Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Thankfully, work kept me busy and distracted until a fresh problem stole all my focus.
My parents came to town for a visit.
My family had resided in the New England area for several generations, my parents living outside of Boston to this day. The family law firm was based in Boston with a smaller branch office in New York City, which my younger brother, Archer, managed. I’d had to be the different one. It was more like cracking under the pressure, though, of having generations of Sutton lawyers resting on my shoulder. I’d always known I would be a lawyer, and my father had been so excited when I’d passed the bar, immediately spinning fantasies of me taking over for him.
Naturally, as I’d panicked, Sebastian had waltzed in with his special brand of coaxing and cajoling. It hadn’t been hard to convince me to move to Cincinnati, giving me some breathing room between me and my ultimate fate. Also, I’d taken the opportunity to open another branch of Sutton Law, allowing me to get my feet wet.
Regardless of my attempts to tweak my fate, I had no illusions about my father’s expectations. The goal was for me to return to Boston eventually to take over the management of the firm.
But this visit wasn’t about my returning home. No, my mother had cooked up something far more nefarious.
She was “concerned for my happiness.”
God, was there an eviler four-word phrase?
The Bistro was a quiet, elegant restaurant with a superb wine list that was more than enough to keep my picky father happy and a relatively healthy menu that was sure to keep my mother happy as she continued to monitor my father’s cholesterol.
“Did Archer send you the latest pictures of Blake and Zane? He took them ice skating last week,” my mom asked, already picking up her phone to find the pictures of her grandchildren. The server had just left after taking our order.
“Yes, I was on the same group text. I think it’s more amazing that Archer didn’t spend most of the outing on his ass. He hasn’t ice skated in years, and he was never all that good at it in the first place.” My younger brother was built like me but possessed only half of my coordination. His wife, Jessica, on the other hand, was a graceful swan. It was a wonder what she saw in my dopey brother.
“I think Archer stuck pretty close to the wall most of the time. Jessica was the one who got the boys out onto the ice,” my father murmured.
The conversation fell into a lull, and my gaze wandered about the restaurant, taking in the dim lighting and rich atmosphere. Crystal and silverware clinked softly, accents to the low burble of people talking. Unfortunately, it didn’t help as I searched for a topic of conversation that wasn’t work related. Sometimes, my father popped into town to check on the company, and we always chatted about shifts and developments in law or contracts we were working on. However, each time my mother was present, he and I tried to steer away from work talk.
I didn’t have to search for a topic for long. My mother had come to town preloaded with something she was itching to tackle.
“Why didn’t you bring a date to our dinner?” she inquired.
For a second, I could only stare at her. This felt out of left field. “It’s news to me that a date is a requirement for a dinner with my parents. I thought it was enough that I wore a tie.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed. She was not in a joking mood. “Pierce.”
Shoot me now.
“Are you seeing anyone?” she pressed, her tone taking on an edge.
“Not at the moment.”
“Why?”
I glanced over at my father, but he was suddenly very interested in his water goblet. Traitor. My dad was very much of the “Let the boys take care of themselves” mindset. My mom needed to meddle. It was her job. Her purpose. Her raison d’être. She loved to micromanage our lives. Which was probably why I’d been more than happy to move to Cincinnati and my brother had jumped at the chance to move to New York.
“I don’t understand. What do you mean, ‘why’? I’m not seeing anyone because I haven’t met anyone that I would be interested in dating. Work has kept me busy, and I’ve been hanging out with my friends.”
“Friends who have all started dating someone seriously in the past year.”
My eyes fell shut, and I briefly cursed the person who’d decided it had been wise to teach my mother all about social media.
“Yes, Sebastian and Declan are in serious relationships.”
“So is Rome,” she pointed out. “Sebastian posted an adorable picture of them together at Declan’s birthday party. It’s so nice to see Rome so happy and settled. He’s always been too restless.”