Page 11 of The Sound of Secrets

When I got to Halliday Inc.’s main office, I was immediately inundated with various questions and concerns. I’d been away for a month, and mostly unavailable prior. There was a flood of documents waiting for me to go over and an army of people waiting to set face-to-face meetings. All I could do was plow through each item, piece by piece. The deluge of responsibility wasn’t helped by having my office occupied by my half-brother. I didn’t know when Alistair made himself at home, but it was disconcerting to see him sitting behind the antique desk that held a barrage of memories.

My unease must’ve been apparent because the younger man immediately rose to his feet and walked around to sit on the other side.

“I have my own office in my own company. I don’t need yours.” It took me a second to realize Alistair was more keyed up and twitchy than normal. Typically, he gave off a carefree and playful aura. Which was the reason he and Channing clicked so well. Neither took much too seriously. Today, my half-brother was noticeably tense and aggravated.

“I need to talk to you about this woman you bribed to indoctrinate me into the ways of the Hallidays.” He fiddled with the diamond tie-tack in the center of his silk tie. “I don’t think we’re going to be a good fit. She’s too — authoritarian. I’ve got thirty emails in my inbox fromher, and she hasn’t even officially started yet. I don’t work well under someone else’s thumb, Win.”

I sat behind my desk. After a staring contest that neither of us won, I shrugged. “Bellamy is the best candidate. You have the bloodline. She has the knowledge. Like it or not, you’re a majority shareholder of this company, DeVere. None of us get handed our immense inheritance without putting in the work to earn it.”

Alistair shook his head and frowned. “I’m not afraid of hard work. You know that.” It was true. His company grew by leaps and bounds with him at the helm. It couldn’t compete with his birthright, but neither him nor his family would ever go without because of it, and there was nothing but potential for expansion if he kept at it. I was aware enough to feel a twinge of guilt for making him choose one responsibility over the other. “I’m afraid of butting heads with the person who is supposed to be my mentor right from the jump. I can’t follow in your footsteps unless I’m following someone I trust.”

I picked up a gold-plated pen and twirled it between my fingers. “Meet her first. Give it a month. If you decide you can’t work alongside Bellamy after that, we’ll sit down together and find someone you approve of.” I gave him a pointed look. “I wouldn’t have worked so hard, and missed time away with my family if I didn’t think you — and she— were worth the effort.”

My half-brother swore and changed the subject. “Did you have time to get Winnie something for her birthday?”

I dipped my chin in a slight nod. “I’ve got something planned.”

He flashed a cocky grin and taunted, “I made a list of stuff she likes and left it on your desk, just in case.”

I saw the brightly colored sticky note stuck on my calendar. I ripped it off and crumpled it into a ball so I could throw it at his smug face. “You’re fucking annoying.”

“It runs in the family.”

How maddening was it that he was right?

Channing

“Spending all this time around kids — does it make you want your own?” Salome observed my expression over the rim of her champagne flute.

I laughed. “Winnie isn’t a kid. Teenagers can be a lot. It’s fun now that she’s able to communicate her thoughts and feelings more clearly. It’s terrifying how much she reminds me of Win. I’m thankful that she inherited Willow’s compassion, because without it…” I trailed off and shook my head while watching twenty-or-so teens rampage through a massive and exquisitely decorated party tent. I had no idea Win changed the theme of the party to circus at the last minute, but couldn’t deny he’d done a great job getting everything together. Alistair didn’t seem to mind that all his preparations went down the drain, and Winnie was over the moon. “I used to think I wanted a big family. Now, I can be a childless cat lady and be perfectly content. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Or possibly because I’ve seen up close and personal how difficult growing up in a broken family can be. The thought of having kids doesn’t feel like amust havein order for me to have a fulfilling life like it once did.” I shrugged. “If it’s meant to be, then it’ll happen.”

