The Ahern Brothers Collection, page 41
“You’ll visit us, won’t you?” I need her.
“Of course, just for the pure pleasure of visiting my three children. I hope that you and Wes will consider doing the same for me,” she says, hopeful.
Then she presses her lips together and does what Linda does best—meddle. “How is your relationship with Wes?”
I’m about to answer, but she interrupts me. “It’s okay to ask for more time. Sex isn’t easy after what you went through. But if you want to discuss anything, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you. We’re doing great,” I say as politely as possible.
“Sorry. It’s hard not to meddle.” She clutches her pearls. “I’m trying to contain myself. The old Linda would’ve asked when you’re getting married and whether or not to expect grandchildren soon.” She stops for a second and sends me an inquisitive look.
Great, here we go. I hold my breath waiting for the question.
“Are you going to live here or are you moving to San Jose with him?” She angles her head toward the door. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I just can’t wait to meet my grandchildren.”
Her excitement can be heard throughout the gallery—maybe even on the streets.
“Mom!” Wes’ voice resonates through the space and seconds later he enters my office.
I take a step backward when I see him. “You’re moving to San Jose?”
He shakes his head and takes a deep breath. “No, I live in San Jose, Tahoe, and Denver. We’re just starting this relationship. We’ll decide what’s best for us when the time comes, and I’m not pressuring you to do anything.”
His attention goes to Linda. “Mom,” he sighs. “What part of let me warn her that you’re coming wasn’t clear?”
“It’s okay. We settled our differences,” I stop him. “As you can see, she’s already comfortable enough to bring up both children and marriage.”
“Life is short, and you’re my only hope,” she says with determination.
“You’re forgetting Sterling, Mom,” Wes throws his brother under the bus.
“Sterling will never settle down.”
“Once again, thank you for your infinite trust, Mom.” Sterling walks into the room. “But yeah, I’m not having those pesky little things called children. They seem too fragile and whiney.”
“We might not have kids, Mom.” Wes ignores Sterling’s nonsense.
Linda’s eyes open wide, and her shoulders slump like a little girl who’s just been told Santa Clause doesn’t exist and unicorns aren’t real.
“I’m twenty-six,” I explain. “There’s plenty of time for us to plan our future. For now, we’re taking it one day at a time.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologizes. “You two being together is something I’ve been waiting a long time for. Years. You’re right, Wes. I’m intrusive.”
“That’s not the word I used, Mom.” He runs a hand through his hair. “But you might want to hold back when it comes to our relationship.”
“But it’ll be so much fun if we can all have the talk.” Sterling smirks at me. “Wouldn’t it be lovely, Abby? We can discuss locks, noise-canceling headphones, avoiding security cameras, and sex in the workplace. Like right here in your office.”
My blood freezes.
“What is he talking about?” Wes asks, frowning at me.
“We have security cameras everywhere.” I flinch and tilt my head toward the security cameras.
Fuck, fuck. I forgot about the cameras. Last night, when Wes came to pick me up, we had sex in my office. Wes scrunches his face, shaking his head.
“Were you here last night?” I dare to ask, avoiding his gaze.
“Yeah, in my studio working hard. More. Faster. Sound familiar?”
“Oh God, I need to be somewhere.” I turn to Linda. “How about dinner tonight. We can talk about your plans and … I’m sorry—”
I leave the gallery because I just can’t face Sterling and Linda right now.
“Hey, baby.” Wes follows right behind me. “Did Sterling see us?”
“I hope not, but he heard us. And there’s probably a recording. As you saw, I had cameras installed in my office.”
“Can we watch it?” He grins.
“Weston Ahern?” I say appalled.
“It’s a question,” he says lazily. “I’m trying to lighten the mood. Although, you looked hot sucking my cock. I wouldn’t mind watching that in slow motion.”
I come to a halt and look at him. “You know what, that might be a good idea—therapeutic—for me to watch myself doing something I liked and enjoyed. Another piece of myself I take back.”
He shakes his head and wraps me in his strong arms. “Why don’t you come to Tahoe with me?”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes, the architect just called. We need to discuss a few issues. We’ll reschedule with Mom. She needs some time with Slugger anyway, and I need time with you.”
“Okay.” My breathing hitches just thinking about the trip and spending more time with him.
Thirty-One
Wes
The dogs bark and wag their tails when we let them out of the car. I hold Chester on his leash. We’re still going through basic training. So now he sits and waits for me to finish serving him before digging into his bowl. I think he’s trying to impress Oakley, who unfortunately is learning some of his bad habits.
At night, they sneak into Abby’s room and jump into the bed. Chester is used to snuggling next to her. Now we have two dogs right beside us, pushing us to the edge.
“The place hasn’t changed,” Abby says, opening the door.
She turns around and smiles. That beautiful grin knocks the wind out of me. I fucking love this woman. Everything about her is just breathtaking. Her gorgeous face glows, looking peaceful and vibrant at the same time.
