Wednesday morning, Cade walked into the conference room to see all his siblings sitting there staring at the door. “What?” he asked.
“You’re late,” Brody said.
He looked at the clock, it was five after. “I’m on time for me.”
Ella rolled her eyes like she always did, sitting there in a buttery yellow silk top and probably some pencil skirt on the bottom with her customary heels. She stood out like a pink and black zebra at Churchill Downs with him and his brothers all in jeans and Fierce T-shirts. Even he had one on today since he had no plans on leaving the building after the meeting.
“Now that we’re all here,” Ella said.
“Aiden can begin,” Cade interrupted her.
“Maybe I don’t want to start,” Aiden said grinning.
“I don’t want to,” Mason said. “Don’t even think about telling me to, Ella.”
Cade laughed, knowing that he was starting in on Ella already. He loved doing this to her, interrupting her agenda and throwing her off. His brothers knew what he was attempting and they were ganging up on her. Some things were just too hard to pass up.
“I’m not falling for it, Cade. I’ll start,” she said.
They sat there while she went around the table and handed out reports that everyone could see, then individual ones for everyone’s division. When she was done, she just stopped talking and left silence in the room.
She was stubborn and could sit there all day and wait for one of them to start talking. No one said a word and it started to get on his nerves like she knew it would. “Fine, I’ll go next,” he said.
Everyone laughed, proving who really got ganged up on in the family.
He pulled out a few different sheets of paper and organized them. “First off, Aiden. I’ve got a list of two different manufacturers for the spices.” He slid the sheets to Aiden and Ella. “You two can look everything over and let me know the next step. My report is all there and we can go visit both places when you’ve got time, or just one. Let me know.”
“Thanks,” Aiden said. “I’d like Nic to be involved in this if that’s okay.”
“Of course,” Cade said. “I don’t have a problem with it. Does anyone else?”
“Thanks,” Aiden said when everyone shook their heads. These meetings had always been just for the five of them, but with three of his brothers marrying employees, he was thinking times might be changing. “Nic has been taking some pictures of the blends. Just raw ones in piles on the table and such. Getting ideas. Once we move forward with production, then maybe we can sit down to design labels. She’s got a great eye for that.”
“Sounds good. When we get to that stage, what is your thought about going with Alex Marshall for printing?” Cade asked. “So far everything she’s given us has been great.”
“We’ve gotten one order,” Mason said. “I’m still waiting on my glasses.”
Cade narrowed his eyes. “One big order. The glasses should be ready by Friday, she told me. You were fussy about the vendor you wanted for them and it took more time. We could have rushed it and paid more.”
“No,” Ella said. “I know you’re excited, Mason, but there is no reason to rush something that is new. Not at a higher cost. A week doesn’t make a difference. Then Nic can photograph them and get everything ready for the site.”
“That works,” Mason said.
“Brody,” Cade said. “I checked out a blues band over the weekend with Alex. We got a feel for the atmosphere and the agent is sending over pictures for Alex to print up for fliers once we settle on a date.”
“Thank God you went for blues this time,” Brody said. “That last band almost blew the windows out of the joint.”
Cade laughed. “You used to say ‘the louder the better.’”
“I’m a family man now. I like the blues better. Give me some country next time.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Cade said. “That’s all for me. Who’s next?”
He sat there while Brody, Mason, and Aiden had their turns, then his phone rang. He looked at it and debated getting up.
“Something you need to take?” Ella asked him. “You’re twitching like you need to roll the window down and let go of your breakfast from the back seat of Mom’s car.”
“You used to be my favorite, Ella,” he said in a half snarl.
“I’ll always be your favorite and you know why. But go take your call, we’re all done.”
He got up and left the room to their laughter.
***
“Hold up for a second, guys,” Ella said when her remaining brothers started to stand. She hadn’t intended on saying anything but now felt like it was a good time with them all together. “Aiden, shut the door quick.”
“What’s up?” Aiden said when he returned to his seat.
“Did you notice how Cade said he brought Alex with him to listen to the band over the weekend?”
