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With the workweek behind him though, he wanted a way to start his weekend. Often after a long week, he’d grab a drink with some friends before calling it a night. Other times he’d head straight home and get ready for a date with whichever woman he was involved with at the moment. Tonight he realized he’d make lousy company, so even though a few friends had invited him out, he’d
passed. With the foundation’s bachelor auction around the corner, he assumed it wouldn’t be a good idea to ask anyone out for the evening either. Not that he could honestly think of anyone he’d met recently he’d want to spend time with. None of the women he’d dated in the past held any appeal either, even though he’d really enjoyed the time he’d spent with some of them.
Less than fifteen minutes after leaving the office, Derek found himself turning into the parking garage below the Hillcrest, his brothers’ and Brooklyn’s apartment complex. During the week, he often stopped there to visit any one of them. However, he rarely went there to see Trent or Gray on a Friday night unless they’d invited him over. He knew for a fact when Gray’s fiancée wasn’t working they enjoyed going out, and ever since Addie entered Trent’s life, his brother preferred to spend Friday nights at home with her. Brooklyn on the other hand never minded when he popped in unannounced, no matter the day of the week, and he’d never considered she might have other things she’d rather be doing. Thinking about it now, perhaps he should have.
Derek walked through the lobby and past the security desk toward the private elevator for Trent’s penthouse. Although he hadn’t intended on visiting his new nephew tonight, he couldn’t think of a better way to spend a few hours.
“Good evening, Mr. Sherbrooke,” one of the uniformed security guards said as Derek approached.
Even if he hadn’t visited the building countless times, the guard would’ve known he was Trent and Gray’s brother. In fact, he and Trent looked so similar people occasionally mistook him for his older brother despite the four-year age difference between them. And more than once people had said they could be twins.
“Hi, Dion. How are you?” Derek stopped in front of the elevator. With the exception of the new guard he’d spotted on his last visit, Derek remembered the names of all the employees who manned the security desk.
“Well, thank you.” The security desk phone began ringing and Dion turned his attention to it, putting an end to any further conversation.
Derek punched in his brother’s elevator code and the doors slid open.
Unlike Brooklyn, who lived in one of the smaller two-bedroom apartments in the building, his eldest brother and his wife occupied the building’s penthouse, which consisted of the entire top two floors. Although much larger than anything he needed, Derek had to admit the place had a spectacular view of the city. Actually even Gray’s place, a three-bedroom apartment a few floors below the penthouse, had a decent view. If one had to live in the city, having something nice to look at from the bedroom window made it a bit more palatable. While he recognized the convenience it provided since his brothers both worked downtown, he didn’t understand how they survived it every day. He’d keep his commute from Newport into Providence if it meant he could wake up every morning and see the ocean from his bedroom window.
When the elevator reached the top, the doors opened and Derek stepped out. Before he rang the bell, the door opened and his brother Gray appeared.
“Did Kiera kick you out or did you forget where you live in your old age?” Derek asked, unable to keep from giving his brother a hard time.
Gray took a step back inside as Derek approached. “Kiera’s working, so I came up to see Kendrick. What’s your excuse? Couldn’t find a woman who could tolerate your company?”
Derek paused near his brother long enough to give him a light slug in the arm. “Long week at work. Besides, tonight I found an evening visiting our nephew more appealing.” He looked around but didn’t spot anyone else. “Did you bore everyone to sleep or something?”
“That’s your specialty, remember,” Gray answered with a little smirk. “Addie went upstairs to nurse Kendrick again. Trent got a call from work and disappeared into his office. Since everyone’s busy, I figured I’d head back downstairs and find something to eat, maybe put on a movie. Kiera won’t be home for a while. Do you want to join me or are you going to stick around here and wait?”
Most nights he’d take Gray up on his offer. Tonight he was more interested in visiting the newest member of the family. “I’m going to pass for now. Maybe I’ll stop in before I leave.”
“I’ll be up. See you later.” Gray walked out, pulling the door closed behind him.
Left alone, Derek made his way into the kitchen and straight to the pastry box from Ambrosia Pastry Shop and Cafe on the counter. Even if it hadn’t been hours since his last meal, he wouldn’t have been able to resist something from there. Opening the box, he discovered several cannoli as well as some biscotti. He grabbed one of each.
“Derek?” Addie walked into the kitchen with Kendrick in her arms. “When did you get here?”
“Just now. Gray let me in on his way out. Hope you don’t mind more company.” He put his snack down so he could give his sister-in-law a kiss on the cheek before dropping one on his nephew’s head.
“No, but don’t you usually go out on Fridays?”
Unable to resist the tasty treats he’d left behind, Derek retrieved them. “Missed my nephew,” he said before he took a bite of his cannoli and savored the sweet creamy filling. “I’m going to need another one of these.”
“Make sure you don’t eat them all. Trent will kick you out. My mom brought those over this afternoon, and he hasn’t had a chance to have one yet.”
He popped the last bit of the pastry into his mouth and eyed the box. “Only one more. There are at least eight left in the box.” Derek didn’t wait for Addie to comment before he grabbed another and took a big bite of it.
Addie only rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say. It’s your head. But while you eat, I’m going into the living room.”
Derek didn’t waste any time finishing his quick snack. Then, before following his sister-in-law, he grabbed a drink. In his book, nothing went with cannoli and biscotti better than an espresso. Since tonight making espresso seemed like too much effort, he settled for milk instead.
With his hunger satisfied for the moment, he joined Addie.
“I ran into Brooklyn downstairs yesterday when I came back from my walk with Kendrick. She offered her help if I ever need it.”
Brooklyn’s gesture didn’t surprise him. Actually, it would have shocked him if she hadn’t said something along those lines.
“She must have gotten back recently. Didn’t her sister get married last weekend?”
