Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Rye’s jaw tightened. “You might not be as bad as I thought. So you take that whole division of labor thing seriously? You’re not planning on turning Brooke into your housekeeper?”
Did the man know his sister? “She would be terrible. Do you know how lost she gets in her work? I think she’s worse than me. Look, I’m not perfect. I can forget a lot of things when I’m deep into a project. Shane picks up the slack, and when we get to the other side I try to make it up to him. What we need is to find his passion because I do worry that he’ll get lost between me and Brooke, and I don’t want that for him.”
Rye’s eyes rolled and a long huff came from his chest. “Damn it. All right, then. Let’s do this thing. I don’t want to lose my sister over this, and I have no intentions of my wife needing a longer stay. Max has your brother.”
Shit. Bay felt his eyes go wide. Max kidnapped Shane? “Where is he? I don’t have any money.”
“What? Dumbass. Max was out at the G and Shane needed a ride. What did you think he was going to do?”
Bay shrugged. “There are plenty of silver mines where you could hide a body.”
Which was exactly what Shane thought was going to happen to them in Wyoming, although it would have been a lonely gulch.
Was it so wild an idea that Kale Kingman would protect his empire with a little murder?
Rye’s head shook, and he reached out and put a hand on Bay’s shoulder. “How about we start with lunch? You can tell me what your plans are. I can drive you back out to the G when we’re done.”
He wasn’t sure he had plans beyond making Brooke happy and apologizing to his brother and hopefully selling some of his best work. “All right. And I won’t even tell your wife if you get fries.”
Rye chuckled and opened the door. “Nah. I think I’ll stick to the dietary plan. The last thing my wife needs to worry about is losing a husband. Come on. I have to pick up the kids from Stef’s in a couple of hours. I want to know how my sister is doing.”
Bay walked through the door and realized how Brooke was doing.
And that was when he saw red and started charging like a bull.
* * * *
“You know you could have come out to the lodge.” Mark Hallway looked decidedly out of place sitting in one of the red booths in Stella’s. He wore a designer suit and loafers that likely cost more than most people in town made in a month. Or two.
Not that Mark would have paid for them. Oh, no. Other designers gave him samples or he stole them from whoever did get them. Mark was also considered an influencer since his socials had thousands of followers waiting for him to tell them what was hot and what was not.
“It’s surprisingly nice for…where we are. I guess the skiing is good so the wealthy likely visit, but I was surprised there wasn’t more. I should have known it wouldn’t be like Aspen.”
It didn’t surprise her that Mark was disdainful of her hometown. He wouldn’t see the beauty in either the land or the amazing people.
“My new job is a couple of stores down and I have to be there in—” she glanced down at her watch “—an hour and a half. So if you have something to say, you should say it.”
“I was unaware you had a new job.” Mark’s face probably would have frowned if it moved. He used way too much Botox. She knew some people who used it perfectly, but Mark went over the top. “Where on earth would you work out here? I mean beyond doing some private consulting or design. You’re obviously doing some of that.”
She wasn’t sure how what she was doing was private. “I’m working with the local rep theater. I used to do costume work before Parsons. I’m kind of getting back into it.”
Mark’s brows came together in seeming consternation or they tried to. “Costumes? You’ve worked at a major house. Don’t you know costume design is beneath you?”
It wasn’t. It was fun, and it was a strangely intellectual exercise. Instead of hoping to please some influencer on social media, she had to please a character, represent them. It was fulfilling in a way she hadn’t been in a long time.
Was she seriously starting to think about Cleo’s proposal?
“Hey, Brooke.” Stella brought over a carafe of coffee and pulled Brooke out of her thoughts. “How’s it going out on the G?”
Mark’s nose wrinkled like he was offended by Stella’s presence.
Well, she wasn’t going to tell that asshole that the woman currently serving them coffee was married to a billionaire, and her stepson was one of the most influential people in the art world. Nah. Way more fun to watch him hang himself. “It’s great. Oddly peaceful for having all those kiddos around.”