Page 19 of The Chef's Kiss
Or sell them. As a well-photographed socialite, I couldn’t wear out-of-season high fashion outside of Superiore Bay, but if I could get my hands on those dresses, I could sell them online and add some much-needed funds to my dwindling accounts. Not that Dad wouldn’t give me money if I asked. I just didn’t want to ask for it. My monthly school allowance was decent, but it wasn’t enough to rent a small house or apartment, and I couldn’t live on Conrad’s sofa much longer.
“Why are you home so early?” Conner demanded in that big brother voice of his that sounded more and more like Dad every time I saw him. Which wasn’t often. “The last time I checked, Harvard didn’t let seniors take the last month of their final semester off for no good reason.”
“It’s fine. All my work is completed, and I’ll graduate on time. I just needed a break.” I snatched up my ridiculous suitcase and stormed across the barnyard, wishing I could have gotten a picture of Conner carrying it onto the ferry. I was done with Conrad’s chores for the day, so I set off for the house to get out of my brother’s huge clothes.
Unfortunately for them, they all followed me into the small cottage. Not the smartest move in my current mood, and they seemed to sense the impending explosion.
I would have thought my recluse of a brother would have built a cottage large enough to accommodate a guest room, but he’d turned the only other room in the house into an office, so I was left to sulk on the couch with nowhere to hide.
I busied myself taking out the clothes Selena had packed for me, glad Conner had some much-needed supervision for the task.
It wasn’t much, but I now had two good outfits and a dress, with shoes to match, and a decent selection of makeup and toiletries. I could make this last long enough to figure out what my next moves were, which would have to include a conversation with my father. But that would come later. Much later.
“You don’t just leave school when it’s nearly over, little sis, what gives?” Carter dropped down on the sofa beside me, either ignoring my current mood or he was just that oblivious. I would have to go with the latter and not judge him too harshly. “When I was in school, I was cramming until the last possible minute.”
“Did you take extra classes during your junior year so you wouldn’t have to make yourself crazy the last few semesters?”
“No. I barely graduated.”
“Then, don’t ask stupid questions. And really, since when do any of you care what I do?”
“Since always.” Conrad took a seat on the other side of the coffee table and kicked out a straight-back chair from the nearby kitchen table for Conner.
“Most of you have a funny way of showing it. When’s the last time either of you two called me?” I felt tears burn my eyes as I glared at Conner and Carter. The last thing I needed was to break down in front of them. Then, they’d never leave me alone. It was the one thing I knew for certain about all my brothers—all the men in my family really. None of them could stand Jorgie tears.
“We’re not the best at keeping in touch, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care.” Carter took my hand. “We just want to make sure you’re all right.”
“What gives?” I pulled my hand away. “It’s not like any of you would have come to my graduation anyway, which is still happening, by the way. I’ll go back to school for that. I just needed some air, you know? I’m not going for my MBA, so I needed to clear my head and get away from all the overachievers with all the big plans and really think about what I want next. Because I know what I don’t want, and that’s a high-powered job in the corporate world.”
“You’re coming to work for me.” Conner sat back and crossed his ankles, looking stiff as ever in the uncomfortable chair. “That’s always been the plan, whether you finished with a BA or an MBA.”
“That’s Dad’s plan. It was never mine. I have no interest in wine and even less interest in selling it.”
“That’s my girl,” both Carter and Conrad said at the same time.
“I want my own path, and I’d like some time to think about that without the brothers Ashford getting all up in my business.”
“If you don’t want to work for the winery, there’s still Orchard Hill Farm to consider,” Conner offered. “I can talk to Lena again about setting up an internship that would get you some experience for your resume.”
“I’d love to work with Selena, and I’ll talk to her myself. For right now, I don’t want to work too closely with someone who shares my last name. It will look better on my resume if I go my own way.”
“Lena will be an Ashford soon enough,” Conner muttered.
“Do you really think my best friend is going to take your name into her professional life?” Carter snorted. “You don’t know Lena Contreras as well as you think you do.”
“She doesn’t want to change her name?” Conner blinked slowly.
“You guys need to get with the times. Women aren’t changing their names on a professional level these days. It’s one thing to take your husband’s name socially and for family reasons, but when you’ve already established a name for yourself in your career, why change it?” I certainly didn’t plan to ever change my name.
“We’re getting off subject.” Conrad cleared his throat.
“That goes for you too, brother dear. You might want to have a conversation with your intended before you assume she wants to be an Ashford officially. Leyla has been a Priestly for a long time in her field.”
“Leyla can call herself whatever she likes.” Conrad sat back against the well-worn leather of his favorite chair.
Carter rolled his eyes toward our brothers. “I forgot how good she is at deflecting the attention away from herself.” He shook his head. “And before you ask, I’m totally on board with Harper Chapman or Harper Ashford. We’ve already had that conversation, and I don’t care what she wants to call herself as long as she agrees to be my wife.”
“You guys are all so different.” I looked at each of my brothers in turn. “I just realized you’re all engaged, and I’m about to get three new sisters. Is that why you’re being more observant than usual? Is it your fiancées making you act like decent human beings?”
