My mother sent me upstate to The Buchanan School under the direction set out in my father’s will. He was a Buck Boy, as the alumni call themselves. My grandfather and his father were as well.
I made sure Ryden had that experience too, because I wanted my younger brother to forge the type of friendships I did there.
“You really should stop by for dinner one night.” Sean runs a hand through his dark hair. “Consider this your formal invitation. I’ll cook up the latest kit you sent over. Thanks for that.”
I laugh. “Thank Joslyn for that. She’s the one who added Callie’s name to the tester list.”
When I founded Food Harmony with my sister a year ago, I had no fucking idea that we’d build it into the number one meal kit delivery service in the country within the first ten months of operations.
We’re flying high with the venture at the moment.
“I’ll thank her when you bring her with you for dinner.” He smiles. “Bring Ryden too. Declan loves talking hockey.”
My brother is enjoying the off-season in Mexico, so that’s a pass.
Sean empties his beer in one gulp. “Let’s go, Harrison. I want your thousand dollars in my pocket within the hour.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Ava
I take one last glimpse of myself in the mirror in my brother’s guestroom.
This is what twenty-one looks like.
Nothing about me has changed since yesterday except in the eyes of the law. I’m legal in all the ways that matter in New York State, even though I’ve felt like a full-fledged grown-up for most of my life.
A soft knock on the door lures my gaze over my shoulder. “Come in.”
I already know who is standing on the other side of the door.
Declan brought flowers to the guestroom before he left for work this morning. Since I was still fast asleep, he left the vase with the stunning bouquet and a note on the floor outside the door.
It was a thoughtful gesture that I wasn’t expecting.
For my last two birthdays, Declan has sent me electronic gift cards. When I turned nineteen, the card was for a bookstore two blocks from my flat. Last year’s gift was a card for a cute little café that I’d tagged in a social media post.
The flowers he left for me today were completely unexpected.
As I suspected, my brother smiles as the door opens far enough to reveal him standing there in a dark blue suit.
“You look beautiful, Ava.”
I take pride in that because the red dress I had chosen three months ago for my birthday celebration is in my still missing luggage.
I dropped into a consignment shop this afternoon and found another in a slightly darker shade than the original. This one is made of silk and drapes my frame, clinging in all the right places.
I actually like it better than my original birthday dress, and the bonus was that the store clerk tossed in a red clutch purse as a gift. It may have seen better days, but it’ll do the job for tonight.
“You look pretty sharp, too, Decky.”
He laughs at the reminder of the nickname Sean has always called him.
“It’s Declan,” he says with a lingering chuckle. “You know I fucking hate being called Decky.”
I shrug a shoulder. “It suits you.”
It doesn’t.
My brother is a commanding figure. He’s tall, serious, and draws attention whenever he steps into a room.
“Thank you again for the flowers.” I walk over to stand in front of him. “I love them.”
His gaze drifts to where I set the vase on a small table next to the window. “That’s only part of your gift, Ava.”
“Did you get me a gift card for Crispy Biscuit?”
A bark of laughter escapes him. “No, but I will. You remember that diner?”
How could I forget it? It was a staple as I was growing up in this city. My friends and I would head there after school every Friday in our uniforms to indulge in the to-die-for cheeseburgers and fries.
The lunch served at the Fortman Academy never measured up to what Crispy Biscuit offered.
“It’s one of my favorite places in Manhattan,” I tell him.
“I’ll take you there for lunch tomorrow,” he promises, even though work will likely steal his attention. “I got you a gift card for a jewelry store. It’s the same store where Sean bought Callie’s engagement ring. The owner will design a charm for your bracelet. Anything you want.”
His hand dives into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. When it pops back out, he’s holding a small white envelope with gold lettering.
“Whispers of Grace,” I read it aloud as he hands it to me. “Thanks, Decky.”
“Declan.” His tone is firmer this time. “My driver is meeting us downstairs in five minutes if you’re ready to celebrate your birthday.”
I glance at my red heels on the floor near the foot of the bed. “Once I put my shoes on and check my makeup, I’ll be ready to roll.”
“Let’s make it a night to remember.” He leans forward to kiss the middle of my forehead. “How the hell are you already twenty-one, Ava? Where did all those years go?”
Into my memory.
Being back in Manhattan has triggered a host of memories. This city was always good to me. I’ve missed it, and I’m glad to be back.
“So, dinner with the fam was…” Kerry, a friend since third grade, perks one of her blonde eyebrows. “Good, bad, or ugly?”
I let out a squeak of a giggle thanks to the three glasses of red wine I enjoyed during dinner. “No one at that table was ugly. The company was good, and the food was too. The only bad part was that I couldn’t sneak out at ten like I thought I could.”
“Amen to the not ugly part.” Kerry raises her martini glass in the air. “Your brothers are smoking hot. I mean volcano level hot.”
I scrunch my nose. “Eww.”
“You can’t see it because you’re related to them.” She clicks her tongue. “Give me five minutes alone with either of them, and they’d be asking me to marry them.”
“Sean is engaged,” I tell her. “Declan is too busy working to…”
“Fuck?” She lets out a laugh. “No man is ever too busy for a good fuck, Ava.”
I cover both ears with my hands. “Stop talking.”
She tugs on my right hand. “Fine. I’m sort of kind of seeing someone right now, anyways. I invited him tonight, but he had to work.”
I glance around the interior of the bar we’re in.
I was late getting to Dunfoy’s but was still touched that a few friends had gathered to greet me when I walked in.
We exchanged hugs and stories about how we’d spent the last few years of our lives. Then we toasted my birthday, and the two guys in attendance decided to head toward a pool table. Three of the women I graduated high school with are currently chatting up a man seated at the end of the bar.
That has left me alone with Kerry and the delicious apple martini I’m sipping on.
“What about you?” Kerry nudges my elbow. “Boyfriend? Lover? Friend who likes to fuck? What’s waiting for you back in London?”
“All of the above,” I joke, even though I’ve only ever had one boyfriend, and that relationship ended before I left for London years ago.