Page 49 of The Southern Thirst Trap

“No, you're just shortsighted and focused on the pretense. They don’t want to let us go, but they think walking away will make us up our offer, which we made sure is over market value. They’re playing on our recent misfortunes and hoping we’re licking our wounds enough over the cyber attack to make concessions we otherwise wouldn’t. They miscalculated. I have no intention of upping anything and I won’t have my hand forced.”

“Sometimes we have to work through a deal. We do it all the time. What makes you think this one will be any different?” Diego asks from Haye’s left. His normally perfectly styled dark hair is a bit out of place from running his hands through it when he got stressed during our negotiations, and his navy suit is looking rumpled. Our entire team is feeling the strain of rushing to get this deal in place before our schematics and plans end up hitting the market before we can make it happen ourselves.

“Kanisarek has been in a steady decline for the last two years, taking in less profits and bleeding out in quality issues. They have a solid manufacturing stream, but they keep trying to diversify into areas that haven’t suited their structure and abilities, like electronics. They’re frustrated and ready for someone to come in and take over, removing the temptation to try another new thing that fails. They’ve separated those areas in this deal, but we’ll still get what we want in the end.” This explanation isn't new. We’ve all read the same documents, but sometimes it takes pointing out the obvious for the group to see that the simplest answer is often the only one you need to pay attention to.

“Fine, we’ll trust your hunch on this,” Hayes says, pushing away from the table and grabbing his jacket from his chair. “I have a pregnant wife to get home to, and even in her emotional state, she’s far more interesting than you fuckers.”

“Speaking of kids,” Payton says, halting Hayes with an outstretched hand and turning to me. “What do we know about the potential little Maldives souvenir? It was interesting seeing you and Harlowe together at the gala this past weekend, but no news on the paternity front.”

I lean back in my chair and face my brothers. I take a deep breath, and when I blow it out, I feel a smile turning up the corners of my mouth. “He’s all mine.” The statement is far weightier than the words would seem. I’m claiming Hendricks, fatherhood, and everything that comes with it. For once, that doesn’t scare me. It makes me fucking proud. Over the moon.

Payton lets out a low whistle and Hayes tilts his head, reading me more effectively than I’d like him to. Payton strides around the table, a grin on his face as he throws an arm around my shoulders. “Congratulations, I guess? Do you want to make sure, or are you as confident in this as you are about the Kanisarek deal?”

“He looks just like me. And he’s obsessed with Legos,” I answer confidently, taking the hug and beaming.

“Lots of kids like Legos, that doesn't mean he’s yours,” Javi says in a practical tone that has me shooting daggers his way. He’s supposed to be on my side, not working against me.

“I was obsessed with Legos and building cities. I played with him last week. It was uncanny. He even thinks it out and plans the way I do. That’s not normal for a four-year-old I didn’t have a hand in raising. It’s nature versus nurture type shit.”

“No, I’m with Javi on this. It could be a total coincidence that you liked to play with the same toys as a kid. I’m going to need more than that to believe it,” Hayes says, shrugging into his jacket. “Get a damn paternity test already and either make it official in a way that only DNA can, or know for sure you don't owe them anything.”

I sink back deeper into my chair, hating that my brother can’t see what I have. Meeting Hendricks in person, talking with him, playing with him, watching him with Harlowe and Lily—it set something in me on fire. I now have a purpose beyond myself, beyond my own aspirations and professional achievements. I have a person who will look up to me, expect me to set a proper example and be there for him when life is anything but easy. I know without a doubt that he is mine. I know Hayes just wants me to be sure that the little boy with soft brown curls and stormy gray eyes that mirror mine is truly my progeny in case something goes horribly wrong between me and Harlowe.

“No,” I say simply. “There’s no need. That kid is mine, Legos or not. It’s not even about money or owing them anything. I could never force a test on them.” I don’t even want to ask Harlowe about it. I trust that the defensiveness she has shown in keeping me from Hendricks is as much of an admission as any test. She wouldn’t be worried about me getting close to the boy if I had no connection to him.

“You actually can force this. It’s not hard to loop in legal,” Luca says, straightening his already perfect tie and rising from the conference table. “Hiring someone to dig into her past would be just as simple. Make sure you have enough dirt for a case should this go wrong and you end up fighting for custody.”

“Damn, that’s dark, even for you, American Psycho,” Javi says, calling Luca the name we reserve for when he’s being his most calculating and cruel.

I bristle and lean toward Luca, leveling him with a glare. “Watch your fucking mouth. That’s the mother of my child you’re talking about. Stay the fuck away from her.”

“Everyone is thinking the same thing, you’re all just too chicken shit to say it out loud,” Luca responds as he leaves the conference room, looking as unruffled as his cool tone implies.

Payton shoots me an apologetic look before following after his SVP. “We have filters that keep intrusive thoughts like that safely inside our heads. We’ve talked about this,” Payton says, ready to discuss what is appropriate in the workplace and what needs to be kept to himself.

“And that’s a great reminder to never get on Luca’s bad side,” Javi says, shaking his head and standing.

“I feel sorry for whatever woman finally tries to settle down with him. He’ll have a file a foot thick on her before she’s even agreed to their first date,” Diego adds.

I shake my head, letting go of the rage that filled me a moment before. He’s not worth the effort. “He’ll probably find someone with as icy a demeanor and even weirder kinks. I bet he’s into electrostimulation or wax play. He needs heat to thaw that iceberg of a personality,” I add, because it’s way more fun to discuss someone else’s issues than have mine be the focus of the conversation.

Hayes pauses in the doorway. “Get the paternity test, Zand. Just to be sure.”

“He’s mine, so shut the fuck up about it, Hater.” Now I’ll just have to figure out how to convince my brothers to believe it as much as I do. Fuck.

twenty-nine

Harlowe

“Harlowe,Ihavethebest news for you. Are you sitting down?” Alicia asks over the phone as soon as I answer.

“I’m driving Hendricks to school, so technically, I’m sitting in the car.” I glance in the rearview mirror and see Hendricks is busy with his toys and isn't paying any attention to the conversation playing over the car speakers.

“That’s good enough, but do not crash your car so soon after getting it repaired.” She barely pauses for any sort of response from me before continuing on in an excited rush. “You’re on the freaking New York Times Bestseller list. With a cookbook! That’s the kind of thing people like Martha Stewart and Ina Garten do, and look at you, right up there with half of your Mount Rushmore of cooking icons.”

“Shut up,” I say on a forced exhale as the news hits me square in the stomach. “My book? It's a bestseller?” This doesn't feel real. I must be dreaming, or I didn’t hear her correctly.

“Yes! Your amazing cookbook, the one we have worked on for years.At Home With Harlowe: A Foulmouthed Foodie’s Guide To Eating Wellis a mother-effing bestseller. You did it, babe!”

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