What he said was heavier than the casual tone suggested. I suspected, however, that he was easing toward the same thing I wanted to talk to him about. “You did build something permanent. Your legacy will go down in the tomes of history.”
“Whose history? My line ends with me. Once I’m gone, people might know my company, but they won’t care about my name,” he said gently. “What I built is an empire, Nate. Not a legacy. Those are not the same thing. Your dad? He’s leaving behind a legacy. So is your uncle, Harlan.”
The crowd roared as a player swatted a warm-up hit into the outfield, but I barely noticed it. Surprise flashed through me. “You’ve spoken to Harlan?”
“He and I have occasionally crossed paths. We’re friendly when we want to be.” He cracked a smile that was a little warmer this time. “Your cousin Harrison dragged him to New York a few times to see if they could butter me up. He’s a good kid, Harrison.”
“Yeah, he is,” I said carefully. “The best.”
“Your family is something most can only aspire to, son. I wish I’d seen that earlier,” Abram said. “I could’ve had a chance to build that, you know? A family. I could’ve slowed down, gotten married, and had a few children of my own. Never quite made time for it. I just kept telling myself I’d do it later.”
He glanced at me then, his head shaking. “Later has a way of disappearing much faster than you think. I have few regrets, but that’s one of the big ones. I have enough money to buy the entire goddamn world and no one to leave it to.”
I shifted slightly in my seat. “Your company won’t disappear. We’ve already agreed Pete’s firm will stay on, your structure remains intact, and your people will be protected.”
He smiled faintly. “Twenty years ago, Pete Vanderhaul was the only guy crazy enough to fund my wild idea. He stuck with me through it all, the one man who’s been with me since the beginning. No matter how rough things got.”
“Friendships like that are a blessing,” I said with a nod.
Hinds’ wild idea had also made Pete insanely rich. That was probably why the dude had stuck around, but on the other hand, Pete had struck me as the loyal type.
Abram’s gaze on mine suddenly became a little sharper. “That’s just the thing, Nate. I consider Pete a brother and Kate a niece. They’re not just friends. They’re my only family.”
“Nothing will change in your company’s relationship with them,” I assured him. “Pete will continue to handle your finances and investments. You’re leaving them in good hands with Westwood and Sons.”
That was what it all came down to, his faith in us as a firm versus as a family, but before he could respond, a flash of red hair appeared in my peripheral vision. Kate came back juggling a beer, another hot dog, and a basket of fries. “If either of you touch my food, I swear I?—”
Her sneaker caught the toe of my shoe and everything tilted.
“Kate!” I warned.
She pitched forward, her beer sloshing over and some of her fries airborne. I dropped my drink and caught her automatically, one arm locking around her waist, the other steadying her wrist before the tray could dump its contents across all three of us.
She froze against me, and for a split second, the stadium noise dulled into nothing but the rush of blood in my ears. Her body fit against mine like she’d been poured there, the scent ofcitrus, vanilla, and stadium popcorn clinging to her hair as it brushed my chin.
Her hand braced against my chest, small and warm. “You left your foot out.”
“So now it’s my fault you tripped?” I countered, tightening my grip instinctively when she wobbled again.
Abram chuckled beside us. “Careful, Katherine. Nathaniel might charge a rescue fee.”
She straightened abruptly, like she’d only just remembered he was there. Her cheeks flushed as she stepped back and smoothed her Yankees shirt. The glare she gave me before she sat down again was hard enough to shatter steel. “I had it handled.”
“You definitely did not,” Abram said with a grin.
She shoved the hot dog into my hand. “Hold this while I regain my dignity.”
I glanced at it. “Can I take back the four inches of mine you ate?”
Kate leaned in close so that Abram couldn’t hear. “Only if you want to lose an equivalent amount of inches somewhere else.”
I chuckled in surprise and shook my head. “In that case, your dog is safe with me.”
I was tempted to tell her I had inches to spare, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t need to brag, and if our parents got their way, she might be finding out on her own how blessed I was. For the moment, I tried to focus on the game—and not the big secret gnawing at my insides
Once she was seated, I handed her hot dog back fully intact, deliberately keeping my eyes on the field instead of her knee pressing against mine. Abram watched us both with a quiet intensity that made my shoulders tighten. I knew what he was after, what he thought he was looking at, and after that brief chat, I knew why.
The game began, the crowd surging to its feet. Kate shouted aggressively pro-Yankees encouragement, probably just to annoy me. I fired back without even thinking about it, the rhythm of our bickering sliding into a natural back and forth.
