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1
LENNOX
“Lennox.”
I turned at my nephew’s voice, and a grin spread across my face. Gabriel was my sister’s son, but I’d been quite the shock to my parents, so we were only eight years apart. We’d always been close. He even lived with me in Manhattan the summer before he started college. During his time in school, he and his best friend, Rhys, often crashed at my penthouse. When they decided to open a division of their company in New York, Rhys stayed in one of my guest rooms until he found a place of his own. Their company also handled the advertising for my football team, the New York Nighthawks.
Gabe strode toward me with a giant smile and his arm draped around his fiancée, Avery. She waved cheerily before running over to give me a big bear hug. “Hey, sweetheart. How’s the kid treating you? Do I need to kick his ass?”
Avery giggled, then outright laughed when she found herself hauled backward against Gabe’s chest while he scowled at me. I held back my own amusement, knowing he wouldn’t appreciate it. He reminded me of my friend, Justice Kendall, who handled my investments. He bit the head off anyone who looked at hiswife in a way he didn’t like. Sometimes, I was surprised he hadn’t ended up in jail for killing someone who dared to stand too close to Blair.
From my interactions with Gabe and Avery, I could see that he was just as obsessed with his woman, and Avery clearly loved him with the same passion. I couldn’t be any happier for them.
“Gabe,” I greeted my nephew, giving him a back-slapping hug. “Congratulations. I’m so damn proud of you.”
“Thanks for coming, Lennox.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it.” I gestured to the registration desk and picked up the suitcase I’d dropped in order to hug Avery. “I’m going to get checked in. Hunter mentioned he would be here today.” Gabe’s older brother was a sports agent and represented a few of my players, so we spoke frequently. “And he brought a date?” This was shocking to everyone because he was married to his job. Not that I had any room to judge.
“Yup,” Gabe confirmed. Then he chuckled and added, “You just might be off the hook with Mom this week. She’ll be too busy fixating on Hunter and his date to pester you about settling down.”
I winced. “Are your parents here yet?”
Gabe nodded. “They arrived yesterday. Dad took Mom out on some kind of excursion and told me not to expect them back for a couple of days.”
A relieved smile curled my lips. Thankfully, I would have some time before my sister—who I loved but drove me crazy—descended and started in on me about being single. “Great, I can relax for a while, then.”
Avery giggled since she’d seen how Amy treated me as if I were another of her sons. “Maybe you’ll meet someone while you’re here, and she’ll stop badgering you to get married.” Before I could respond, her eyes darted behind me. “Oh! I see my Maid of Honor,” Avery announced with a bright smile. “I need totalk to her about the reservation for the spa on Wednesday. Be right back!” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed Gabe’s cheek before blowing me a kiss and running out to the pool.
Gabe stared after her like he couldn’t bear for her to be out of his sight, and I just shook my head as I approached the front desk. I couldn’t imagine ever meeting a woman who would have me that wrapped around her finger. Still single at forty years old, I doubted I’d ever find someone who would make me want to settle down at all.
“Oh, has Finely checked in yet?” I asked, referring to Gabe’s cousin, my younger brother’s daughter. Although, I’d been more of a father to her than Mark ever had been.
“Mark flaked again,” he murmured, his tone filled with annoyance. “He and Gina took off for some meeting in Europe yesterday and forgot to tell her. Or me. They changed their tickets and canceled hers. Apparently, they meant to let her know so she could book another one. I helped her find another flight, but she won’t be here until Wednesday. She’ll make it in time for the spa day with Avery and the girls, though.”
“Fucking Mark,” I grunted. Anger at my brother simmered in my gut. Finley was barely eighteen and had just graduated from high school—another event they’d missed. She was independent and self-sufficient, but I also couldn’t help feeling a little guilty that I hadn’t checked in with her to make sure everything had gone as originally planned. I knew my brother and his wife…I should have anticipated. I thought they’d step up for once since it was their nephew’s wedding, so I left on a business trip overseas and returned just in time to catch my flight to the Keys.
“Don’t blame yourself, Lennox. This is all on her so-called parents. It worked out. She’ll be here for the wedding, then Avery and I will travel up to New York in August to help her get settled in her dorm.”
I smiled proudly. “Thanks for taking care of her.” Gabe was a good man, and Avery was a lucky woman.
“Of course. She’s like a sister to me.”
I started to say something else, but his attention had wandered back to the door where he’d last seen Avery.
“Go on,” I told him, smirking. “I know you want to follow her. I’m just going to drop my stuff in my suite and head out to the pool.” He shot me a grateful smile before stalking in the same direction his bride had gone.
Right before he went outside, he turned and called out, “Have dinner with me and Avery tonight.”
“Sure,” I answered. He gave me a chin lift in acknowledgment, then disappeared outside.
Key in hand, I made my way to my room and unpacked. Once that was done, I called housekeeping to come take my custom-tailored Armani suit to be pressed for the wedding. With nothing left to do but relax, I changed into trunks and a pair of deck shoes, stuck a pair of Bvlgari sunglasses on my nose, and grabbed a shirt and towel to take with me to the pool.
With my football team and other business ventures, I hadn’t taken a vacation in years. I was looking forward to some downtime.
The air was sticky and hot, pretty much the norm for a June day in Florida. This meant the pool area was packed, and it only took one quick glance around to know there were no open loungers.
There were private cabanas, and for the right price, I probably could have had one cleared out for me. However, that wasn’t my style. I enjoyed the comforts of being a billionaire, but I wasn’t an asshole. Outside the boardroom at least.
