Page 127 of Good as Gold
“Hey—no judgement from me.” He shrugs. “I’ve always liked that guy better than what’s-his-name.”
“Nash…”
“I know, I know. It’s really none of my business.”
“It’s really not. Now let’s talk about the brewery. There’s so much to discuss. I’m sorry we aren’t having our tour this morning. You’ll have to get the lay of the land from Livia—Dad’s assistant. She’s a little sharp-tongued, but she’s good at her job.”
Nash’s face darkens instantly. “Not her. Nope.”
“What do you meannot her. Have you evenmetLivia?”
“Met her this morning,” he says. “And I’m not a fan. I’ll work with anyone except her.”
“Nash! So long as I’m stuck in here, she’s all you’ve got. She’s the only one who knows how that place works.”
He scowls. “She’s only been there, what, a few months? How useful could she really be? I don’t think we can work together.”
Oh, God. A machine beside me starts beeping. Loudly.
A nurse rushes in. “That’s your blood pressure spiking,” she says. “Is everything okay?”
Nash puts his head in his hands. “I’m sorry, Leila. I’ll do whatever you say.”
The beeping stops. The nurse adjusts something on my IV, pats my hand, and walks out again.
“Look,” I tell my brother. “You’re going to have to set all your assumptions aside for a minute and just strap in. You don’t have to like Dad, or Livia. But for the next six weeks, you’re at the helm of the most decorated brewery on the Eastern seaboard.”
“Got it,” he says quietly. “Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry aboutanything.”
“I’ll try.”
“Be well, Leila.” He gets up, kisses the top of my head, and then leaves the room.
Alone again, I listen to the machines beep. I look at the fetal monitor and wish I could understand what it’s telling me.
I put both hands on my belly and close my eyes.Listen, baby. We’ve come this far. If we pull together here, I think we can go the distance. I’m really eager to meet you, but if you could stay put for two or three more weeks, that would be great. Think it over.
“Leila, honey? You okay?”
I open my eyes to see Matteo smiling at me from the doorway. “Yup. Just, uh, having a word with the baby.” I slide my hands off my belly in an attempt at dignity.
He skips the chair and parks on the bed’s edge, as near to me as he can manage since the bed rails are in his way. “And how is the baby doing?”
“Fine, as far as I can tell.”
He takes my hand in his, stroking his thumb across my palm. “Glad to hear that. But I’m glad they admitted you for observation. I don’t like seeing you faint.”
“Nice catch, by the way. But we didn’t think this through—now you’re stuck here with me.”
His brown eyes become serious. “Leila, there’s nowhere else I want to be right now.”
“Except visiting with your family, right? And there’s no baby yet.”
“Leila, I’m here foryou, not just the baby. If you let me. That’s what I wanted to tell you this morning at the coffee shop. If I’d gotten a chance.”
“Oh.” My stomach does a somersault. “Really?”
He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it, his whiskers tickling my palm. “I know I was supposed to have a limited role in this production. And I’ll take what I can get. But I’d like to apply for a more meaningful position on the team.”
