Executive Desires (The Blake Boys Book 10) (3 page)

“Corbett, I told you Bo would be here ahead of schedule. He’s compulsive about punctuality.”

Corbett rolled his eyes. “Of course he did. The perfect son always does everything right.”

“Corbett. Wyatt. Good to see you again.” Bo extended his hand.

“What’s the handshake for?” Wyatt lunged at him and gave him a bear hug.

Corbett didn’t look like he was in the hugging mood. Bo shook his hand instead. “Corbett, mom told me you got engaged, congratulations.”

“Wow. You too busy with your flashy job to call?” Corbett huffed.

“I think the last time you picked up the phone and called me, you still had braces.” Bo countered.

“That’s not fair, Corbett.” Wyatt quipped. “Communication is a two-way street. Bo and I send the occasional text to keep up with each other.”

Corbett shot Wyatt a killer look. Bo sighed. He hadn’t been there half a day and they were already bickering.

“Quiet, all of you.” Evangeline put her hand on her hip. “I will not have one of my babies staying at a hotel just because there’s a little friction. We’re family. There’s always going to be friction.”

“Mom, didn’t you hear? There’s no tension on that magical ranch he lives on that’s off-limits to the public,” Corbett said.

Bo tensed. “What the hell are you talking about?” So what if he didn’t live there full time anymore, it was still his home, and nobody insulted the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch.

“Corbett rode by one day when he was in Texas on business and they damn near shot him at the gate for trespassing. I heard there’s several hundred acres there. Is that true?” Wyatt’s eyes widened.

“Security is pretty tight.” Bo winced, thinking of Sam shooting his toy plane out of the sky because she mistook it for a spying device. “If you’re ever in Texas, I’d be happy to give you a tour.” He nodded.

“See, problem solved.” Evangeline threw her hands up in the air. “Corbett, tell your brother that he doesn’t need to stay at a hotel because my children are going to conduct themselves like happy little lambs this week. We’re going to have fun and get along, if it kills us.”

“Mom’s right.” Wyatt smiled.

“What mom said,” Corbett mumbled.

“OK.” Bo removed his bags from the trunk. “What’s on the itinerary for the week?”

“I have a ton of activities we can do, but I thought we’d definitely do lunch, go shopping, and I made us appointments at this new spa that opened.”

“Is it Cactus Springs?”

“Yes.”

He grinned. “Mom, that’s a Blake property, you didn’t need to make a reservation. I put you on the VIP list and you get free services for life. I was going to give it to you as a surprise.”

“Bo, that’s delightful!” She hugged him.

“I’m glad you like it. I’m going to put my things away and then I’d like to take everyone to lunch. Corbett, your fiancée is welcome to join us.”

“Thanks, but Courtney is busy helping out with a fundraiser at her church.” Corbett softened his tone.

“Bo, you remember where your old room is, right? I’ll get changed for lunch.” She turned to Wyatt. “Please change your shirt. I don’t know why you college kids like to look homeless. See how neat and fashionable Bo looks?”

“Yes, Mom.” Wyatt grabbed a bag. “Come on. I’ll help with your bags.”

As Bo followed Wyatt upstairs, he noticed there were a few changes to the décor, but the place was essentially the same as he remembered it. His mom didn’t go overboard with the southwestern motif, but it was a nice blend of New Mexico culture and New York chic.

“Corbett usually has better manners. I think he’s stressed from planning his wedding.” Wyatt dumped the bag on the bed.

“I hear impending matrimony can do that to you.” Bo smiled. It was nice for Wyatt to offer up an excuse, but he and Corbett never had much to say to one another.

“I don’t know what he sees in her. Courtney is a little prissy for my tastes. She won’t drink beer out of a bottle and she eats pizza with a fork and a knife. Everything has to be ‘just so’ or she goes ballistic.”

Bo chuckled. “He’s in love. He probably finds all those things delightful.”

“How about you? You have a girlfriend?”

“I’m happily single these days.” Bo plopped his suitcase on the bed and began putting his things away.

“I would have thought you’d be married by now.”

“I’m in no rush. What about you?”

