Should’ve Known It’s You (Not You Again #7)

Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38

KENNEDY

T he morning after, I went back to the mansion before the sun was up. All of Austin’s teams had been by yesterday, and by the time they’d left, their work had been done. We were basically ready for the dinner, but I wanted to walk through and put a few finishing touches on the décor. Austin was meeting me there later with a few last minute additions, but for now, I was happy to have a little while to myself.

Over the years, I’d collected some knick-knacks and special items I’d always envisioned in places of prominence around my hotel and restaurant, and I’d brought them with me, carefully selecting where each one should go.

I knew it was probably an exercise in futility. Chances were I’d be packing them right back in as soon as the dinner was done, but for now, I really just wanted to see them on display for a night. Humming to myself, I unlocked the door and set the box I’d brought with me down in the foyer, taking a look around before I set about with my finishing touches.

Austin’s teams really had done a stellar job turning the first floor into a gorgeous, elegant venue for the event. More tables and chairs had been brought in and had all been beautifully set, with silverware, candelabras, and spaces left for the fresh flowers that would be arranged here later.

White draping had been hung around the wooden banister leading upstairs and every inch of the place had been polished until it shone. Silver ice buckets were ready, simply waiting for ice and bottles of champagne to be placed in them, and a bar had been set up along the far wall.

I drifted from room to room, marveling at how amazing the place looked. I snapped some pictures and sent them to Winrey. Misty eyed, I eventually doubled back to my box. As I took out an old vase and a book of poetry I’d been given by my aunt, my phone rang and my sister squealed in my ear when I picked up.

“Kenny! It looks amazing. Wow. I’m so proud of you.”

“So am I.” I was all choked up, my throat tight as tears welled in my eyes. “It’s just what I imagined, Winrey. Absolute perfection.”

“Agreed,” she said softly. “Aunt Dahlia would’ve loved it, but I’m proud enough of you for me and for her. I’m immensely proud, even.”

“You really think she would’ve approved?” I asked, sighing as I sat down in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace.

Logs had been placed in it to be lit just before the dinner started, but for now, all I could do was imagine the warmth of the flames as they danced in the space. Winrey sniffed. “Of course, she would’ve approved. That place is everything you’ve ever talked about and more. You did it, Kenny. You really did it.”

“For one night and one night only,” I said, digging deep for an emcee voice, but it fell flat and I sighed. “At least I’m getting to see it in action one time, right? That’s better than nothing.”

“Don’t give up hope yet,” she said, her tone full of conviction. “Who knows? One of those local business owners you invited might just have a rich cousin who doesn’t care about the ruckus surrounding the parade.”

I chuckled. “Maybe, but that’s not why I invited them. I just wanted people to enjoy this place with me, and this is their neighborhood, after all. I figured they might be the only ones who would truly appreciate seeing this old place as restored as it’s going to be for a while.”

“I’m sure they’re going to love it,” she said enthusiastically. “I sure do. I can’t believe the transformation from those first photos you sent to now. It’s incredible what a little spit, polish, and elbow grease can do for a place.”

“True.” I exhaled harshly through my nostrils as I leaned back in the chair. “It would’ve been nice if Mom and Dad cared even a little bit about any of what I’ve done here. We’ve worked so hard and yet, to them, I’m still just a failure.”

Winrey sighed loudly. “I understand how you feel. They’re the failures though, not us.”

I paused for a beat. “Have you heard from either of them again?”

“Nope,” she said lightly, but I heard the emotion filling her voice. “I thought that dinner was about them redeeming themselves as grandparents. I really hoped they’d come through for us, you know? I can’t believe I was that na?ve.”

“You weren’t na?ve, Winrey. There’s nothing wrong with hoping that your parents might want to be good to your child. They’re in the wrong, not you.”

“Logically, I know that, but it’s really hard. At this point, I can’t imagine a future where it’s possible that they’ll actually be grandparents to my baby. Not after they tried to get me to leave Benji. I just wish Aunt Dahlia was here. How she and Mom came from the same family, I’ll never understand.”

“She would’ve loved this baby,” I said, staring at the logs in the fireplace and feeling a sad smile on my face. “I’m sorry they hurt you so badly, Winrey. I’m also sorry they did it in front of Benji. How’s he holding up after all that?”

“It hit him hard,” she admitted after hesitating for a beat. “He tried to play it off for those first couple of days, but I could tell something was wrong.”

My heart gave a painful thud. “Wait a second. Don’t tell me they actually got to him?”

“He hasn’t broken up with me or anything,” she said quickly. “They did manage to plant a load of doubt in his mind, though.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear her answer.

Fear was suddenly snaking its icy tentacles around my veins as I imagined what might happen to Winrey if Benji decided that walking away would be the best thing for her and the baby. My sister genuinely loved the guy. She’d be devastated if he left, and I wasn’t sure she’d ever get over it.

“He’s genuinely started thinking that it might be better for me to take their offer than to stay with him,” she finally said. “He told me that he really wants me to think about it. Apparently, I need to consider what kind of future our child could have without him in its life.”

My mouth fell open. “No, he didn’t. There’s no way he said that. At least not seriously.”

