I stand in front of a small crowd with the smell of the lake in the air and jab a ceremonial shovel into the dirt. Fifty feet away, the skeletons of several buildings are already beginning to crawl toward the sky as construction crews work overtime to get this project started, but this makes it official.
“Congratulations,” Elena says, kissing me hard, before I’m paraded in front of a bevy of officials and prominent local business people. I shake hands with Captain Kennedy, who gives me a big grin and a wink, and Maggie O’Malley pulls me into a hug.
“You owe me,” she hisses in my ear, giving me a shrewd look. “Omar sends his regards, by the way.”
“He fucking does not,” I say with a laugh, and Maggie shrugs.
“Yeah, he doesn’t, but fuck him. He wouldn’t fall in line, and you know what that means.” She slices her hand across her neck.
“Please don’t destroy the guy’s political career because of me. He already hates me enough.”
Maggie punches my arm. “Don’t worry, big guy, it’s not your fault, but I’m sure he’ll blame you anyway.”
I don’t get a chance to argue. A reporter from the Tribune snaps a photo for the website and starts interviewing me about the project. I give her as many details as I can, really talking up how the Waterfront’s going to get revitalized starting with a bunch of high-end condo buildings plus shopping and dining options. I’ve never talked so fucking much, and eventually I hand the schmoozing duties off to Seamus and Declan, who are much better suited to this than I am.
“You should be proud,” Mom says and gives me a hug. Molly and Caitlin are both there talking to various cops and state officials. “You got the whole family out and working.”
“It’s what we do, right?”
She laughs lightly. “Here I was thinking you were lawyers, not real estate developers.”
“We’re a whole lot of things.”
“I’m proud of you.” She squeezes my wrist. “You’re so much like your father.”
I hug her again. “No, Mom, I’m just like myself.”
Elena pulls me away and Mom beams at me. I think she understands what I mean. I want to be like my father—but I also have to learn how to be like myself.
And this project is the first step toward that. It’ll be huge for the family. There will be a lot of money tied up in this place and a whole ton of jobs created while it’s all being built. And the entire project, the miniature economy of this vision, it all comes back to me.
Which should be terrifying, but I’m only excited.
Elena sticks by my side for the rest of the afternoon. She looks incredible in a silky blouse and I’m tempted a million times to drag her into one of the empty nearby buildings for some private time. But business comes first.
“You did great today,” she says once the party begins to clear up. We walk hand in hand toward the car and she’s beaming, her cheeks pink and flushed. She looks absolutely perfect, and I can’t help but pull her against me before we get into the truck. I kiss her nice and slow.
“Thanks for being there for me.”
“Please, you made all this happen. All I did was shake some hands.”
“Without your influence, I doubt we ever would’ve gotten past the zoning committee.”
“Okay, well, you’re right. I’m incredible.”
I laugh and kiss her again. “Where should we stay tonight? The oasis?”
She shrugs a little. “I don’t know. Our house is looking pretty good. I mean, all the major stuff is done. There’s just some painting left.”
My eyebrows raise. Ever since shit went down with her father and Santoro, she hasn’t wanted to be away from the oasis for long. Which I get, she’s afraid her brother will try to murder her father, and in her head, she’s the only person standing between them.
But that relationship is more complicated than she realizes and I have a feeling Simon has to figure this one out on his own.
There’s also the baby. Emily gave birth to a beautiful little boy and everyone’s obsessed with the new generation, especially Elena. She’s over with Emily almost every day helping out and spending time with them, basically putting herself in the running for Aunt of the Year, an award which I’m betting Elena already gave to herself.
“You know I’d love that, but why the sudden change of heart?” I tilt my head and brush my fingers across her cheek. “The place has been ready for weeks.”
“I know, it’s just—” She chews her lip and looks down. “I guess I just haven’t been ready to start our life, you know? With stuff so up in the air, and with the baby and all, I don’t know.”
“What changed?”
She takes a deep breath and looks up at me. I swear, she’s never been so beautiful before. The curve of her lips, the gleam in her eyes. Her luscious hair and the shape of her throat. I could spend my life looking at this girl and never feel bored. It’s strange, how much I love her.
“I’m pregnant.”
And just like that, I replace out that I can love her even more.
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