Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Coffee was served with a plate of blueberry scones on William’s balcony overlooking a stunning view of the city on its lake side. It was a calm evening with a light breeze that fluffed Sabrina’s hair every now and then and sent a tiny shiver dancing up her spine. To both sides of her, her men sat, sipping their drinks and scrolling through messages on their phones, tying up the loose ends of the day.

In a word, it was perfect. She envisioned ending every day this way, and she couldn’t think of anything better. It was nice to have company in her life, to know that she had someone to lean on and care for and to be cared for in return. There were no expectations beyond being there, enjoying their snacks and an occasional word in passing. They each had their own lives to manage and they respected that about one another.

It was the perfect setup, as far as she was concerned.

“So, any word on the Jacobs account?”

Conner’s casual question called Sabrina’s attention. Earlier that morning, William and Oliver had been sent off to meet with the owner of Jacobs International, a small shipping and receiving company of domestic goods. They’d been having a rough patch, and the guys thought that they could secure a bid. It was an “easy” turnaround, they claimed, something that had the potential to bring her father’s company millions in revenue in the coming years.

“The meeting went well,” William said, his nose still stuck in his phone, his thumb moving up and down on the screen. “Mr. Jacob isn’t sold yet, but he has our offer and is willing to consider it.”

“I think it’s still a little too early to count him in. He doesn’t seem eager to sell,” Oliver added.

Sabrina was disappointed to hear this. “Is he holding out for other offers?”

“I think it’s more that he wasn’t expecting to have to sell it, period,” Oliver clarified. “It’s a family business.”

“Much like our own,” William added with a knowing look her way. “It took a lot of time and effort for us to convince our father that we needed to do something as drastic as merging with your father’s company in order to save ours. He still isn’t happy about it, but I think he’s learning to accept it.”

“It’s always difficult to give up control, no matter what the topic,” Conner concluded. Then he reached out a hand and took Sabrina’s, lifting it to his mouth to place a kiss on the back of her knuckles. “Best decision we ever made though.”

She smiled, feeling that warm and fuzzy sensation in her belly whenever any of them looked at her like that.

“This feels like a polaroid moment,” William announced. When everyone just looked at him, he said, “Doesn’t it?”

Sabrina shared looks with everyone, gauging their responses. She didn’t want to be the one to say yes, especially after their discussions about keeping their relationship on the down-low. But she had to admit, she did like the idea of having some kind of physical validation that they were, in fact, in an active relationship. Otherwise, it felt like a dark and dirty secret, not to mention it leant more weight to it, as if somehow making it more real.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Oliver agreed, all smiles.

“What about keeping things secret.” Leave it to Conner to be the logical one.

William was already lifting out of his seat and readying his phone for the picture. “Who said it wasn’t going to stay between us? I just think it’s a nice idea to have some record of us, for us. It doesn’t have to leave this circle.”

Sabrina liked how he thought. It was logical too, but also less stringent. William understood how to work around constraints, thus making everyone happy.

Conner didn’t look too happy as Oliver got up and rounded the table, too, taking a stand behind her and bending down enough to rest his head on top of hers. William leaned in from her left, leaving a noticeable chill on her right.

“Are you going to join us or ride the sidelines like a ninny?” William taunted his brother.

With an annoyed glare, Conner grudgingly scooted his chair closer, until his body pressed against Sabrina’s.

William extended his arm, phone in front of them, the photo lens open and focused for a group selfie, and they all smiled when William commanded them to “say cheese.”

“Can you send me that?” Sabrina asked as they separated and went back to their original positions, Oliver lingering just long enough to drop a sweet kiss to her shoulder and whisper in her ear, “You’re beautiful.”

“Sure thing, angel.” William tapped a few things on his phone, and then she heard hers chime, alerting her to an incoming message.

Opening her instant messages, she found the picture and downloaded it with a smile. She already knew what she planned to do with it.

They kicked back a while longer, until the cool evening gave way to an even cooler night, and then retreated back inside.

“I think we should have a sleepover,” William suggested as everyone gathered in the living room. It was a posh decorated space, done up in reds, whites, and blacks, and glossy finishes everywhere.

Sabrina considered the stark difference in their personal tastes. Where she was more traditional, William was distinctly modern. While he did it well, it wasn’t her cup of tea, and she couldn’t envision getting used to all of the clean lines and museum quality feel.

