Serves Me Wright

by K. A. Linde

“I came to see you, and this is happening?” she demanded.

  “What are you doing here?” he snarled.

  “I wanted to see you.”

  “You’re not allowed on the premises.”

  Ashleigh flicked her bright blonde hair off her shoulder. “I came to talk to you about the gala that we’d planned.”

  Julian tensed. “What about it?”

  “I have some final details to go over with you, and I want to coordinate our outfits.”

  “We’re not going together,” he said lethally.

  Ashleigh fluttered her eyelashes. “We always planned to, love.”

  “That was before.”

  “We can get past this…”

  My jaw dropped. The audacity of this woman.

  “It’s time for you to leave, Ashleigh. If you have something to discuss with me, you can send an email,” Julian said, crossing his arms over his chest and straightening to his considerable height. “Now, go.”

  Ashleigh’s smile turned purely feline. “But, babyyy…”

  Her whine grated on my nerves. No one had ever really liked Ashleigh, even when we’d tolerated her for Julian’s sake. I still had no idea what he had seen in her as far as personality went. She was a nightmare. But she was gorgeous with long tan legs, thick blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. She always wore the latest fashions and had money coming out of her ears. Maybe it was easier to ignore her personality with all the rest in your face. Maybe for a dude.

  “Don’t make me call the cops.”

  “You wouldn’t,” she hissed.

  He narrowed his eyes, as if to say, Just try me.

  “I’m done with this. If I see you on the property again, I’ll have you arrested.” He stepped forward, towering over her already-tall frame. “And I’ll push to take you to court for everything you did earlier this year, too.”

  Ashleigh sighed and rolled her eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

  Part of me wanted to reach out and shake her. She literally didn’t see the danger in front of her face. The other part of me wished I had her gall.

  Julian looked like he was going to blow his gasket, but she dismissively waved her hand.

  “I know this isn’t real. There’s no way you could go from me to that.” She pointed at me.

  My face turned three shades of red. I swallowed and wished I had a comeback to that. Instead, I felt humiliated by the accuracy.

  Julian stepped forward. “Don’t fucking talk to her like that.”

  Ashleigh lifted one shoulder. “Whatever.”

  She turned on her four-inch stiletto heels and stalked back through the cellar. Julian watched her exit with hypervigilance. Not until she was out of the building did he finally relax and slump back against the doorframe.

  “Fuck,” he said, running his hand down his face. “Fuck.”

  “You okay?”

  He shook his head. His eyes were squeezed shut. Then, they cracked back open and met mine. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

  “You can’t control what she says and does.”

  “No,” he said easily, pushing off of the doorframe. “But I can control what I did.”

  I flushed and looked down at the ground again. Here it comes. All the ways he regretted that kiss. The kiss that I thought had been perfect…even if it was fake.

  “You were just telling me that some other guy touched you without your permission, and then what do I do? Kiss you without asking if it’s okay.”

  “It’s fine,” I said quickly.

  “I mean, it was a great kiss.”

  My head jerked up in surprise. “It was?”

  He laughed and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I thought so. If you didn’t like it, then I’m doubly sorry.”

  “No, it wasn’t…it was fine,” I finished lamely.

  “Fine,” he said with a nod. “My mother tells me that fine never means fine from a woman. So, I’m going to continue to apologize for everything that happened. Kissing you without your permission and everything Ashleigh said. Don’t listen to a word out of her mouth. I learned the hard way how much of a poisonous snake she is.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Not your fault,” he said automatically. “Should I continue apologizing?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “It’s okay. You saved me first. I was happy to do the same.”

  His smile was electric. “I guess we’re even then?”

  “We are,” I agreed.

  “Good. Well, I should probably get our photographer back to the concert before it starts.” He gestured for me to step out of his office, and we went back toward the barn.

  I bit the inside of my cheek as I second-guessed whether or not I should dive into his business. Curiosity ended up getting the better of me. “Have you been dealing with a lot of Ashleigh?”

  He breathed out heavily. “Well, sort of. She didn’t take our breakup well. Mostly she’s mad that she got caught and thinks that if she pushes enough, I’ll bend to her will.”

  “That doesn’t sound like you.”

  He flashed me a smile. “It doesn’t, does it? Stubbornness runs in my family.”

  “Sure does.”

  He nudged me. “Hey!”

  “What? Sutton is one of my best friends. I’ve seen Wright stubbornness way up close.”

  “Yeah. It doesn’t matter how much Ashleigh hounds me; we’re not getting back together.”

  “I’d think not after what she did.”

  “Never pegged you as a grudge-holder, Gibson.”

  I flushed at the use of my last name. “I’m not. But she didn’t just hurt you, she tried to force you into her mold and hurt the winery, too. I’m kind of attached to it, to be honest.”

  “Me or the vineyard?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

  I covered my blush with a laugh. “The vineyard!”

  “Likely story.”

  Our eyes met, and we both broke down into laughter. As much as I wanted something with Julian, the main reason I’d never gone for it was because of what was happening right here between us. I was into him, but I valued his friendship more. I wouldn’t risk losing this easiness between us to shoot for more.