“Thank you for bringing me back.”
“We should’ve come earlier. How could I forget how much you love this place? Maybe I’ll plan a date,” I joke.
“What date number would this be?”
“This isn’t a date, lady,” I protest. “We might go on six in a few weeks.”
Six?” She frowns and starts counting. “One was in San Diego. Two was the following Friday when we went to watch some old grunge bands play.”
She taps her chin a couple of times. “Three was the next weekend, when we went to Aspen. That’s all I got, mister.”
“Aspen should count as three entire dates,” I argue. “In fact, if we add—”
“Nope, don’t start adding all our outings to your ten-date challenge,” she says.
“We’re still counting dates though?”
“You said ten.” She touches her temple. “I clearly remember you saying ten dates.”
“Will you break up with me after the tenth date?”
“No, but I want to know how the ten will pan out.”
“It wasn’t a big plan. I was making it up as we went along. The gifts are still happening though. I want to take you on dates, but now I feel like you’re pushing for that last one. You’re expecting fireworks, or a parade maybe. What do you think is going to happen?”
“I don’t know. You started with a big bang, so now of course I’m expecting something magical.”
“Paris,” I say.
“What about Paris?” She perks up because even though it’s not her favorite city, she loves it.
“That should be number ten.” I begin to plan something spectacular for her.
“We fly first class or use a large private jet, so we can have sex everywhere. We’ll become part of the mile-high club. Once we land, we take a cab to the Ritz hotel. You’ll love it because it’s close to Tuileries Garden and a walking distance from the museum. Not that we’ll plan to leave the room.
“The first two days we’ll spend in the room, talking, making love over and over again. Only stopping to sleep or to eat. We’ll feed each other small bites of whatever delicacy you order from room service. We’ll talk, and we’ll make love some more, until we’re sore.
“It’s Paris, the city of love, so we’ll be drunk on each other. Satiating our hunger will be impossible. We’ll take baths, fuck standing up. We’ll experience the longest orgasm in the history of us.”
“Do we ever leave the room?” Her eyes look a little hazy.
“Occasionally?”
“Where do we go?”
“You choose. We’ll visit a restaurant. Find secluded places that aren’t too far and where we can play with each other.”
“In public?”
“You’ll have to be quiet.” I place my index finger on top of her lips. “We’re going to be sneaky and daring.”
“That’s number ten?” She grins.
“Would you be interested?”
“Sounds like it would take some planning.”
“But possible?” I bring her close to me, setting my hands on her lower back and my forehead against hers. “We can start practicing now.”
“Maybe we can go for your birthday,” she suggests. “Why don’t we take a shower? You have to meet the architect in less than an hour.”
“Come with me. I want to show you the place,” I say, excited to show her the resort.
“Okay.”
— — —
We leave the dogs at the house. Chester better behave, or I swear I don’t know what I’m going to do. He likes destroying cushions and pillows.
“This place is beautiful,” Abby says as I park in front of the construction trailers. “You have an amazing view. It’s better than the house.”
“Different,” I correct her. “Excellent for a resort. We have access to the lake, trails, and we’ll have transportation to take the guests skiing.”
“It’s amazing. The location is far from other homes or tourists, but still close enough to the shops and restaurants. Where does the lot start and end?”
“Come with me. I’ll drive you.” We hop in one of the golf carts, and I drive her north to the perimeter and then to the east and west ends. After showing her the grounds, I stop right in front of the main building.
“How many rooms do you have?”
“Three hundred and seventy-five, including the suites on top.”
“Suites, interesting,” she says, lost in thought. “Why did you build this?”
“Because of you.”
“Me?” she squeaks.
“Yes, I remembered how happy you were every time you visited this place. The lot was for sale, and it occurred to me that building it in your honor would be perfect. When the guests check in, they’re expected to forget their problems and just relax.
“I know what you’re going to say?”
“You do?” she asks skeptically.
“Yes, there are tons more resorts and lodges in the area. What makes it special or different?
“I agree,” I continue my speech. “There are plenty of them, but we get a lot of tourists. In less than a year, I guarantee this place will be the one everyone will want to visit.”
“Always so sure of yourself, Ahern,” she chuckles.
“I play to win, baby. But to answer your question. It’ll be the experience we offer. Our customer service is going to be our game changer. Our guests will feel like they visited the Ritz Carlton but at more affordable prices.”
“What services are you planning to offer?”
“Do you want to be part of the team that plans each season?”
“You’re offering me a job, Ahern? The last time that happened we know it didn’t end well.” She glares at me. “By the way, I never got a severance package after you fired me.”
“We never fired you. I honestly never looked into your file. We should check that out. What if we’re still paying you? Not that I mind.”
“You’re not. I’d know. It’s okay though. I’m joking.”
“So, you don’t want the job?”
