Page 91 of I Choose You

I grinned. Business school was next for me, and I was eager for the first semester in September. It felt so far away but at the same time too soon.

“Do you think he would be proud?” I asked, hating the timid quietness of my question.

She smiled and came close to set her chin on my shoulder. “Of course. You are a hardworking, strong, smart, and determined girl, Brooke. Never doubt that.”

But I do. I buckled down and went for my goals, but the worry about my looks dragged me down more often than I wanted them to.

“I love you, Brooke.” She pecked a kiss on my cheek.

I wish I could too.

31

KADEN

“You never thought about getting a tattoo?” Brooke asked.

So, that’s it. No more talking about the heavy stuff. Noted. “Who says I don’t have one already?”

She kept her wine glass pressed to her lips and grinned a slow, sexy smile as she traced her tongue along the rim of the glass. “Well, I guess I wouldn’t know. We hadn’t really bothered to remove many clothes in that garden tour.”

Tour? That was how she wanted to refer to it? I’d rather tour her.

“The slit on that dress should be illegal.”

She shook her head, narrowing her eyes. “Nah. I can’t see it. You don’t have any ink.”

“You can check.” I leaned back, putting my arm up on the back of the couch to stare at her.

“You’re too goody-goody. Corporate man and all.”

I frowned.

“Well, you are. I bet if I ask what your plans are for the future, it’ll include doing what you do already, a corporate businessman at your family’s company.” She arched her brows. “Right?”

I shrugged. “Yeah.” I should’ve felt annoyed that she had me figured out, but it wasn’t a lie. “I honestly haven’t thought much about my future. It was set in stone when I graduated. I already knew what I would be doing and where I was going.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I want to. I want to continue my father’s legacy with my brother at my side.” Even when he’s a fucking asshole I can barely stand.

“What about you, my fellow workaholic?”

“Same. I mean, stay with my current job. I like working for Todd. I don’t need to have my name on the company or own it. I just want financial freedom and independence.”

That implied she didn’t have it now.

“I don’t want to have to rely on anyone.”

Why? I was curious about what could have happened to make her prioritize that. She was independent, standing out and remaining unique. She wasn’t a pushover, not that I could see. I thought back again to how she’d stood up to Kody and put him on the spot at the cake tasting.

I didn’t want to press. If she wanted to tell me, she would.

“I’ve made work my whole life for so long, it’s getting harder to step back and just be, too.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve had a chance to get a lousy tat on a trip somewhere?”

She smiled. “I can’t remember the last time I took an honest-to-God vacation. Rena’s getting ready to go to Europe. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous.” She held up her finger and thumb close together, emphasizing the small gap.