Page 89 of Unleash You

“I’ll remember that.” I giggled.

Tyler jerked to his feet and shoved Wesley’s shoulder before he turned and hugged me. “Welcome to the clan, Sis. I already considered you part of the family. I guess now you’ll be legally required to put up with our sorry asses.”

“Thank you.” I beamed at him, then turned to the woman with the most caring green eyes I’d ever seen.

“This is Mia.” He cleared his throat. “My wife.”

“I’m also pregnant.” She gave me a one-shoulder shrug. “Nice to meet you.”

“Omigod. Congratulations.” I threw my arms around her. “A baby? Lilly’s gonna die when she finds out.”

“That’s what I keep hearing. Is that good or bad?”

“It’s good.”

Wesley shook his head. “Okay, are we good? Y’all done?”

“Yes.” Matt patted him on the back. “Question is, are you done? Please say yes. Ela’s been with Mom for days now. I’m scared.”

24

I’ve Always Been Here

Wesley

“That smells amazing.” The home-cooking smell hit me square in the face as soon as I opened the kitchen door.

Anabelle glanced up from the counter where she had a casserole cooling. “What do you think? Does it look like Lilly’s egg-and-sausage scramble?”

“Sure.” I pinched a bit off the corner, and she slapped my hand.

“It’s not for you. It’s for the Sunday brunch.”

“The what?”

“Lilly didn’t tell you? Derek and Valentina are in town for the weekend, so she wants to have a family brunch. She ran out of oven space, so I offered to make these.” She braced her hip on the counter, looking proud of herself. When she met my gaze, her smile faded. “Why are you in a suit?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I do. But not if it means you’re going to work…on a Sunday.”

Ah, no doubt Mom saw that I’d planned to meet Derek at the office today, so she decided to let Anabelle deliver the news and then get me to stay. Damnit. She wasn’t wrong. Even now with Anabelle surveying my face with sad eyes, I had half a mind to call Derek and tell him work could wait until tomorrow.

“Well, I was just going to check on a few things that fell through the cracks while I was gone last week. And maybe do lunch with an investor Derek wanted to meet.” The more I rambled on, the wider and possibly sadder her eyes got. “But you know, I’ll text Derek and reschedule.”

“Oh good. Can you help me carry these next door?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I kissed her cheek and waited until she covered up the dishes. “There was something else I wanted to get out of the way today.” I cleared my throat. Since New York, we hadn’t talked about Charlie and what that meant to her, financially.

“What is it?”

“With Charlie gone, you’re the sole beneficiary of the estate. Your parents arranged it so everything would be split even and in case of...death, the surviving sibling would receive everything. There were some stipulations for spouses and children, but that doesn’t apply here.”

She nodded, eyes round. I’d put off this conversation because I knew it would make her sad to think of Charlie. But it had to be done. I was here not as a boyfriend but as the executor of her estate...her babysitter, as she’d called me her first day back.

“What do you need me to do?”

“There are a few decisions to be made. For example, if you’d rather have a different company manage your assets, you’re more than welcome to find someone else.”

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