A Moment Like You (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,34
family can visit her at any time,” I say, once I reminded myself that I have to think with my head. “Plus, if she’s bored and missing them, she can have my brothers. They can be a handful. She hasn’t dealt with the Aldridge family. We might make her life more…interesting.”
She chuckles and I smile. I like when she’s relaxed, and that seemed to loosen her up a bit.
“We’re closing on the houses next Monday. I’m going to mail you the blueprints and pictures that Easton has available so you can choose the furniture,” I state. “Rush the delivery.”
When I’m done talking, I wish I had something different to say. Something that’ll make her feel safe because she was coming to me. Some assurance that I’d take care of her and her parents. I wish I was more like Hayes and could tell her something more significant than my plan of approach where I’ve dotted my i’s, crossed my t’s, and had a contingency for anything that can go wrong.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to leave me here? I just showed you we work well long-distance,” she states, her voice cold.
It’s like the past few minutes while she confided in me were a figment of my imagination. Hayes is right. She might not get past the anger.
“For who?”
“Everyone,” she answers, and it’s like she turns on the switch.
“I’m not here to make your life easier, Ms. Aragon,” I snap. “If I order you to be in Baker’s Creek, you should be hauling your ass down here.”
“You had me fooled for a minute, Mr. Aldridge. It’s always about you.”
No, it’s about you.
Thirteen
Sophia
The days go by faster than I expected. After all the tests the doctor runs, she gives Mom the green light to travel and even suggests she take on swimming if there’s a pool nearby. Once I tell my siblings and cousins that I’m going to take my parents with me for a few weeks, they are delighted. It upsets me because they can’t even pretend that they’ll miss her for at least five minutes.
I understand we’ve been taking care of her for a long time and having a small break might be nice, but fake it in front of the woman. She already feels like a hindrance to all of us, which she’s not.
My brother interviews for the position just for kicks. He has a good job, with a great salary. Even though that’s the case, Merkel would be a better fit for him. Henry offers him the job and when he refuses, I’m not surprised to hear my boss say, “Name your price.”
Needless to say, my oldest brother, Santiago, is now the director of human resources for Merkel Hotels & Spas. We still have a few spots open. We haven’t yet found the right candidates for them, but we’re not in a rush. With the help of Beacon, Henry recorded himself giving an explanation about his absence.
How much the death of the late William Aldridge affected him and his brothers. Not a lie. The man literally turned their worlds upside down once he died. How they are dedicating their time to the town that his ancestors established. When I asked who wrote the statement, it appears Beacon knows more than how to just play music and post pictures on Instagram. He can write speeches too. No wonder it was so moving that I almost shed a few tears. Henry would never create something like that.
As far as the plan to make sure no one misses him, well, he liked my idea of opening a corporate office in Portland. It’s not just about Merkel, but also about his family.
As I explained to him, Hayes is going to stay in Baker’s Creek. Pierce plans on setting up a law practice somewhere close to the town. He’s still unsure of what he’ll do once the eighteen months are over. Mills lives in Vancouver, Canada. It’s only a few hours north of Oregon, and Beacon lives in Seattle. Vance… Well, we have no idea what he does for a living so we can’t plan around him.
What matters is that if he has offices close to his brothers, he can see them often. That idea backfired because searching for a building where we can set up the offices is part of my to do list. Once we set it up I have to decide who will be transferring from New York to Portland.
With Leyla’s help, I buy the furniture for both houses. My parents’