Beautifully Undone (The Beaumont Brothers #3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

you beaucoup bucks.”
    “That, and they’re flippin’ the bill, too.” He laughed. “I’m here on business. We’re here to analyze one of the new properties that Trentco recently purchased, but I couldn’t visit the city without seeing you guys.”
    “You better not. Ever!” I said.
    “That’s some business trip for them to be putting you up at the Fairmont,” Ash said.
    “It is. I got a promotion yesterday. This is my first day in my new position as Financial Department Head, and they sent me on a last minute trip. I’m now one step away from VP,” Ted said with an air of confidence. I couldn’t blame him. He’d worked hard to get where he was.
    “I’m proud of you, big bro.” I gave him another squeeze around the middle.
    “Yeah, congratulations!” Ash said.
    “Let’s celebrate! Shots? What are you drinking?” I asked Ted.
    “One of those pale ales they’re promoting. I can’t stay out too late. I have an early meeting. Then I head back to Phoenix immediately after that.”
    “Aw, that’s not fair,” I pouted.
    “Sorry, Mel. This is the best I can do for a visit right now. I’ll be home for Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas. The entire company shuts down for two weeks between December 21st and January 4th. I’ll have two weeks to hang with you two clowns. Listen, Ash, I’m sorry about your mom. I’ll miss her. She was always like a second mother to Mel and me. I peeked in at the memorial this morning, but I couldn’t stay long so I snuck out. I’m sorry. I knew if you’d seen me, you would have tried to talk me into staying and it was a meeting I couldn’t miss.”
    “I would have understood, but thanks. She loved you, too,” Ash said then turned toward the bar and ordered two drafts for us.
    “We sprinkled her ashes off the bridge earlier this evening. It was hard on him,” I whispered close to Ted’s ear.
    “I wish I could have been there for him, too. He’s all alone now, Mel. You need to help him through everything,” he whispered back. His comment gave me a sick feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to ask why he’d said that. Ash had him, too. Didn’t he? They were like brothers.
    “You make it sound like you’re not going to be around much,” I said with a pout I hoped he’d catch. I didn’t like not having my brother around.
    “I’m in Phoenix now, Mel. I wish I could be here for you both, but if I want to get ahead, I need to be there. It won’t be forever. I’ll move back someday. Maybe sooner than you think,” he added that last part with a warm smile and a strong arm around my shoulders, squeezing me to him. 
    Asher turned back around and handed me one of the pints.
    “What is it?” I asked and Ash gave me a silly eye roll.
    “Blue Moon. What else? It’s the only thing you’ll drink besides Guinness or Corona light.”
    That was true. I wasn’t a huge beer drinker. I preferred wine more, but since Ted was drinking beer, I guessed Ash thought we should, too. I sipped. It was cold and hit the spot as if I’d been craving it all day.
    We spent the next hour laughing and talking about what we would do when Christmas rolled around. Ted suggested we take a trip to Hawaii and said he would pay. Both Ash’s and my eyebrows shot up in surprise.
    “That would be so cool,” I beamed. I had the best big brother in the world.
    “I’ve been wanting to go, and well, I can’t leave my two best friends at home. Can I?”
    “No. You can’t.” Ash laughed. “But you’re not going to pay for the whole trip. I can pay, too.”
    “You bet,” Ted said, knowing there was no arguing about it because Ash wouldn’t go if he couldn’t pay. “I’ll start making plans when I get back to Phoenix. There’s a guy I work with who has a timeshare and he already said it was available. All we need now are plane tickets.”
    “This is going to be so awesome!” I squealed. Christmas with my two best friends. In Hawaii. What could be better