21. Not Holding Anything Back

"Congrats," Braylon said to West first thing on Monday morning.

"Thanks," West said. "I have to admit I was sweating it a bit. I wasn't sure if she'd say yes or not."

"She'd be crazy to say no," he said.

"I think so, but that is just my opinion. I did mess up pretty royally in the beginning. On more than one occasion."

West hadn't even told Abby who he was when they first met and had their vacation fling. But once they were back home, he had planned to tell her.

It was just Abby found out first and that started the first of many little arguments and insecurities between the two.

"That's why I'm learning from your mistakes," he said, laughing.

"I'm here," Laken said, running in the door. "Sorry, I overslept and that isn't like me."

"You should have been off this weekend," Braylon said to his sister.

"There is no such thing as being off. You know that. But if you got a few days off, good for you."

He sighed. "I didn't do much more than check email on Wednesday and Thursday. I took care of a few things Friday morning, then Lily showed me around Lake Placid."

"Lily?" Laken asked. "When did you start calling her that?"

"When her family greeted her that way. Guess she's always gone by it and when she moved here she wanted to be more professional."

"Oh," Laken said. "I can see that. You guys don't know what it's like being a woman and trying to work your way up."

They'd heard this more than once. "Nope, we have different body parts," he said. "But Lily said later that those that she is closest to, those she loves and love her, call her Lily."

"Are you in loooooooove?" Laken asked.

"I am. I told her. I'm not holding anything back. As I said to West before you ran in here, I learned from his mistakes and am not making any of my own."

"Please," Laken said. "You aren't as perfect as you think you are."

"Mom tells me I am," he said.

"Speaking of Mom," West said, "she understood why you weren't there for Thanksgiving, but she brought up Christmas a few times."

"I'll be there with Lily. I'm going to call her soon and tell her."

"Good," Laken said. "Or not good because the more of you that start falling, the more Mom is looking at the rest of us."

"Maybe if you showed this side of yourself to men they wouldn't run for the hills so fast."

"Hey," Laken said. "If they aren't strong enough to stand up to me or stick around, then they aren't good enough for me."

"Laken will never let any man walk all over her," West said. "And we taught her that."

"I know," he said. "But sometimes you've got to bend. You know that now, West."

His big brother only grinned. "I do. I got the woman in the end. I'll talk to Abby and see if Trevor wants to fly with us for Christmas. I know Mom wants to meet him. They will have wedding plans to talk about. Trevor isn't paying for a thing, but I know he is going to want to."

"That's low," Laken said. "Using Mom to sweet talk the guy into letting you do it and tell him how wonderful of a person you are."

"You do what you have to," West said. "And I am a wonderful person. Trevor knows that now. He gave me his blessing for the engagement. Even told me what ring to get."

He'd seen the picture of the ring. Not nearly as big as he expected his brother to do, but Trevor would have told West that Abby would never wear anything bigger. If he knew his brother, the band would be equally as big to make up for it.

Which just reminded him of the fake two-carat diamond that Lily had worn before. He'd never get anything that small.

But she was like Abby too and might not want anything bigger.

Then he wondered why he was thinking those things when he'd known her less than three months, been dating about two.

What was it they'd said? When you know, you know.

West had known all along.

He was just like his brother at times though he hated to be compared.

"Sounds like it's all working out for you," Laken said, hugging them both. "See, I can be soft with my brothers."

It must have been the shocked look on their faces. "You can be," Braylon said. "You need to let other people know that too."

Laken waved her hand. "Nah. I'm good this way. And Abby is going to call me about work, right, West?"

"She will," West said. "I'm shocked I was able to get her to agree to it, but it helped with everything you said on Thanksgiving."

"What am I missing?" Braylon asked. He assumed Abby would be moving here. "You said Abby would never work for you."

"She's not going to work for West," Laken said. "She's going to work for me."

He kept the frown from his face. He'd love if Lily could work with Laken but wouldn't ask that.

"Doing what? I thought she did HR?"

"She does," Laken said. "But she writes all the policies and procedures. Handbooks and such. I can't deal with that with each acquisition. It's getting harder and harder to shuffle duties and communication around. I've said before I needed someone on my team to deal with those things. At Thanksgiving I joked—but wasn't really joking—that I needed someone with Abby's skills. She can work remotely or come in with West if she wants. Everything she will do will be behind the scenes."

"She isn't going to travel with you?" he asked.

"I doubt it. Unless she wants to. She and I will figure it out," Laken said. "The paperwork is getting out of hand at times. She's organized and I need that."

"You also need an assistant," West said.

His sister waved her hand. "I've got it covered. It's not my fault my brother buys something new every time I turn around."

Braylon kept his mouth shut when he wanted to say Lily would be great.

They'd think he was nuts, and after two months, the last thing he should be doing was making that suggestion.