“I have to be to work early,” Conner said dismissively. He’d been glued to his phone all night, and he still was. Whatever had his attention held it firm.

Sabrina approached him and hugged him from the side, choosing to ignore the way he moved his phone out of her eyesight. “Is everything okay? You’ve been distracted all night.”

“Everything’s good,” Conner said with a put-upon sigh and tucked his phone away in his pants pocket.

She wasn’t convinced. Conner’s body language was stiff and he didn’t seem at all connected tonight. “Are you sure?”

Leaning down, he pecked her on the forehead. “I’m sure.” Glancing up at his brothers, he said, “I need to head home. I have a few things to take care of before we head back into the office tomorrow.”

William and Oliver wore matching looks of disapproval and concern.

“Anything you can do there, you can do here, right? I have a computer you can use,” William offered.

Sabrina herself knew that Conner had the ability to access all of the corporate information relevant to him from any device, as long as he had the password. He did, and he had before. It eluded her as to why he wasn’t willing to do it now.

“No, that’s all right. It would be best if I work alone tonight. Less distractions.”

So now they were a distraction? Sabrina couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt by that.

“Do what you have to do,” Oliver told him, his tone cold and full of suspicion that echoed in Sabrina’s thoughts.

The idea that he was hiding something came back with a vengeance, and she had to remind herself that she was just being paranoid. Conner was no more hiding anything from her than his brothers. He just wanted time alone to figure something out, that much was clear. She just wanted to know what it was, and she had to trust that he would clue her in when he was ready. She needed to respect his privacy until then.

Once Conner left, Sabrina looked to William and Oliver for direction. It was the first time she’d been in any of their personal space, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. It was a given that she should just treat Will’s apartment as her home away from home, but it also felt presumptuous, so she erred on the side of caution, looking to them for a signal on what to do next.

“Well, looks like it’s just us tonight. What do you want to do?”

William’s words could easily be taken in a sexual way, but that was just Sabrina’s default thought process lately. They’d turned her into a wanton woman, ready, willing, and able to leap into their bed at a moment’s notice. However, William’s expression didn’t give any indication that’s what he meant. If anything, he seemed subdued, looking for real suggestions.

“We could watch a movie,” she suggested, clasping her hands in front of her in an obvious display of discomfort. She wasn’t sure of herself or anything in that moment.

“That could be good. Let’s see what’s on VOD.”

As someone who didn’t spend much time in front of the television, Sabrina had no idea what he was talking about. Fifteen minutes later, settled onto the couch between Ollie and Will with a bucket of freshly popped popcorn in her lap for them to share, the mystery was solved.

Selecting a video to rent “on demand” was easy and fun, especially since Sabrina hadn’t seen most of the options available.

William selected an action flick starring a handful of 80s action heroes, some with familiar faces, and as Sabrina munched on popcorn, she couldn’t help thinking that if Shawna were here now, she’d be beside herself with glee.

They were halfway into the film when her phone started buzzing in her pocket. Sabrina’s first inclination was to ignore it. She didn’t want anything interrupting her time with the guys, but the more persistent it became, the more she worried that it was something important.

Her thoughts went to her father, and she dug her phone out, pressing a button on the side to light up the screen. As she’d feared, it was her dad calling, and instant worry flared bright in her chest, her mind going wild with possibilities.

“Sorry,” she said as she handed off the half-empty bucket and stood. “I need to take this.”

Taking the call out onto the balcony, Sabrina slid the door shut behind her. She wasn’t sure what her father would have to say, but whatever it was, good or bad, she needed a moment alone to absorb it. Something inside her told her this call was going to change things.

“Sabrina, this is Dad.”

Her father’s voice was brisk, all business, just like she remembered it when she worked beside him all those years, but despite the business tone of it, she found herself getting choked up. It’d been forever since she’d last talked to him, or at least, that’s how it felt.

“Hey, Daddy, it’s good to hear your voice. How is everything going in paradise?”

That uneasy feeling inside her gut refused to go away, and she waited with bated breath for him to reveal the nature of his call. Was her mother okay? Was he okay?

“I wouldn’t know. We’re driving into the city as we speak.”

“What?” That had been most unexpected. Her father was supposed to be taking it easy, getting back on his feet. For him to be back in town, there had to be something big going on.

