Page 65 of Micah
“Thanks,” I say with a small smile. He nods, then shifts his gaze to the princess bed boxes. He rubs his hands together, cackling evilly.
“Now I’m going to set that bad boy up!”
Kade and I trade glances as Colt walks away. “Ah, Colt, maybe we should hold off until the room’s painted. You know, assemble it in there.”
Colt scoffs, “Nah, man. It’s a single. We can carry it in there in a couple of big pieces. I’ve got my tool set here.” He moves a huge purple toolbox into the center of the room, unsnaps it, then flips it over, dumping everything onto the floor. Tools, hot pink duck tape, candy wrappers and a fuckton of bouncy balls tumble out.
“Fuck,” Micah and I mutter in unison.
Guess we’re putting together a princess bed.
29
HOLLY
Ithink I’m having a panic attack. I was ok when I kissed Micah goodbye at the shop. I was ok driving here. But driving up to the front doors of this massive building is intimidating. It’s not just a building, it’s a compound.
I guess I was expecting a shiny high rise downtown, but this is more intimidating somehow. There’s a security gate, with a serious-looking security guard, who seems to know exactly who I am. He directs me to the surface parking right in front of the building. The gleaming glass building must be at least twelve stories. As I drive up to it, I see large warehouses at the back of the property. Semi-trucks with the Brash Auto logo on them are backed up to open bays. There’s a flurry of activity back there.
Turning off the SUV, I sit for a moment, gathering my composure. I double check my reflection in the mirror, smoothing wisps of hair back into my ponytail. I wore my happiest dress, with the bright flowers and long swaying skirt. Still feeling intimidated, I remind myself, again, that I’ve seen Ransom in his underwear, covered in food. He can’t be that scary.
I enter through the glass front doors, approaching a desk. A smiling woman greets me.
“Hello! What a beautiful dress. I love all the colors,” she gushes.
The kindness on her face and the enthusiasm in her voice make me smile back. I glance at her name tag. “Thank you Janey. I love it too. I’m here to see Ransom…um, Mr. Kyle.” I flush at my mistake.
Just because I’ve tagged along to the last few family dinners doesn’t mean that I’m family. It’s obvious that he asked me here to keep some distance between us. He lives a few floors above us. It would have been easy to call me upstairs, or for him to come down. But no, we have to meet at the office.
“Of course, Miss Clarke,” she says, handing me a badge. “Wear this please, and take the far elevator to the eleventh floor.”
I’m surprised again that she knows my name, just like the guy at the gate, but I take the badge with thanks, and spend the ride upstairs deep breathing. When the doors open, my smile blooms. Colton’s there, grinning, wearing a tailored black suit.
“Hi little Holly,” he croons, extending his arm.
I snort, stepping out to thread my arm through his, finally relaxing.
“You look very nice,” I tell him, brushing my hand along the sleeve of his jacket. “I’ve never seen you dressed like this.”
He preens, reaching up to straighten his tie. “I know. I clean up good.”
I laugh at his mock arrogance, and we fall into a natural banter. I barely notice the offices we pass, but I do smile and wave at Jonas and Declan when I spot them across the room. I consider myself privileged to know these quirky men. And quirky they are, beneath the thin veneer money has put on them. They’re also kind and so incredibly generous.
“Have you heard anything from Evie?” Colt asks. He’s trying to drop the question casually, but I can feel the tension in his body.
“We’ve been texting nearly every day. She’s ok.”
“Is she coming?” He presses.
I turn to look at him, spotting a splotch of pink paint in the hair at the nape of his neck. It’s the same color Micah had on him last night. I desperately want to know what they were doing yesterday. “I really hope she does. I want the chance to be a better friend to her. I think she could use a good group of friends. She’s been on her own a long time.”
He meets my eyes, nodding, then pasting on the carefree smile again. “Here you go. The boss man himself.” He says, escorting me into a large, light filled office.
Ransom is sitting behind a big desk on a call, but he smiles at me, and mouths ‘one minute’. Colt settles me in the comfortable chair facing the desk, leaving me with a bow and a kiss on the hand. Chuckling to myself, I lock eyes with Ransom, who’s also smiling and shaking his head. As he finishes his call, I take a moment to look around his sparse office.
Most of the walls are glass, but I would still expect to see some sort of decoration. Maybe some art or knick knacks. There’s none of that. The only thing of a personal nature seems to be the photo frame on his desk. I tilt my head to the side, trying to see the picture, startling when Ransom’s hand reaches out, turning it for me. I wrinkle up my nose, giving him a bashful smile, then lean forward.
It’s the Knight St. Garage. And standing in front of it, all the guys. This picture must have been taken at least fifteen years ago. They all look so young. But there’s no innocence on their faces. Instead, in their gazes, I see lives already hard lived. But there are smiles too, and arms wrapped around each other. They were family, even then.
