Built for Power (20 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Bree!” Noah called as he ran into her office. “Big Al called and said you needed to get to the construction site immediately.”

Bree shot from her chair. Today was the day they were going to be caught up. This was the day they were going to reach their first milestone. “What’s wrong?”

“He didn’t say. He just said you needed to hurry.”

Bree grabbed a pair of socks from the drawer and put them on before she stuffed her feet into the steel-toed boots. She grabbed her pink hard hat from the corner of her desk and strode out of the office. Her black pencil skirt would be out of place on the job site, but the guys didn’t care and she didn’t want to take the time to change into jeans.

Everything had been going so perfectly since the night Jeff was arrested two weeks ago. The men were outraged and worked nonstop. She even picked up the rest of Jeff’s workers as the government investigated the bribes and threats he doled out in order to get contracts. Work at the site was a hive of activity.

And every night she went home to Logan. It was perfect. She ended and began each day with a kiss from Logan. At night he’d tell her about all the places he’d visited in his quest for the perfect office building for his new firm. Just yesterday, he’d told her he’d found one downtown that he was thinking about buying. They’d sat together under the stars and talked. They’d walked through the historic parts of the city. And every night, when they fell into bed, there was no question of them being made for each other. So, why did something have to go wrong today? Today, when she’d been planning a surprise romantic weekend at the family getaway spot.

As she pulled up to the work site, she saw the problem immediately. No one was there. How could they get the work done when no one was there? Bree hurried from her car and stopped at the gate. A large piece of paper with some drawn plans was nailed to it. It looked to be redesigned plans of her building, but it focused on the top floor. Looking up, she saw that no windows had been installed and just the skeleton of the upper floors was finished. The mesh protective covering prevented her from seeing if anything had happened to the area. What worried her upon further examination of the new drawing was that something had been drawn in the middle of the floor. Oh no! She hoped the guys didn’t build the hideous statue Marcus had requested in order to delay the build.

Bree hurried into the building and took the service elevator up to the top. She pulled the doors open and stepped out into the large open floor with confusion. All her workers were gathered in a circle with worried looks on their faces.

“Miss Simpson,” Big Al called as he hurried forward. “We don’t know what to do; the plans have been changed again.”

“I saw them on the fence. What on earth?” Bree asked as the men started moving out of her way.

Logan was in the center of the circle down on one knee. As she gasped, the men’s worried faces turned to huge smiles. Bree felt her hands start to shake as she stepped into the middle of the circle of workers. She felt Big Al standing behind her and could hear some sniffles coming from his direction.

“Bree Simpson, you are the most remarkable woman I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. Of course, it started out rough, but just look at what we turned it into.” Bree chuckled along with her whole crew. “I didn’t realize I had stopped living my life until I met you. But now I want more, and you’ve given me the desire to break free of the past. All I see is a bright future as long as you’re by my side. This building brought us together, so I thought this would be the perfect place for me to ask you this. Bree, will you marry me?”

Bree looked down at the ring Logan produced from his pocket. The roomful of people was quiet except for some sniffles and a sob from Big Al. Bree saw a flash of color to her side and the men stepping aside for Allegra and her mother. Their eyes shone with unshed tears as they smiled. But when she looked at Logan, it was as if they all disappeared. He was her heart, her love, her husband.

“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you,” Bree grinned as she held out a shaky hand for him to put the ring on. The crew erupted in cheers as Logan swooped her up into his arms and kissed her.

“You’re my world and I’ll love you until my dying breath and beyond,” Logan whispered into her ear before kissing tears of joy from her cheek.

“I love you, too, Logan . . . so very much.”

“Oh, come over here, you two!” Margaret cried as she hurried forward with her arms open and Allegra close behind. Carolyn Ward smiled shyly from behind Bree's family.

“You invited your mother!”

“I did. I think she was inspired by your confidence and has finally stood up for herself. She marched my father and brother over to the house yesterday and demanded they apologize to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she grabs them by the ear and drags them into your office as well.”

“I’m glad you’re rebuilding a relationship with your family. Family is so important to me, so the effort means a lot.”

