that is messed up. Why would you do that?"
Evan doesn't get what my life is like. He walked away from the vineyards and chose a simple life with a nine-to-five job so he could have Emma. "Because women love rich men. I grew tired of being used. I've been doing this for years and it's always worked out fine. Until Laurelyn."
"She didn't know who you were or that you had a shitload of money?"
"Not until I brought her home with me after Dad got sick."
"Mum is going to be so pissed off. She was already planning your wedding and naming your kids."
He didn't have to remind me. "I know. She fell as much in love with Laurelyn as I did."
"So did my wife and kids. Celia still talks about her. Mila probably would if she could talk."
I can't believe I'm about to ask him this. "How did you know Emma was the one?"
He hesitates and I wonder if he's going to tell me. I can't say I'd blame him if he refused. "You can't use anything I tell you against me. I mean it. No throwing this shit up in my face later because you think it's funny."
"No, man. You have my word."
"We'd dated for several months but had broken up over something stupid. I saw her out with another guy. I don't know how to describe the way it felt. Hurt. Sick. Pissed off. Desperate. And that's just the short list. All he had to do was look at her and I wanted to choke the shit out of him with my bare hands."
I think of how I'd been out of my mind with jealousy the past three months. I wanted to beat the hell out of Ben Donavon, Swinger Chris, and Blake Phillips. "Yeah, that sounds more than a little bit familiar."
"Jack, you don't always know the true worth of a woman's love until it becomes a memory." That's pretty deep stuff coming from my little brother. "Nothing speaks louder than your heart. Listen to what it's telling you. You don't need me to tell you how you'll know if she's the one."
"My heart's not telling me anything. It's screaming in desperation to find Laurelyn and tell her how much I love her."
"Bro, you're a rich fucker. Call out the bloodhounds and go get your girl. She can be found for the right amount of money."
Evan's right. Laurelyn can be located for a price, and I know just the guy for the job.
It's late, but I don't care. I take my mobile out and dial the familiar number. "Callaghan Investigations."
"Jim, it's Jack McLachlan. I have a job for you, and it's a big one. Do you have a current passport?"
The doorbell rings and I open my eyes, cursing the sunlight that mocks me through the window. I reach my hand out as I've done every morning for the last week and find the spot next to me empty. Even after a full week, I'm still not used to finding her gone.
My head pounds after getting so smashed last night, and the zealous ringing of the doorbell isn't helping matters. I want to yell for the person to stop and go away but I know raising my voice will only make things worse. The nightstand clock glows 7:18. Granted, this is sleeping in for me, but who the hell would be at my apartment this early on a Saturday morning? No one knows I'm in Sydney except Evan, so it can only mean one thing. He told Mum, and now she's here to jump my shit because he still thinks it's funny as hell to get me in trouble with her. That's what I get for calling that little fucker.
I open the front door and Margaret McLachlan storms past me. Oh, fuck! This isn't going to go well. "Please come in, Mum."
"Don't give me your smart-arse mouth. I've been trying to reach you all week and you've avoided my calls. It's a shame I had to hunt you down like this just to find out what happened."
"It's harvest time. I don't have to tell you how busy things can get."
"It's been days since Laurelyn was scheduled to leave and I haven't heard from you. I've been about to lose my mind wanting to know what's gone on, but since you've been avoiding me, I'm fairly certain I can guess. You screwed it up with her, didn't you?"
And here we go. "Yes. I messed up."
She puts her
Evan doesn't get what my life is like. He walked away from the vineyards and chose a simple life with a nine-to-five job so he could have Emma. "Because women love rich men. I grew tired of being used. I've been doing this for years and it's always worked out fine. Until Laurelyn."
"She didn't know who you were or that you had a shitload of money?"
"Not until I brought her home with me after Dad got sick."
"Mum is going to be so pissed off. She was already planning your wedding and naming your kids."
He didn't have to remind me. "I know. She fell as much in love with Laurelyn as I did."
"So did my wife and kids. Celia still talks about her. Mila probably would if she could talk."
I can't believe I'm about to ask him this. "How did you know Emma was the one?"
He hesitates and I wonder if he's going to tell me. I can't say I'd blame him if he refused. "You can't use anything I tell you against me. I mean it. No throwing this shit up in my face later because you think it's funny."
"No, man. You have my word."
"We'd dated for several months but had broken up over something stupid. I saw her out with another guy. I don't know how to describe the way it felt. Hurt. Sick. Pissed off. Desperate. And that's just the short list. All he had to do was look at her and I wanted to choke the shit out of him with my bare hands."
I think of how I'd been out of my mind with jealousy the past three months. I wanted to beat the hell out of Ben Donavon, Swinger Chris, and Blake Phillips. "Yeah, that sounds more than a little bit familiar."
"Jack, you don't always know the true worth of a woman's love until it becomes a memory." That's pretty deep stuff coming from my little brother. "Nothing speaks louder than your heart. Listen to what it's telling you. You don't need me to tell you how you'll know if she's the one."
"My heart's not telling me anything. It's screaming in desperation to find Laurelyn and tell her how much I love her."
"Bro, you're a rich fucker. Call out the bloodhounds and go get your girl. She can be found for the right amount of money."
Evan's right. Laurelyn can be located for a price, and I know just the guy for the job.
It's late, but I don't care. I take my mobile out and dial the familiar number. "Callaghan Investigations."
"Jim, it's Jack McLachlan. I have a job for you, and it's a big one. Do you have a current passport?"
The doorbell rings and I open my eyes, cursing the sunlight that mocks me through the window. I reach my hand out as I've done every morning for the last week and find the spot next to me empty. Even after a full week, I'm still not used to finding her gone.
My head pounds after getting so smashed last night, and the zealous ringing of the doorbell isn't helping matters. I want to yell for the person to stop and go away but I know raising my voice will only make things worse. The nightstand clock glows 7:18. Granted, this is sleeping in for me, but who the hell would be at my apartment this early on a Saturday morning? No one knows I'm in Sydney except Evan, so it can only mean one thing. He told Mum, and now she's here to jump my shit because he still thinks it's funny as hell to get me in trouble with her. That's what I get for calling that little fucker.
I open the front door and Margaret McLachlan storms past me. Oh, fuck! This isn't going to go well. "Please come in, Mum."
"Don't give me your smart-arse mouth. I've been trying to reach you all week and you've avoided my calls. It's a shame I had to hunt you down like this just to find out what happened."
"It's harvest time. I don't have to tell you how busy things can get."
"It's been days since Laurelyn was scheduled to leave and I haven't heard from you. I've been about to lose my mind wanting to know what's gone on, but since you've been avoiding me, I'm fairly certain I can guess. You screwed it up with her, didn't you?"
And here we go. "Yes. I messed up."
She puts her
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