“Nope, I have plenty on my plate with the gallery and the center we’ll open in a couple of years. There’s a lot to do, and sadly I don’t think we’ll have the place up and running soon enough. The architect said it’d be ready for use eighteen months from the moment we break ground.”
She groans. “It’s a long wait. Esperanza’s Home has a huge waiting list. If I had my place ready, I’d be able to receive them.”
I take a look around, remembering why it was that I wanted to open the resort. Abby. I want people to come and to leave happy, recharged. Inspired.
“This place will be ready in less than a year.” I grab her hand and drag her to the golf cart. “Follow me.”
I take her to the construction offices where the blueprints and models are set up. She opens her mouth in amazement.
“This is going to be beautiful.”
“Could you use it?” I ask, searching the room for the architect.
“What do you mean?” Abby frowns not moving her gaze from the buildings.
“As a center,” I explain.
“I mean, I could, but this is your lodge,” she says, lost in thought.
“Not yet, it’s just a building full of possibilities,” I correct her.
“As I told you, what I had in mind was that the guests come here and are able to forget what’s happening for a few days. But I’d rather gift it to you and use it for a good cause. Those trips when we came here to visit, you forgot your problems for a little while. Visiting this place is good for the soul. Staying while they recover from a bad experience could be a game changer for them.”
“You’d do that for me?” She swallows hard. “Donate this property?”
“Abby, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” I say.
“I love you so much, Wes,” she says, throwing her arms around me and kissing me until I can’t remember my own name.
“Let me think about this. It’s an amazing offer and the absolute perfect spot. Safe, secluded, beautiful, and inspiring. When do you need an answer by?”
“That’s a great question. We’ll continue with our plans. You can see that there’s going to be plenty of room. There are a few private cabins. Those could be used for the medical personnel or for therapy. We can add or modify. But you’ll have to tell us what you need soon because any adjustments to the original plans have to be approved by the city.”
“No pressure.”
“There’s none,” I assure her.
“Should I let go of the land in Franktown?”
“We can have two centers,” I suggest.
“That would be ideal.” She nods, her eyes shine, and her smile is the best reward.
“Weston Ahern, you’re the most amazing man in the world.”
“You should show me how amazing I am when we get home.” I wink at her.
“I’ll talk to Luna, see what she thinks. We’re in this together.”
“Is that a yes?”
The door of the trailer swings open, and we stop our conversation. “Let’s see what’s going on, Abster. We can talk more about the center later today.”
Thirty-Two
Abby
When we arrive at the house, we take a long nap. I’m bone tired. Maybe it was the excitement, or the fact that we haven’t slept much in the past few weeks. Between sex and our dogs thinking that they should be sharing our bed, it’s been almost impossible. When I wake up, I call Luna.
“Hey, Lady,” she answers. “How’s it going?”
“I was expecting your voicemail. It’s a good day to save the world.”
“Ha! I hung up my super suit today, and I’m with the fam,” she says.
“Interesting. Even superheroes get to take a break or two,” I joke.
“More often than you think,” she says mockingly. “What’s going on?”
“We have new options for the center,” I announce.
“I thought we got the land in Franktown.”
“We do. It’s ours,” I confirm.
“Did I tell you that Wes is building a resort in Tahoe?” I go on about the history of the space and why he decided to venture into hospitality. “He said that if I want, he’ll donate it to the non-profit I started and make it into a center too.”
“As in, take this land where I’m building a resort and turn it into a rehabilitation center?” Her voice is excited, even giddy.
“Yep.” I nod vigorously. “We can start now and make any modifications that we want.”
“When will the property be finished?”
“The contractors said around June of next year.”
“We should start raising money for the furniture, salaries, equipment, and … wait a second. Harry has something to say.” She sighs and covers the phone, then I hear several clicks. “You’re on speaker, Abby.”
“I was saying that you have a trust fund that can finance the center. Save that energy for the second one.”
“My trust fund?” How does Harrison Everhart know about it?
“No, I’m talking about Luna’s. If you have one, maybe you should put it to work for you. Raising funds is all good, but you have to prepare an estate so the place can sustain itself. Maybe you should allow paying clients. Charge according to their financial ability—sliding scale.
“Your husband has a point,” I agree.
“Whose husband?” Wes enters the room.
“Luna’s. He’s talking about setting an estate to ensure that the centers can be self-sustainable.” I put the phone on speaker too. “Wes is here.”
“Ahern, how are you?” Harrison greets him. “I hear that the resort is a no-go.”
“The resort is still there, we’re just changing the function.”
“I was telling Abby that we can set up an estate. We have money to furnish the center.”
“We do too,” Wes adds. “We can set up a trust for it. Use some of the assets that I donated and transfer the trust Dad set up for philanthropy for this particular cause.”
“Then we’re set. We can open the centers starting next year. I think we should start planning the next stage, Luna.”
“Excellent. We’re submitting your name and the non-profit into the gala. We can distribute the funds across all the centers that we’re opening,” Luna sounds cheery.
