Chapter Seventeen
Alice
My siblings grill me about Nate for half the trip. The rest of the time, we grill Summer about Rome, making thinly veiled attempts to convince her to return to San Francisco sooner, although my attempts are less veiled than my brothers’.
During dinner at my parents’ house, the entire family is too happy that Daniel’s safe to admonish him. Remembering what Nate told me about cornering, I keep silent on the subject. But something Daniel told Nate keeps nagging at me—that he’s started on this path and now he wants to see it through.
I also keep quiet because we’re all enjoying Summer‘s visit, and the spotlight is on her the entire time. She’s heading back to Rome all too soon, unfortunately. She leaves in three days, and who knows when she’ll visit again.
After dinner, I ask Logan to come by one of my restaurants when he has time because I want to ask his advice about some financial issues, which is true. But I also want to ask for his help with Daniel.
Over the next week, Nate and I talk on the phone for hours every evening, but we have dinner and spend the night together only twice.
On Friday, Logan visits me at Blue Moon. We have lunch in my back office.
“This looks very promising.” We’re sitting at my desk, and he’s inspecting the numbers on my laptop’s screen. “I don’t foresee any liquidity problems if you keep up like this.”
I let out a breath of relief, resting my elbows on the desk. As the CFO of Bennett Enterprises, my brother is a whiz with numbers, and I like picking his brain whenever he has time.
“And if you do have problems, we can always bail you out,” he continues.
“It’s not what I want, you big oaf.”
In the beginning, I tried to do everything on my own, then realized asking my brothers for counsel was a good thing because they’re brilliant. Sure, they often accompany advice with an offer to bail me out should anything go wrong, but I’ve learned how to push against their alpha tendencies without biting their heads off.
They want the best for me and are sometimes overprotective. I want to be independent. We’ll always clash and make up, but that’s what family does.
Taking a spoonful of my tiramisu, I grip the plate possessively because my brother is eyeing it hopefully. He already finished his. While enjoying the exquisite sweetness, I become aware of the tightness in my neck.
“Is there something else on your mind, Alice?” my brother asks. “You look tense.”
I haven’t given him a heads-up that I want to talk about Daniel. He would’ve just worried needlessly.
“I do want to talk to you about Daniel.”
Logan pinches his brows together. “What about him?”
“Well, ever since the incident, I’ve been worrying more than usual about the extreme adventures part of his business.”
“Me too,” Logan says, leaning back in the chair, lacing his fingers on top of his head. My stomach relaxes a tad at his response.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I spent those hours we were waiting for your call researching anything that can go wrong in a situation like Daniel’s. Then I fell into the rabbit hole and read about all kinds of accidents during extreme adventures. It’s a nightmare. Why are you laughing?”
“I did exactly the same thing.”
“Well, we are related.”
“Have you ever talked to Daniel about this?” I continue.
“Nah, I didn’t bring it up. What good would it do? He never listens to what I say.”
I’m silent for a few seconds, waiting for the punch line. Then I realize Logan is serious. Can he really be so far off base?
“I can’t believe you actually believe what you say doesn’t matter to Daniel.”
My big brother actually looks disconcerted. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this look on him.
“We have nearly thirty years of proof that whatever I say goes in one ear and right out the other.”
I shake my head, searching for the best words to explain this to him. “Not true at all. He and Blake look up to you. They always have. I know it’s hard to believe because they crack a joke whenever you say something, even when you’re serious.”
“Especially when I’m serious.”
“Yeah, but look, when Daniel and Blake turned sixteen, I asked them what their aspirations were—basically what they wanted to be when they grew up. They both said they wanted to be like you.”
Logan looks stunned for a brief second. “Were they drunk?”
“Duh! They turned sixteen and smuggled in tequila, and I covered for them.”
“Of course you did.”
“Hey! They were covering my ass every time I asked, so I owed them. We had our survival methods. But that’s not the point. Besides, haven’t you heard the saying that drunk people and kids always tell the truth?”
“Yeah. They actually said they want to be like me?”
“They worshipped you as kids, even more than Sebastian.”
“But they brush me off every time I give them advice.”
“It’s a pride thing. Ego. You should understand, you have enough of it for the entire family. They want to prove they can succeed on their own.”
