Page 79 of Brooke's Bliss
But Bay wasn’t finished.It was time for this man to knowhim.“So the funny part is Shane had to learn how to do everything for himself.How to cook and keep things clean and wash his laundry.And I decided that madehim strong, not weak.I started looking at my dad differently.My father wasfairly helpless.That wasn’t something for him to be proud of.When I wasaround twelve or thirteen, I started to help… I don’t like that word.Not whenyou’re living in a place.I started pulling my weight.I did the dishes withShane.I learned to do some rudimentary cooking when we were in high school.Bythe time our parents died, we were both not lost when it came to the work we doon an everyday basis.The work that is almost exclusively done by the women inour lives.So that’s what I mean by if she needs a break, look at the divisionof your labor.”
Rye seemed to take that in.“Max and I have been on the roada lot.I don’t mean to leave her with the whole load.We’ve been trying to makesure we can afford what the kids are going to need.”
“Balance that with what she needs now and you’ll be okay.That woman loves you.She has to because she puts up with Max,” Bay said andthen winced.“I’m sorry.I’m going to be better about that.Look, Rye, I wantto be honest with you.I intend to marry your sister, and that means we need tostart figuring out if we can be family.”
Rye’s jaw tightened.“You might not be as bad as I thought.So you take that whole division of labor thing seriously?You’re not planningon turning Brooke into your housekeeper?”
Did the man know his sister?“She would be terrible.Do youknow how lost she gets in her work?I think she’s worse than me.Look, I’m notperfect.I can forget a lot of things when I’m deep into a project.Shane picksup the slack, and when we get to the other side I try to make it up to him.What we need is to find his passion because I do worry that he’ll get lostbetween me and Brooke, and I don’t want that for him.”
Rye’s eyes rolled and a long huff came from his chest.“Damnit.All right, then.Let’s do this thing.I don’t want to lose my sister overthis, and I have no intentions of my wife needing a longer stay.Max has yourbrother.”
Shit.Bay felt his eyes go wide.Max kidnapped Shane?“Whereis he?I don’t have any money.”
“What?Dumbass.Max was out at the G and Shane needed aride.What did you think he was going to do?”
Bay shrugged.“There are plenty of silver mines where youcould hide a body.”
Which was exactly what Shane thought was going to happen tothem in Wyoming, although it would have been a lonely gulch.
Was it so wild an idea that Kale Kingman would protect hisempire with a little murder?
Rye’s head shook, and he reached out and put a hand on Bay’sshoulder.“How about we start with lunch?You can tell me what your plans are.I can drive you back out to the G when we’re done.”
He wasn’t sure he had plans beyond making Brooke happy andapologizing to his brother and hopefully selling some of his best work.“Allright.And I won’t even tell your wife if you get fries.”
Rye chuckled and opened the door.“Nah.I think I’ll stickto the dietary plan.The last thing my wife needs to worry about is losing ahusband.Come on.I have to pick up the kids from Stef’s in a couple of hours.I want to know how my sister is doing.”
Bay walked through the door and realized how Brooke wasdoing.
And that was when he saw red and started charging like abull.
* * * *
“You know you could have come out to the lodge.”MarkHallway looked decidedly out of place sitting in one of the red booths inStella’s.He wore a designer suit and loafers that likely cost more than mostpeople in town made in a month.Or two.
Not that Mark would have paid for them.Oh, no.Otherdesigners gave him samples or he stole them from whoever did get them.Mark wasalso considered an influencer since his socials had thousands of followerswaiting for him to tell them what was hot and what was not.
“It’s surprisingly nice for…where we are.I guess the skiingis good so the wealthy likely visit, but I was surprised there wasn’t more.Ishould have known it wouldn’t be like Aspen.”
It didn’t surprise her that Mark was disdainful of herhometown.He wouldn’t see the beauty in either the land or the amazing people.
“My new job is a couple of stores down and I have to bethere in—” she glanced down at her watch “—an hour and a half.So if you havesomething to say, you should say it.”
“I was unaware you had a new job.”Mark’s face probablywould have frowned if it moved.He used way too much Botox.She knew somepeople who used it perfectly, but Mark went over the top.“Where on earth wouldyou work out here?I mean beyond doing some private consulting or design.You’re obviously doing some of that.”
She wasn’t sure how what she was doing was private.“I’mworking with the local rep theater.I used to do costume work before Parsons.I’m kind of getting back into it.”
Mark’s brows came together in seeming consternation or theytried to.“Costumes?You’ve worked at a major house.Don’t you know costumedesign is beneath you?”
It wasn’t.It was fun, and it was a strangely intellectualexercise.Instead of hoping to please some influencer on social media, she hadto please a character, represent them.It was fulfilling in a way she hadn’tbeen in a long time.
Was she seriously starting to think about Cleo’s proposal?
“Hey, Brooke.”Stella brought over a carafe of coffee andpulled Brooke out of her thoughts.“How’s it going out on the G?”
Mark’s nose wrinkled like he was offended by Stella’spresence.
Well, she wasn’t going to tell that asshole that the womancurrently serving them coffee was married to a billionaire, and her stepson wasone of the most influential people in the art world.Nah.Way more fun to watchhim hang himself.“It’s great.Oddly peaceful for having all those kiddosaround.”
