Page 116 of The Forever Rule

I was an asshole.

Although, this really wasn’t a new development. I was the asshole in business, the one who had to get shit done, I was the asshole with my brothers, the eldest who had to rein them in. And according to my mother, I had been born an asshole.

I didn’t know what I had done as an infant to her, but things hadn’t changed since.

Now, I was the asshole for not calling.

It had been late when I had finished dealing with my client. The same client who realized that they were potentially going to end up in prison because of money laundering, and I hadn’t wanted to wake her.

My head wasn’t on straight, my thoughts on other things.

I had texted the next morning, and even seen her at work, but we hadn’t had a full conversation since I had left her at her parents’ house. I had no idea if they even liked me.

I had hoped the event had gone well.

Except I wasn’t thinking about my client, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that my client’s brother was the one who had tried to destroy their company, and now we would all be dealing with legal issues. No, I was thinking about the letter I had found in my mailbox before I had gone to pick up Blakely.

The letter that had been addressed to me from my father.

The letter that the fucking lawyer had sent out on a time-released schedule.

And according to him, a letter was going to be sent to each child.

Twelve letters, and I was the third.

Phoebe and Ford had already gotten theirs according to the lawyer. But that was all he could tell me. I didn’t know when anyone else would get theirs, and I was a little concerned that I hadn’t known that Ford had gotten one. Maybe his had been just as cruel.

He wouldn’t even be at our dinner to broach the subject. I wasn’t sure that Phoebe trusted me enough for me to ask. In the end, I only had my letter, and everything that made no fucking sense.

Now I was in my own head, and not focusing on whatI should. Not knowing if I was good enough for the woman who looked at me with stars in her eyes.

I had invited her to dinner, and so she would be there, because Blakely didn’t run out on promises.

No, that was me.

I didn’t call. I texted, but I hadn’t called. And I had left her behind at her parents’ house, and this was just after the incident with Meredith.

I was surprised I hadn’t gotten a text saying that Blakely was done with me.

Then again, maybe I was expecting one because I wanted one. It would be easier if she left.

I rubbed my temples and sighed as Theo got to work in my kitchen.

“Why are you dancing?” I asked dryly, trying to push my own melancholy and self-deprecating thoughts out of my mind.

“Because there’s music on, and I’m cooking. You have a classically trained chef in your kitchen making a family dinner, when I could be actually making money on this.”

“You’re the one who offered. Any one of us could have cooked, and I could have ordered in.”

“I’m tired of catered food. I want something that’s ours.”

“So what are you making?”

“Well, a few things because I was in the mood. We’re going to have a miso butter roasted chicken with an acorn squash panzanella, and also because I’m in the mood, we’re having a cedar plank salmon.”

I blinked at the menu, wondering what Theo wasdealing with at the moment if his menu was this complicated. “Two proteins? Look at you being all fancy.”

“Shut up. I’m also making a garlic aioli, complete with vegetables and seafood we can dip in.”

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