Page 38 of If You Were Mine
Weston reached around my sister and slapped me on the back of the head. I noticed Ms. Patty didn’t admonish him for that. Well at least we knew who her favorite was.
And frankly it wasn’t a Cage.
“There might be some manual labor later, though we wouldn’t make you do it, Dorian.” She patted my arm, the sympathy in her tone grating. I knew she meant well. Honestly, I’d been in a fucking plane crash and was lucky to be alive. So yes, she was being kind. Only I didn’t want kindness in that moment. I just wanted to forget. However, the pain in my thigh that was slowly getting better, as well as the burn scars on my sides didn’t feel as if I could truly forget.
“Anyway, I’m just grateful that you Cages are starting to show up again. I know Aston comes when he’s in town, just as I know trying to get Hudson anywhere near a function like this is probably like pulling teeth.”
“Why does Hudson get out of this then?” I grumbled, sounding petulant.
“Because it’s your turn,” a familiar yet unexpected voice said from behind me. I turned, ignoring the pain in my side, as Flynn walked forward.
I hadn’t seen him in a while, which was mostly on my shoulders. While I had once been the brother who joked around and didn’t stay single for long, Flynn flirted like nobody’s business. He was a people person, just like I had been. We were probably the most alike out of the siblings I had grown up with. Although from what I knew of Emily, she was like us as well. I ignored the twinge that told me I should probably call her. Or start a group chat with the Cages I hadn’t grown up with. Getting to know them would probably be something that Harper would tell me to do.
Not that I would do something just because Harper told me.
Maybe.
“I didn’t know you were coming up here,” I said as I wrapped my arm around Flynn’s shoulder and squeezed.
My brother just grinned. “I’m here to annoy my twin, and make sure that Isabella and Hudson have everything they need from me.”
“You always did take care of us, Flynn,” Ms. Patty said as she went to pat his cheek. In turn he leaned down and kissed hers.
“I’m going to miss coming up here often. I know Aston took over for a little bit, as did Hudson, but you dealt with me for a lot longer.”
“There’s no dealing with you, Flynn.” Ms. Patty grinned.
I met Isabella’s gaze, and we both rolled our eyes.
Flynn could do no wrong.
He was also the vice president of Cage Enterprises, and I wasn’t sure when he slept. He was the one who had handled most of the paperwork and went through Aston for certain Cage properties. And had given over the face-to-face time to Hudson. Isabella was taking over, and though I was here for a short time, I hoped to hell I wasn’t going to be given that responsibility. After all, I had enough businesses to take care of outside of the main Cage enterprises. Though my managers were doing a damn fine job without me.
I probably shouldn’t feel slighted at that. I trained them well.
Maybe it was time to open up another business, something to keep myself busy once I finished this house. The unending home.
Because if I didn’t keep my hands on my work, they would end up on Harper, and then Joshua’s ghost would haunt me.
And I would deserve it.
“I would love to know what’s going on in that head of yours,” Flynn muttered.
I resisted the urge to flip him off because Ms. Patty was close by, instead I followed her into the large barn that was town hall.
There were rows of seats on either side, and it looked like a wedding venue if anything. Ms. Patty’s husband, the mayor, stood up front at the podium, though he hadn’t begun yet. He spoke with a few of the town businessmen, including Scarlett. Though she didn’t own anything in town, she was the manager of the highest grossing establishment.
“Well I’m glad Hudson isn’t here, because then I would have to deal with his whining,” Weston mumbled under his breath.
I smiled as Flynn barked out a laugh.
“I do not understand him. I would say he should just ask her out already, but she’s taken.” Isabella shook her head.
I choked on air, and I stared down at my sister as we took our seats. “He doesn’t have a crush on her. This isn’t kindergarten where you growl and pull the girl’s pigtails. They honestly just don’t get along.”
“If you say so. But I don’t know, maybe Hudson just needs a girlfriend.”
I shook my head, my shoulders dropping. “I don’t think that would help.”
