Page 38 of Marrying His Brother

“I know,” she says softly, and I can hear the concern in her voice. “But don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.”

“I won’t,” I say, even though it feels like I’ve been doing anything but that. “I’ll check in later, okay?”

“Okay. Take care, Emily.”

I hang up, my heart still heavy but a little more settled knowing my father is stable. For now, at least. I lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling, and try to gather my thoughts.

There’s a knock on my office door, and I jump, my heart skipping a beat.

For a moment, I panic, thinking it might be Andrew, but then Catherine pokes her head in. “Hey, just a reminder that you have a meeting with the marketing team in thirty minutes.”

“Thanks, Catherine,” I say, forcing a smile. “I’ll be ready.”

She nods and closes the door, and I take a moment to compose myself. I don’t have time to dwell on last night or the mess I’ve gotten myself into.

I have a business to run, a father to worry about, and a marriage that needs to stay strictly professional, no matter how complicated it’s gotten.

I power through the meeting with the marketing team, nodding and making notes, but my mind keeps drifting. I’m operating on autopilot, responding to their ideas, offering feedback, but barely processing a word they’re saying.

I just need to get through this day without falling apart.

As soon as the meeting wraps up, I return to my office, grateful for the brief moment of solitude. I’ve barely settled back at my desk, scanning through the revised marketing plan, when the intercom buzzes.

“Emily?” Catherine’s voice is calm, as usual. “Mr. Bennett is here to see you.”

I freeze, my heart lurching. Of course, Andrew would show up now, when my nerves are already frayed. “Please show him in,” I manage to say.

The door opens, and Andrew walks in, his expression unreadable. He’s dressed sharply, as always, but there’s a tension around his mouth that wasn’t there before.

As he strides across the room, I can’t help but notice the little details I probably shouldn’t—like how his dark brown hair curls slightly at the nape of his neck, or the way his shirt stretches over his broad shoulders.

Or how it felt to rake my fingers over his muscular chest.

God, get it together, Emily.

“Andrew,” I say, standing up and trying to act natural. “Have a seat.”

He sits down across from me, his eyes briefly meeting mine before flicking away. “I wanted to discuss the Riviera Lakeside renovations,” he says, diving straight into business, his tone clipped.

I swallow, trying to push away the nervous energy twisting in my stomach. “Sure. What are your thoughts?”

“We need to revamp it completely,” he says, leaning back slightly. “The Lakeside is a prime location, but the facilities are outdated. If we’re going to attract high-end clients, we need to go big—modernize the rooms, upgrade the amenities, overhaul the design.”

I tense. Lakeside was my father’s first hotel. The one closest to my heart, just as it was close to his. I’m not ready to have it touched. Not yet.

“I understand where you’re coming from, but I think our priority should be the Army Base Riviera. It has the largest capacity, and updating it would give us the quickest boost in revenue,” I say trying to keep my tone neutral.

Andrew’s eyes narrow slightly, and the muscles in his jaw tighten. “I disagree. The Lakeside has more potential to draw in a higher-end clientele. We need to make a statement with our first renovation, and Lakeside is the place to do it.”

I can feel my own temper flaring up, but I try to keep my tone calm. “But the Army Base Riviera is bleeding money. If we don’t address it first, we’re going to keep losing revenue. We need to stabilize it before we take on a full revamp of the Lakeside.”

We go back and forth for a few minutes, our voices getting louder, each of us refusing to back down. I know he has a point, but so do I, and I can’t let him bulldoze me just because he’s used to taking charge.

Finally, Andrew lets out a sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly. “Fine. We’ll start with the Army Base Riviera. But I want the plans for Lakeside drawn up simultaneously. Once we start seeing a return, we move straight to that project.”

“Deal,” I say, a little surprised that he’s conceding so easily.

But before I can breathe a sigh of relief, Andrew leans forward, his eyes locking onto mine. “There’s one more thing we need to discuss.”

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