Lily wouldn't want it anyway.

"Got to find something for Nelson to settle in at," West said. "Then there's Talia."

"Don't remind me," Laken said. "I'm out of here."

"Did I miss anything else at Thanksgiving?" he asked.

"I wasn't there long enough," West said. "Just the holiday and you know how crazy it is with all of us together. Laken and Foster flew home with Abby and me on Friday morning."

West and Abby had to get to Colonie for the wedding on Saturday.

"They probably loved having the excuse to leave early," he said.

"Foster never likes being with everyone," West said.

"And he hates flying commercial. Especially during the holidays."

"Laken is a pro at jumping on planes, but she said she had things to do."

"Do you think she'll ever slow down?" he asked.

"I doubt it," West said. "She's like you and wants to prove herself to me. You both can relax. You've done it."

West always knew the right things to say. "Just got to make sure Thomas knows those things."

"Is he giving you a hard time?" West asked.

"Nope. Nothing I can't handle. Forget I said it."

He left after that and went to his office only to see Thomas standing in the hallway waiting for him.

"It's about time you got here. Or are you still on holiday time?"

"I've been here for over thirty minutes meeting with West," he said. "Is there something you need?"

"Your stuff wasn't in your office," Thomas said. "Or I would have known you were here."

He'd come in and saw West's light on and went straight there with his bag and jacket on.

"Do you normally go through my office?" he asked.

Thomas flushed. "No. Your light wasn't on and your stuff was not here. I assumed you were still enjoying time with your girlfriend."

It was the way Thomas said "girlfriend" that got to him.

Thomas was annoyed for some reason when he found out about Lily. Then he'd made comments about her being young and probably using him.

Not words to Braylon's face, but to other people in the department. It got back to him.

He kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word to anyone about what he'd heard.

He'd bide his time if he had to.

"You assumed wrong," he said, walking into his office, flipping on the light, taking his jacket off and hanging it up behind the door, then putting his bag on his desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a call to make first. I'll be ready for our meeting in thirty minutes unless you need something right now that can't wait?"

"No," Thomas said. "It can wait."

He watched the older man leave his office.

Braylon hated to feel like he was always being watched.

He shut his door and picked up his phone. He had to call his mother first.

"Morning," his mother said. "How was your holiday? I didn't want to bother you while you were gone."

His mother had texted him on Thanksgiving Day, but that was it. He knew she was busy cooking and visiting with her kids.

"It was good," he said. "Lily's sister and her family are great. She goes by Lily at home."

"You didn't know this?" his mother asked.

"Nope. Her niece called her it first and then let it slip she always went by Lily and changed it to sound more professional."

"I could understand that," his mother said. "It's just a name."

He could see where it might not be just a name though. "Most likely," he said because it was easier to agree. "But I'm calling her Lily now. It fits her better. Especially seeing her around her family. She said those closest to her call her Lily."

"Which would be you," his mother said.

"I love her. I'd consider that close," he said.

He heard his mother laugh. "When do I get to meet Lily now?"

"Christmas," he said. "She worried you'd be mad at her for having me go with her for Thanksgiving."

"Never," his mother said. "I have a brother too. I always knew we'd have to share holidays. Your father's parents were alive back then and he has a brother too."

His mother had a brother who had nine kids. It's like they were made to reproduce in the family. His father's brother had four kids. Still a lot by today's standards but not nearly what his mother's side had. West and he were the oldest of them all and not close with many since they moved so much.

"Good to know," he said. "I'm not sure what day we'll arrive. She took the whole week off, she said. But Quinn and Max are going to be close by for Christmas break with the kids too. I offered to get them hockey tickets one day that week. I know Lily will want to at least see them at some point again."

"I'm glad you found someone with the same family values as we've got," his mother said. "I can't wait to meet her."

"You'll love her," he said.

"I'm sure I will. Laken and Abby had wonderful things to say about her."

He wasn't surprised that he'd been talked about while he wasn't there.

"Good to know. I've got to get ready for a meeting with Thomas so he doesn't come in here and look for me again."

"When are you going to let your brother know Thomas is controlling like that?"

"Never," he said. "Thomas is my boss."

"West is your boss. Thomas has a title higher than yours and you know it, but it's pretty meaningless when it comes to West on most things."

"It doesn't work that way, Mom. I'm sure West is aware. If he wants to do something about it, he will."

His mother sighed on the other end. "Maybe he's waiting for you to step up."

"I've proven myself to him. He even told me earlier that Laken and I shouldn't work so hard. We have nothing to prove."

"Good for your brother," his mom said. "I'm glad he sees that. I'll let you go."

"Talk to you soon."

He hung up and got to work so he didn't have to put up with Thomas's shit anymore today.

Could he say something to West?

Sure, he could, but he wouldn't. At least not yet.