“So, I did.” Macey giggles.
“That’s when we decided there was no one else for us.” Cole kisses her head.
“So, to answer your question, about a year,” Cole says to Anthony.
“Y’all make me sick,” Anthony jokes, shaking his head. “Alright, you’re up Tyler.”
Before I’m put on trial, we’re greeted by a giggling Sunny and Sam. Their arms linked together as they pass a bottle of champagne between one another, taking sips. A sigh of relief leaves my chest seeing they made amends. I knew they would. They’re sisters.
Now let me make that legal, Sunny. Let me make you and Sam sisters when you marry me.
“We brought champagne to celebrate!” Sam says, holding up a bottle while my girl holds the other. “To new relationships, well, new to me at least.” A choked laugh escapes the group while a groan leaves me. “And to a new fucking year and thisfabulous family of mine.” She passes glasses around, filling them with champagne.
Sam pulls Macey aside, both of them wiping tears from one another’s faces and hugging it out. I know things won’t be okay immediately because the wounds need to heal, but at least this is a step forward, and we have at least stopped the bleeding.
Seeing my girl look around, I can tell she is contemplating where to sit.
As if she even has a choice.
The only place she’s allowed is in my lap. Grabbing her hips, I pull her back into me.
I feel the void go away almost immediately.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
TYLER
I sit in my office,phone in my hands like a giddy fucking teenager texting his girlfriend. A smile pulls my lips thinking about that label with Sunny, despite the fact it feeling and sounding way too juvenile for people our age.My girlfriend.It’s simply too casual a term for what I feel for her.
I send her a text.
Train tonight?
It’s only been a week since New Years Eve, but with the time off for the Holidays, we’ve both been buried deep into work.
I place my phone down on my desk and look out the window to the gloomy January day. Footsteps catch my attention. Looking up, I see my father walk in.
“Tyler,” he says, giving me a nod.
I put my hands in my pockets and lean back against my desk. “What can I do for you?” Mitchell always likes to drop in unannounced to check on me.
“I wanted to see where you’re at with Shelby. The campaign is in a few weeks, and we really need to start making it our mainfocus.” He makes himself comfortable in the chairs in front of my desk. “You know your duty. You know why the two of you have been arranged. I need to make sure you hold up your end of the bargain. Since you haven’t yet. The campaign would be a great way to announce your engagement or even propose.”
“I never said I wouldn’t invest in his campaigns even if I didn’t marry his daughter.” I cross my arms over my chest, keeping a blank look on my face despite my suit feeling tighter than it already is.
I’m already drawing up the contract as we speak. A contract like this takes deliberate precision. There cannot be any loopholes in which Matthew can get through. Both our lawyers will review it as many times as it takes until every word is memorized and recited perfectly.
This not only gives Matthew a set number of campaign money funneling into him, but it gives the Caddell Company political gain without having to reap the repercussions. He will question it because in our world something isn’t so easily given without something being taken. An exchange. But the only thing I want is Sunny, and this is how I’m going to get her.
If this doesn’t pan out, I have my other ways. I figured I’d do the professional route first. Give Matthew the chance to make the right decision without my use of force.
“Tyler, what the hell happened? This has been in the plan for twenty-nine years. Now you’re unwilling to follow through on your part. You two should’ve been married by now and with a child here or on the way. The easiest and best option is to marry her because that’s the only contract we need. If we need to change things, do what we want, we don’t have to live by the rules of areallegally binding contract. Do you realize that? You can fuck whoever you want after you marry Shelby.”
“Is that what you do? Fuck whoever you want outside of mom?”
“What I do is none of your business. I have myselfestablished. And while you have your spot in this world, you need to make yourself a man of your word or else you will lose all that.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “People will think you’re flakey, unreliable, not loyal. Every day that you don’t have a wife and don’t produce an heir, our family weakens. It leaves all we have built left to no one.”
“I know what I’m doing, Mitchell. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not marrying Shelby. I already have a contract drawn up. I’m just waiting on Matthew’s lawyers to get back to us.”
