Page 101 of Meant to Be

Aaron’s scowl deepened when he slammed a file on his desk, eyeing his wife with a narrowed gaze. To most, that look would’ve made them cower in a corner, but when I looked back at my sister-in-law a smile played at the sides of her lips and her eyes held laughter as she stared at her husband.

These two.

“I’d considered that. Thankfully, it won’t be necessary since she agreed to be my wife.”

Patience gasped. “Oh my goodness! Congratulations! I knew it was coming.” She jumped up and down, happily, coming over to hug me.

“I haven’t told anyone else yet, so keep it to yourselves for now.”

Patience nodded, smiling, already pulling out her phone. “Will do, but I need to text Kayla and congratulate her. Oh, this will give me something to do.” She turned from me, phone in hand, fingers moving over the keys as she texted Kayla I assumed.

“Congratulations,” Aaron’s deep voice rang out from behind his desk.

“Thanks.” I glanced back over my shoulder to make sure Patience’s attention was still on her phone before turning back to Aaron. “There’re still some things she and I need to work out.”

Aaron’s forehead wrinkled.

“Something happened to her back in Oregon. I have a feeling it’s going to be something I need to handle.”

Aaron eyed me for a long minute, his eyes darkening ever so slightly. He wasn’t one to play when it came to the safety of the women in our life. “Anything you ne—”

I held up my hand. “I won’t hesitate to ask if I need help.”

“Good thing this Wallace McCloud nonsense is out of the way.”

“And we didn’t take much of a hit even with all of his scheming.”

My brother nodded. “Tell me about Illinois,” Aaron finally spoke up.

I filled Aaron in on the happenings in Illinois over the previous week.

“The police question you about how you came across all of this evidence?”

I lifted a shoulder, shrugging. “Of course. But some quick talking on my part satisfied them. Wallace should be in a jail cell for the rest of his life.”

“However long that will be,” Aaron growled.

I glanced over my shoulder upon hearing Patience’s intake of air. Her eyes were narrowed at Aaron. I returned my gaze to my brother who was giving a blank stare to his wife. They were silently communicating something but I opted to remain out of it. Wallace would be taken care of, in or outside of prison.

“He was pretty pissed at you. Thought I’d purchased his building under your orders.”

“Did he?”

I shook my head, rolling my eyes. “Dumbass. Had no concept of how to run a company and blamed everyone else for his fucking failures.”

Aaron snorted. “Typical. And his kid’s an a—”

“Aaron!” Patience snapped.

I lowered my head, grinning when Aaron’s mouth snapped shut. Whatever he’d been about to call Wallace’s kid he was still thinking it but his wife, acting as his conscience, stopped him.

“Nicely done, Josh. Our board will be happy to know all of this mess is behind us and Townsend Real Estate is still thriving.”

“Damn straight. Anyway, I need to go. Got to make some visits and I have a shit ton of meetings.”

I turned and walked over to Patience to give her a parting hug.

“Oh,” she stated, startled.