardiff into a trailer park."
32
Wes
Wes hadn't thought Liz's family would be so forward. He always pictured upper-class people as stately. Maybe they were only better at hiding their dirty laundry compared to the working-class families he was used to. Or maybe they know that you are going to break Liz's heart. He killed those thoughts and stood up.
Eric, Liz's brother, stood up as well. "Going somewhere?"
"Men's room," he said, his shoulders tense. He was quickly running out of patience with Liz's family.
Liz ran after him. "I am so sorry they're acting like that."
"It's fine," Wes told her. "Nothing I can't handle." He pulled her close to him and kissed her.
"You're really wonderful," she said. If only she knew.
Dinner was… interesting. Wes had been seated in the exact middle of the table. On one side were Eric, his wife Ginny, and Liz's father, who all made snide comments at him. On the other side were Liz, her mother, and her sister.
He didn't know which was worse.
"What are your plans for your future, Wes, dear?" Florence Davenport asked.
"I'm not exactly sure," he answered. Screw over your daughter like she screwed me. Ruin the Holbrooks. The usual. "Maybe I'll start to involve myself in the Holbrook Foundation."
Hazel, Liz's sister, mimed shooting herself in the head. "I hope he's better in the sack than he is as a conversationalist," she said to Liz.
"Not at the table, Hazel," her mother chided.
After dinner, Wes helped Florence clear the table.
"Thank you, Wes." She beamed.
Eric jumped up as well. As the two walked to the kitchen, Eric bodychecked Wes, almost causing him to drop the plates. "You hurt my sister and you're dead. Do you understand?"
"I'm going to make sure she's very well taken care of," Wes replied.
He was glad to finally leave after dessert.
"I'm sorry you can't come spend the night with me," he said to Liz as they stood next to his car. Liz almost trembled with desire. He loved the effect he had on her.
He kissed her, letting his tongue trace the inside of her mouth. She made a half-humming, half-moaning noise and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her up slightly. Just the feel of her made him think he was going to explode.
"If your parents weren't here, I would take you inside and fuck you," he said in her ear. "We could just ditch them all. I'm sure there's a nice hotel around here somewhere."
"I can't. I promised my family," she whispered back. "And you promised yours."
"Right. The Holbrooks." He kissed her one last time and whistled for Kal.
Wes pulled up in front of the Holbrook estate a short drive later. Light shone out from the large windows, and the garden was lit with soft hidden lights. It was as magical as the first time he'd seen it. He steeled himself, pulled his bag out of the car, and walked up to the ornate front door.
"This is the beginning of the end for you all," he said softly.
"Good ev
ening, Mr. Holbrook," Stefan, the butler, greeted him as he swung the door open before Wes had the chance to ring the doorbell. "And master Kal." The dog wagged his tail in greeting.
"The rest of the family is in the main sitting room," Stefan said. "If I may take your bag."
Wes let Stefan take his suitcase, then he and Kal made their way down a wide hallway. It was broken up by doorways and niches that displayed expensive vases and artwork.
As he approached the sitting room, he heard the murmur of conversation. It all stopped as soon as he stepped through the doorway.
"Wes!" Walter said after a moment. "Come sit. Have a drink. You know everyone. Did you meet your cousin, Mark? And this is Mark's girlfriend, Rhonda."
Rhonda. Wes tried to keep the shock off his face. Kal growled at Rhonda.
"And who's this handsome boy?" Rhonda cooed. She was a better actress than Wes. Kal snapped at her.
"He's, um," Wes tried to swallow. What the hell was Rhonda doing there?
"I've heard so much about you, Wes," Rhonda gushed. She was pretending to be bubbly and fun, but Wes knew what lurked below the surface.
He stuck out his hand like a robot. "Nice to meet you, Rhonda."
Mark clapped Wes on the back.
"Where did you two meet?" Wes asked. He caught a sharp look from Rhonda, then her features smoothed back down into a pleasant mask.
