Rush

by Deborah Bladon

  “I first heard London mentioned last month during a phone call with our branding manager here in New York.” He exhales slowly. “He told me that Drake was throwing out ideas about working remotely from London. He planned to be in the office here two weeks a month and then spend the other two with Jane in London.”

  “She lives there?”

  He brushes a hand over his knee. “Her family does. They have a business that’s ready to change hands to the next generation. Jane’s the one to take that on.”

  “You never talked to Drake about any of this?” I sigh. “Why wouldn’t he discuss this with you?”

  His gaze floats around the apartment. “I believe he thought he’d be letting me down. He’s kept the New York office running on his own for years. Doing that remotely isn’t an easy task. I’m learning that firsthand. Things are piling up back in San Francisco that I need to take care of in person.”

  He’s trying to help my brother by giving him an out.

  “Newlyweds shouldn’t spend half their time apart.” He chuckles. “I don’t want that for Drake. He should be all-in on this marriage. Selling the apartment and setting up an office in London is the way to make that happen.”

  Shocked, I stare at him. “You’re setting up an office for Cabbott in London so Drake can move there?”

  “I’m helping your brother live the life he deserves.” His gaze drops to the floor. “He’s done more for me than I had a right to ask for, so this is my way of paying him back. A London office has been on our radar for a few years. I can’t think of a better time to make it a reality.”

  I sit in silence, absorbing everything he just told me.

  “Selling this apartment is the right move for Drake and me.” He inches toward me. “He’s lived here for this long because he knew I’d have a hell of a time letting this place go, but it’s time.”

  “I didn’t realize the apartment meant that much to you,” I say, fishing for more.

  “Not to me.” He shakes his head. “It meant a lot to someone I cared about, but that was years ago. It’s time to hand it over to someone else.”

  Chapter 24

  Case

  I wait for her to ask me the question I know is sitting on the tip of her tongue. My gaze drops to her pretty lips.

  The fire that was in her when she decided to step up to the plate and go to bat for her brother caught me off guard.

  I like that she didn’t back down when she thought I screwed Drake over.

  “Thank you for explaining all of that to me.” Her shoulders push forward. “You’re doing a lot for Drake. I know he’ll appreciate it.”

  I didn’t expect her to skip past my declaration about this apartment holding special meaning to someone I cared about. I thought she’d press for more details.

  Opening up to her about that isn’t going to happen. I’ve been hanging on by the barest thread since I got to New York. I need to leave this place in my past.

  “When will you tell him?” She tugs on the hem of the tank top, stretching it taut over her breasts.

  I force my gaze to her face. “Tomorrow. On his birthday.”

  “It’s his wedding day too,” she adds.

  Drake’s life is changing at warp speed. I’m happy for him. I don’t know anyone who deserves this more than he does.

  “So Pam and Rod were looking at the apartment?” Emma nudges her knee closer to mine. “Maya mentioned someone named Anton. Is that another prospective buyer?”

  Since I let the cat out of the bag, there’s no reason not to share the details with Emma. “Several people have looked at this place. Maya feels confident that she’s found a buyer. She’ll know more tomorrow.”

  “It’s a beautiful apartment.” She lowers her gaze to the coffee table. “The first time I came to visit Drake, I almost fell over out of shock when I walked through the door.”

  I felt the same way seven years ago when I followed a real estate broker into the apartment.

  It was more than I ever imagined I’d be able to afford, but I made an all cash offer that day. It was accepted immediately.

  It took sixty days to close on the deal, but once it did, all three thousand square feet belonged to me.

  “He told you the place was his?” I’ve been meaning to ask her about that since the night we met. “What exactly did he say?”

  She lets out a laugh. “It’s more about what he didn’t say. He didn’t correct my assumption that he owned this place.”

  That sounds like Drake. He’s always strived for the best of the best. I knew when I walked out of here seven years ago that he’d pass off the apartment as his own.

  I don’t give a damn.

  If it did something for him, I won’t cut him down for that.

  “He’s taken good care of it.” I choose my next words carefully. “When I moved to California, I left everything here in his hands. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.”

  Her eyes scan my face. “You’re a good friend to him too. He’s told me as much since he talks about you non-stop.”

  I doubt like hell she knows my full story. Drake once told me it wasn’t his to tell, and I’ve held him to that for years.

  If she’s baiting me, I’m willing to bite. “What do you know about me?”

  “You like surfing,” she sounds back.

  I’d say it’s in my blood, but I didn’t pick up a board until a few years ago. I learned the basics and all my time on the water since has perfected my technique enough that I can hold my own.

  I’m not in the running to win any competitions, but I can hit the ocean confident that I’ll ride a wave or two.

  “What else has your brother told you about me?” I ask quietly, wondering whether Drake offered information or if she inquired.

  For some reason, I want it to be the latter.

  “You’ve never been married?”

  “Is that a question?” I call her out on the way she phrased her words. “That sounded like a question.”

  She settles back onto the couch, gripping her hands together in her lap. Her cheeks blush. “You’re single. You’ve never been married.”

  True . I convey that to her with a silent nod.

