“It’s all right.”
“All set to go?”
“Yeah, let’s get it done.”
He does his checks and then the helicopter rises into the air. Soon we’re heading north into the late-afternoon sun.
“How’s Dad?” I ask.
“Furious.”
“At us?”
He shrugs. “At the whole situation. He knows he played a part in it. If he’s going to throw an ultimatum like that at us, what did he expect? It wasn’t as if we were all determined not to settle down. None of us had met anyone we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with, that’s all. We would have done, given time.”
I look out of the window, at the rolling hills beneath us, and the thick green ribbon of the Waikato River.
I fell in love with a girl when I was eighteen and then lost her for ten years. Am I to be blamed for seizing an opportunity to make her mine with both hands when it finally arose?
“I’m sorry, bro,” Caesar says, “I know you really have feelings for Wren. This whole situation sucks.”
“What do you think the board is going to say?”
“I don’t know. Demand that we sell to Tom Rutherford right away, maybe? If his offer still stands. He might withdraw after all the negative press.”
He’s right. I’d be thrilled if that was the case, but the board won’t see it as a good thing.
Then it hits me. “Who broke the news?”
“No idea.”
“Have you told anyone?”
“No. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
My hands curl into fists with frustration. “This is the last thing I needed.”
He glances at me. “Everything okay with Wren?”
I grit my teeth at the thought of admitting to him that I’m having trouble.
“What’s up?” he persists.
“Nothing.”
“Bro,” he says. “You know you can talk to me, right? I know we’ve had our moments, and we can be competitive. But I’myour brother, and I’m Wren’s friend. I know what you feel for her is real. I’ll always support you. And we’re going to run this company side by side. We need to fight this together.”
I look across at him, and his expression shows genuine concern. And suddenly, my resentment fades away. We’re not teenagers anymore. We’re adults, and we’re equals now. It’s not about who can run the fastest or swim the farthest. And it’s not about who can get the girl. Wren approached him first because he was her friend. But she marriedme. She’s my wife, and Caesar’s my brother. He’s right—we need to stand together and fight for what’s ours.
And suddenly, I know what to do.
*
Wren
After Marcus leaves, I wander aimlessly through the house for a while. I know the flight to Auckland is about an hour, so allowing for time at the board meeting, he won’t be back for at least three hours, and probably more.
Ruth calls at one point, making sure I’m okay, and says Jacob will come by and drop off some cakes she’s baked, although I’m pretty sure Marcus has told him to come check on me.