Wyatt laughed. “I’m having too much fun in college. Why tie myself down now?”

“You have plenty of time for love after you’ve finished school. You any closer to choosing a major?”

“Mom’s been bending your ear.” Wyatt sighed.

“Something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that I’ve been thinking about the future and I’m not sure if I know what I want to do. I have a lot of interests and I want to pick the right career.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. You still have some time to find your passion. Just don’t take too long.” Bo put a dress shirt on a hanger and placed it in the closet.

“You can’t be serious?” Wyatt looked at him like he was crazy.

“What?”

“Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about how put together you are. Ivy League college, prestigious business school, then going to work for a few Fortune 500 companies before you joined Blake Enterprises and worked your way up to CFO. Mom made a scrapbook of your magnificent feats. You should check it out. It’s on the bookcase next to her bible.”

Bo held up a hand. “My plan worked for me, and you don’t have to use my life as some sort of model. I remember being unsure of what I wanted to do after graduation. I’m a good listener, if you ever want to talk.”

“Thanks.” Wyatt smiled.

“Now let’s get something to eat.”

* * *

His mom made sure his time with her had been jammed packed with activities. She just happened to take him out to dinner twice where a group of her lady friends was dining. He was mortified when she introduced him as her handsome, rich, successful son from Texas who was currently single. A few of the ladies gushed about available daughters and nieces, but he declined the invitation to spice up his nightlife while visiting. When she wasn’t showing him off to her friends, she was taking him shopping for his birthday, insisting he needed to spruce up his wardrobe. He thought his reserved wardrobe had improved tremendously; he’d even bought a colorful tie that looked like one of those abstract paintings Cassidy loved. He wore dark, expensive tailored suits that complimented his physique. Still, he wanted people focused on him, not his attire when he spoke in business meetings. But his mother insisted that a man of his status should have a sharp look. He thought her choices were more Seth’s style, but he was open to trying something new. Swapping out glasses for contacts had made such a dramatic change to his appearance already; people reacted as if he’d gotten cosmetic surgery.

He knew she was just making up for lost time and the mothering felt good. If only his reconnection with his brothers could be as smooth. Corbett was still giving him the cold shoulder, watching him like a hawk when he tried to engage in conversation with his fiancée. Maybe it had something to do with him bringing her over the day he and Wyatt were cleaning out the garage. It was hot and he’d taken his shirt off.

Courtney commented on how handsome he was and rambled on like a teenager for about a half hour until his mom, tired of her ogling him, called her into the house to ask about the wedding invitations. She was so busy grinning and waving that she walked into the door. Corbett was a little upset, while Wyatt got a hearty laugh out of it. But Wyatt seemed genuinely happy to see him, especially after they tabled the college talk.

Bo would have normally gone kicking and screaming to a pottery class, but he’d resigned himself to following his mother’s lead. Bo was doing his best to make a vase for Teri-Lyn, but he was having trouble getting the hang of the pottery wheel. At the rate he was going, he would consider himself lucky if the end product was an ashtray. His mother was on her third decorative piece that she planned to put in her study.

“So how’s that cantankerous old wind bag doing?” Evangeline blew a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.

“You mean my dad? The love of your life?” He suppressed a smile. “He’s doing just fine. He told me he’s seeing someone.”

“Really?” His mom’s hand slipped, ruining her candy dish.

“Yes. I think it’s a waitress from the Bright Star.”

“Please tell me it’s not Francine. She’s been looking at your dad like he was a pork chop for over three decades. Does she still dress like a two-dollar whore?” She huffed.

“Now, Mother. That wasn’t very nice. Have you been dating?”

“I thought I’d try my hand at Internet dating. There’s a site for seniors. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up on one of their commercials as a success story.”

“Mom, that’s not a good idea. There are some weirdoes using those sites. I don’t want you dating a psychopath.”

“Nonsense. They vet people. I had to answer a thousand questions for the profile.”

Bo stopped molding the vase and looked at her. “I don’t like it, but I know you’re going to do it anyway. Do me a favor? If you find a potential suitor, let me have J.J.’s wife, Sam, check him out before you get married again.”

“Sam? Isn’t she like a trained killer or something?” Evangeline wiped her hands on a towel.

