Page 55 of You, Me, and Forever

Hell, every guy in the room had noticed her. I was a man who paid attention, and I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that I had the most beautiful woman in the room on my arm.

Normally I didn’t give a shit.

But with Montana, I gave all the shits.

I narrowed my gaze at the photographer.

Back the fuck off, asshole.

He nodded as my father strode into the room with Caleb beside him.

Samuel and I were convinced he was our half brother, since he looked like us and he also put up with my father, so we figured he knew the truth. We’d always just been told that Wendy had a long-distance boyfriend. But I saw the expression on Caleb’s face when he looked at my father.

This desperate need for approval.

Hell, I related to it. At least I had at one point in my life.

“Look who just showed up to pick up his mom.” My father laughed this boisterous sound that irritated the fuck out of me. “Apparently Wendy has had too much to drink tonight. She’s been indulging a bit too much.”

“I wonder why,” I said, my voice completely flat.

My father glared at me, and I puffed my chest up because I loved getting under his skin. But a sharp pain hit me when I noted the way Caleb tensed at my words.

That was his mother.

I was being a dick.

“Caleb, are you looking forward to starting school?” I asked, because he was leaving for college soon. I actually liked the kid.

“I’m ready to go, Myles. I’m hoping you were serious about that summer internship you mentioned for next summer. I’d really like to come work with you.”

“Pfft,” my father huffed. “You want to play construction now too?”

Caleb’s eyes widened, and he swallowed. “Um. Yeah. I think what Myles does is pretty cool.”

“I do too,” Montana said. “You should see the drawings for the hotel he’s building in Blushing. It’s really something.”

“Oh man, I’d love to come see it as it gets built,” Caleb said.

“I thought you were going to take the premed path,” my father said.

“Um, no. I don’t like science all that much. I’m actually looking into being an architect.”

My father stared at me. Anger flared, and I just smiled.

He turned to Gino and handed him his empty glass with a few ice cubes left in it. “I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks.”

Gino narrowed his gaze. “I’m a trainer, not a bartender.”

“But you’re on my payroll, are you not?” He shook his glass in front of him, and Gino took it. “And we’re about to take family photos, so you have no business being back here.”

“Oh, Winston. Can we just have a good night, please?” my mother said, and I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.

“I’ll see you later. I’m going to get my mom home.” Caleb held a hand up, and my father completely ignored him as he turned to speak to the photographer.

Montana looked up at me, and I knew what she was thinking.

“Hey, Caleb,” I said as he turned back around to look at me. “If you want me to fly you out in a few months to see the hotel as it goes up, I’d be happy to show you.”

---