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Hail? Her plans? Who the fuck was this girl, as he’d referred to her, and why would my dad do anything she suggested? Had they even been dating for a month?
“You said you were going to give me the house.”
“I said I’d think about it.”
That wasn’t what he’d said at all, but I could tell by the tone of his voice that this call was about to end, anyway. “When do you want this meet and greet to take place?”
“Funny you put it that way. Hailey and I are in LA. She’s wrapping up a movie. Before you interrupted me, I was going to suggest you fly out here?—”
“No. I’m not flying out there to meet someone whose name I won’t remember a year from now.”
“I don’t appreciate your tone, Penelope.”
“And I don’t appreciate you changing your mind about giving me a piece of property that means nothing to you and everything to me.” I ended the call. Since I knew he wouldn’t change his mind a second time, there was no point in continuing the conversation.
I walked over to the window seat, sat down, and wrapped my arms around my legs. I’d tell my father it would be over my dead body that the house—actually, houses—my great-grandparents had built would be torn down or modernized, except that wouldn’t faze him. Once Harold Ramsey made up his mind about something, he went full-steam ahead, with no consideration for anyone else’s feelings. I was sure it was one of the reasons he’d been divorced so many times.
Doubting Brand would leave until I returned to the gallery, I splashed my face with cold water from the utility sink and slowly made my way down the stairs, giving myself time to mask my anger and disappointment with my father.
Brand stood near the steps. “Hey.” His eyes were scrunched, and when I reached the bottom, he took my hands in his.
“Um, hey.” I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip, running his thumb gently back and forth on my skin.
“How did the call with your dad go?”
“Terrible. Apparently, his latest model arm candy wants to modernize the Fire Island house. ‘Fix it up and flip it,’ he said.”
“Flip it? Why? His fiancée has more money than she knows what to do with.”
“You know her?” I practically shouted.
“I know of her. Hailey Watson. The name doesn’t ring a bell?”
I shook my head. “Who is she?”
“The actress who starred in that string of blockbusters. The ones based on the comic books.”
“You’re kidding.”
Brand shook his head.
“If she has more money than she knows what to do with, why is she with my father?”
“Maybe she’s hoping one of her relationships will stick. She could also have a daddy complex.”
“Ew! Brand! I can’t unhear that.”
“Look, I’m sure she’ll get bored, or he will, long before anything happens on Fire Island. Next thing you know, it will be winter and the place will be deserted. By spring, when the season heats up again, I’m sure your dad will have forgotten all about Hailey’s plans. Maybe even Hailey herself.”
“He was adamant. He raised his voice at me.”
Brand let go of my hands and pulled me into his arms. “Come on. You know I’m right.”
There was something about his smug comment and the look on his face that set me off, and I leaned back. “I know you’re right? About my dad?”
“His prior relationships make what’s going to happen damn obvious.”
“That’s easy for you to say when nothing you care about is on the line.”