It hurt me to the utmost core of my being to hear that my parents had gotten under Benji’s skin like that. He was such a good man and he’d made my sister so happy. With him at her side, she’d become her best self and I knew they would be amazing parents.

Benji himself was going to be a brilliant father and I despised the thought that he’d lost confidence because of what my parents had said. Especially because their only gripe with him was that he wasn’t wealthy.

They hadn’t taken issue with his morals, values, beliefs, or upbringing. I’d never heard them doubt his character or his treatment of their daughter.

All of this was only because Winrey wasn’t living in a big, fancy house anymore and it was unlikely Benji would ever be able to give her that. They also wouldn’t have staff, expensive cars, or the trendiest clothes, but they would be happy.

That was everything to Winrey and even to me, but it would never be good enough for our parents. Even if the alternative meant my sister would have to live the rest of her life with a broken heart—and Benji would never recover either.

Not while knowing that he had a child somewhere out there that he’d walked away from in order to secure its future financially. Not when I already knew he would never stop loving Winrey.

Fresh tears burned my eyeballs, anger and loathing simmering in my veins. “Please tell me he doesn’t actually believe that their money is worth the baby growing up without him.”

“I’ve said everything under the sun to convince him that the right thing, the best thing, for me and for the baby is being with him. It took a little while, but I think he might believe me now.”

I blinked hard, angrily swiping at my tears when they dared to fall. “Everything is going to work out, Winrey. I don’t know how, but it’s going to be fine.”

“Before the baby gets here?” she asked, and I heard the tears in her own voice now. “That’s only a few months from now. Not a lot of time for something like this to work itself out.”

“Before the baby gets here,” I promised fiercely. “Mom and Dad might not give you their blessing, but you have mine. My blessing, my support, and anything else you might want or need from me. Forget them. We might as well have lost them the day Dad won that money.”

She sniffled, then sighed softly and dragged in an audible breath before she finally responded, her voice cracking as she spoke. “Thanks for always being there for me, Kenny. God only knows what I would’ve done without you in my life.”

“You’ll never find out,” I said, trying to lighten the mood as I glowered at the logs. “It’s all going to be fine, Winrey. Baby Bean is going to be the happiest, luckiest baby in the world as long as its grandparents stay away. Tell Benji I’ll be at the hospital with a loaded shotgun when the baby comes. I’ll keep them away from that delivery room.”

She giggled. “I know you’re kidding, but the mental image I just conjured up is kind of funny because I can imagine you actually doing it.”

“Let them try and get past me,” I muttered, letting out a dark giggle of my own. “I’ll magic up a shotgun so fast, they won’t even have time to try and bribe him again.”

“Thanks, Kenny,” she said with a smile in her voice. “I appreciate that. I’ll be a little preoccupied with giving birth and all, so I could use a bit of backup.”

“You’ve got it.” I smiled, pushing myself to my feet and slowly making my way back to the box. “I should finish up here, but I’ll talk to you when I get home.”

After she said goodbye and hung up the phone, I unpacked the rest of the things I’d brought along, including a few more trinkets from my aunt’s hotel and a couple of quirky items I’d bought myself. The last thing I put up was a little blocked canvas frame with the words If Your Dreams Don’t Scare You, They’re Not Big Enough printed on it.

I placed it behind the bar, between two bottles of top shelf liquor. Right then, my dreams scared the crap out of me, but as I read over those words again, I decided it was because they were just big enough.

Finally done, I checked my watch, seeing that Austin was pretty late. He probably got caught up at the office.

My heart gave a pang at the thought that I wasn’t going to see him this morning after all, but I grabbed the box and left the house. Austin would drop off the items he was bringing when he had time, and I could always come back once he let me know those things were here.

It was only some décor for the bedrooms, a few things to make them homier. It would take me no time at all to unpack them, and for now, I couldn’t hang around any longer. I had too many final details to follow up on.

With my mind awash with thoughts of Austin mingling with my mental to-do list, I slid the keys out of my pocket to lock up, but I froze at the sight of a lonely figure standing next to the fountain in the yard.

“Danny?” I frowned as I watched him push away from the concrete ornament, a baseball cap on his head and a fitted trench coat with the collar popped wrapped around his body. “Why do you look like you’re auditioning for a role in a spy movie?”

My heart started pounding painfully hard as I watched him approach me. He ignored my question, instead flashing me another one of those smiles that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I was waiting for you,” he said. “Can we talk?”

“No.”

He huffed out a breath, one of his light eyebrows arching, but he kept walking as if I hadn’t said anything at all. “I want you back, Kenny. We need to talk about how we’re going to make that happen.”

I balked, feeling the blood drain from my cheeks. I shook my head from side to side. “No way. We don’t need to talk because that’s not going to happen. You need to leave. Now.”

“I came here to talk, and you’re going to listen,” he said, completely ignoring me again. “It’s the least you can do.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

Rolling his eyes, he circled his fingers around my wrist in a surprisingly gentle grip and led me back inside. “You’re going to sit down and hear me out, Kennedy. Trust me, you want to hear what I’ve got to say.”