  “What about you, Emma? Married, divorced, engaged, dating someone?”

  I don’t waste the opportunity to pry into her life. I’ve been curious since I first saw her.

  Her gaze drops to her left hand. “I was engaged. I’m not anymore.”

  Who the hell is the idiot who put a ring on her finger and didn’t seal the deal?

  “You were engaged? To who?” I blurt out.

  Her brows pop up. “Beauregard Garrington.”

  He sounds like a pretentious son-of-bitch.

  “Our dads are old friends. We work together. It seemed like it all fit …” Her voice trails.

  “Until it didn’t?” I finish.

  She nods. “I broke it off because I knew he wasn’t my forever.”

  “How did Beau take that?”

  A smile blooms on her lips. “He hated it whenever I called him that.”

  Jesus. This guy is not only pretentious; he’s a goddamn idiot.

  “He said he knew I’d bail.” She shakes her head. “He told me I was a disappointment to everyone.”

  I’d pull her into my arms to comfort her, but she doesn’t look like she needs it. She seems content.

  “When did this happen, Emma?”

  Her mouth twitches. “I gave Beauregard the ring back a week ago. It was the same day he told me to find a new job.”

  Chapter 25

  Emma

  I just confessed to Case what I came to New York City to tell my brother.

  When I broke up with Beau, I called Drake, but he was in a meeting. He returned my call a few hours later, but I was at a yoga class at the gym. My phone was silenced in my locker.

  The voicemail message my brother left me was focused on the fact that he was in the middle of a crisis with a competitor. He was on his way
to see one of Cabbott’s lawyers.

  I listened to the message all the while staring at my bare ring finger, feeling a sense of relief I hadn’t in a long time.

  Beau was wrong for me even though my entire family thought he was my prince charming. Drake was his biggest fan. My brother worked summers in high school with Beau at my dad’s car dealership.

  Two years ago, when I told Drake I was going on my first date with Beauregard, he was more excited than I was.

  “Bonehead is your boss?” Case shoves his hand through his hair.

  I laugh at the nickname. It’s perfect. “Bonehead?”

  Case’s brows pinch together. “I’ve never met the asshole, but I can tell he’s a bonehead. Hell, he’s a lot worse than that for the shit he’s pulling, but bonehead seems to fit.”

  “Like a glove,” I say. “I work for The Garrington Academy. It’s a private school in Seattle. Technically, Beauregard’s dad is my boss.”

  He looks at me for several seconds as if he’s debating whether to delve more into my connection to the Garringtons. “What’s his stance on your job?”

  “I haven’t spoken to Archibald yet.” I shrug. “He’s very by the book, so I don’t think he’ll fire me because I dumped his son.”

  “Archibald?” Case grins. “What century were these people born in?”

  “The one where you don’t have sex until you’re married,” I quip.

  I don’t know why I shared that. I knew Beau’s stance on sex after our third date, but I continued to see him. I thought he would want to be intimate once we became engaged, but he held tight to his belief that waiting for marriage was right for him.

  I respected that about him until he shamed me for the fun I had before we started dating.

  That was the day our relationship suffered a crack that was too deep to be repaired.

  Case tilts his head back to look at me. “You’re a virgin?”

  “No. Before Beau there were men,” I answer quickly.

  “How old are you, Emma?”

  I’d change the subject, but I’m enjoying this too much. With each question, he inches closer by a breath.

  “Twenty-five,” I say softly.

  His eyes rake over my shirt. I know that my nipples have hardened beneath the thin fabric. He’s looking at me in a way that makes me want to race to my room, climb in bed, and bring myself to orgasm.

  I’ve never seen desire this intense in a man’s gaze before.

  “You don’t need me to tell you this,” he pauses for a beat. “But, you were engaged to the biggest dumbass on this planet.”

  Laughter escapes me.

  Case’s voice lowers. “Bonehead’s loss is my…”

  My eyes widen as his voice trails.

  Finish it, Case. Please say it. Tell me that Beau’s loss is your gain.

  The words stall inside of me. I don’t say them. Instead, I bite back a curse word when Case’s phone starts up on a ring.

  “For fuck’s sake,” he mutters as he darts to his feet and races toward the foyer table.

  “It’s Drake,” he announces. “He wants to video chat. What the hell time is it in Ireland?”

  My mind is so consumed by what Case almost confessed that I go blank. I can’t do quick math in my head right now, even though it’s a skill that I use to semi-impress my students back home.

  “It’s tomorrow.” I wrinkle my nose embarrassed that I can’t be more specific. “It’s already tomorrow in Ireland.”

  Case glances at me before his finger swipes the screen of his phone.

  “Cason!” Drake’s voice booms through the living room. “Guess what today is, buddy?”

  Crossing the floor toward me, Case smiles. “Happy Birthday to you!”

  “And Happy Wedding Day!” I call from where I’m sitting.

  “Is that Em?” Drake’s voice takes on a higher pitch. “Let me see her.”

  Case plops himself down on the couch next to me with his left arm extended and his phone in hand. His thigh is pressed against mine; his right elbow jammed into my side. My breath catches as he leans in until his cheek almost brushes against the side of my face. “Here she is.”