  I pulled my camera up and snapped a picture of him.

  “Hey!”

  I took another.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I won’t miss getting a real Julian smile.”

  “Let me see,” he said, coming around to stand next to me.

  I pulled the back of the camera up and flipped through the pictures I’d taken. This was the one thing I wasn’t self-conscious about. My pictures were good. I was certain of that. I loved photography, and I did it constantly. All those weddings had really honed my craft. I wasn’t like our friend Blaire, who was a legitimate social media influencer with a million followers, but I had a good thirty thousand–plus people following my photography. I’d been featured in wedding magazines and won contests for my work. This was my passion.

  “Jesus Christ, Jen,” he breathed. “How the fuck do you do this?”

  “Talent,” I teased.

  He nodded his head. “Absolutely. I’m so glad that we convinced you to work here. Couldn’t have been easy, giving up all the traveling.”

  “Well, it was, and it wasn’t,” I told him. “I like that I can be picky now, and as I said, I’m already attached to the place.”

  His smile was bright. “Could you send me this one?” He pointed at the picture I’d captured of the real him—charming and laughing Julian Wright. Exactly how I saw him. “I’d like to put it on the website.”

  “Definitely. That’s what I’m here for.”

  We continued up the walk until we nearly reached the barn. I could hear the concert had already started and winced. I was supposed to be there for that.

  We stepped inside to the backstage. It was loud from the show. Sutton was standing off to the side, watching the show. A group of the production crew was buzzing around. Hollin was speaking t
o the new manager, Alejandra. Jordan was sitting at a table with Annie in his lap. And someone else was standing before us that I’d never seen before.

  Julian stiffened next to me. His eyes widened.

  “Dad?” Julian gasped.

  3

  Julian

  My father was standing in front of me.

  In Lubbock, Texas.

  Not in Vancouver, where he lived and where I’d moved from. This wasn’t a call, text, or email, like he’d been trying to reach me and I’d been ignoring him. I hadn’t seen him in almost four years. He’d asked us to stay, knowing we never would, and then I’d said good-bye. I’d meant it forever. What was he doing here?

  I didn’t want to have to deal with this. It was bad enough that I already had to deal with Ashleigh today, but Ashleigh and my father in one day? Fuck.

  “Hello, son,” my dad said.

  Son. I recoiled from that word. The years of idolization and then the complete shattering of everything that I’d worshipped in him.

  I pulled myself together. I couldn’t be the same person I’d been when my dad fucked up all of our lives. I couldn’t cower and hope that Jordan would take care of it. Like he always did. I had to handle it on my own.

  I straightened to my considerable height and crossed my arms over my chest. “What are you doing here?”

  “Good to see you, too.”

  “Is it?” I mocked.

  Jennifer fidgeted next to me. “I’m just going to…” She pointed at the concert, where she had been hired to take photographs.

  My gaze shifted to hers. Fuck, how had I managed to drag her into all of my drama? She shouldn’t have had to witness any of it. I was such a mess.

  Her hazel eyes were wide with concern and discomfort. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. I’d kissed her, and I’d much rather be doing that again than dealing with what was right in front of me. Not that it was going to happen. She’d made it pretty clear that she wasn’t interested. And it wasn’t like I should be dating right now anyway. Ashleigh was a hurricane, plowing through my life. It wasn’t fair to anyone to start dating when she was still rampaging.

  “Sure,” I said with a nod. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  She smiled shyly. The same Jen who had drawn me to her at a pool party right before I fell in on top of her. After I’d moved here, I’d pushed her to date me, but she’d never really been interested. My flirting was relentless, and still…it was hard to tell what Jen was thinking. The opposite of Ashleigh, who wore every emotion on her sleeve.

  I shook the past away from my eyes as she gave me a half-wave and disappeared toward the stage. My father was still waiting.

  “New girlfriend?” he asked.

  I clenched my jaw. “No. She’s our photographer.”

  “The place is nice.”

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded again.

  “I came to see you.”

  “You saw me. Now, you can go.”

  My father sighed but held my gaze, unwavering. He’d had more practice in that than I ever had. “Can we go somewhere more private and talk?”

  “I’m actually at work, if you haven’t noticed. I’m kind of busy.”

  “Five minutes, Julian.”

  I ground my teeth together and then nodded, heading for the door without looking back. My father followed me out of the building. I forced down my nerves and rising irritation. He still hadn’t fucking answered me. He wouldn’t have flown across the entire country just to see me. Not after everything had shattered. Why now?

  The door shut behind us, drowning out the noise of Cosmere blasting through the building. A hot summer wind whipped around me, bringing in dust from the nearby cotton fields. Lubbock was small enough to feel suffocating and large enough to have most everything I could ever need. If not everything I wanted. It wasn’t Vancouver, but I’d been here long enough to appreciate the friendly West Texas city. I wouldn’t have opened a business here otherwise.