"We were in a hackathon together," Mark said. "She was the prettiest girl there."
Rhonda laughed. "I was the only woman there."
"Is that right?" Wes asked.
"Why don't you have a drink?" Rhonda offered and led him to the drink cart.
"Look, you stupid oaf," she muttered under her breath. "You have to try this cocktail Allie made," Rhonda said loudly then continued to threaten him. "Act natural. This is part of the plan. I' wasn't sure if I could trust you to hold up your end of the deal, and if you want something done right, you do it yourself." Rhonda plastered her fake bubbly smile on and walked back to Mark, kissing him on the mouth. "I made you one too, baby."
Wes took a sip of his drink. He half wondered if she had put cyanide in it, but it tasted fine.
"How are you liking New York City?" Kate asked Wes. The Holbrooks were all on one side of the room looking at him. Kal and a corgi play-fought on the floor.
"Manhattan can take a while to acclimate to," Jack said.
"It's similar to Boston, so it wasn't too much of a shock," Wes answered.
"Is that where you started your company?" Mark asked.
"While I interned at Svensson Pharmatech, I helped develop their robotics program," Wes said. "It was the summer of my freshman year at Harvard, and I started the company at one of their incubators, and it grew from there."
"I went to Harvard too," Walter said happily. "So did Mark."
"I don't remember you there," Mark said with a frown.
"Building my company was a full-time endeavor," Wes explained, trying not to look at Rhonda. "I worked constantly and skipped out on classes. It was important to my mother that I graduated, so I did it but barely."
He thought he saw Grant scowl.
"Grant never went to college, and Carter dropped out," Jack said. Wes saw Carter mime hanging himself.
"And how are you and Liz?" Allie interjected. She was shrewd. Wes could tell. Allie seemed like she could figure out exactly what he was up to if she got him alone for five minutes.
Rhonda seemed to think so too, because she jumped up and exclaimed, "Let's leave the poor man alone. He works hard enough as it is. He doesn't need to be interrogated."
Stefan brought out snacks and more ice for the drinks. Wes was on edge during the entire evening. He could barely follow the conversation.
After everyone had drifted off to their rooms, Wes took a phone call in one of the studies. As he walked out of the room, he saw Rhonda waiting for him in the hallway.
"You better not screw this up. I already have the Holbrooks wrapped around my finger," she whispered to him. "I should have done this sooner. You're completely useless."
33
Liz
Liz showed up early with her siblings and Ginny to help set up for the party. It was one of the many annual fundraisers the Holbrook Foundation hosted throughout the year. She saw Wes across the somewhat brown-looking garden. Though the fall weather meant dead plants, it was perfect for bonfires, candied apples, and warm boozy cider.
"Move those straw bales over there," she heard Nancy tell him.
"Hey, handsome. I see they put you to work," Liz said.
Wes swooped her up and spun her around, kissing her. Liz still couldn't believe he was hers. "I'm glad I brought some heavy pants and a jacket," he said.
Liz left him to finish setting up while she helped Allie prep the Kentucky Mulled Cider and the Caramel Apple Mules they would be serving.
"So, you're really serious about Wes, then?" Allie asked her. "He met your parents and everything."
"My hand was a bit forced on that," Liz said and told Allie about Mrs. Burbank's call to her mother.
"What if she's right?" Allie asked. "There's something about Wes that seems off to me."
"You're paranoid," Liz said. "You spent your formative years being abused by your stepfather then working in a bar."
Allie sighed loudly. "Liz—"
"I'm going to see if Nancy needs anything else."
Liz didn't understand why Allie wasn't being more supportive. Liz had been in Allie's corner a hundred percent when she and Carter were trying to legitimize their relationship. Why couldn't Allie do the same for her?
As Liz helped Nancy set out the tiny seafood pies and little custard cakes, people were already starting to arrive. Wes and Carter had managed to start the bonfire, and it roared, sending off waves of heat from the middle of the garden.