“I think after I realized I didn’t need their approval, it became a lot easier to work on forgiving them for their mistakes and moving on. I could waste my life being mad at my dad for not showing his love, or at Stacy and Brad for their betrayal, but I’d rather spend my time loving you.”

“Oh, we’re so happy,” Margaret said excitedly when she reached them. Bree laughed as she and Logan were pulled into a tight hug. “Carolyn and I are already planning the engagement shower.”

“Mom,” Bree and Logan both whined. They laughed at each other and Bree decided now might not be the time to tell her mom she dreamed of marrying Logan in a quiet ceremony at their family retreat and not in some large wedding. She’d ruin her mother’s dream later.

The sound of a horn startled the group. When Bree turned to see what it was, she found Big Al with a handkerchief and a smile. He came forward, and the crowd hushed.

“We all have an engagement gift for the best boss there is.” Al handed her a piece of paper. Bree opened it and saw the stamp from the inspector. They had officially reached their second milestone ahead of time. The bonus would be enough to pay all the additional workers.

“Thank you all for your hard work. We couldn’t have reached this milestone without it. I appreciate every minute you put into this building. Now let’s celebrate!” The men cheered, and Noah pressed the music button on the boombox. The floor was filled with well wishes, laughter, and some karaoke of “We Built This City.”

* * *

Logan couldn’t stop smiling as he drove Bree to his surprise. The party with the construction crew and her family had been perfect for them. They had sung karaoke quite badly, laughed, and danced on top of the partially constructed building, the building that had brought them together.

“Aren’t we close to David and Josh’s place?”

“Yes we are. This is the new warehouse district. These old warehouses have been transformed into luxury condos. There’s a large park just behind us and lots of mom-and-pop restaurants are opening along here as well,” Logan told her as he pulled up to a building with a For Sale sign in the window.

“I just love this part of town. It’s so quaint. And for some reason I feel right at home with all the brick and steel,” Bree joked.

“That’s why I brought you here.” Logan reached behind Bree and handed her a large tube.

“What’s this?” she asked as she opened it and pulled out the large sheet of paper.

“It’s a gift for both of us.”

Logan held his breath as Bree unrolled the paper and looked at it. After a moment, her head shot up as she looked at the building in front of them and then back down at the paper.

“Are these plans for turning this warehouse into a home?”

“A house and an office for Ward Architecture. That bottom corner could be my office and there would be space right next door for an office for you when you work from home.”

“This is amazing. I love it, Logan. Can we see inside?”

“Of course. I called the Realtor; he’s here to let us in.”

Logan watched with excitement as Bree refused to put down the plans. They walked to the door that would serve as his office. A man opened it for them with a smile and then headed outside to wait as Bree looked around with an eye honed from a job in construction.

“Look at this exposed brick. It’s beautiful. The mortar is in good shape and we could really emphasize those beams up there. This will be a beautiful office, Logan.” Bree hurried from the room and opened another door. “Would this be my office?”

“Yes. And I can put in a door there to lead directly into the house.”

Bree squealed and hurried from the room with her face buried in his plans. She opened the door leading to the main part of the warehouse that would serve as their home. Logan followed her with pride and a new certainty. This was his life. Making Bree smile was all he wanted. But the feeling he got drawing up plans to make other people this happy made him know starting his own firm was the right thing to do.

“Oh wow,” Bree gasped as they entered what would be the open living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Logan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Can’t you see it—our life here? I see you working at your desk overlooking the park. I see family dinners, kids running around as I chase them, a pair of muddy boots, and a hook for a pink hard hat right there by the door.”

Bree turned in his arms and cupped his face with her hands. “I can see it, and I can’t wait to start our lives together.” Bree kissed him lightly on the lips, and Logan felt all the love and promise of a future in it. “Let’s buy it.”

“I’ll get the agent.”

“Logan,” Bree stopped him from leaving. “I don’t want to wait to start living our lives together. How does eloping sound?”

“I think your mother would kill us.”

“I was always the troublemaker. It shouldn’t surprise her. How does next week sound?”

