18. Someone Like Him

18

SOMEONE LIKE HIM

T he following Monday, Laken still had those words in her head that Jamie would do anything to protect his daughter.

That meant in her mind that she’d always be second in his life. If they got to a point where she even rated.

She had to decide if that was going to be good enough for her or not.

For now, she was going to do what she’d said. She was going to tell her brothers.

She felt she was in the clear to do it now. Last week Lily and Braylon had gotten into a huge fight and she was more concerned about her brother and his relationship rather than sharing something new in her life.

Part of Braylon’s fight had to do with Thomas, who was the Vice President of Legal and Braylon’s boss who found information on Lily. Things Braylon didn’t know and acted like an ass about.

It reminded her that Jamie wasn’t the only one in her life who might have something in their background they were embarrassed or ashamed of.

She’d told him that over the weekend too.

That Abby had been concerned her mother’s mental illness and drug addictions would bring shame on West. Her older brother laughed it off and said it was no reflection on Abby.

Braylon had agreed with West, yet when Thomas found out that Lily’s mother was in prison for armed robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder, he’d all but lost his mind that the love of his life had lied to him.

There’d been no lying, just Lily not giving all the facts, but it’s not like Braylon ever asked specifics though he knew Lily had no relationship with her mother.

Laken learned her lesson from her brothers and made sure she asked questions of Jamie.

Thankfully, he wasn’t offended and it didn’t appear he kept anything in.

“Where is Braylon?” she asked, walking into West’s office early on Monday. It was barely seven thirty.

“He’ll be here on time,” West said. “He normally is. You’re early.”

“Only five minutes,” she said. “Oh, coffee, I need it.”

“Braylon is bringing it up,” West said.

She forgot on Monday Lily normally had to pick up coffee for her boss and others and that was where Braylon had met his girlfriend.

“I wish he was bringing food too,” she said. “I’m starving.”

“You should eat before you leave in the morning,” West said. “But call and have whatever you want to be brought over.”

When Braylon walked in with three cups of coffee, she went right for the specialty one that she knew was hers.

There was enough cream and sugar in it to get her through.

“I’m good now that my big brother brought me this. Thanks.”

“I’m not late,” Braylon said. “It’s seven twenty-eight.”

“It is,” she said. “How is Lily doing?”

“Fine,” Braylon said. “I think Stella is ignoring her like she normally does when her nose is in a twist.”

She snorted over that comment about Lily’s boss.

“That’s not a bad thing,” she said. “People always get what is coming to them in the end.”

She looked to West to see if he was going to address the fact that he’d let Thomas go and no one was running the legal department and that Braylon should be promoted.

“I believe they do,” Braylon said.

Her brothers both had their laptops open and were going to get ready to work, but she didn’t want to dive into that just yet.

“Before we start,” she said. “I need to let you guys know I’m dating someone.”

Both of them looked up sharply at her. “What?” Braylon said.

“That’s right,” she said. “I’m coming to you and saying it now.”

“How long has this been going on?” West asked.

“Yeah,” Braylon said. “It’s not like you’re ever even around. You’re leaving tomorrow, right?”

“I am,” she said. “I’ll be back on Thursday night.”

She hated she had to fly out again, but it was what she did most of the time. Even after new companies were under West’s umbrella for months, they weren’t always completely ready for her to be done with them.

“Who is this guy?” West asked. “Or can’t we know that? I guess the fact that you’re telling us means it’s been going on under our noses for a while.”

“Like Braylon,” she said.

“Hey,” Braylon said. “I wasn’t keeping it quiet.”

“Well,” she said. “To be honest, I kind of am but know that might not be the case. And since I know some things about him and he’s in the public eye, you might see us out together.”

“Who is it?” West asked. “You keep avoiding that.”

“It’s Jamie Wilde,” she said.

West smirked. “Seriously. Who is it?”

She wasn’t expecting this.

“I think she’s being serious,” Braylon said. “She looks ready for steam to come out of her ears.”

“It’s Jamie,” she repeated. “It hasn’t been long. Just a few dates.”

“But you’re telling us now?” West asked.

“Why did you tell us so quickly about Abby?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“Oh,” West said. “Really? I never pictured you with someone like him.”

“What is wrong with him?” she asked.

“Calm down,” Braylon said. “Man, West, you’re working her up and it’s not even about work yet. And we’ll get to the work part soon, I’m sure.”

“He’s not your type because you don’t follow sports,” West said. “You didn’t even know who he was. You don’t like any man that gets more attention than you either.”

“That’s not true,” she said. “I hate attention on me outside of the family.”

“Exactly,” Braylon said. “Which is what I think West means. Jamie can’t exactly go many places without being seen so the question is how you’ve been able to keep this quiet.”

“We’ve had two dates. Technically dates,” she said. “One lunch at a place he picked out not far from his home. We weren’t bothered when we were there. They know him there. But when we left people were wanting his picture and autograph.”

“What did you do?” West said.

“Nothing. I got in my car and left. I was dressed for work. Some people might have assumed it was a business lunch.”

“Which you both could have pushed it off as even though Jamie isn’t ready for the business to be public yet,” West said.

She knew that. It was why the plant that was purchased fell under West’s company. No one would see Jamie’s name on anything just yet.

“We’ll get to the work part soon,” Braylon said. “Two dates and you’re telling us. Where was the second one?”

“He came to my place on New Year’s Eve,” she said.

“Did he stay the night?” West asked.

She felt her face blush and didn’t know why.

She was a grown woman who was far from a virgin.

Her brothers were always protective of her, but this was nuts.