“I received some disturbing news last night,” he informed her, and Sabrina’s stomach began to roll.

The only conclusion she could come up with tied directly back to their last conversation, and her head turned ever so slightly, not enough to see over her shoulder and into the apartment where Will and Ollie waited for her to return, but that’s where her thoughts had gone.

This had everything to do with Conner’s odd behavior earlier; she just knew it.

“Listen, it’s late. I just wanted to give you the heads-up that I’ll be stopping by the office tomorrow. Get some sleep. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

She didn’t even get to say goodbye. The phone went silent, and she knew he’d hung up. It was so unlike him, the whole conversation, if it could even be called that, and that feeling in her stomach grew.

What was the possibility that he’d found evidence that the Hargreaves were playing them all for fools?

Shaking her head, she stowed her phone away. Sabrina refused to go there. Not again. Thinking that way, being on the defensive with people she’d vowed to place her trust with was nothing more than self-sabotage. Why was she even allowing herself to go down that road?

Her father was a bit of a control freak. She knew that. If he was back in town for business, it was probably because he’d heard something through the grapevine about one of their business dealings and couldn’t resist the allure to get back in there and get his hands dirty.

She’d just have to remind him of his doctor’s orders and send him packing again. He already knew that she had everything handled and he could trust her, but sometimes he needed a reminder. She’d give him that and then some.

Still, she couldn’t deny that he was back, even if it was for reasons she didn’t yet understand. She missed her father. It would be good seeing him again, however brief the reunion would have to be. Maybe they’d enjoy a nice lunch, the three of them, and then she and her mother would team up and make sure her father got back on track and back to his extended vacation.

There, that was settled. In her mind, Sabrina closed the door on the whole thing and decided to go on with her night. But as she slid the heavy glass door open and stepped back inside, she realized just how tired she was. She felt drained, and she knew if she sat back down on that couch, all warm and snug between her guys, she’d only fall asleep.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Ollie leaned his head back on the couch and looked over at her. The movie still played on the screen, loud explosions filling the room, but it was obvious that neither he nor William were watching it anymore. Ollie because he’d been waiting for her to return, and William because he was completely zonked out.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. That was just my dad. He wanted me to know he was going to be stopping by the office in the morning.” She tried to make it sound like no big deal, even though it most definitely was.

Ollie’s brows scrunched up in the middle. “I thought he was on permanent hiatus.”

Sabrina spread her hands out in front of her, all “what are you gonna do?”

“That was the plan, but you know businessmen. Can’t stay away to save their life.” She chuckled, but her statement was literal. It was imperative that her father no longer be in the thick of the workplace environment. It was far too stressful, and his heart just couldn’t take it anymore.

Ollie just laughed with her. “Well, I look forward to seeing him then.” He sighed as he leaned forward and grabbed the remote from the table. “I don’t know about you,” he said, clicking off the television, “but I’m beat. Ready to head to bed?”

Sabrina was about to say yes, but then she remembered something. “I don’t actually have anything here to change into.”

“That’s no problem. I’m sure Willie would be fine with you borrowing a couple things.” He had that soft, playful smile as he stood and turned toward her, and she could already envision being wrapped in his strong embrace, nestled up tight against his chest, listening to his heart beat against her ear as she fell asleep. It was her favorite thing to do these days, but Sabrina had to be practical.

“Actually, it’s a problem. I also don’t have anything I need to get ready for the office in the morning.” Regrettably, she added, “I think I’m going to have to ask for a rain check on the sleepover.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to wear clothes to the office, right?”

“While I may be in charge, I’m pretty sure there are laws against that sort of thing.” She laughed and winked at him. Closing the distance, she flattened her hands on his chest and reached up on her toes to kiss him. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

Oliver’s hands wound around her waist. “Who said there has to be a later?”

“I did.” She pushed away, severing contact before this got out of control and she didn’t leave after all. “If I stay any longer, I won’t have any energy left to get home. I’m already half asleep.”

“Maybe that’s the plan.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“What’s the plan?” William’s sleepy voice claimed their attention, and Sabrina looked over to see him reaching his arms into the air to stretch. He let out a loud yawn next, then stood up. “Wow, how long was I out?”

“Not long,” Oliver supplied.

“Then why does it feel like I missed something?” William sized them up, reading the feel of the room.

