Time to Go Home

We’d been touring various towns for the past three days, places I’d been eager to show Shay, including the other castle my family owns.

It’s not as grand as the primary one where my parents reside, but it’s where they’ll move to when they retire and pass the main castle to me. It’s just a couple of towns away from where we were currently staying.

Shay and my mother had become quite close during our visit, and Mom was reluctant to see us go.

However, I had a business deal coming up in a few days that I needed to be present for, so we were preparing to leave that afternoon. I was strolling down the main hall when Conner approached me, gazing out the windows.

“Hey, Boss, are you ready to head home? I love it here, but there’s no place like home. I miss everyone at the warehouse and the kids at the water park.”

“I love my homeland, but where we live now is where my heart is,” I responded. “When we eventually move here, I don’t think we’ll sell our current house.

“My gut tells me to hold onto it, and we can commute between the two places. I have a few guys in mind to manage the place when we’re not there.

“I’d like to hear your and Noah’s thoughts on who I should choose.” I smiled, spotting an old portrait of me with my parents hanging on the wall.

“We’ve got a few guys in mind too, so we can compare notes on who we think would be best for the job,” he replied. Then he pointed at a photo of one of my sisters, her goofy grin making us both burst into laughter.

We strolled through the halls, reminiscing about the good times we’d had in these corridors. I found myself imagining my own children running through these halls, a thought that brought a smile to my face.

It was a future I looked forward to, especially if we had a son, to see him with two best friends by his side, just like mine have been for most of my life. Sure, we had our disagreements, but we always ended up having a great time.

“Boss!” Noah’s voice echoed down the hall.

“Yeah, we’re down here.” I saw him rounding the corner.

“I was wondering where you two had disappeared to. Maybe Conner should put trackers on us so we can just check our phones to find each other.” He waved his phone in the air.

“No thanks, I value my privacy,” I said, shaking my head.

“But do you realize I’ve been wandering around this place for the past twenty minutes looking for you? I’m not as young as I used to be when we could just run around to find each other.”

Noah bent over, pretending to pant as if he’d been running.

I slapped him on the back. “Oh, come on, you’re as fit as we are.”

“Ouch!” he straightened up. “Yeah, but we’re not ten years old anymore either. Where did all that energy go? I miss it.”

Conner glanced down at his body. “You know, I do miss the energy we had back then, but damn, I don’t think I looked this good when we were kids. I’m quite the ladies’ man, you know.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw a hand and arm slide over his. I turned to see who they belonged to.

“Well, Conner, if you’re aiming to be such a ladies’ man, I’m afraid I’m no longer available to play that role.”

“Shay? Where the hell did you come from?” Conner’s mouth fell open.

“I heard you guys talking down the hall, so my curiosity got the better of me. When you said that, I couldn’t resist making you blush a bit.” She ran her hand up and down his arm.

Conner turned bright red as I slid my hands into hers and pulled her to my side. “Look, love, there’s no way you’re leaving me for him.”

Shay smiled at Conner. “I know that. I just wanted to see how he’d react to a woman’s touch. That’s all.”

“Yeah, you got me this time,” Conner admitted. “How did you get so quiet when you walk?”

Shay lifted her foot, revealing a pair of Italian flag slippers we’d bought at a market the day before. They fit her perfectly, giving her a sort of stealth mode.

I realized I’d have to be on my guard with those. She’d be able to sneak up on me before I even knew what was happening.

“Baby, have you packed everything?” I pulled her as close as she could get to my side.

“Yes, I just need to put these in a carry-on bag, then put on my tennis shoes. I can be ready to leave in five minutes. Your things are packed too; I’ve been busy putting everything you brought back into your luggage.”

She kissed my cheek.

Noah pulled her out of my arms into his, kissing her forehead. I growled at him.

“Easy, Boss. She helped me pack all my things, and I’m just showing my appreciation.”

I pulled her back out of his arms. “You can show your gratitude in other ways, you know. This is my fiancée, your future queen and my future wife.”

“Come on, Boss. You know she’s like a sister to us now. We’ve been through so much together since she came into our lives that we feel like a big family now.” Conner slapped me on the back.

“That’s great that you see her that way. Just keep your hands to yourself. You know how I feel about that,” I said, glaring at both of them.

Shay giggled, then placed her hand on my chest.

“Baby, it’s okay. I know they don’t mean anything by it. Brothers give their sisters kisses like that all the time. They know if they tried anything more, they’d get a good ass-kicking.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Fine. Just don’t make a habit of it and try not to enjoy it so much when they do.”

“Conner!”

A girl came barreling down the hallway, launching herself into his arms. He rolled his eyes, gently setting her back on her feet. “I’ve been searching high and low for you! Where’ve you been hiding, sweetheart?”

Her name was Sara, a girl he’d bumped into a couple of days ago during one of our outings.

Apparently, she’d been bunking with us, trying to weave her way into his life, but she was a real pain in the neck. She’d been practically glued to him, acting like a gold digger.

My dad was hoping Connor and Noah would settle down, but they were enjoying the bachelor life for now. They both assured me they’d know when they found the right one, just like I did.

“I’ve been tied up, Sara. I told you we’re heading out today, so I was just about to finish packing up to head home.” He folded his arms across his chest.

She pulled a pouty face. “I was hoping you’d stick around with me here. Your dad said you could stay here and not go back.”

He looked taken aback. “Sorry, that’s not in the cards. The boss needs me, and I’ve got a life back in the States.”

“Take me with you, please! I don’t think I can bear waiting for you to come back. Please!” She dropped to her knees, pleading.

He laughed. “Sorry, but I can’t. You’ll be just fine here.

“As I explained last night, this is for the best. Where we’re headed, I won’t have any spare time to spend with you. Our job eats up a lot of our time, right, Boss?”

I nodded. “It’s tough on a relationship.”

“But she’s with you, Zane, and it doesn’t seem to bother either of you.” Sara gestured at Shay.

“That’s because I don’t need a man hovering over me every second of the day, Sara. I’ve got plenty on my plate. Conner is Zane’s right-hand man, so he’s swamped.” Shay was doing her best to help.

Sara stood up, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“I see how it is. You don’t want me to come to America with you. Shay, we could go shopping while they’re at work and buy whatever we want. I could get a car, clothes, and everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”

I held up a hand. “All financial matters go through me. Shay lets me know how much she plans to spend and what she’s buying. She doesn’t just run off and buy whatever she wants.”

“Seriously?” Sara’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “That’s you controlling her. That’s not cool.”

I shrugged. “My money, my rules.”

She huffed, storming back down the hallway. Conner let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thanks, Boss. I didn’t know how to shake her off.

“She seemed nice when I first met her, but the moment she saw all of this”—he gestured around the castle—“her eyes sparkled like a Christmas tree. I knew right then what she was after.”

I smirked at him. “You sure know how to pick them, don’t you?”

“That’s not fair.” He pointed at me. “There’ll come a day when I find the one for me too. I’m just going to have to search really hard.”

We all burst into laughter and headed to our rooms to gather our things for the flight. Not long after, we bid farewell to my dad and mom, promising to let them know the wedding date.