“None of your business,” she said. “I don’t ask you those things.”

Braylon was only grinning, then shrugged. “I know better than to say a word about it.”

“That’s right,” she said. “I’ve gotten close to him since we’ve been working together.”

“You’re not around much to get close to anyone,” West said. “It’s only been six weeks since I even told you about the business. You’ve been on the road some of it. He travels and has other responsibilities on top of it.”

“I wasn’t aware you followed my life that closely,” she said, crossing her arms. “No one does that to you.”

“It’s my job to look out for you,” West said.

“Oh man,” Braylon said. “This is some entertainment. Keep it up. Wish I had popcorn.”

“Put a cork in it,” she said to Braylon, then turned back to West. “I don’t need anyone to protect me now. I know you felt you had to do it for years when we were growing up. We all appreciate it. Every single one of us. But I’m thirty-one years old and don’t need you to give me shit over a guy I sleep with.”’

Braylon started to laugh and West’s face got that boardroom domineering look to it.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” West said.

“Don’t make me get up and walk out of this office. Or better yet, call your future wife and get her on my side. You know damn well she is going to be.”

West calmed down after that. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I’m sure you know he has a reputation.”

“I do,” she said. “Years ago. And you know as well as I do he’s not that person anymore and why. The door is shut so we can say it. He changed once his daughter was born. He is fully committed to her and won’t do anything to bring negativity toward her. He doesn’t even want the public to know about her yet. Being protective and all. Just like you. ”

“She has you there,” Braylon said.

“Thank you,” she said to Braylon. “He’s not the same person he was years ago, but he’s not denying he was that person either. I’d never be around someone like he was back then. You claim you know me so well, then am I wrong?”

“No,” West said.

“That’s right. You told me to give him a chance and listen to his story and I did. Maybe I like the man he is.”

“Have you met his daughter?” Braylon asked.

She sighed. “Yes. He didn’t want me to but then admitted he knew having me meet at his house before we went to the plant to meet Nelson that there was a chance it could happen. Penelope is a sweetheart. Seeing the two of them together was adorable.”

Bringing up images in her brain of what she would have wanted out of her father.

If her father had been around.

Or if there weren’t seven other kids he had to spread his attention out to on those rare times he was home.

Her father did the best he could and she knew it. He was a great father when he had the chance to be one.

“Do you know the story behind why he has custody of his daughter?” West asked.

“I do. I know you don’t know it all,” she said.

“I know that Penelope’s mother isn’t alive,” West said. “Nothing more.”

“That’s right. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does as his business partner if it’s going to affect things,” Braylon said. “You know that.”

She let out another sigh. If it was anyone else, she’d agree with that.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect anything. Penelope’s mother never wanted a child. You know that. He told me he told you.”

“He did. He said he brought his daughter home from the hospital. He named her and she has been only his from the moment she was born.”

“That’s right,” she said. “And then the woman who carried her died months later. End of story. It’s not Penelope’s mother. Penelope doesn’t have a mother and I’m not going to refer to that woman as such since I know the facts.”

“How do you feel about the fact that someone is always going to have more of his attention than you?” Braylon asked. “That a child will come first?”

She wanted to argue that was mean to say but wouldn’t. It was an honest question.

“I’m fine with it. I don’t think I’d want to be with a man that put others before their children. Not this young. I think of how much it would have hurt us if Mom found some man when we were all home. If she put him before us. I can look at it from the other side since we were all pretty much raised by a single mother even when Dad was alive.”

“She has a point,” Braylon said looking at West.

“Are you going to tell Mom?” West asked.

“At some point. Why?”

“Just asking,” West said.

“We’ve had to go through it,” Braylon said. “You know she’s got it in her mind that you should be trying. Maybe save yourself more comments. She made a few at Christmas. And that stands to reason why you didn’t say anything a few weeks ago.”

“Because there wasn’t much to say,” she said. “Maybe we were just at the flirting and feeling it out stage.”

They’d kissed but nothing more. She was trying to block out that kiss and it wasn’t happening.

She wondered if Jamie hadn’t sent her that text on Christmas Day if she would have made the move.

“Does he know you’re telling us?” West asked.

“Yes. Full disclosure. Penelope came up. I know he was on the fence telling me the truth of it all. I offered an olive branch and said this wasn’t a fly by night thing in my mind. No one knows what will happen, but at least I’m trying. If we can figure schedules out.”

“His work schedule will be lighter in six weeks,” Braylon said. “Once the Super Bowl is over.”

“And I’m trying to clear things up so I can spend more time here too. We’ll see how it goes. Just know that work and what we’ve got outside of work won’t cross over or interfere. Your investment is safe.”

“I never doubted that,” West said.

“Thanks for that at least. You only doubt my choice in men?”

“Considering you never let us meet half the men you might be dating, I can’t doubt a lot,” West said.

“Come on now. Alex was a dick. We all knew it. Let’s not forget about him,” Braylon said.

She rolled her eyes and wasn’t surprised that Braylon would bring up the man she dated for a year when she’d first moved to Manhattan.

That was her first step into the arena of being used for who she was related to.

She’d been locked up tight after that lesson.

“I’d prefer we did forget about him,” she said. “He’s in the past and it’s over with. And now we can talk about the present and future unless you both have more questions about my love life.”

“Love?” Braylon asked.

“Figure of speech,” she said.

“If you say so,” West said, smirking.

He went from being a dickhead older brother to now being playful.

She was starting to wonder if he’d done that on purpose to see how much she’d defend the man she just started to date.

Damn it. Did she just fall for one of her brother’s ploys without knowing?