Page 114 of Enchanting the CEO

"I'll take an Uber if I have a drink," I assured her.

"Good."

“But I’d actually like to talk to you." I looked at my brothers. "Alone."

"Sure. We'll go into the other room in the bar area," Maddox said.

"See, why the hell do you even need another house?" Nick asked. "This one is humongous."

"Are you two going to give me shit about this the whole evening?"

"Yes," Leo replied as they all left the room.

Once they were out of earshot, Helen pointed at one of the couches. "Want to sit down?"

"No, I've got too much adrenaline," I confessed. "Listen, I'll be quick. First, I just wanted to apologize for last time we met. I’d completely forgotten that Maddox told me you were here visiting. I wouldn't have interrupted your family time."

"You didn't interrupt anything. You just came by to see your brothers. I don't mind." She watched me with a kind smile.

“Second, I... well, I wasn't myself.”

Her smile widened. "Maddox said you're usually very quick with a joke and very at ease with everything. Dear boy, I don't blame you for anything. It was never going to be an easy thing, meeting each other. But I have to say, I'm glad I did. I've heard so much about you and the rest of your brothers from my boys over the years and often wondered if I’d get the chance to meet any of you. Especially you because you're so close with my trio." She laughed. "I hope they haven't heard me call them that. They’d give me grief. Good God, they used to like it when they were kids.”

“Thank you, Helen, for being so understanding."

“My boys told me you and Maddox are going into business together. That you’re buying the lot of land your... father wanted.”

My spine stiffened. “Are you in contact with him?”

She shook her head. “No. The day I found out about... well, your family... was the last time I spoke to him. I would have reached a compromise if he wanted to still be part of my boys’ lives, but as you know, he never did.” She took a deep breath. “I’m glad you two snatched that property from him.”

"It won’t stop him from trying again, but it will send a message loud and clear that Boston is off-limits." I ran a hand through my hair.

"You seem stressed."

"That obvious, huh?"

"Yes, and I don’t even know you well.”

"I don't know if Maddox or the others told you, but Diane and I—”

“Are in a relationship? I gathered that.”

I nodded. "Anyway, she's now messaged me that she found a new place to live."

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you broke up."

"But that's it. We didn't. We just... never discussed the future. Relationships aren't my thing," I confessed. "I've always kept things very easygoing. I've never had a serious relationship. I never planned on having one. Does that make me like Father?" I asked. I hadn't even realized that I had this fear buried somewhere deep down.

Her expression instantly changed. She rolled her shoulders back, clasping her hands in front of her, and stepped closer. "Gabe, you listen to me. None of you—neither your brothers or my boys—are anything like your father. He looked all of us in the eyes for years and lied. Every word he said was a lie. Everything he did was a lie. Not wanting a relationship doesn’t make you anything like him. You’re all young and living your lives as you choose to. Have you ever lied to Diane?"

"No. Never. It's not what I do."

"See, that's my point exactly. You’re nothing like your father. If you believe one thing, believe that."

"Thank you. I needed to hear that."

She smiled. "Now, when it comes to Diane, my understanding was that you're moving into a new house soon."

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