“Just me, Aspen, Sierra and you.”
“Sierra?”
Kane tried not to let any emotion show on his face as his friend studied him with suspicion. “Yeah. She’s her sister.”
“Of course! Sounds great—count me in. Want me to make reservations somewhere?”
“Already done. Why do you and Sierra never talk? Is there something going on I don’t know about?”
His throat closed up but Kane was an expert in pushing through stressful situations. He forced a half laugh. “No. And that’s ridiculous, we talk.”
Brick narrowed his gaze. “Not really. Whenever we’re in a group setting you both avoid each other. Oh, you’re polite, but you never have one-on-one conversations. I can’t remember a woman you’ve never been able to charm, yet she’s obviously not a fan.”
Sweat pricked his brow. He wasn’t ready for the interrogation yet. Not until he made his move. Right now, he needed to buy himself time. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions. I have nothing against Sierra or vice versa.”
He remained calm as Brick studied him. Then, his friend broke into a big ass grin. “Holy crap, you asked her out and she said no!”
Kane blinked. “What?”
Brick let out a howl of laughter. “Hell, I should’ve known. No wonder Aspen’s matchmaking skills failed. Sierra was never interested and was trying to spare your feelings.”
He wanted to growl in frustration but figured he’d play the game. At least, until he told Brick the truth. “It was not a big deal.”
Brick thumped his shoulder. “Sure. Don’t let it worry you. Sierra is a tough one. I’ve never really been able to figure out what her type is, but trust me. You are not it.”
Fuck, this was getting worse. Curiosity won over logic. “Why not?”
“Her asshole husband cheated on her. I think it made her suspicious. She dates now and then, but seems to find something wrong with all of the guys. Aspen said she’s looking for Mr. Perfect, who doesn’t exist.”
He pondered Brick’s words. “What’s her idea of perfect?”
Brick shrugged. “No idea. Anyway, don’t take it personally. You have enough women to handle without Aspen’s sister messing up our dynamics. Probably better you didn’t get involved with her. Would’ve been a mess when you broke up since now we’re all family.”
His stomach twisted as he nodded and pretended to agree. He hated lying to his friend, but Kane took this as a sign. It was time to confront Sierra and fix the mess they’d created.
Brick was in such a good mood, he allowed Kane to change the subject without giving him crap. “How’s business? Need any help?”
“Business is finally booming,” Brick said with satisfaction. “I just hired another tour guide so I’ll get some time off. What about you? How’s the new job?”
Kane shook his head. “Different. Let’s just say I’m not used to the slow pace.”
Brick grinned. “You’re a native New Yorker. Gonna take you some time to slow the pace when you’re used to building an empire in a week.”
“I’d need at least a month.”
“Always were an underachiever.”
Kane snorted. He figured it would take some time to get back into the world he knew and had once ruled. His job at a small family run firm was a good start. He just needed to be patient. After all, being quietly fired from the biggest firm in New York City wasn’t the best thing to put on a résumé. The company hadn’t dug deep before hiring him. That suited Kane perfectly. His plan was simple: prove his worth and work his way back up the ladder. He wanted big deals and opportunities. But each time he gave the firm his research on a new possibility, Kane was shot down.
They simply weren’t interested in expansion or aggressive deals. Kane tried to convince them to use his experience and get into the higher stake games, but so far, Duncan wasn’t budging. He was older, settled in, and liked to focus on easy deals.
Kane wasn’t sure how long he could play small. He needed to rebuild his portfolio and bank account. But if he pushed with the bigger firms, it may be too soon. Because they would dig and find he’d been investigated for fraud. It wouldn’t matter if he was innocent—the stench was enough to keep him out of the hiring pool.
But he refused to give up or allow frustration to muddle his vision. He’d risen from the ashes before and he’d do it again. Kane would keep researching opportunities and, eventually, he’d find the right deal to put him back on the map.
Brick must’ve sensed his frustration because he spoke without waiting for an answer. “I know you don’t talk about what happened, and I don’t want to pry. But I think there’s a place for you here, Kane, even if it’s not where you started.” His friend shook his head. “I thought inheriting Ziggy’s Tours was the worst thing to happen, but now it turned out to be the best. You deserve happiness, too.”
Damned if he wasn’t feeling all mushy after Brick’s words. This must be what family felt like—secure you’d be accepted no matter what happened. The hunger for more was no stranger to Kane. He’d just channeled it into his career. Nothing in his personal life had ever given him the same rush or drive that fulfilled him.
