“Thanks.”
Victoria, his baby sister, was getting married on Christmas Eve. He'd give her away. He swallowed. Vicki practically glowed with happiness. His arms wrapped around her and squeezed.
"I'm glad I made it home early. Beijing was not where I wanted to be, though it was successful. Where's John?"
Their brother's house overlooked Biscayne Bay. The white lights of Christmas stuff hung everywhere, and John had a large Christmas tree flown into his house for the occasion. At least he hadn't done the cheap pink flamingo lawn ornament with the red hats. His Grammy award-winning neighbor next to his own house on Starr Island didn't have the same elegant taste.
Guests were both inside and outside the well-secured mansion. Vicki pointed toward the backyard with more strings of white lights that reflected against the darkened blue waters of the evening bay.
She led him to the bar and said, "Our brother is off scaring Colt in some effort to stop the wedding if he doesn't behave."
His eyebrows shifted up. "Sounds fun. I should go join them."
She shook her head. "Peter, be nice. You're my oldest brother and giving me away in a few days. If you don't agree, I will haunt you for eternity and beyond for ruining my happy-ever-after."
Peter massaged her back. "Vicki, we all actually like Colt. We're saving him from a life with you."
She pinched him, and he laughed. Then he hugged her. Vicki was the best part of their family growing up. Her supposed death had widened the huge hole in his heart that had starting breaking long ago.
Their mother had ditched them practically the day Vicki was about to turn one and John had been two. Peter had spent his childhood protecting Vicki and John from their father and wondering how their mother walked away.
He petted her hair until she swatted his hand away. "Don't go ruining my new style for our rehearsal dinner."
The warmth without the humidity made Miami in December one of the best places to spend winter. The party was full of people who laughed and drank. Most of the people in the room had business dealings and contracts with him. The rest were people who one day would.
He pressed his lips together. "Is Jennifer here?"
Vicki crossed her arms. "Not yet. She is invited. Don't break her and Rafe up because you're lonely, big brother. There is more to life than sex."
The friends-with-benefits relationship he shared with Jennifer for the years his sister supposedly had been dead as Jennifer had reminded him of Vicki. Jennifer never had his sister's good heart, but she had been a link to memories of when his sister had been happy.
A picture of Jennifer formed in his mind. Their break up, at Jennifer's insistence, had been one of the highlights of this year. He shook his head. "I won't, and I'm not lonely."
Vicki shook her head no. John and Colt chose that moment to join them near the patio door. John slapped him on the back and laughed. Then Vicki said, "You live in dad's mausoleum on Starr Island and work in that office of yours far too late."
"I was in Beijing, taking care of business."
His brother and sister clearly had both decided to interfere with his life and intentions for the future. Peter stood straighter. He had forgotten what families were supposed to be like until they had barged back into his life.
He sipped his drink. "And unlike you two, I don't have a fiancée or wife. I get to go home with any single lady I want."
Colt wrapped his arms around Victoria. "Life is better with someone, Peter. A good woman would do wonders for you."
His sister glowed with happiness. Marriage was not in his life plan. His own mother hadn't wanted him anymore, so why would he take in any woman? He'd stockpile as much of the Morgan finances as he could and leave it to his nieces and nephews. A wife would be a weight his heart didn't need. He pressed his lips together and hoped this didn't make him like their father.
Peter shook his head. "There are more than one ‘some ones’ out there."
John crossed his arms, and had the same expression Vicki had a moment ago. "My brother is incapable of dating only one woman for long. We all know that."
Women were all disappointments and they left. Their father had taunted him the day his mother walked out the door as he said, ‘women are playtoys for men like us.' He had seen her walk out the front door from the marble staircase that she had passed on her way out. They had stared at each other on her journey, and even then their mother hadn't stayed to protect them. She hadn't even said goodbye, and her brown eyes still haunted him.
The door chimed. Alice held John's baby as she opened the door. His brother's face warmed from one glance at his wife and son. Alice had been involved in their family all their lives as Vicki's best friend, and she'd had a lifelong crush on John until he had finally been smart enough to marry her. No girl like that existed for Peter, not that he wanted one.
A second later, Alice walked into the front room with Jennifer and Rafe. Alice, radiated happiness, almost like his sister. Neither one of his siblings remembered Mom. That had probably helped them to be open to marriage. Peter's brown eyes glanced at Jennifer as her new/old boyfriend's arm held hers. Rafe was a good officer, an old high school friend of sorts, and Peter respected him.
He turned to John and said, "I am fully capable of dating one woman."
"Woah. I clearly missed something," Colt quickly said. "But I'd put money on that."
Peter's muscles tightened. He straightened his spine and said, "What's the bet?"
John clapped him on his shoulder, again. "You have to date someone we choose for a month."
His eyes widened. "You choose?"
John then stood across from him and met his stare. "It has to be a challenge for you. We don't want you tolerating some girl who sees dollar signs for a month."
"A girl that money doesn't impress doesn't exist." Everyone had a price, even if they didn't know what it was.
Peter imagined some religious girl set to be a nun as the choice in question. He massaged his shaved chin. "Okay, if I agree to this, what do I get?"
John and Colt shared a look with Vicki. His sister held her fiancé's hand as John said, "Ten percent of my small stake in the company. You get even more majority ownership without question on the board."
Colt nodded and added, "I'll throw in something. We'll increase production on my farm by at least twenty-five percent, and you'll get that as part of the already existing contract with no extra clauses."
They were both serious about this. Peter licked his lips. "And if I lose?"
John then glanced at Vicki. "You give ten percent of your ownership to Victoria. Dad screwed her in the will and wasn't giving her money all her life. She has millions instead of billions. You can correct that."
Peter assumed their father had thought Vicki dead, but he might not have. Mitch Morgan had played his family and kept close tabs on all of them until he died. He widened his stance. "The corporations are mine."