  I glance down at the front of my shirt, grateful that it’s not in Drake’s view.

  “Up here, Emma.” Drake laughs. “Look at me.”

  I do.

  I smile at my older brother. Pure happiness is radiating from him.

  “Happy Birthday, Drake,” I whisper. “You’re officially old.”

  Case playfully jabs his elbow deeper into my side. “I’m right on his tail. My thirtieth isn’t that far away.”

  We lock eyes for a second before I shift my gaze back to the screen of Case’s phone. “Are you nervous about the wedding?”

  “Not nervous.” Drake pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m fucking excited.”

  “Is Jane there?” I ask, hopefully.

  This isn’t how I anticipated meeting my brother’s future wife, but I’ll take it. I want to congratulate the woman who has made him this happy.

  “She’s asleep.” He rakes a hand through his brown hair. “A few hours from now, I’m going to tell her that we’re getting married.”

  Case huffs out a laugh. “Are you sure she’s all right with this? You’re not giving her any warning here, Drake.”

  I don’t fault him for the question even though it chases the smile away from my brother’s face. If Beauregard had planned our entire wedding and surprised me with it on the day he wanted me to become his wife, I would have run for the nearest exit.

  Maybe Jane is different. I hope that she has the same adventurous spirit as Drake.

  “She’ll be over the moon,” he says convincingly. “We’re on the same page. A wedding, kids, homes in New York, and London. We’ve got this mapped out.”

  Case pushes himself even closer to me. “London? What’s that about London?”

  Drake sets back in the leather armchair he’s sitting in. “Shit. I meant to talk to you about that. I’ve got this plan, Case. It’s good for business. Great for me, but I hope you’ll see the value in it.”

  “I’ve got a plan too.” Case glances at me before he levels his gaze back on his phone. “I’m selling the apartment. I want you in London with Jane full-time.”

  Drake’s glasses are in his hand in an instant. When he looks back at the screen, there are tears in his eyes. “What the fuck? I know what that apartment means to you, man. You’re selling it?”

  “I’m selling it so we can both move on with our lives.” Case exhales sharply. “It’s time, Drake. We’re setting up an office for Cabbott in London. I need you there. Your wife needs you there. We’ll work out the details once you’re back on this side of the ocean.”

  “You’re serious?” Drake’s voice cracks.

  “Dead serious,” Case responds in a tone that conveys that message. “Blair Montgomery is taking over your duties here next month. I already gave her the heads-up.”

  “Thank you, man,” Drake says quietly. “I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me. Everything you’re doing for me.”

  “Let’s call it even,” Case shoots back.

  Drake nods before he shifts his gaze to me. “Can you believe it, Em? I’m getting married. I’m moving to London. Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”

  I turn to catch Case staring at me.

  “It sure as hell is,” he says in a low voice. “You never know what life has in store for you.”

  Chapter 26

  Emma

  Case’s words bring goose bumps to my skin. I break his gaze when I hear Drake clear his throat.

  “Are you two okay?” he asks with a laugh. “It looks like you’re keeping a secret.”

  I wish we were.

  “No secrets here.” Case edges his hand closer to mine.

  “How’s Beauregard?” Drake slides his glasses back on. “Is he planning on joining you in New York, Em? It would be great to see him once Jane a
nd I are back.”

  Case scoops my hand into his. He squeezes it gently.

  I look to him because I don’t know if this is the right time to tell my brother that my journey to married bliss is over. This is Drake’s wedding day. I don’t want to drag my drama into it.

  Case dips his chin slightly in a nod. “ Tell him ,” he mouths.

  “Should I?” I question back quietly.

  “Should you what?” Drake asks as he inches closer to the camera on his tablet. “What’s going on, Em? I know something is up. You didn’t sound like yourself on our call the other night.”

  I turn my attention to my brother even though Case is circling my palm with the pad of his thumb. It’s both comforting and arousing. His touch is light, but there’s a promise of something more beneath it.

  “I ended things with Beauregard.”

  Drake’s eyes widen beneath the dark frames of his glasses. “What?”

  The confused look on his face mirrors what I saw when I told my parents that I called off my engagement. They were shocked. My mom cried. My dad left their house to rush off to talk things over with Archibald.

  I was left standing in the middle of their kitchen, watching my mom mourn the death of my relationship.

  It wasn’t until I told Whitney that I felt the comfort of a hug and heard words of encouragement.

  To quote my sister, “ You’re too badass for that loser. He doesn’t trim his ear hair, Em. He was never the guy for you .”

  “I’m not marrying him.” I straighten my shoulders.

  “You love him,” Drake insists. “You two were meant to be.”

  I blow out a heavy breath. “I cared for him, but I don’t think I ever truly loved him, Drake. I made the choice that was right for me.”

  Feeling confident in my declaration, I glance at Case. He offers me an encouraging nod.

  “You might regret this. What if you wake up a year from now and wish you were still with him?”

  The words sting because my brother is questioning my heart’s choice. It’s almost word-for-word what my dad said to me the day after he spoke to Archibald about the break-up.