style="font-size:15px;"> “And what does that mean for you?”
“You know I never stay around for the retreats.” Tielle favored Laura with a wink. “That’s what I pay my team of savvy fixers to do.”
“But aren’t you curious?” Laura’s voice was hushed.
“I’m not even a little curious.” Tielle gestured as though she were wiping her hands. “I plan to call Faro, hash out the details for the event and then get the hell out of here before the first Clegg arrives.”
“And what’ll you do if you’re one of the Cleggs he wants here?”
Tielle only hesitated momentarily before saying, “I’m not a Clegg anymore.”
“Because of him,” Laura reminded. “What if he wants to fix what he broke between you and Grae?”
“Faro didn’t break anything, Laura.” Tielle shook her head defiantly. “The prize for all that goes to me and my ex-husband.”
* * *
Though the decision was already made, Tielle gave herself a couple of days more before making things official with Faro. His unexpected call the week before had better prepared her to hear his voice when his assistant patched him through. Yet memories stirred of the good and bad times comprising her old life and made getting through the call more of a chore than was expected.
“My assistant, Laura Cooper, will be your facilitator for the event. We’ll be forwarding an information packet for you to review and sign,” she said as the call rounded out. “You can give her a call with any questions.”
“And can you be reached at this number, or is your cell still the best?”
“No, they’re both fine, but you won’t need to talk to me since Laura will be handling it all.”
“Smart move. That way you’ll have the chance to enjoy the retreat as a guest.”
“Guest?” Tielle stopped the idle tap of a pump-shod foot against the bottom drawer of her desk. “Faro, I’m no longer involved once the initial organization of the event is handled. I never take part in the retreats—least of all as a guest.”
“Understood. But I will need you to make a special exception in this case.”
“Faro...I—”
“This is your family, too.”
“Faro, not even when I was married to Grae. It was never my family.”
“Don’t you think it’s time to change that?” he challenged.
Tielle puffed out her cheeks, her taps to the bottom desk drawer gaining force. “Faro, considering the fact that your brother and I are divorced—”
“For only a year.”
“Divorced is divorced.”
“He still loves you, Ti.”
“Don’t do this, Faro. It’s long past time. I’m as done with this as Grae is.”
“Humph. Well, Ti, that’d mean you aren’t done at all. Honey, Grae...well, he’s changed a lot since he lost you.” Faro’s sigh carried on a defeated breath. “That...bad side that people hope they never see, much less have directed their way, is pretty much all they have to work with these days.”
“That’s got nothing to do with me.” Tielle gave a nervous tug to the end of her low ponytail. “That bad side is pretty much all I saw toward the end and that was before he lost me, Faro.”
“He lost you because of me—”
“Faro—”
“That kind heart of yours won’t let you admit that, but you know it’s true. I need to fix things with you as much as I do with my blood relatives.”
“Faro, listen to me.” She kept her tone measured as though she were speaking to a recalcitrant child. “I have no anger that I’m holding on to toward you. I need you to accept that.”
“All right, Tielle, all right. But I need honest emotion from everyone. I won’t get that from Grae unless you’re there.”
“So Grae is coming?” Tielle tried to sound airy, but merely came off as nonplussed.
“I’m still working on it, but my chances would be better at encouraging him if you—”
“I don’t want to play those games, Faro.”
“Tielle, I need you guys there if I plan to start mending those fences. That’s all. I’d think you of all people could appreciate that.”
Tielle pushed out of her chair and gave the air a frustrated kick when she stepped from behind her desk.
“Ti?” Faro called when long silence had held the line.
“I’ll do my best to be there and that’s the best answer I can give you right now.”
“Understood.” Faro sounded as though her words translated into a flat yes to his request.
Tielle heard the glee loud and clear, but she had no energy to stifle it then. “Goodbye, Faro.” She disconnected without waiting for a farewell from his end.
* * *
Back in Portland, Oregon, Faro Clegg’s smile mirrored his inner glee. That emotion, however, was short-lived when a knock hit the door and his brother walked into the office without waiting on permission to enter.
“Got all your RSVPs in place?” Grae asked, giving Faro’s desk an assessing bronzed stare.
“As usual, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Right.” Grae waved the invite to the retreat he’d received and watched Faro’s tired smirk transform to one of knowing.
“All RSVPs received, but one,” Faro admitted, nodding toward the one his brother waved. “Thanks for coming to reply in person.”
“Tell me more about it,” Grae urged.
Faro pushed his chair back a little from his desk. “Just a family get-together. Thought we could use it, and who better than the two biggest troublemakers to set it all in motion?”
“So you expect me to be there, why? Because of Tielle?”
“I thought she’d be the best motivator, yes, but no one, no place is better at giving folks what they need to fix their issues than Tielle and her people there.”
“Is she helping you with this?” Grae’s voice had taken on a leaden quality. One that sent more menace into his bottomless voice.
“No.” Again, honesty shone in Faro’s dark face. “I’ll be lucky if I can even get her to stick around for it.”
Grae’s