Thinking about having children always hit a hidden sore spot I’d long since buried, but my best friend knew exactly where to dig. I nudged Salome with my elbow and inclined my head to where Roan was engaged in a fast-paced conversation with Alistair. Both men had colorful images painted on their faces, and the younger one was playing with a variety of balloon animals that were scattered on the table. Win spared no expense for the entertainment. There were several people dressed as clowns, in full makeup and costume, mingling among the crowd. One even had a monkey that the kids couldn’t wait to take selfies with.

“What about you? Even if you won’t admit that you’re seeing Roan, do you think about the future? What about settling down with someone?”

Salome snorted and handed me a glass off a passing tray that matched hers. “I already told you; we’re just having fun. Roan’s a chill guy. We’re both busy running our businesses and worrying about you. The main reason it works is because neither one of us has unrealistic expectations of the other.” She lifted an eyebrow and gave me a pointed look. “I’m not going to run off and marry the first guy who’s nice to me. That’s your MO.”

I huffed at the insult but didn’t have a leg to stand on. Salome knew my train wreck of a dating history better than anyone else. I noticed that Winnie and Win were standing off to the side of the revelry talking to a clown wearing a full harlequin face mask. The bells on the tipsof the hat happily jangled every time he moved. He was the only performer not engaging with the other partygoers, his attention fully focused on my niece. I smiled softly when I noticed she was holding his white-gloved hand like he would vanish if she let go.

“I also married a guy who hates me. I’m an equal opportunity mistake-maker.”

Salome scoffed. “Have you talked to the billionaire about getting divorced? I thought your first stop would be the courthouse when you got back from Europe. Instead, you’re back to playing house with him like his mother didn’t try to murder you. And how can you forget that the only reason you’re together is because the bastard blackmailed you?”

“I haven’t forgotten anything. The time to have a serious talk about what’s next just hasn’t been right. He’s been swamped trying to hand over Halliday Inc.” I stared at the handsome man who leaned over to give the beautifully dressed clown a bearhug. My heart softened like melted butter. I had no doubt the harlequin was Archie. Win obviously tanked the original party idea so he could ensure Winnie’s father was there for her birthday. “Besides, I don’t know that I’m ready to add another divorce to my ever-growing list. There has to be a better option.”

Salome blinked and nearly choked on her champagne. “You don’t want to divorce Win?”

I sighed heavily. “I don’t know what I want.” Marriage. Kids. A happy family unit. Someone who loved me unconditionally. I always thought my wish list for my life was simple and easy enough to achieve. As it turned out, those small blessings were the hardest to come by. “When I left him in the burn unit and ran away to Europe, I missed him.” And I felt horribly guilty for leaving him behind when he needed me.

My best friend snorted and rolled her eyes. “You missed him? Or missed his dick? Because those are two very different things. Don’t tell me you couldn’t find time to talk about the future, but there was ample opportunity to fuck?”

I hushed her and motioned the surrounding teenagers. This was a private conversation for when we got drunk and had an adult pajama party. Not one for a festive teenage birthday party. “I missed all of him.”

I really did.

Salome made a sound of surrender, but gave me a look that clearly stated the conversation was far from over. “You know, even if he gives away most of his money and walks away from the family business, he’s still going to be richer than either you or I can ever imagine. And he’s always going to be a Halliday. He can’t be anything else.” Seeing that I was unwilling to keep talking about what was or wasn’t impossible, she switched the subject. “Where’s the little hero your niece was willing to risk Win’s wrath over?”

I glanced around the tent and didn’t see anyone who seemed out of place. I waved at my friend Beverly, who was sitting at a table with her younger brother. The pretty opera singer was from Winnie’s hometown, and her brother was the closest Winnie had to a best friend even though he was a couple grades behind her. I tried to subtly point in that direction and whispered to Salome, “That’s Beverly. She’s the one who saved me at thatawful fundraiser Win dragged me to. She’s around Alistair’s age. I’ve been dropping hints to both of them that they should meet. I think they’d make the perfect couple.”

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