“Well, I wish I were inviting you here on positive terms. I’m lucky as hell that you’re in town again.”
He freezes in mid-sit, unbuttoning his suit jacket. Then he lowers slowly into the chair across from me.
“What’s going on?”
“Well”—I rub the back of my neck—“I’m not sure where to begin, but I need your help on how to deal with maintaining a reputation when shit hits the fan.”
“What happened? With you personally? Is it Grace?”
“It’s all of us. It’s the lodge.”
“The lodge?” he questions. “Are things not going well? Every time I try to talk to your sister, she tells me she's too busy, which gave me the impression that everything here was going well, more than well.”
“Things are going great with the lodge. It's Henry. Kind of sold this place to the world with the reputation of loving husband, loving family, and all of the aspects of love that you could think of. And, well, I think it's about to get out that he's a fraud.”
Preston remains silent. His mouth opens, then closes. Helooks at the door. Then he looks back at me. His eyes narrow. “What?”
I nod slowly. “Yep. Henry's been cheating on our mom for as long as I can remember. Definitely since I was in high school.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What?”
“I know. And if word gets out about it, I just don't know how the lodge can come back from a scandal like that.”
“Shit,” he says. “What does Grace think?”
I let my gaze linger on him for one beat, then two. He's always wondering what Grace's opinion is on everything. I'm starting to think he might have a thing for my sister.
“Um, Grace doesn't know.”
“No. Nope. You have to tell her. You can't tell me something and then not tell Grace. I can't handle that she already hates me.”
“We'll deal with that when it comes, but it's not just Grace who doesn't know. Gavin doesn't know, either.”
“What about Wren?”
“Oh, come on, man. Wren’s off at college. She doesn't know anything. She doesn't want anything to do with this lodge. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Wren never comes back.”
Which isn't the worst idea. Maybe she caught on to Henry’s behavior long ago and she's keeping it a secret too. Hell if I know.
“All I know is that he's about to pass the lodge on to either me or Grace. And if Grace takes over and it gets out that our reputation is not as pristine as displayed, she is going to have to deal with the aftermath, and I cannot let that happen.”
“Fuck no, we can't let that happen. Fuck. This is bad. She’s going to take over.” He pauses and shakes his head. “I mean, I assume that’s the plan, right?”
“One of us, yes.”
“I mean…” He clears his throat. “No matter who takes over, you can’t let them deal with this alone.”
“I agree. That’s where you come in. You’ve had your fair share of articles published about you and your family. What should I do?”
Preston rubs a hand over the hair on his chin. “Well, you need to start by telling your sister and brother.”
I shake my head. “No. Somehow, the two of them have managed to keep a fairly decent relationship with Henry, and as much as I hate the man, I can’t take that from them.”
“You still need to tell them, Dutton. This isn’t just their relationship at stake, it’s their jobs, careers, and their livelihood. Think of all the people you give jobs to. This isn’t just about you and him. This isn’t just about how you can stick it to him and fix everything. It’s about making sure the legacy you and your sibling have been building lasts.”
I hadn’t considered those angles.
“Look, Dutton, for as long as I’ve known you, and that’s a long fucking time, you have spent most of your life looking out for everyone else. I think it’s time you trusted your siblings and told them everything. Let them help you. Having a support system when shit hits the fan is the best place to start.”