“I think it sounds like seven days too long.”

“Our family has a private island off the coast of Connecticut," Bree said. "It’s ten acres and there’s a main house, but there’s also a romantic cabin on the other side of the island overlooking the ocean.”

“As long as I get to marry you, I don’t care where I am.”

“We’d better break the news to our mothers,” Bree said as she cringed.

“We’ll just tell them it gives us a head start on working on grandchildren, and I think they’ll forgive us.” Logan winked.

“I don’t think I’ve been so excited to find out what the future holds as I am now. I love you, Logan Ward.”

EPILOGUE

One week later . . .

The weather was perfect. A gentle breeze washed in from the ocean and sent the bride’s fingertip veil fluttering. Allegra clasped the bouquet of wildflowers in her hand as she watched her sister say “I do” to a beaming Logan. Their smiles were brighter than the setting sun behind them.

Allegra had locked herself up with Josh and David to complete the wedding dress and tuxedo in time. But it was worth it to see her sister so happy. The tea-length chiffon dress looked whimsical with its ruched bodice and flowing skirt. It was perfect for this casual wedding. They were on the well-manicured lawn of the estate, lined on one side by thick trees and on the other by the ocean.

Looking out at the small crowd, Allegra smiled at where her family sat with Shirley. Only Mallory was missing. She had a job out of the country, or so she had said. Noah, Finn, Josh, and David took up the next row. Even the Wards had flown in for the celebration. Bree hadn’t told her much, but she could tell there was tension there. It appeared, as Logan’s mother dabbed her eyes, that they were working on it. After all, family was hard work.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss your bride.”

Allegra felt a tear run down her cheek as Logan dipped Bree and kissed her to the resounding cheers of the family and guests. Her eyes automatically traveled to Finn. She blushed when she realized he was looking right at her as he clapped. The happy couple hurried down the grassy aisle, and Allegra linked arms with Logan’s best friend from London.

Pictures had been taken, toasts had been given, and the first dance had just begun. Allegra felt her phone buzz in her clutch as she watched Logan worship her sister on the small dance floor by the main house. Fighting the urge to look at her email, she pulled it up anyway. With Fashion Week just a month away, she needed to make sure it wasn’t an emergency.

My Dearest Love,

I don’t understand why you insist on hurting me. We were meant for each other. You need to stop denying it and come back to me. You owe me. If I can’t have you, I don’t see the reason for us to live anymore. I certainly won’t sit back and watch you act the whore for some chauffeur. I see the way you look at him and I won’t allow it. There has always been and will always be only me for you.

Allegra started to shake. He wouldn’t leave her alone. She knew their break-up had been hard. But the messages he continued to send her over the past year were getting progressively more threatening.

“You look stunning tonight, Allegra.” The voice made her jump and she shoved the phone into her bra as if it were something bad she had to hide. “Are you okay? Whoa, something is the matter. What is it?”

“Finn,” Allegra said as she put a hand over her wild heart. “Nothing, I’m fine. You just surprised me. I was just thinking how wonderful it is that my two sisters are so happy.”

Finn stood close to her in his steel-gray suit as she battled with her thoughts. Would he hurt Finn? She had been trying to hide her feelings for just that reason. Behind her cheerful smile, there was a storm she didn’t want to drag anyone into.

She didn’t jump this time when she felt Finn’s hand slide down her arm and take her hand in his. It felt safe. It felt adventurous. It felt kind. The simple touch was enough to start her heart dancing. When she looked up into his eyes, she saw the interest she felt returned. She saw he wanted the same thing she did—more.

“Will you dance with me?”

Allegra nodded and let Finn lead her onto the dance floor. He pulled her in close. She smelled the gentle scent of cedar as his hand gently slid down her back. Beneath his suit, his muscles tightened in response to her. Finn bent his head next to hers. She felt his hot breath on her neck as he slowly led her around the floor. Surely they were safe on the private island, and she could give into her feelings. She felt her phone vibrate again and knew the cold hard truth. She had to protect Finn. And to do so meant she could never be with him. She could never be with anyone ever again.

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