Logan opens his mouth but I hold up a hand to stop him. I need him to hear me out first.
“I know what you’re gonna say, that they spent a lot of time living the big life, just spending what they got off the dividends, but put yourself in their shoes for a second. All throughout their teen years and college, they saw Bennett Enterprises become one of the most successful companies in this country. The press practically idolized you and Sebastian. Everyone from friends to teachers were expecting the rest of us to do something extraordinary too. The weight of all those expectations can be so paralyzing that you choose to put off the moment when you try something just because you know you can’t match your siblings’ success. And you don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
A moment of silence follows as I draw my breath because, sweet Jesus, that felt like giving an entire speech.
“Alice, are you talking just about Blake and Daniel, or also about you?”
I cringe, but I should have seen this coming. Of course Logan would read between the lines. “About me too, but that’s not the point.”
“It is, because it’s obviously important to you. I never—Jesus, neither Sebastian nor I ever wanted to put pressure on you.”
“You didn’t,” I reassure him. “We put it on ourselves, but I guess we couldn’t help it.”
“When we set up Bennett Enterprises, we worked a lot, but we also had luck on our side. Anyone who thinks success only takes hard work is deluding themselves. I hate all those articles painting Sebastian and me like some kind of….” He frowns, obviously searching for the right word.
“Superhumans?” I offer helpfully with a grin. “Geniuses? Don’t sell yourself short—you are.”
“The point is, if hard work was all it took for success, there wouldn’t be so many hardworking people struggling.”
“I know.” I always appreciated that my oldest brothers never turned snobbish, believing they’re above others because they built a bona fide empire.
“Whatever any of you chose to do, you’d never disappoint us. I was just riding Blake’s and Daniel’s asses for so many years because I didn’t want them to waste their entire life going from party to party.”
I grab my brother’s hands over the table, needing to make him understand. The last thing I want is for him to feel guilty over this.
“I know, and Blake and Daniel do too. As I said, the pressure comes from the inside. I think some part of Daniel wants to change gears with his business, but the other part thinks he’ll disappoint everyone if he doesn’t pull through.”
“Nonsense,” Logan affirms, then in a softer voice adds, “Really?”
“Yeah. Just talk to him about this, see where it gets you. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. I get heartburn just remembering the accident.”
“Me too. I’ll talk to him. And Alice, just so you don’t have any doubts, I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” My voice is uncharacteristically emotional, but Logan is kind enough not to point it out.
“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” he adds sternly.
“I know that now,” I assure him with a smile. “I struggled before, but turning thirty-one had its perks. I gained some wisdom in addition to a few pounds and developing a case of acute sweet tooth—although it was chronic before anyway.”
Logan chuckles, stretching his hand out to grab my plate. I slap it playfully.
“Hey! Doesn’t mean you can have my tiramisu.”
Logan lifts his hands in mock defense. “Was just trying to be of assistance. I personally believe you’re in perfect shape, but if you fear the sweet tooth, I can help. I’m a practical man.”
“You’re an opportunist.” Quickly I gulp down the last bite of tiramisu, unwilling to risk tempting Logan too much. “Besides, I’m the one who steals everyone’s food. It’s a documented fact.”
“True. By the way, I’ve heard a rumor that things escalated between you and Nate during the trip.”
“No rumor. It’s true, and you’re not getting any details.”
“How about I just ask him for details?”
“Don’t meddle.”
“It’s the family hobby.” His expression grows more serious. “I just want to look out for you.”
“How about this? If you ever need to punch him, I’ll tell you.”
“Deal.”
“Not that it matters, but who chirped?”
“Summer.”
“Little traitor.” Out of the sisters, Summer is the one who most fiercely guards the boys’ secrets. Apparently, she doesn’t extend the courtesy to me. At least Blake and Daniel are on my side.
The corners of my mouth lift of their own volition in a smile as I think about this past week. I can’t wait to see Nate again. It’s a little nutty to miss him already, but when it comes to him, I’m greedy.
“So Blake’s and Daniel’s sixteen-year-old birthday wishes were to be like me, huh?” Logan asks, jolting me out of my thoughts.
“Shouldn’t have told you. Would you like an extra chair for your ego?”
Logan flashes a grin. “Make that a couch.”