Dad slowly cocked his head, those intelligent eyes not missing a beat. “You don’t want to leave the company, but you also won’t be there when we reopen in January. Something tells me this is going to be interesting, so alright, son. Pitch us. What have you got in mind?”
“What if we had a full east coast branch of W&S? Not just the branch in Chicago that also sometimes covers the east coast, but a proper branch located right there in Manhattan. It’d be a chance to double our footprint, strengthen the brand, and set us up for the next generation no matter which coast they might want to be on. It’d be an expansion that’s long overdue and Aurelia and I would like to head it up. Take the W&S name to New York. By ourselves.”
Sterling rocked back on his heels, his eyes narrowing in thought. Harlan didn’t answer right away, but I could see the idea sink in.
“With Aurelia helping me—” I stopped, grinned. “Let’s be honest. WithmehelpingAurelia, we could make it work. She has the vision and the drive, and I’m smart enough to stay out of her way and watch her run the entire show while I pretend to keep up.”
“Right, well, it’s good to know that you’ve accepted that she’s the brains of the operation and you’re just the face,” Sterling teased. “I suppose that’s as good a place as any to start.”
“Exactly,” I said. “That’s why this works. I’m in awe of my wife. I want to build a life with her while also making my family proud of me. Of us. I just feel like we need to do it…”
“Where you’re not in our shadows,” Sterling finished for me, his jaw hardening. He blew out a breath. “I can’t pretend to understand, Harrison. I really don’t, but it’s not a bad idea. We’ve been stuck to the west coast like white on rice, the Chicago cousins are more focused on the midwest, and there’s never been a better time for us to expand. I’ve actually had the thought myself that it might be time to consider it when I take over.”
Harlan rubbed his chin, studying me. For a second, I thought he’d shut us both down just out of principle, but then he sighed and clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. “You might be on to something. Westwood & Sons, east coast. I can live with that.”
Sterling nodded his agreement, the tension leaking out of his face as he made his decision. “You and Aurelia together out there? That’s a power play. I wouldn’t have thought to send you two, but if you want to go, I’m all for it.”
I exhaled, only realizing then how tightly I’d been holding my breath. They were in. I almost couldn’t believe it. “You’re sure about this?”
Sterling’s blue eyes connected with mine, and I saw it then, the certainty. The pride. “Like I said, as the incoming CEO, I’ve been thinking about what moves I need to make to take thecompany forward. We operate on a near-global scale, but we’ve only got one branch and it’s right here. It doesn’t make sense.”
Harlan chuckled. “When I took over, the world wasn’t nearly as small or as connected as it is now. It’s the right move, boys. I can feel it in my bones.”
By the time I left them and their satisfied smiles behind, the deal was sealed tighter than a clam and I was so shocked I could barely think. My dad and my brother were trusting me to go open up a whole new branch of W&S without even taking a day to think about it.
It was incredible, and just like that, I really was ready to get out of here. My and Aurelia’s futures were starting now and I went looking for my wife, beyond eager to share the news. It didn’t take long to find her, standing near the piano in the living room, laughing with Maisie.
She caught my eye the second I walked in, like she always did. It almost felt inevitable at this point, like my compass always knew exactly where north was. I bent close to her ear, lowering my voice so no one else could hear.
“Are you ready to ditch this circus and come home with me?”
Her eyebrows arched in surprise. “Now? You’ve already talked to them?”
“Yeah, but more importantly, it’s Christmas Eve,” I said. “I have something for you at home and we’ve done our rounds. Our moms are doing fine and I’ve checked in with all my brothers. They’re getting ready to leave. Yours seem to have disappeared. We’re good now, baby.”
At those words, she didn’t even hesitate. Her hand slid into mine and that was all the answer I needed. We said our goodbyes to those few people we ran into on our way to the door with polite smiles. Then we slipped out into the night, already laughing and giddy with the small act of rebellion as we left our own wedding without making a big deal of it.
The drive back to the city felt faster than usual, and when I unlocked the door to my townhouse, the familiar warmth wrapped around us. I’d had a team come by earlier to light a fire and they’d set up some Christmas lights in here too. Lights from the tree I’d insisted on putting up flickered softly when we walked into the living room, the couch we’d spent our first night together on doused in rose petals with a charcuterie board on the coffee table and a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket.
Aurelia’s feet slammed to a stop as her gaze swept across the room, a sharp intake of breath telling me she hadn’t expected this. “Harrison.”
“It’s our wedding night.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, pulling her tight to my front. I spoke against her throat. “You couldn’t honestly have thought you were coming home to nothing.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d be coming home at all.”
“Which is exactly why I didn’t book a suite at a hotel for the occasion.” I hummed against her skin. “I wanted to bring you home. Because this is where you belong, Aurelia. It’s where I belong.”
She turned her head to face me, her eyes sparkling with what I hoped were happy tears as she pressed her lips to mine for a chaste kiss. Neither of us deepened it, but it still sent a bolt of electricity through me, so I let go of her and took her hand, leading her over to the couch.
“Sit,” I told her, pulling a small velvet box from my pocket. My chest felt too tight as I handed it over. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Westwood.”
She opened it slowly and carefully, and when the necklace caught the light, her hand flew to her mouth. The pendant was a tiny golden chess piece—the heir, the one we’d fought over the first day we’d met. Kingsley.
“A reminder of the moment everything started,” I murmured, sinking down on the couch beside her.
She leaned forward and kissed me again, a soft and lingering one this time, before pulling back with a mischievous grin. “Well, it’s a good thing I got you something too.”
She produced a slim envelope from her purse and I frowned, confused. “Is it a contract?”
