28. Mae - The Family Re

Mae - The Family Reunion

Chapter twenty-eight

It's been a while, and I'm starting to feel increasingly bad for banishing Dean into his cold house. So, I announce that I'm going to go over there and welcome him back to ours.

"You can't do that," Dylan protests.

"Why not?" I'm so confused.

"Because."

"Because why?"

He quickly looks at Coral, who is watching something on TV with Mina, and then he asks if I'll talk with him in the next room.

I follow him.

"My dad isn't home," he whispers.

"What? Where is he?" I can't imagine where he'd go in the storm.

"At a strange building a few miles away."

My eyebrows furrow. "Why?"

"Because that's where Coral went when she said she was going to try to go home."

"How do you know that, Dyl?"

"We share locations with each other and I saw her at that location earlier."

"Wait. When did he leave?"

"Right after I delivered that hot chocolate to him."

"That was hours ago." I grab my car keys and tell everyone that I'm going to run to the gas station quickly.

"What do you need that we don't already have here?" Grandpa Bob asks.

"Feminine products." Since I was a kid, that always got him off my back.

"Okay."

"Be right back." Then, I ask Dylan to tell me generally where this building is, and I head out.

But right before I'm about to turn out of our driveway, I see Dean's car barreling down the road, and he parks.

So, I stop.

"What is going on?" I ask. He looks like he's just seen a ghost.

And that's when a man who looks surprisingly like him also gets out of the car.

"Mae, this is my brother, Ryan."

Brother? That's right! He did mention having one.

Coral then comes storming out, and her face contorts in confusion after she sees them.

"I think you and Ryan have a bit of explaining to do," Dean suggests.

"What?" Again, she seems genuinely perplexed. But she walks into the house.

"Go," Dean instructs his brother, after he appears to resist.

With all of us around the table, he then explains how his brother almost tanked his father's company.

"Now, tell me why you were at his makeshift office today, Coral."

"On my way home, uh…I—I went to drop a file off for James. He said his company was thinking about buying the building, and he wanted to know what contractors you were planning to work with, for reference. I never saw Ryan."

"Who is James, again?" I ask.

"He works in the office with us," Coral responds. "I've been doing random little tasks for him when I have time."

Then, it seems like Dean has put everything together because he faces his brother and asks, "So, what was the plan, Ryan?"

"Well, once I heard about you backing out of the deal, I thought you were an idiot. So, James and I stepped in to get the job done for you."

"I'm so, so sorry. I swear, I knew nothing about this plan or that Ryan was involved. I didn't think to question—" Coral quickly says.

Dean raises his hand. "Don't worry about it. You've been loyal to me for years, Coral. I trust you."

She lets out a long exhale.

With that taken care of, his attention turns once more to Ryan. "You had no right to do that. And you absolutely have no right to operate under our company's name."

"Hey, my last name is there, too."

"But it only says ‘Son.'" That's me. Not you. Dad didn't want you anywhere near the company he spent his life developing. I can't believe this." He slams his hand down violently.

"Kids…"

"Yeah, we know. We'll go in the other room," Mina says.

"Thank you."

"Okay, tell me how bad the damage is," Dean mutters.

"Well, I had a meeting with someone at the bank."

Ryan is so nonchalant that I want to punch his cocky face but instead, I laugh. "There's no way they gave you a loan."

"No, but they did when they thought I was you."

Dean suddenly gets up and looks like he's about to charge at his brother.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down," Coral says, and I reach out for Dean's shoulder. I hope my touch will make him come to his senses, and it seems to do the trick.

"You're right. Sorry."

With him a little tamer, I sneak over to the landline and make a call to the police.

Grandpa notices what I'm doing, and he gives me a thumbs-up.

Before we know it, there are sirens blaring.

"You said you wouldn't get the police involved," Ryan says to Dean.

"He didn't. I did. You can't come in here and threaten my family and think there won't be consequences."

His eyes are filled with hate for me, but I just smile as I watch him get handcuffed and carted off.

"Mr. Cornel, you are being placed under arrest for loan fraud."

We all sort of just stare at each other for what seems like minutes.

Then a collective hug returns us too reality.