Page 95 of In Good Company

I grunt and shake my head. “No,” I admit, my voice hoarse. “She never…” My words drift off as sadness seeps through my veins and takes over me.

Ollie, to his credit, doesn’t gloat or revel in knowing something I don’t. Maybe hehasmatured. His features might actually pull into a look of remorse as his eyes watch me carefully. “For what it’s worth, I found out one day in college because of Sophia. Lucy had told Sophia, and Sophia brought it up one day. We were all eating lunch, and Sophia accidentally let it slip. Lucy told me more after.”

I meet my brother’s eyes. His words bring a small amount of relief, but it still hurts that he knew and I didn’t.

“I wasn’t trying to start anything by asking. I just wanted to know how she was doing. I didn’t treat her right, and we weren’t meant to be, but I’ll always hope she’s doing okay. I’m sorry to have mentioned it to you.”

I down the rest of my bourbon, needing the drink just to get a hold of myself. It makes a loud clinking noise as I set it back down on the table between us. “It’s fine. I actually believe you.” A sad laugh leaves me because this isn’t the direction I expected the conversation with Ollie to go. “It might not matter, anyway. I told her I was falling for her, and she told me I was a distraction. She went back to Virginia to be there for her parents, and I really don’t think she has any intention of coming back.”

“Don’t you have a private jet? Why don’t you go there?”

I sigh, wishing it were that simple. “I told her I’d go withher. I begged to go with her, really. She told me she didn’t want me to.”

Ollie laughs. “Of course she did. She doesn’t know how to ask for help. Put yourself in her shoes, Cal. Her older brothers died when she was just a teenager. The weight of the world was put on her shoulders after. She’s all her parents have now, and I think she takes that to heart. But if you love her, just go to her and show her that she doesn’t have to carry the weight alone anymore.”

My throat feels clogged as I look at my brother and really see him. We’ve never been close, largely thanks to the over-a-decade age gap between us and him being insufferable in his younger years, but now as I stare into his eyes, I realize that maybe things can change between us.

Maybe he’s right.

Maybe it’s time I go get my girl.

No one’s ever shown up for her before, and it’s about damn time someone did.

“I’ve got to get to Virginia,” I mutter, the words barely coming out above a whisper.

Ollie nods. “Yes, you do.”

I hurry and push myself out of my chair. I can’t believe I’ve gone two weeks sulking here and feeling bad for myself when I could’ve been in Virginia, proving to her that it’s okay to need someone else.

Now, I don’t want to waste another second.

“Wait, is there something you needed?” I ask, wondering if I should hug my brother. I’ve never once thought of giving him a hug, not since he was a child. But something was different today, and now I feel like I should at least thank him for talking sense into me.

Ollie smiles. He stands up and lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “We’ll have to do a rain check until you’re back, but I wanted tomeet to ask you to be my best man at my wedding. Sophia and I are engaged, and I know things haven’t always been great between us, but I want you standing up there with me…if you will.”

“That’s amazing. Congrats, Ollie.” I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. It’s awkward, and we’re both a little stiff, but a genuine smile graces my lips at the possibility that things might get better between us. “I’d love to,” I add, surprising myself by meaning the words.

Ollie points to the exit. “I’m relieved to hear you say that. Now, leave. I’ve never seen you talk about a woman like you do Lucy. Go get her.”

I nod, not needing any more prompting to go after the woman I love.

It’s clear there’s still a lot I can learn about Lucy. There’s so much I hope she opens up to me about. I still need to earn her trust, but I can’t do that from here in the Hamptons. I want to prove to her it’s okay to lean on someone and that even when things are hard, she has me.

I’ll spend forever proving to her she doesn’t have to handle things alone anymore.

And I’m ready for that forever to start right now.

FIFTY-ONE

LUCY

“How’s your dad doing today?” Charlotte asks, unable to hold still and almost making me nauseous with how much she moves her phone while we’re FaceTiming.

I give her a smile as I sit back in the old office chair in the back room of my family’s store. It’s getting late in the evening, but I still have so much to do before I can go home for the night.

“Dad’s doing good. Still grumpy that we’re not letting him work, but we haven’t had any mishaps since he got back from the hospital.”

Charlotte nods.

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