Sugar Pie by Victoria Pinder
48
Gerard
The bouncy brunette with wild curls was exactly who I’d pictured for Warren. Her smile matched his own noble one. Truthfully, it was as if the head of our football team had just fallen for the cheerleader.
They fed each other and spoke without words as they circled the room.
The bride-to-be came over to me, and I put my wine down to say, “I’m happy to meet you, Kerry.”
She shook my hand. “Likewise. You’re Gerard?”
I nodded. “In the flesh. I hope my calls didn’t interrupt too much.”
“Don’t be silly.” She laughed.
I saw the ring on her hand, so I whistled and said, “Congrats.”
She put her hand down and bounced on her feet. “I’m in shock.”
Maman waved at Kerry, so she patted my shoulder and left my side.
Kir, who was officially a pilot and who seemed to ignore his heritage, too, despite looking exactly like our Pedar with darker skin and hair, asked, “Did you have to rearrange your life to be here too?”
Right. He was probably controlled by someone else’s schedule that day. I shrugged and watched our family. “No. I quit my job today.”
Kir blinked. “You own the company.”
My relations were a mess. My last girlfriend thought she could move in and I wouldn’t notice. And it was true—I flew around the world and stayed in hotels as I ran my company.
I was done avoiding. I hated to be gloomy at a festive engagement party, so I said, “I set up a new board and hired a CEO.”
Kir shrugged. “So you’re letting go.”
Our parents were happy. Warren, the most righteous and moral of us, had a bride.
Maman was right that family mattered.
“After Ashley, I need to go and figure out what I want next,” I said.
Kir rubbed his chin as we waved at Arman, who was about to come show off his infant daughter. Kir quickly asked, “So what do you intend to do?”
I held out my arms to hold the baby. Next time I saw her, she would be bigger. I kissed her cheek and said, “I want… to disappear on my yacht for a while and figure out what I want to do next.”
Arman had no idea what we were discussing, but he took his daughter back. “Have fun. I think Maman wanted Christmas in Hawaii, anyhow.”
I glanced at both of them. We had grown up together but were all so different. They had brighter futures than I did. “Let’s go toast the couple so I can get their wedding date on my calendar.”
It was time for me to change my life, and maybe that would begin with drinking on my yacht and not giving a thought to my problems for a while. Maybe I would stumble on an answer. I had to wonder, though, what would fill my empty heart.
I hope you loved Sugar Pie as Warren and Kerry were fun to write. Next up is Gerard’s story on the high seas and falls for Ali in Dream Boat.
