Page 68 of Wishing for Love
Though he was the oldest of nine kids, his father had a successful law firm and paid for all the children’s education.
That was a huge feat, but he’d been told that the year each child was born, his father took a percentage of a settlement he’d receive in that year and put it into a college fund to let it roll.
Some of the kids used all their funds up, others didn’t. Phoenix didn’t. He got a lot of scholarships and, what was left, he knew went to one of the triplets.
“It is,” West said. “But there were bumps in the road. Nothing is ever easy or simple even if others think it on the outside.”
A reminder he needed to hear. “I’m sorry to be reaching out about this.”
“Nonsense,” West said. “I knew you started a business and I’d heard you might be struggling. I’m glad you reached out. I’ve been looking into things and I’d like to talk.”
He’d sent a bunch of material to West when he’d bitten the bullet and put it out there as if he could use a bit of help to see what he might be missing.
The final straw was another retail outlet wanting a huge order and he didn’t have the cash upfront to prepay for the production. He’d reached out to another vendor for this order, and since he was new, had to front more than half.
Could he take the money from Elsie’s accounts? Yes, but he refused to do that again and have it become a crutch.
“I don’t want you to do that because we are family,” he said.
West laughed on the other line. He didn’t remember West laughing as much in life. And everything he’d read about his cousin online said he was a hard ass.
“I don’t do anything just because someone is family. At least not from a business end. I’d like to meet. You’ve got something good here, but you have to be open to what I’m suggesting if I’m going to invest.”
“What?” he asked. “I just thought maybe you could point me in the direction of something.”
“No,” West said. “I could and would for family, but as I said, there is something here that I wish I had known about a year ago or more. I’d like to fly in with Braylon and Laken if you can meet. I know you’re on a time crunch. When do you need to get back to that retailer?”
“I’ve got a week, but it’s been a few days. So three more days. I said my lawyer is looking it over,” he said.
“Your father advised you to say that and buy time. Got it,” West said. “I can be there tomorrow if you’re available.”
It wasn’t that long of a flight on West’s private jet.
“I’ll be here. You just let me know what time.”
“Why don’t we say ten,” West said. “Send me the address where you want to meet. I’m assuming not the business just yet.”
“No,” he said. He wouldn’t put his cousin in that position. No reason to draw attention to what might be going on and scare some of his employees in the process. “We can meet at my house. Elsie will be in school.”
“That’s right,” West said. “I should have led with that and how sorry I am about Maryn.”
“Thanks.”
“My mother keeps us all informed. Life gets in the way.”
“It does,” he said. Between both families, there were seventeen of them. Phoenix barely talked to his siblings more than a text a week, if that, so he sure the heck didn’t keep in touch with his cousins.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” West said. “You can have your father on the call if you want unless he can get there tomorrow, which might be hard.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate it. I’ll give him a call.”
He hung up with his cousin and then called his father, but it went to voicemail and he left a message.
He got back to work and then realized, oh shit, he’d have to let Crystal know what was going on since they’d be at the house.
He could just say it was a business deal and hope she wasn’t around. She’d stay up in her room anyway if she wasn’t out running errands. She never bothered him during the day.
This was different now. Crystal wasn’t just his employee, but his girlfriend.