My brother’s voice softened, but I knew it wouldn’t be that way for long.
“Not—perfect,” I said.
“Mich.”
“He wants me to come back to Napa Valley with him so he can take care of me until the baby’s born.”
“That doesn’t sound horrendous. Though it’s a little over the top. He could take care of you here so I could be here to help as well.”
“I asked him what would happen after the baby was born and he couldn’t tell me. He was talking to me as if I was just going to hand the child over to him and leave without a second thought. He said he didn’t want his child growing up in the middle of nowhere, and I said I didn’t either, but he wasn’t running this show simply because he has more money than me. But apparently, that’s what he thinks.”
“Did he say that?”
“Nick, he doesn’t even believe this child is ours.”
“What?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t. He’s fighting me every step of the way and wanting to whisk me off to Napa Valley with him, and half the time he doesn’t even think the child is his. He wants all of the control and none of the responsibility if this child turns out to be anyone else’s. And it’s not. I know it’s not. He told me it wasn’t kosher for me to work in a place like that pregnant, and while I agree with him, it’s not his to dictate.”
“You’re right. It’s not,” he said.
“It’s not his place to tell me what to do about anything. He’s left me twice, Nick. Twice. Once because things were just done, and a second time after he commanded me to stay put. He called me a gold digger and a manipulator. Accused me of coming after his money and all sorts of disgusting things. And now, he thinks coming back and trying to be all chivalrous is supposedly supposed to make this all better!? He didn’t ask me to come to Napa with him. Not the first time. Before I put him in his place? He commanded it. Demanded it. Saying some bullshit about me not having issues following his lead before. So why is this any different?”
“He asked you that?”
I watched my brother’s fists clench at his sides as blood rushed his face. I knew he was ready to beat the piss out of Gray. I knew that anger in his eyes.
“No man is going to intimidate my sister. Not even a billionaire, do you hear me? You aren’t going anywhere with him. Not if you don’t want to, and not if I have anything to do with it.”
“I appreciate your support, but I don’t want to have to go up against Gray and his billions if you beat the shit out of him before he leaves,” I said. “I just—that’s why I left work, and that’s what happened. Then I returned to work. I wasn’t even gone an hour. And quite frankly? Trey owed me that after having his nose stuck in his damn phone instead of taking care of his staff.”
“Trust me, I’ll be talking with him about that,” he said flatly.
A knock came at the front door and I drew in a deep breath. It was probably Trey, coming to talk with me or something. I was ready to grovel for my job. To pick up extra shifts for free if it meant I got a second chance. But the second I whipped the door open, my face fell flat.
“Of course, it’s you,” I said.
“Michelle,” Gray said. “Good morning.”
“Not anymore it isn’t. What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to try and persuade you to come to Napa with me.”
“Hey Nick!” I exclaimed.
“Who’s at the door?” my brother asked.
“I’ve got someone you might want to meet,” I said.
I eyed Gray with a flat face as Nick came out of the kitchen. He walked up behind me and stood in the door, fixing his eyes on the man in front of me.
“Gray, this is my brother, Nick. Nick, this is Gray,” I said.
I heard Nick squeeze the edge of the door so tightly the wood cracked under his touch. Gray’s eyes bounced to his hand before falling back to my gaze, then he drew in a deep breath.
“We need to talk,” Nick said. “Why don’t we step out onto the porch, Gray.”
I closed the door and shut them out of the house, but I stood there to listen as my brother lit into Gray. He told him that I deserved to be treated with respect and to be heard, or there would be consequences. I heard Nick threaten him, telling him that his money couldn’t touch the skills the military had ingrained into him for a living. I grinned, letting Gray stew in the moment before I opened the door, pausing my brother’s harsh words in his tracks.