“She’s a security specialist. She takes very good care of the family, and I trust that she’d know how to screen potential suitors and spot red flags.”

She put her hands on her hips. “You sound like you’re sure you know another marriage is down the pipeline for me.”

“Mom, I love you and I accepted a long time ago that you don’t like to be alone. Just like I know dad will probably never get married again. I can see why you got divorced. The two of you are so different it’s frightening.”

“So you don’t think he’ll get married again?” She scrunched her nose. “I’m going to make you something to take back to your dad. Maybe that will cheer him up.”

Bo couldn’t help but laugh. The only thing she’d heard was that his father was against remarrying. Somehow he had the feeling it wasn’t over between the two of them, no matter how much time had passed. Meanwhile, his pottery project was looking so pathetic he attracted the attention of the young lady behind the register. Actually, she’d been watching him ever since they’d arrived. She was pretty, polite, and was extremely helpful, but she was way too young for him. She slapped on an apron and came over.

“I don’t know what you were planning on making, but you have a fine doorstop there.” She smiled.

“I give up. Clearly I didn’t get my mother’s artistic flare.” He motioned to his mom getting ready to mold her clay gesture to his dad.

“I’m Stephanie.”

“Bo.” He focused on her face. The top button on her shirt, which was concealing very generous cleavage, was dangerously close to popping off and hitting him in the eye.

“I may have a solution for you. I give private instruction to exceptionally good-looking customers after hours if you’re interested.”

Bo blinked. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m visiting my mom and she won’t be happy if I find something else to do with my time.”

“Too bad. If you change your mind, here’s my number.” She tucked her business card into Bo’s top shirt pocket and sashayed back to the counter to ring up a customer.

Evangeline shook her head. “You are just like your damn daddy.”

“What? I did not instigate that.” Bo held up his hands.

“Exactly.”

CHAPTER TWO

Bo had to admit the week turned out better than he’d hoped. He was happy to see that his mom was doing well and she was content being single. She brought up the online dating site again and he made her promise that if she found anyone she wanted to date, she’d let his friend Sam do a background check on the guy. He was skeptical about whether she’d go through with it. After getting an update on his father’s love life, she seemed to have a renewed interest in getting back out there and mingling.

Bo found the perfect engagement gift for Corbett and Courtney, matching Omega watches, which Courtney loved. Corbett didn’t like the thank-you hug and kiss on the cheek she gave Bo and was never too far away when his fiancée struck up a conversation with him. He hoped Corbett was paying attention to her enthusiasm for expensive things like the Mercedes she drove and her perfectly coiffed appearance. Everything screamed high maintenance. The night before Bo left, Corbett apologized for being so abrasive when he’d arrived. He had a feeling their mother had been working on him to make peace, but it was a start.

He went out to dinner with Wyatt, and it was clear the young man was a chick magnet—and enjoyed it. Bo had to fend off a few women too, opting to set a good example for his little brother in being discriminating. His reconnection with Wyatt was refreshing. He was young, driven, and wanted to conquer the world, but he wanted some time to find himself before he delved into a career.

All the same, it was good to be back home. Bo had talked to J.J. while he was driving back, and although he refused to talk business, they’d prattled on like teenagers about other things. Jack was always up to some new hijinks, and J.J. enjoyed every minute of it. The guys were all itching for a night out, so a night at the Bright Star was proposed for when he got back.

The ding of the elevator brought him out of his daydream. Bags in hand, Bo walked out of the elevator looking forward to a hot shower and ten hours of sleep. That was until he tripped on a box and toppled onto a couch that was blocking the hallway. He scrambled up, trying to get a sense of what was happening, when a woman in jeans overalls leaned in to get a better look at him. Whoever she was, she was gorgeous. She wore her dark hair in a braid, with the tip of it sloping over her shoulders. She had amazing hazel-colored eyes that gave her a mysterious look, and a plump lower lip that made him think of biting into a juicy apple. From where he lay, he got a bird’s-eye view of her ample cleavage. The pink lace bra she was wearing held two perfect globes in place. His once-over concluded, he knew the most important thing about her: she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.