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“Stop what? Worrying about you and—?”
“Yes! Stop worrying. Stop babying me. So the business hit a rough patch? I’ll figure it out. Iwantto figure it out. I don’t want to face every obstacle in life knowing I have a safety net.”
I sat back in my chair, teeth clenched. “Yeah, that must be fucking rough.”
“I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know how hard you worked for us—forme—when we were kids. I will never be able to repay you for that, Ash. Never.”
“I’d never ask you to.”
“But we’re not kids anymore. You don’t have to take care of me.”
I shook my head irritably. “You’re family. I have it. Why not give it?”
“You’ve been giving to me your entire life.” His grin reappeared; arguing never did sit right with Morgan. “Take a break, brother. I got this.”
“Fine,” I gritted out. “But if you’re really hurting…if it gets to the point where you’re on the verge of going under—”
“Then I’ll consider another loan. But until or unless that happens…” He kicked back and laced his fingers behind his head. “I mean, what if I’m just not very good at running a business? You going to keep pouring your money into a black hole?” Hetsked.“I thought you were good with finances.”
“How can you joke about this?”
“Because I’m not going to rob myself of happinessright nowby worrying about something that hasn’t happenedyet.” He held up a hand when I started to protest. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Figure what out?” Faith asked, hobbling onto the lanai. Her smile dropped at my dark expression. “Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all,” Morgan said. “Asher and I were discussing the natural ebb and flow of business fortunes. Like the tide. Sometimes it’s high and flush and other times, it recedes a little bit. That’s all. Right, Ash?”
“If you say so.”
Faith took her seat and put her foot up, her observant glance moving between us. “On an island this small, I’d imagine you’re only going to get so many clients per year,” she ventured.
“True,” Morgan said. “But we’re about to head into the busy wedding season.”
“Though we don’t want to bank everything on one season,” Nalani said, rejoining us. “We’re looking for ways to expand.”
Faith nodded. “Do you have an online presence?”
I rubbed my face. “You have to stop using that phrase.”
She stuck her tongue out at me and turned to Morgan. “Do you have a website?”
“We do. It’s not great.” Morgan bit his lip. “Would you mind…taking a look? It’d be nice to have a pro tell us all the stuff we’re doing wrong.”
“No, we can’t ask…” Nalani began hesitantly.
“I don’t mind at all,” Faith said. “I can’t promise anything, but I’m happy to look.”
Morgan and Nalani exchanged hopeful glances. “You sure?”
“It’s what I do,” Faith said with a shrug and smile.
Nalani went and retrieved a laptop. She and Morgan sat with clutched hands, as if they were in a doctor’s office awaiting a diagnosis, while Faith studied their webpage.
I slipped away into the kitchen with no small amount of relief—and gratitude—for Faith’s help. If Morgan wouldn’t take my money, maybe she could give them a boost.
And if she can’t, they’re getting the money anyway.
Morgan had his pride, but he didn’t understand that the entire point of selling my soul on Wall Street had been to ensure he’d never have to want for anything. I didn’t almost kill myself so that I could watch him suffer. From the moment I opened my eyes to a smoke-filled morning and his scared-to-death expression, he’d become my responsibility. It was ingrained in me, and nothing was going to change that.
