AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A low chuckle comes from my chest. “He doesn’t give warm, fuzzy feelings, that’s for sure.”
“Scale from one to ten, how much did your father fuck you up?” Camden asks, his voice teasing even though the topic is dark.
“Zero,” Beck answers, holding his hands up defensively. At least one of us had a father that knew how to show love.
“I’d say about an eight.” I laugh. “Can’t be a ten when he grooms you to be the heir to his billion-dollar company, can it?”
“To me, that makes it an eleven. When I have kids, my only goal is to make them know they’re loved and that I have no say in the path they choose for their life,” Camden responds.
“Damn, Hunter. When did we get sentimental?” Beck leans forward, his fingers smoothing back his hair.
“Pippa makes me talk about my feelings. Put in a good word for me and tell her I’m getting better at it,” he jokes, lifting his eyebrows.
We all laugh, the conversation drifting into silence for a moment as we all get lost in our own thoughts. I think about Camden’s words and what they mean. I never saw myself as a father figure, but it isn’t because I don’t want kids.
I think I would like to have them one day; I just never envisioned doing anything other than work. I barely saw my father as a child because he never stopped working. The moment he felt that I was old enough to learn from him, he pulled me into working right alongside him.
We never played catch or watched a game of football together. The only thing we’ve ever bonded over is Moore Hotels, and it’s kind of sad when I really think about it.
I sigh and shake my head. Pippa might be encouraging Camden to talk about his feelings, but I’d much rather pretend that I’m not coming to the conclusion that my life was eerily pathetic before Winnie.
To avoid thinking about this, I look around the small room. There’s another group of men on the other side of the space, but other than that, it’s pretty empty at Pembroke Hills. It’s probably because it’s the off-season. I’m sure during the summer, this room is filled to the brim with men who are pretending to talk business but are actually gossiping.
I’d like to come back this summer, which is something I never thought I’d say because the last thing I want to do is say I’m going on vacation only to spend it with the people I try to avoid in Manhattan at all costs.
“Well, Sinclair,” I begin, finishing off my drink. “I think you may have convinced me.”
Beck’s eyebrows pull in on his forehead. “Convinced you to tell me why a Moore married a Bishop?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “The only answer to that is love, Sinclair. Love can ease even the harshest of grudges. There’s no other explanation.” My lips turn down slightly as I think about my words and what from them are real.
“Then what did I convince you of other than to start reciting poetry?” Beck prods, a smug smile on his face.
“I’m thinking about buying a property here to visit during the summer. I’ll get a membership to the club, and I don’t know, I feel like it’d be a nice getaway for Winnie and me sometimes.”
“I think the girls would love it, too, if we came up more this summer. We could golf, they could shop. Sounds like the perfect plan,” Camden offers. He pulls his phone from his pocket for a moment, ignoring a phone call before tucking it back into his pants.
I nod, surprisingly liking the idea of that plan. I’ve been wanting to add a few more real estate properties to the ones I already own, and this seems like the perfect place. Buying a house here means you’ll never lose out on your money; houses fly off the market down here. People are always trying to prove they are wealthy by buying a vacation homein the Hamptons.
I don’t need to prove anything. I just want an easy getaway location for Winnie and me to get out of the city if we choose to.
“I’ll start looking at places next week,” I confirm, twirling my glass between my fingers even though it’s empty.
“I love that you guys keep following my lead on buying properties,” Beck muses. “Camden buying a property in Sutten, Archer buying a place in the Hamptons. Who knew I had so much influence?”
Camden and I both shake our heads.
“I bought a place in Sutten because I own a gallery there and the woman I love lives there. It has nothing to do with you,” Camden jabs.
Beck still snickers, clearly not believing a word Camden says. “Sure,” he responds. “I didn’t see you looking at business properties in Sutten until I chose to get married there. Just saying.”
Camden rolls his eyes.
I shrug. “I just like the thought of having somewhere close for Winnie and me to visit. If I’ve learned anything about my wife, it’s that she loves spending time with your significant others. So it really isn’t you, Beck. It’s the fact I know it’ll make Winnie happy to spend more time with her friends this summer.”
Beck’s features soften slightly. It’s weird, and the longer he stares at me, the more uncomfortable I get.
Finally, I can’t handle his deep inspection any longer. “What?” I snap, wanting to know why he’s looking at me like that.