“I’m not going to be able to stay over tonight after all,” Sabrina informed him. “I didn’t bring anything that I need to get ready with me, and I need to be in the office early.”

“Her father’s in town. He plans to show up at work tomorrow, so she’s getting the jump on him.”

William gave her a knowing look. “Making sure everything is neat and tidy before big daddy rolls in to case the joint?”

“Basically.” She intended to get there before her father and finish up any paperwork that needed finishing, as well as tidying up. Her dad had always been a stickler for a clean workplace, and she’d been letting her office go lately. She was giving herself an hour head start to straighten up her office and get things in order before his grand appearance.

“Then we won’t keep you.” William approached, wrapping her up in a giant bear hug. “Will we, Ollie?”

Oliver surprised her. “Actually, ‘Brina has a point. I didn’t bring anything either, so I should head out too.”

“Everyone is abandoning me,” William lamented.

Sabrina cupped his stubbled jaw in her hand. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you too.”

“Too? It sounds like you have a lot of that going around.”

“She already promised me,” Oliver said with a grin.

“Maybe we can do this again tomorrow night,” she suggested. “We still have to finish the movie anyway.”

“If you bring cake, you got a deal.”

She smiled up at William. “Deal.”

They sealed it with a kiss, and then she was slipping on her shoes by the front door. Already, Sabrina regretted leaving. She’d wanted to sleep beside her guys. It was always the best rest she had, and anymore, sleeping alone was just plain lonely.

Oliver walked her out, and they took the Hargreaves’ private car back to her place first. With a sweet kiss good night, he let her go, waiting until she was safely inside the building before the driver pulled away.

Sabrina’s mood threatened to deflate. Being in her apartment alone didn’t feel right anymore. She missed the brothers’ presence, and they’d only been separated for a short time. It didn’t bode well for her if things didn’t work out in the long run. She may never sleep again.

Shaking off the disturbing thoughts that didn’t warrant consideration, she rode the elevator in silence, reaching her apartment door a couple of minutes later.

She’d been right. The apartment felt cold and lifeless without them here, and sadness began to creep in. It was late, but was it too late to gather a few things and run back to William’s place? Or maybe Ollie’s? Yes, it was. William was probably already asleep, and Oliver soon would be. She had no idea what Conner was up to, but she could imagine that he was burning the midnight oil. He just seemed the type.

As she got ready for bed, occasionally reaching down to run a hand down Binx’s back, as he’d been winding himself around her legs since she’d walked in, Sabrina imagined them all living under the same roof, what their routines would be like. Ollie would be the laid-back one, the one who was always up for a good cuddle. William would be a touch more serious, but just as playful as she’d come to know him to be. And Conner? Well, he’d probably be the one to come to bed late, after everyone fell asleep, always preoccupied by the coming day’s agenda.

Together, they’d balance each other out, show one another a better way of doing things, and together, they could be truly happy.

It seemed like such a fairy tale coming true, Sabrina was afraid to put too much thought into it beyond that. She didn’t want to get her hopes up only to be let down. For now, she wanted to live in the moment.

But as she pulled back the covers on the bed and prepared to get in, her feline roommate turning in circles at the foot of the bed in preparation for his own good-night’s sleep, she turned her attention to her phone instead. She had to see the picture of the four of them one more time first. With a couple of taps, she was looking down at their handsome faces, and then her own. She looked…happy. Not that fake kind of smile people put on for show, but genuinely happy.

She credited that to them.

Her guys were changing her, and, she felt, for the better.

Reenergized, she left the room with her phone in hand. She’d had an idea earlier what she wanted to do with that picture, and despite the hour, she didn’t want to wait a second more to bring it to reality.

Firing up the printer she kept at the corner office space she’d set up in a wedge of space between the dining and living room, she loaded up the picture paper and connected her phone with the device.

In a matter of moments, she held a physical copy of their budding relationship in her hands. On her way back to the bedroom, she picked up a sparkling gold leaf frame containing a generic picture of a puppy leaping into the sky to catch a Frisbee, and peeled off the backing. Once the picture of the four of them was tucked safely inside, she set it down on the bedside table.

There. The perfect image to go to sleep and wake up to. It would be her daily reminder of what she had and what she had to look forward to. Climbing into bed, she clicked off the light and closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her face.

She had her work, respect of her colleagues, and three amazing men in her life who would do just about anything for her. Life didn’t get much better than that.