Everything about me was exactly the same as it’d always been. I was Theo Westwood, about to sit through a day of meetings about acquisition targets in one of the tallest buildings in the city. A building I’d practically grown up in.
Life was weird, though.
A week ago, I’d been traversing the desert, getting to Chicago from Arizona in record time, and now, I was heading back into the office as if none of it had ever happened. I shook my head at myself and backed away from the mirror.
“You just need to ease back into it,” I murmured out loud, then grabbed my coat and left.
I inhaled the unique scent of expensive coffee and ambition when I finally walked into the lobby at W&S. As I crossed it, I greeted everyone, slowly but surely feeling myself slipping back into my old skin. It just didn’t fit as well as it used to either, but by the time I made it up to Alex’s office, at least I’d shed the desert rust well enough that no fewer than three of our employees had invited me out for drinks after work. Guys I used to hang out with pretty often, who were assuming I was still the same person I’d been before I’d left.
Alex looked up when I cocked a shoulder against his doorframe, a smile spreading across his lips. He waved me in. “The prodigal brother returns. I kind of thought Zach was fucking with me when he said you’d shown up at the house.”
“Did you miss me?” I asked as I walked in. “Ah, don’t answer that. I already know you did.”
“I didn’t, actually. The only thing I missed was the extra pair of hands around here.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible liar?”
“I’m an excellent liar.” He chuckled and leaned back in his chair, giving me his full attention. “Sit down, little brother. You and I have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah.”
“How was Arizona?” he asked, surprising me when he didn’t just jump straight into the subject of my marriage. “For a while there, I’d thought we’d lost you to its charms.”
“You almost did,” I joked. Well, sort of joked, anyway, but the most important thing was that he believed it was a joke. “I knew you’d be lost without me, though.”
“Lost, huh?” He snorted. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Oh, is that right?” I made to stand up. “In that case, I think I’ll just be getting back there.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Sit your ass down and don’t even think about touching that motorcycle again. Jane found a gray hair on my head the other day and I’m pretty sure it was there because of you.”
“You give me too much credit. I’m pretty sure the gray hairs are all Cameron’s fault.”
“Hairs? As in,plural?” He blinked a few times, then groaned. “Don’t even joke about that right now. It was a terrible, awful moment for me. Why don’t you tell me about your trip instead?”
“Okay, grandpa,” I teased, then gave him all the highlights while carefully avoiding any mention of Raquel.
It still hurt too badly to even think about her. One day, I might be ready to talk about it but not now.
When I was done, Alex nodded slowly, but then the expression on his face morphed into one that let me know we were finally getting down to business. “Okay. Well, I’m glad youhad your fun, but have you given any more thought to getting married? You’re the last one and I want to get it done.”
“So you’ve said. Only about a hundred times, though. Would you like to say it once more? Just so you can be sure you’re clear.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Come on, Theo. You’ve had months to think about this, so did you give it any thought or not?”
“Maybe I’m just an exceptionally thoughtful person.”
“Or maybe you’re just indecisive, but that’s okay,” he said. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Already?”
He shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of time to consider our options.”
I rubbed a hand across the back of my neck, squeezing the tense muscles there. “Do I get a choice?”
“Of course.”
“Technically, I guess that’s true.”
