AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Out on display in his study.
Not in my room in the other wing.
Not in an office of my own.
My heart cracked, just a little, at the realization that my achievements were on display as if they were his. Something I’d never really noticed before because I was always basking in the moments where he told me how proud he was. How great I’d be someday, when I could fill his seat at the table.
There weren’t framed photos of us on that shelf, just one picture of me from an article in the Wall Street Journal.
The future is bright for Lynch Holdings Heiress
The longer my dad stayed silent, the further those hairline cracks in my heart spread, and the harder it was to stop the burning at the back of my eyes.
I did, though. Because I would not walk out of this room.
He opened up his laptop and gave me a brief look. “Is there anything else?”
Somehow, I managed a jerky shake of my head. “No, sir.” And I stood, even though my legs felt weak, and my heart ached. “I won’t let you down.”
“I expect not,” he said, eyes on his screen. “Good luck.”
I made it all the way to my bedroom with dry eyes, and they stayed that way while I chartered a flight to Sisters for a few days later, packed my bags, and wondered exactly what the hell I was supposed to do next.
Chapter 5
Cameron
“Wake up, asshole,” someone snapped from above me.
Then that same someone ripped the comforter off my bed.
I groaned into my pillow, swinging my hand toward where my big brother disappeared with my bedding.
“The sun’s not even out yet,” I mumbled. “What’s your problem?”
“Jet lag,” Ian said, completely unrepentant. “London time is eight hours ahead. And you’re out of coffee. Who lets their brother crash at their place when they’re out of coffee?”
I scrubbed at my face as I sat up, glaring at my older brother. “The nice kind. I wasn’t gonna wake up Mom and Dad because your flights were delayed.”
He grinned. “You need more sleep, sunshine?”
“Yes.”
Ian tossed the blanket back at my face, but instead of crawling back under the covers like I desperately wanted to, I motioned for him to get the hell out.
“Get your ass up,” he said. “I want coffee, and I guarantee Mom will have baked goods.”
I sighed. “Fine. But make sure they’re awake before you make me leave this house.”
Five minutes later, I’d tugged on a T-shirt and black athletic shorts, and we hopped into my UTV to drive the half a mile between my house and our parents. I’d built my A-frame cabin about five years earlier, but kept it on their plot of land, because it gave me peace of mind that I was close if they needed anything.
Most of our siblings had moved away. Erik, the eldest of my stepsiblings, was married with an infant daughter, and lived in Seattle, as did Adaline and her fiancé. Greer was a couple of hours west of Sisters in Salem with her husband and stepdaughter, but she spent half her time at home now that Dad was declining so quickly.
Ian, older than me by a couple of years, had lived in London for years before finally deciding to move back. And our youngest brother, Parker, played football in Portland, on the same team as Greer’s husband.
“I’ve been half a world away for years,” Ian said as I swerved down the well-worn path between their house and mine. “It’s gonna take me a while to get used to this.”
I grunted. “You will. But don’t expect anyone to bust out the tea and crumpets because you’re fancier than us now.”
