“I thought you’d feel that way, so while the house and the rest of us will be guarded by the company I hired, Tom is taking a leave of absence as CEO of Neighpalm Airlines, and I’ll be stepping in to help out. Because he has the appropriate training, he will be the one to shadow you.”
Her mouth drops open in horror. “Fuck no,” she whispers, but I don’t think she meant for the words to slip out. She’s got that look on her face that people get when they admit something awkward. Tom’s eyes harden at her reaction, and his mouth pulls into a straight line. It’s the resting bitch face that he’s perfected so well, mind you, Jacinta calls it his resting cunt face. He only turns that on when people are hurting his feelings, making unwanted advances, or he’s on the scent of a great business deal.
“I can assure you, I am perfectly capable of protecting you.” She does a double take and starts waving her hand in panic.
“That’s not what I was worried about. I don't want you getting hurt if he decides to take another shot at us or something,” she says, scrambling to explain herself.
I watch Nana try to hide a small smile, but she sees me smirking at her and gives me a wink. Oh, I bet it was her idea or she at least pushed the brainstorming in that direction. The meddling woman, getting the two of them to spend so much time together. She’s an evil genius, not to mention he is perfect for the job.
Tom’s frown smooths out when he realizes that Harlow was worried for his safety. In fact, you wouldn't know it if you didn't know him as well as I do, but I’d say he looks kind of pleased even though he’s desperately trying to hide it.
“Harlow, do this for us,” Dad cajoles her. “Tom is aware of the danger. Although he doesn’t use it on a day-to-day basis, he is well trained to be able to deal with anything that arises.”
She throws her hands up in defeat. “Fine, but how about a compromise? I really don't plan on going anywhere. I’m kind of glad that the trip to Europe got pushed back. I feel like I haven't stopped since I got here. Spending some time just getting to know you guys will be awesome. That’s why I came here after all. It’s not about trips to Hawaii or Europe; it’s about family.” My whole family practically melts into puddles of goo at her words, and I’m feeling my own warm fuzzies too. Seriously, Harlow has made their year with that one comment alone. “How about if Thomas just comes with me if I leave the house? I’ll let him know with plenty of advance warning. That way his life doesn't have to be put completely on hold for me. I’m sure he’s got things he’d rather be doing than hanging out with me twenty-four-seven.”
Dad and Poppy are frowning, but Tom nods. “Fine, but that means you can’t even go over to the stables without me. I’ll leave you be at home, but the minute you want to step out that door, I need to be notified.”
She screws her nose up at that, so I guess she thought that she’d still be able to visit Prada and Coco or go for a walk. The meeting winds down after that, with the rest of us surrendering to whatever security measures Dad wants to put in place. We know the value of having it since we’ve lived through threats before. Security was pretty tight for a while after Jax and Jazzy’s mom broke in, so we’re not likely to really argue with him anytime soon.
The meeting officially breaks up, and while no one leaves, a couple of individual conversations start up. Harlow turns to look at Holden as she takes my hand off her thigh and holds it in hers. “You are looking so much better than when I last saw you,” she tells him, and I can’t tear my eyes away from the bright smile that transforms his face for only a moment. It drops all too soon, his response to her telling me exactly why.
“I wish I could say the same for you.”
Holden has spent the last few days taking it easy. His arm is still in a sling, of course, but his aches and pains ease more and more every day. He’s been using the hot tub a few times a day, and it’s really helped. Plus, it’s done wonders to give us some more time to reconnect and get closer to one another again. Tomorrow, I’ll be heading into the office for the first time. The thought of leaving him has been hard to stomach, but now that I know Harlow will be here to keep him company, I think I can do it without having a panic attack in the process.
“Ouch, man, that’s a bit harsh,” I tease him, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “I think she’s as beautiful as ever.”
She doesn’t get a chance to respond because Kai and Jaxon interrupt to say goodnight to her. She stands up and hugs them both, giving each a lingering kiss on the cheek and thanking them for such an amazing weekend. Her cheeks blush a pretty pink when they tell her that it was their pleasure, and I start to feel even happier.
The last few days have been amazing. Holden and I have reconnected on a level that I never would have dreamed we ever would again. We talked and cuddled and just indulged in spending time with one another. The relief I feel from giving myself permission to love him again is immense. For years, we had been comfortable around one another but not to the level the rest of our family was. Never were we ever going to have the kind of relationship that I have with the others. They are family, but he is my lover. I once thought he would be my only love, that I was doomed to live out the rest of my life without the kind of connection we once shared. Yes, we were teenagers, and yes, we needed to grow and mature, but I now hope that that immature love will develop into something deep and forever.
