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Chapter Seven
Travis
Ifelt on the top ofthe world when I returned to Chicago. With Tim on board, I wanted to jump right into it. It seemed surreal to be back in Chicago after how quiet the past week had been. Quiet and delicious. The time away last week with Bonnie was exactly what I needed, but now it was back to reality.
I went straight to the office. It was already full when I arrived. I went straight to Tate's. He'd texted to tell me to drop by, which was typical of my family. One of us went away for a bit and everyone required a full report, but I didn't mind. I liked sharing stuff with them.
I'd expected my brothers Declan and Luke to be in Tate's office, but to my surprise, Reese was there too.
"You've gathered the whole gang," I said, feeling damn special.
"I was just dropping by," Reese said. "You look so triumphant, I have half a mind to do something to take you down a notch just so it doesn't go to your head."
I burst out laughing. “What can I say? I like it when I get what I want.”
"I never doubted that you'd get your manager," Tate said.
Declan nodded too. "Congrats, brother."
Luke clapped his hands. "We should go get drinks later today and celebrate this milestone."
I was proud of the fact that Declan seemed relaxed and was simply enjoying the moment. As a lawyer and the oldest brother, he was often on the lookout for trouble. I knew he was only watching out for us, but he could be a killjoy.
Reese stood up, coming to me and giving me a hug. "I'm so proud that you're taking the family legacy and turning it into something beautiful."
She and I were both dedicated to our family history. It rooted us and gave us a sense of purpose. It was why she’d wanted to open the spa in that building. I was very proud of everything I’d achieved with my software start-up, but I’d never felt a fire for it the way I did for the hotel.
I realized on the spot what my angle would be to convince Reese.
I was tempted to ask her how Gran was, but I suspected she hadn’t shared that with the group. I’d check in with her about it later.
"I don't want to boast, but I'm damn proud of myself. I thought it would take me longer than a week to convince him, but I only needed a few days."
Luke frowned, leaning to one side on the couch, resting on the armrest. "So why did you stay so long?"
"I met Bonnie. We had fun together." I said this nonchalantly, fully knowing how they'd react. It was almost comical. Tate jerked his head back. Luke's jaw dropped. Reese gaped at me. Declan's expression was unreadable. That was a first. I could usually tell what he was thinking without hesitation.
Luke spoke first. "Does anyone recall him ever telling usanythingabout a woman he was seeing?"
"No," Tate answered instantly.
"I'd remember," Declan added.
Reese just looked at me speculatively.
"I felt like switching things up.”
"Is she from Oceanwell Bay?" Reese asked.
“No. From Chicago. We actually met at the airport there.”
“So is she coming to...? Wait a second. It was a one-week fling."
"How did you even reach that conclusion so fast?" I felt blindsided.
Reese sighed. "Because that would be the only reason you’d mention it like this, without any hesitation, cousin." I recognized that tone. She wanted to scold me.
I shook my head. "We agreed on a week of no-strings fun."
