Page 119 of The Science of Attraction

“On a brighter note, Mum wants you to come for lunch tomorrow.” I looked to Luke. “Both of you, if you can make it.”

Zach sighed. “For her, yes, we’ll be there. Now I should keep moving. It’s tough being the centre of attention.”

I snorted and gave him a shove. “Not for you, it isn’t. But before you go, they did give me something for your birthday.”

Zach’s eyes narrowed. “You mean Mum did.”

“No. It was actually Dad who gave it to me.”

“Dad?” Zach looked intrigued.

“Don’t get too excited,” I qualified. “I’ve no idea what it is.”

Liam handed me the duffel and retrieved two brightly wrapped cardboard tubes from inside. “But first, this one is from Liam and me.”

Zach beamed and shook the tube close to his ear. “It’s a big dildo,” he commented wryly, earning himself a good-natured shove from Luke. “Of course, it will never match up to the real thing, my little cupcake.” He kissed his boyfriend and set about ripping the paper off the tube. And as the plans for a new set of dog kennels, including large weather-protected runs were slowly revealed, his smile got broader and broader and his eyes misted up.

“They can be disassembled and transported to wherever you need them and—oof.” Liam grunted as Zach wrapped him in a bear hug.

When he released Liam, it was my turn. “You guys are the best, thank you! It’ll only take Luke a million years to put it together.”

I laughed. “We’ve covered all that. I wouldn’t have survived the last year without your help. You’re the best brother a guy could ever have. So this is our thank you. They’ll arrive next week and will be fully constructed before the guy leaves. They have piped water and food dispensers and everything Luke could remember from your wish list.”

“Is that right?” He eyed Luke in a predatory fashion. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Luke waggled his brows. “I can’t wait.”

“So...” I held out the second wrapped tube and Zach took it from my hands like it might explode in his face. At the same time, Liam’s body pressed up against the length of my back, his arm slipping around my waist to provide the reassurance I so desperately needed. We’d fought so hard to get to this place, all of us. I just hoped my father hadn’t done anything to fuck it up.

Zach blew out a long breath and I realised the entire backyard was watching us in absolute silence. He ripped off the wrapping, removed the lid, and tipped a sheaf of papers into his hand.

I frowned. “What the hell?”

With Luke watching over his shoulder, Zach slowly unrolled the papers and started to read. He couldn’t have gotten more than a few lines when his knees buckled and his gaze jerked to mine. “Holy shit, Jules.”

“What?What?”

He handed me the papers and I read the first paragraph before it started to sink in. “Jesus Christ. This is—” I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my throat. “He’s—” I turned to find Liam smiling as he continued to read over my shoulder.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He squeezed me tight.

My gaze swept the small crowd who were watching expectantly. “He reversed it,” I told them all, spinning back to Zach. “Dad’s put your name back as a trustee for Lane Station along with a backdated share payment for the company side of things.”

Luke kissed his boyfriend’s head. “Damn, babe. That’s a huge injection of cash for your business.”

Zach stared slack-jawed at his boyfriend. “But I... but...”

“And he’s named Jules as primary director of the company.” Luke pointed to the papers in my hand just as Zach snatched them back and started reading again.

“Shit, he’s right,” Zach said in awe. “He made it official.”

“What?” I took them back and re-read the page, feeling my stomach drop away. “Jesus, you’re right.”

“You still need to sign it.” Liam pointed to the sticky notes attached to the documents. “Best you both get that done before the man changes his mind. And I think this deserves a toast.” He raised his beer. “To birthdays and families. May we be given the grace and strength to survive them both.”

The sound of laughter and clinking bottles circled the group and then everyone came up to share in the good news. Once people drifted back to their conversations, I caught Zach’s eye. “I guess we know now why he didn’t want to come.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot to unpack in all that,” Zach agreed. “Including a host of hurtful memories. And considering it’s my birthday, it was a good decision to stay away. Still, I think I’ll call him rather than wait until tomorrow.”

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