While we worked on ourselves, we also talked about what we can do to make Harlow realize the six of us are what she needs. Jax and Kai’s goodbyes to Harlow imply my brothers made good headway on wooing our girl over the weekend. Even Jax, who Jacinta declared to be in last place, must have made some progress. Now Den and I have to just make sure that we stay somewhat in the lead.
The two of them disappear, probably heading off to their rooms. Tom has already retreated, and I overhear Nana, Poppy, Jacinta, and Dad discussing Jacinta’s arm of the business. Tomorrow, she’s going back full-time, but all I can make out are snippets about future plans and easing back into the swing of things. Which leaves only Declan, still seated and watching us from across the table. As she continues to ask Holden about his recovery, my oldest brother gets up and stalks around to her side of the table. The man who usually holds everything so close to his chest steps up to her chair, a look on his face that I’m not really certain I’ve ever seen before. He has her attention now, dropping the hand that was in mine. She smiles carefully at him, not quite sure what he is doing, and I’m not entirely certain that he knows either. He doesn't say anything, and it looks to me like he’s warring with himself. I hide the smile that wants to cross my lips because my big brother is always so steady and sure. It’s actually kind of nice to see him ruffled, and lord only knows Harlow has kept him ruffled from day one.
“Hi, Declan. How are Princess and the kittens doing?” Damn, that is an arrow straight to his heart. He grabs her by the arm, and I jump up, ready to stop him from manhandling her, but he very gently encourages her to stand. Stepping into her body, he brings his arms around her, ignoring that everyone has stopped to watch him. Nana and Jacinta are grinning with glee.
Without any hesitation now, he places a gentle kiss on her lips before stepping away. “Welcome home, Harlow.” He turns and walks away, leaving Harlow speechless, her eyes studying him in a way that promises they’ll be following up on that in some way later.
“Well, shit. Big brother’s got game.” Holden chuckles next to us, and I give him a fist bump. Once Harlow comes to her senses, she smacks our hands down.
“Did he just…? What was that?” Harlow, still standing, looks shell shocked. The others stand up, drawing my eyes over to them, their conversation appearing to be finished.
“Well, if you don't know what that was, he’s obviously not doing it right.” Nana walks over to Harlow. “Come on, dear, let’s get you some painkillers to help ease the aches and then maybe a hot chocolate to help you to sleep. I think an early night is probably much needed for all of us. Too much excitement over the last few days has got us all on edge.”
“Actually, Nana, that sounds awesome. I’ll make them,” Jacinta volunteers.
“No!” Harlow jumps when the rest of us enthusiastically respond to Jacinta’s offer.
“No, let me do it, and we can just pretend you did,” Dad adds in, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her out to the kitchen. Nana and Poppy follow, talking quietly, while Harlow looks between me and Holden, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“Jacinta is ahorriblecook and has been known to burn milk in the microwave,” Holden explains, getting up to offer her his good arm before escorting her into the living area. I leave them sitting on the sofa and make my way to the kitchen. Nana and Poppy are nowhere in sight, so I’m assuming they’ve gone to their own wing for some peace and quiet. Dad and Jacinta are talking quietly.
“It’s a three-month contract, Jazzy,” Dad says as he pulls some mugs out of the cupboard while she grabs the milk from the fridge. “If you don't like them by the end of that timeframe, you can get rid of them. Both, one, or neither, it’s all up to you, but give them a chance. Having a little healthy competition might help with your creativity. But when it comes down to it, you’re still the CEO of the company and their boss.”
I know Jacinta has been worrying about her return to work this week. Every time I’ve seen her over the weekend, she’s either been muttering to herself or has her sketchbook in hand, pencil moving furiously across the pages. I’ve been a little worried about her, hoping that maybe Harlow can have a chat with her now that the two of them are getting along better. Because I swear, even though we are still adults, Jazzy is always going to be my little sister, and all I want to do is punch whoever is upsetting her. Last time I checked, HR frowns upon that sort of thing.
She was briefly distracted when she had heard about the stunt that Cecelia had pulled. My gaze goes from my sister to my dad as I think about his PA. Why on earth does he keep that woman around? I think us telling him how we felt before the others flew to Hawaii went a long way in making him see how bad the situation with her has gotten, but no immediate steps have been made to get rid of her.