  I didn’t think my father felt the same way about the city he’d left behind more than three decades ago. His nose wrinkled at the sight around him, and he brushed the orange dust off of his suit jacket.

  “We’re here. Talk,” I told him.

  “I know you’re still mad.”

  “Yes.”

  “But Jordan invited me here.”

  I took a step back. “What?”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “No.”

  I didn’t care that I sounded hurt. Why the hell would Jordan have hidden it from me? He knew how I felt.

  “Well, he probably knew you’d react like this.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Get to your point.”

  “I want us to have a fresh start.”

  I laughed and then realized he was serious. “You believe that’s possible?”

  “I do. I’ve changed, Julian.”

  “A changed man,” I said slowly. “Wow. You’re really going that route?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “And what do you know about the truth?”

  My dad sighed. “Please, I don’t expect you to forgive me for all my vices in one meeting. I’m asking for us to try.”

  “The inimitable Owen Wright, asking for us to try,” I jeered. “Unbelievable.”

  He ran a hand back through his hair. He looked so much like me and Jordan. Just an older version. I could see what he must have thought looked like remorse on his face. I didn’t believe it.

  “I know that I did wrong by you and your brother and your mother. I regret many things, but driving you away is what I hate the most. I really would like us to start over.”

  I almost believed him. Almost saw the illusion he was creating. A glamour determined to blind me to reality. But the magic spell had burst a long time ago. It wouldn’t cover my eyes to his deception any longer. I saw the truth. Saw who he really was.

  “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

  “Julian,” my dad said carefully.

  My cool vanished. “You left Mom when she had cancer! I’ll never forgive you. I don’t care what you want to say. It will never get over it.”

  My father pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t know about her diagnosis.”

  “You think that makes it better?” I snapped.

  “It’s not an excuse. I was wrong. Your mother and I had deteriorated years before the divorce papers. It should have happened long ago.”

  “You are not helping your case.” I checked my phone. “Your five minutes are up.”

  I stepped around him to head back inside. He grasped my elbow. I looked down at it as if it were nothing but vermin.

  “Let me go.”

  He didn’t. “I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head. “We both know that you’re only here because you want something. That’s the only reason you ever do anything. So, what do you want? A job? Money? The company? Whatever it is, you’re not getting it. You dug your grave; you can go lie in it.”

  Then I shook his hand off of me and strode back inside without him.

  My mind was a haze of anger. It so infrequently took me that I didn’t know how to get rid it. Jordan had the anger issues. He was the one who had been working on not being like our father for so long. I’d always been the easygoing, charismatic, younger brother. But if there was anything that riled me up, it was my father. I wasn’t going to be fooled by him.

  I found Jordan with Annie. She was seated in his lap, and they were laughing and kissing. I’d never seen Jordan this happy. Too bad I was about to wreck it.

  “We need to talk,” I said.

  Jordan frowned as his eyes settled on me. “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Alone.”

  Jordan protested, but Annie was already getting to her feet. “I’ll go watch the show. Find me later.” She planted another kiss on Jordan’s lips before disappearing.

  Jordan watched her go like a man dying of thirst. Then he looked back to me and stood. “
You saw Dad?”

  I pointed toward the back suite. It was being used by the band, but they were playing, so we’d have some time.

  Jordan nodded and then entered the room. The band sure was hard on their space. Drinks and clothes and instruments were scattered everywhere. It didn’t matter right now. I shut the door.

  “You invited Dad here without telling me?” I snapped.

  Jordan ran a hand back through his hair. “I did. I should have told you, but I wasn’t sure if he was going to come.”

  “Well, he’s here, and he ambushed me. Said he wanted a fresh start.”

  “Is it impossible to believe he wants that?”

  “Yes!” I cried. “Don’t you remember what it was like in Vancouver?”

  “I do. I remember more than you do,” Jordan said. “But I also know that I’m like him. I’m just like Dad in so many ways, and Annie gave me a second chance that I didn’t deserve. I can’t help but think we should give him one even if he doesn’t deserve it.”

  “What you did was nothing compared to Dad. And anyway, he’s had second and third and fourth chances.”

  “He’s still our father.”

  My eyes widened. “So?”

  “Our cousins lost both of their parents young,” Jordan reminded me. “We’re fortunate enough to have both of our parents still alive. Hasn’t there been enough loss all around? Shouldn’t we get to know the man he is rather than what we idolized him as?”

  “Do you think he’s changed?”

  Jordan sank onto the arm of one of the chairs and shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. It’s not like I’m going into this blind, Julian. I want him to be a better man, but I’m willing to believe he’s the same. And if he is, then that’s that.”

  I sighed and turned in a circle. My anger never lasted that long. Everything had already drained away from me. Jordan hadn’t done anything malicious, and as per usual Jordan, he was already working with a contingency plan.

  “I still don’t like that I was ambushed.”

  “That was my fault. Forgive me about Dad?”

  I waved him away. “Whatever. I don’t trust him.”

  “I get that. He hasn’t earned our trust yet.”

  A knock came on the door, and then Hollin burst into the room. “There you fuckers are.”