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She taps her chin for a few seconds in mock thought and then stands up straight. “Nope. Now come on, your chariot awaits.” She holds out her elbow for me to grab, and I shake my head as I walk toward her. There is no one in the world that can make me as happy as Cat. She’s been like that since we were kids. My protector, my best friend, and my favorite person in the world. I just wish she treated herself as well as she treats me.
We walk out of the building, and the warm air hits me like a shot to the lungs. It’s fucking hot for New England—even if it is August. I’m dying for the weather to turn over. Fall in Boston is magical. Not quite as magical as Christmas—because Quincy Market is all lit up then and there’s roasted walnuts and well, who doesn’t love roasted walnuts. But fall definitely has a special spot for New Englanders. It’s the season of baseball and football, and if there is one thing that New Englanders enjoy, it’s Boston Sports. The Pats and the Red Sox. It’s sacrilegious not to.
“So, where are you taking me, big sis?” My mood is exponentially lighter. Even I’m surprised by how good it feels to be out and about with Cat.
Cat hums beside me as we walk, or more accurately, as she skips next to me. A grown woman who is five feet eight, with dark hair almost the color of midnight and eyes the color of Hershey chocolate, is skipping down a street in Boston. It’s quite the sight, and since she’s standing next to me, a man with broad shoulders, dark hair, and light-brown eyes, we are drawing quite a few stares.
“Oh, I’ve got just the spot. And before you get upset, don’t. I invited Carter and Chase.”
I stop moving forward and Cat catapults backwards before muttering, “Rude!”
I glare at her. “I specifically told you yesterday, I’m fine.”
Cat gives me the side-eye and then starts moving forward again. “And as we all know, fine is the universal language for I’m spiraling. Either way, they are our brothers, pains in the asses though they be, and we are all they have and vice versa.”
I grumble under my breath, “We have more than each other. Don’t be so melodramatic.”
“You know what I mean. Come on, Cash, you just took over the company. Life threw you for a loop, or at least that bitch did, and we need family time.” Cat was always a master manipulator when it came to us boys, and she pulls the puppy-dog eyes as she looks up at me, making me crumble in my spot.
I look down at her before we start walking again. “She’s not a bitch.”
Cat pulls my arm back. “Excuse me. The woman tricked you into dating her for the weekend, ditched you without saying goodbye, and somehow forgot to mention that she was married. Yeah, she’s awful. Horrible. I hate her. And if I ever see her, that’s precisely what I will tell her. And then I’ll squash her like a bug.”
Cat holds her fingers up and squeezes her thumb and forefinger together, then she meets my eye, seemingly proving her point and looking for applause.
I sigh. I wish any of it were that simple. I despise what Grace did. More than that, it hurts. But I still can’t get myself to hate her. It’s enraging. I have this need to defend her even though there is nothing I can say to justify what she did. And defending her to Cat, after what happened with our parents, would not go over well.
“Let’s just go meet our brothers. No bug squashing for you tonight.” I take her arm in mine and we continue down the street.
The restaurant Cat picked is a sushi and hibachi place. I should have known this is what she’d choose. Growing up we didn’t have parents who baked us a cake on our birthdays or surprised us with pancakes for breakfast followed by presents and a special day filled with all our favorite things. Or at least not when we were old enough to remember.
But we did have hibachi. Every year without fail, my grandparents would ask what we wanted to do for our birthdays and it was always the same answer. There was something about sitting around a table with other normal families, having the chef toss uncooked zucchini into our mouths or spray us with the peeing-man water bottle. It gave us a night to simply be kids. Even when we were teenagers. Hell, every birthday I can remember, we go back to hibachi for all four of our birthdays. Normally, it’s reserved for those four days a year, but I understand why my sister wanted to come tonight. I pull her close to me before we walk in and give her a side hug. “Thanks, Cat.”
She leans into my hug. “This is a big deal, Cash. You’re taking over the company. And I can’t think of a better person to do it.”
I lower my eyes to see if she’s serious. I was not the obvious choice, being third in line and all.
“I’m serious,” she says, meeting my gaze. “Carter could never handle the job, and I honestly don’t want it. I’m happy with less stress and more freedom. Just promise me if you get overwhelmed, you’ll call us, and we’ll all meet here to keep your head from growing too big.”
I laugh.
“Laugh now, little brother, you’re about to become the most eligible bachelor in Boston. I can see that going straight to your noggin.”
Behind me I hear a deep voice interrupt. “Most eligible bachelor. Damn, I knew I should have fought harder for that job.”
I spin around to see Carter standing with a smile on his face. My older brother is lanky. He doesn’t have broad shoulders like me; he’s got long legs, a crew cut, and a clean-shaven good boy look. While Cat and I look like our mother, with our dark hair and brown eyes, Carter looks just like our dad. We embrace, then he hugs Cat. “How’s the first week going?”
I nod my head. “Pretty good. Just getting a handle on things. I don’t start real meetings until next week.”
Carter smiles. “Then I guess I’ll be back in the office just in time.”
I laugh. “I thought you were supposed to be in Vegas for your week off. Why are you home?”
Carter shrugs. “Honestly, figured with Pa out of commission you might need some support. And it appears I was right because I was summoned by our beautiful sister to cheer you up.”
Cat glares at him. “I said nothing about cheering up.” She turns to me. “I swear, I didn’t. I said this was a celebration. Carter, don’t twist my words.”
Carter and I both laugh. He’s always busting our balls and she always gets herself in a tizzy over it. I put my arm on her shoulder and squeeze. “Relax. I’m good. And I appreciate this. Now where the heck is Chase? I’m starving.”
