AllFreeNovel
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I park my car in the back of the Sidelines Sporting Goods parking lot. Every time I see this building, immense pride hits me. Adam and Matthew have worked their asses off to get here. Their company is the number one provider of sporting goods items for the entire country. They have contracts with multiple professional sports teams while simultaneously providing affordable equipment for the masses. It’s incredible.
I walk through the main building and head directly to the back, where the employee elevators are. The third floor houses all the offices while the first and second are for the store.
I’m hoping that Adam won’t have a lunch meeting scheduled. Usually, he eats with Matthew, but every now and then, he’ll have to meet with a client or something. It would be my luck to randomly pop in when he’s busy.
The doors ding open to a small lobby that leads into a cubicle farm. On the outer edges of the space are glass-enclosed offices. They’re all frosted over, so I can’t see who’s inside. I walk to the back where Adam’s and Matthew’s offices are. Tessa, Adam’s assistant, is in her office with the door open.
“Hey, T. Long time no see.”
Tessa’s head snaps up from behind her computer. “Nolan! It’s so good to see you.”
“You, too. How are the twins?” I give her a big hug when she comes around the corner of her desk.
“Tiny little terrors, but they’re freaking adorable, so we don’t mind too much.”
I laugh at her description. “They’re over a year old now, right?”
“Yes, and completely mobile. It’s wonderful and terrifying at the same time.”
“Sounds like a great time. Is Adam available? I was hoping to talk to him about something.”
“Yeah, he’s in there with Matthew. Go on ahead.” Tessa smiles at me and heads back to her desk.
I rap my knuckles on the door that leads from Tessa’s office into Adam’s and then open the door. “Any chance you’ve got room for an extra lunch buddy?”
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Adam stands from his seating area where he and Matthew have their food spread on the coffee table. He looks sharp in his black suit and charcoal grey tie. Matthew, on the other hand, is wearing a moss green suit. He looks as good as Adam, just in a different way.
“Thought I’d stop by and say hello.”
Adam furrows his brows. I’m sure he knows something is up. I don’t do this sort of thing very often. “Come sit. We were just talking about what Tilly and Matthew are doing for their wedding.”
“Nice. Have you picked a place yet?” I ask.
“Yeah, we’re going to have it in our backyard. After Cody’s birthday party, we realized we have the best setup back there. It fits our family perfectly, even with the extra people. Tilly is going to hire someone to decorate it and make it fancy.”
“That sounds perfect for you guys.”
“Tilly’s excited, which is all that matters to me.” Matthew shrugs.
“You ready to talk about what brought you here?” Adam asks without preamble.
The thing is, I know if I said I wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t push, and we’d talk about something else. The confidence I have in Adam and Matthew, as my older brothers, to provide me with the best advice, allows me to spill everything.
“Bryce served Katie with custody papers last week.”
“That fucker.” Matthew grunts.
“Why are we only just now finding out? Ellie would’ve told me if she knew about this.”
“That’s kind of why I’m here. Katie doesn’t want to tell anyone. She’s determined to do everything on her own. She won’t even talk to me about what’s going on. I’ve tried to keep her secret, but something has to give.”
“She’s in survival mode,” Matthew muses. “Her whole world is being threatened right now. It makes sense.”
“I realize that it makes sense, but she’s floundering. If we don’t do something soon, she’s going to have a breakdown.”
“Who has she hired for a lawyer?” Adam asks.
“She hasn’t yet. She’s met with a few, but the ones in her price range are all sleazeballs.”