"Looks like a party!" Liz said to Kate.
"Cheers!" Kate said, toasting Liz with a copper mug filled with a Caramel Apple Mule.
Liz wandered around and talked to people she knew. Her father saw her and waved her over. He and Mark Holbrook were chatting.
"And what are your plans now that you're out of the military?" Adam asked Mark.
"I have some ideas for a company," Mark said. "My friend Finn is going to be done with his military contract in another year. He knows a lot about boats and underwater environments. I was thinking we could do a startup for robotics focusing on the underwater environment, maybe even some biologically inspired designs. The AI field is the Wild West right now. It's exciting."
"Wes does robotics," Liz said.
"Oh, you do?" Mark asked.
Liz turned around. "Wes!" She was delighted to see him. He was out of his workman clothes and had on a pair of charcoal-gray slacks and a leather jacket.
"That's what my company was built on, though the software we developed for the robots allowed us to branch out," Wes explained.
"We should talk," Mark said.
A pretty woman with a glossy bob meandered over through the crowd. She snuggled up under Mark's arm, and he kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Try this, baby. It's great. You have such talented friends."
"This is my girlfriend, Rhonda," Mark said, introduced her to everyone. Wes seemed tense as soon as Rhonda walked up. Liz felt a pit grow in her stomach as she wondered if Wes was attracted to the tall svelte woman. Rhonda was sleek, and she had tiny perky beasts.
Liz made another promise to go to the gym.
"This is a family friend of mine," Mark said when it was Liz's turn to be introduced.
"Hello, Liz," Rhonda said. "I'm so glad to meet you."
Beside her, Wes was stiff as a board. Liz ran a hand down his back, needing to feel him relax.
"I heard you've been stuck with planning a gender-reveal party. I love parties and babies. Let me help! Kate and Allie are so busy," Rhonda said with a low chuckle. Even her laugh was elegant.
"Oh, you're so sweet," Liz said. "Finally, someone in my corner!" Liz didn't re
ally want Rhonda to help. She needed help, but something about Rhonda struck Liz the wrong way. Maybe it was the effect she had on Wes. Maybe Liz was being jealous and paranoid.
"I'm glad you're offering to help my daughter," Adam said. "That Brandy is a handful."
"Nothing we can't handle. Right, Liz?" Rhonda asked. "Come on, Mark. Let's dance. I'll catch up with you later, Liz."
The band Nancy had hired was playing Frank Sinatra. Liz wanted Wes to ask her to dance too. She waited a minute. She could tell her father knew what she wanted, and she could feel her father's disapproval. Wes didn't even seem to notice. He was gazing at Rhonda. It was the same intense look he had in his eyes when he looked at Liz.
Her father cleared his throat.
"My apologies, Liz," Wes said with a dazzling smile. "Just thinking of something I forgot to send over to Svensson Investment."
"Do you need a computer?" she offered.
He smiled at her and spun her around out to the temporary dance floor, where other couples were swaying to the music. "It's not important. They can wait."
Liz loved the way Wes was with her. At work, he was all business, but when they were alone, he was soft with her. She relished the way they moved together on the dance floor. It felt like it was meant to be.
"My friends think we're moving too fast," Liz whispered up to him. He grinned and half-rolled his eyes. She saw that mischievous glint she would see in his cousins' eyes sometimes.
"Too fast? We haven't moved in together. I haven't even had a chance to fuck you yet."
"Are those your intentions with me, to get under my skirt?"
"Short-term, yes. Long-term? Bluntly, I'm thirty. I want marriage and a family. I can see that with you."
Liz felt thrilled. Finally, life was going her way. "You know," she said, "I'd like to meet your family."
"You have. You already know all of them."
"Only your biological family."
His face took on a dark look. "The Holbrooks are all I have right now."
"You met my parents," she countered.