“Yeah,” Brody said, “why? What’s the big deal? He said it was so she could get a feel for the fliers. Cade has brought his interns with him before too for things like that.”
“He also suggested her for the labels,” Ella said.
“So,” Aiden said. “It’s what she does. So far I like what she’s done.”
“Me too,” Mason said. “Even if I am impatient to see the glasses.”
She sighed, figuring there was no way to ease into this, especially knowing her brothers might not like what she had to say. “I think Mom set him up.”
“What does that mean?” Mason said frowning.
Deep breath. “She set you all up. To find spouses.”
Everyone laughed at her, but she held their stares without making a sound. Without even grinning.
“You’re nuts,” Brody said. “You guys hired Aimee.”
“After Mom gave us her resume. Aimee was the only one we interviewed while you were gone. And she did it while you were gone. She could have done it at any time, but she didn’t, did she? Don’t you ever wonder why?”
“No,” Brody said. “I’ve never had a reason to. It all worked out. Just a coincidence.”
“I thought so too. Until Nic.”
“What about Nic?” Aiden asked. Ella knew that face and knew she better watch how she worded things.
“She gave you Nic’s resume too, right? I had a bunch of them lined up for you and Mom came marching in saying she’d had the best pasta ever and you needed to at least talk to Nic. As a favor for her, wasn’t that how she put it?” Ella said, smiling at Aiden, his expression changing.
Aiden looked at her, she could see him thinking, processing. “I still picked her though. No, you’re off base. I could have chosen one of the others.”
“But you didn’t,” Brody said. “You picked Nic because she was the best and Mom knew that.”
“So you agree with me?” Ella asked Brody.
“No. I’m just pointing out that Mom is good that way. She’s not sneaky though,” Brody argued.
“Ha,” Ella said. Her brothers had blinders on when it came to their mother. “She has you all fooled. And you, Mason. She picked Jessica out.”
“I told her to do it,” Mason argued. “That isn’t setting me up.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “After she badgered you to hire a woman to do tours to begin with. What’s the matter, Mason? Cat got your tongue right now?” His face had just paled.
“I could have hired any of the three Mom sent over, but I hired Jessica. She couldn’t have known that.”
Aiden laughed. “Dude. You told me about the other two that interviewed. They were horrible. Oh my God. Is it possible that Mom did this?” His face was as red as Mason’s was pale.
“So let me get this straight,” Brody said. “You think Mom has hand-selected people that she wants us to marry. And now she picked Alex for Cade. Please. No one could put up with Cade.”
“Cade is a lot like Mom. Who better than her to find someone she thinks would work for him?” Ella said.
“Shit,” Mason said. “She played us. I don’t know what to say.”
“You say thank you,” Ella said. The last thing she wanted was her brothers mad at their mother. That wasn’t what this was about. “Since it seems to be working out so well.”
No one said a word and she was wondering how she was going to convince them that though their mom was sneaky, she did well finding them all soulmates.
“Do we tell Cade?” Aiden asked after a minute.
“Hell no,” Brody said. “He’s so clueless. Let him figure it out. You know damn well he won’t. He didn’t even figure out we all were dating employees right under his nose.”
“I agree. I don’t want to tell Cade,” Ella said.
“You think that’s right though?” Mason asked. He was always the fairest of the group.
“It has nothing to do with right,” Ella argued. “This is Cade. Cade that gets on our nerves more often than not and does it on purpose. No way. We know something he doesn’t. Let’s see how it all plays out.”
Aiden shook his head. “I’m game if you guys are. This is going to be entertaining, to say the least.”
“Fine with me,” Mason said smiling. “I still owe him for plenty over the years.”
“It’s always fine with me to see Cade on the receiving end of something,” Brody said. “But remember, Ella. If what you’re saying about Mom is true, that still leaves you. I can’t wait to see who she thinks she can find to put up with you.”
Ella laughed. “Not happening. I’m onto her. I figured this out when you guys didn’t. She’ll never pull it over on me. And for now, let’s keep it in this room. No need to let Mom know she was caught.”