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“I was concerned about my baby sister. We didn’t know much about Wyatt back then. For all we knew, he was a serial killer.”
“Wyatt? A serial killer? That boy is a puppy in human form.”
“I know that now.”
She rolled her eyes, then met my gaze. “I’m sure Nero and Franc peppered you with a million questions, but not the most important one.”
“And what’s that?”
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You hid your pain well, but I could still see how much Phoebe messed you up. She hurt you. It must have been a shock to see her after all this time.”
I stood, walked around my desk, and leaned my ass against the mahogany. “Maybe Brady is right. Maybe you are a witch. Have to be if you can read me so well.”
Her jaw clenched and lip curled. “Screw him.”
I laughed. Brady was like a brother to me, and best friends with Franc, but he loved pushing Char’s buttons. He was probably the only person who could truly get under her thick skin.
“I’m not a damn witch. If I was, I would look into my crystal ball and see if you meeting up with Phoebe is the right move. But alas, no crystal ball, no abilities to see the future.” She all but growled. “You had to mention the douchebag.” She spun on her heel and stormed toward the door.
“Char.”
She stopped and turned toward me.
“What?”
“To answer your question. I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
With a smile, she headed out, probably to color coordinate her Post-It collection.
I finished my work for the day and left the winery before I could be cornered by any other one of my siblings. I got in my BMW and headed to the outskirts of town where The Green Mountain Lodge sat at the base of a mountain. In the winter, this place was a mecca to skiers and in the warmer months the perfect place to stay if you loved the outdoors. The ski slopes turned into bike trails, the rivers opened to tubing and white-water rafting and the hiking trails lead to picturesque views.
Their business helped to drive ours, and we were always willing to work with the resort. Had I known Phoebe was part of the Green Mountain Resorts team, maybe I would have reached out to her sooner. Then again, probably not. I had found her years ago on social media. Her profile wasn’t current though, her last post having been two years prior, but still I could have sent her a message. Tried to contact her, and I didn’t.
It’s not that I didn’t want to. Fuck. I’d gone over that last night together for years, wondering if I said something wrong, did something wrong to upset her enough to leave me the way she did. But I didn’t want to be the one to reach out. She left me. If anyone was going to mend that fence, I convinced myself it had to be her.
I pulled into the parking lot of the lodge and found an open spot. I tossed the bimmer into park and jumped out. The lodge was massive, with a façade that resembled a log cabin, giving it a cozy feel that screamed rustic mountains. The inside screamed more luxury accommodations with its high vaulted ceilings, countless lighting fixtures and overstuffed brown leather couches—clearly a reminder to guests that they were most definitely in the mountains.
The front desk sat to the left, a long wooden countertop with fresh flowers on each corner.
“I’m looking for Phoebe Hodge.”
The twenty-something-year-old behind the desk straightened, a nervous expression crossing his young features. “Of course. R-Right away. I’ll let her know.” He grabbed the phone, dialing quickly.
“Ms. H-Hodge, your four o’clock is here.”
Four o’clock? Did she think this was some sort of business meeting? Well, I suppose it was. This little scenario of hers was nothing more than a business transaction. I was providing a service, though I wasn’t getting paid shit for it, which begged the question, why the hell was I even here?
Oh, that’s right. I’m a sucker for a blonde with greenish blue eyes, even though she clawed my heart from my chest and tossed it on the ground like an afterthought.
Getting my bearings, I took a deep breath. I was acting like the wounded boy I once was, but that was a long time ago. I might not have fully healed from the betrayal, but I sure as hell had moved on. There was no way in hell I was going to let Phoebe Hodge turn my world on its head. I yanked at my gray suit sleeve and adjusted the cuff of my light blue shirt.
My siblings made fun of me for always wearing a suit, but I was a VP and for me, that meant dressing the part.
I heard her before I saw her. She floated into the main entrance like a goddess landing on her dominion. Today she was in a black dress that hugged every curve and highlighted that long torso. Her shoes were the color of Merlot, with a strap that wrapped around her delicate ankle.
