Chapter Six
Liam
“You've always been a soft touch, big brother,” he says.
I sigh and lean back in my seat, looking at the face of my younger brother Brayden on the computer screen. Well, one of my younger brothers, anyway. I was the eldest of four – one of four heads of Anderson Development Enterprises. Our father, in his will, had divided the company – a multi-billion-dollar real estate development company – into four geographic slices.
Each of us was in charge of our own geographic center and responsible for everything that happened within it. It was really a brilliant way to divide up the vast and highly profitable kingdom he'd built for us. But then, that's not altogether that surprising. My father was a brilliant man.
Brayden is the closest to me in terms of age and that's probably why I'm closer to him than my other brothers. Not that I'm not close to them, but I feel like Brayden and I have a bond that unfortunately, I don't share with the other two.
My region of the company is the West Coast, running from Alaska down to Baja California, while his is the South and Southwest, so we don't get to see each other as often as I'd like, but we usually Skype at least once a week, just to stay current with one another.
“I wasn't exactly a soft touch,” I say. “I made her relinquish her claim to any money or property. I gave her nothing.”
“You gave her the condo,” he replies. “Last I checked, that counted as something and is definitely not nothing.”
A wry grin touches my lips. “Yeah, well, she would have been out on the streets if I hadn't given her at least the condo,” I say. “I'm not a complete asshole.”
“Like I said, a soft touch,” Brayden laughs. “If I were in your shoes, I would have sent her evil, conniving ass to prison. At least there, you know she'd have a roof over her head and three squares a day, brother.”
Brayden likes to talk tough, but if push actually came to shove, he probably would have done the same thing I did. Probably even tossed in a bit of cash just to make the transition easier. He likes to say I'm the soft touch in the family, but of the four brothers, I'd have to say that he's got the kindest heart.
In other words, he's mostly bark with little bite.
“Well, it's done,” I say. “If she comes back at me though, I'll be sure to unleash hell on her.”
“Oh, I have a feeling she's going to come back at you, brother,” Brayden says. “You just need to be careful. My biggest concern is that you're not going to see it coming, so watch your back.”
“I will, Bray,” I say. “Thanks.”
“So, how is your new hometown?”
I look out the window and a small smile touches my lips. The town of Port Safira is charming. It has a real small-town feel and a slower pace of life that I find incredibly appealing. Honestly, I'm slightly appalled to see the gentrification going on as it seems to be stripping some of that charm away. It's unfortunate, as I much prefer seeing the small, homegrown businesses as opposed to the high-end, generic retail chains.
“It's nice,” I say. “Quiet. Peaceful. I think this is exactly what I need right now.”
“That's good to hear, brother,” Brayden says. “You definitely need some time to clear your head and get your brain back into the game.”
“That I do.”
In the distance are the port and the larger-than-life cruise ships that are docked near the sleek, modern terminal. Hotels have sprouted up all around the area and I can see construction going on down that way. I can't say for sure what they are yet, but I have a feeling there are some high-dollar condos being built near the water. Even near a major cruise line hub, condos on the water are going to fetch a pretty penny. It’s the same everywhere.
“Any business opportunities there?” Brayden asks. “Where is it again?”
“Port Safira,” I say. “A little up-and-coming town on the Olympic Peninsula. And yeah, it looks like there is a lot of business going on here. Looks like a new cruise line hub and some condos are going up. The main artery through town looks like it's going through some major changes.”
“Are you planning on doing business there?”
I shrug. “I don't know,” I say. “Something about all of the gentrification I see happening here just feels wrong. This place is actually really charming. It's a nice town. But, somebody looks like they're trying to turn it into a mirror image of Seattle or something. The character of the place is getting stripped away. It's unfortunate.”
“Like I said, you're a soft touch,” Brayden laughs.
I laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, that's me,” I say. “Anyway, I should get going. I need to take Hemingway out.”
“Sounds good. Give me a call in a couple of days,” I say. “I want to hear more about your new town.”
“I'll do that,” I say. “Love you, brother.”
“Love you too.”
I disconnect the call and lean back in my seat for a moment, just staring out at the town of Port Safira. Being up on the hill I am, I have an excellent vantage point and can see it all spread out down below me. Yeah, I can't say I'm a fan of the character of this place being stripped away.
I'm so lost in thought, I don't even realize my Golden Retriever, Hemingway, is in the room until he lays his big head on my leg, his big, soulful eyes looking up at me. I reach down and scratch behind his ears and smile.
“Ready for a walk?” I ask.
As if he understands my every word, he backs up, a big, doggy smile on his face, his tail beating the air behind him. He turns in a circle and gives me a quick yip to encourage me to get moving.
It's hard to stay in a foul mood with this guy around.