broke the gaze-lock first. “I don’t hate it. I run most of the operation.”
“He could bring someone else on board, if you wanted to do something on your own.”
“He’d never trust anyone outside the family. We have enough trouble with him second-guessing our contractors. I’m not going anywhere. I have no secret unfulfilled dreams.” Like you.
Chase chalked the sarcasm up to his brother’s financial worries. “I’ll help where I can. I’m here now.”
“Yeah, you are.” Fletcher managed a faint smile. “You being around has cheered him up, at least.”
“Not so I’ve noticed.”
“That’s the General. He can’t let on he’s pleased to the one who pleased him. You know that.”
They both shrugged, regarding each other with the familiar sense of being comrades-in-arms against their difficult father.
“If it helps, tell him the Chandler buy was my idea,” Chase said with a half smile. “He’d be pleased to have another example of my poor judgment. He hasn’t let up about Nevada once. He somehow thinks that screwup will finally scare me back home.”
“Will it?”
“No way. As soon as this is over, there’s a limited partnership investment deal in Portland they want me in on.”
“Yeah?”
“Meanwhile, I’ve got Sylvie to handle. She’s hurt and angry and I need her cooperation to do this right.” Far from being relieved to have Chase’s help, she seemed to doubt his competence based on those bad months three years ago.
“You’ll work it out, I’m sure. Frankly it wouldn’t hurt her to move on. Mary Beth says she lives and breathes the mall. She needs a personal life.” Fletch shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable that he’d said all that about Sylvie. He’d obviously been doing some thinking about her.
“Like you should talk. All you do is work, Fletcher. You’re just like Dad before Mom humanized him.”
Fletcher shrugged off his words, so Chase poked at him some more. “The Seattle guy’s out of the picture with Sylvie now. Maybe you should ask her out.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Fletcher’s brows shot up. He looked like someone had splashed his face with cold water.
“You do still have a thing for her.”
“Are you nuts? That was years ago…almost a decade.” But Fletcher was getting redder by the second.
“Did you even ask her out back then?”
“Once, yeah. She wasn’t into it.” He looked down at his desk.
“Things change. Feelings change.”
“Not Sylvie’s. Not about that.”
“If that’s true, get out there and find someone else. Fall in love, get married, get yourself a picket fence.”
Fletcher regarded him steadily. “You first, big brother.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“Right back at you. And I date plenty. Not by your standards, but who could keep up that pace?”
“My reputation far exceeds my deeds, trust me.”
“Whatever. Anyway, I’ve got work to do here.”
“So do I. I’m heading out to Home at Last.”
“Watch the photo radar with my car. It’s easy to speed with that much horsepower. They’ll mail the ticket to me.”
“If they do, I’ll pay for it.”
“Oh, you bet you will.” Chase was glad to see the edge back in his brother’s attitude. He hated to think that money troubles and the General had him so beaten down.
“I’m impressed you bought a convertible, dawg. Pretty impractical for Arizona. Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
“Say hello to Sylvie for me,” Fletcher said, ignoring the tease.
“Yeah?” Chase lifted a brow.
“We’re friends, Chase. I can send greetings to a friend. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
“Stop by the mall and say hi yourself. You’ll be impressed…with what she’s done with the mall, I mean.” He gave an exaggerated wink.
“Same old Chase.” Fletcher shook his head. “I’ll see you at supper. Nadia’s cooking your favorites as a welcome home.”
“My favorites? I didn’t know I had any.” Chase shrugged. “Tonight’s no good. Or tomorrow. I’ll ask her to push it forward.”
“You’re a busy guy.”
He was, but once he got in the car, Chase found his thoughts gravitating to Sylvie.
She was as sexy as ever, trim and curvy, with all that energy. Her hair had deepened from a light corn syrup to a dark honey, and her voice held more authority, but her eyes threw the same green sparks.
Her mouth was still built for sin, with a plump bottom lip and a dip in the top one that created a heart-shaped pillow he wanted to rest his mouth on for hours. Maybe days.
She smelled good, too. What was it? Fruit and spice? Cherry? Something edible anyway.
She had more self-confidence these days. She knew what she wanted. Like the mall job, for one.
How about in bed? Oh, yeah. He’d bet she knew exactly what she wanted in bed. Unlike that long-ago night.
Forget that night. It was old news and wrong even then.
Wrong because of the tequila, wrong because it was Sylvie’s first time, wrong because Chase never stuck around, wrong because Fletcher wanted her, too.
Growing up, she’d been like a little sister—big-eyed and eager, warm and sweet, quietly busy and always thinking.
If only he’d left that alone.
But it had been her twenty-first birthday and she’d been so sad when her mother didn’t show. He’d had to cheer her up. And if it hadn’t been for those damned peach margaritas she kept ordering he would have kept his hands to himself. He knew better. Hell, he was six years older.
Somehow, before he knew it those lips of hers were in kissing range and he was a goner. He just wanted to wrap her in his arms and make love to her all night.
He’d hurt her feelings when he stopped. But better she know he was a jerk up-front than find out later when he left, which he always did. Chase moved on.
Sylvie stuck around.
Hell,
