Funny how the tables had turned. Sabrina had been adamant that they’d been the ones to sever the trust, when she’d actually been the one to inflict the most damage by withdrawing it in the first place.
Will turned his hands over in hers and grasped them in turn, watching his larger fingers rub gentle lines back and forth over their tops. “What a mess this has been,” he commented low enough that she wondered if he was speaking to her or himself. Either way, she’d heard it and she agreed.
“Lies tend to do that. But it wasn’t our lies.”
“No,” he said on a dramatic sigh. “It was my father’s. I spoke to him a few minutes ago, just before you showed up, and I still can’t believe it. Conner was right. He did unspeakable things in the name of money and power.” He lifted his head to meet her eyes. “I don’t know how any of us can come back from that. He’s our father. He’s cast us all in the worst light possible, driven a wedge between us, caused you pain, and even made your father hate us. As if we needed another hurdle to overcome.” He scoffed.
Sabrina didn’t need any further explanation to understand that he was talking about the nature of their relationship—assuming they still had one.
“We can get through it.”
“Can we?” He didn’t look so sure. “Once trust is broken—”
“This is different. You weren’t the one breaking it. The question is, can you forgive me? I know I haven’t handled this right. If I’d—”
Will pressed a single finger to her lips. “Shut up.”
“Rude,” she mumbled past the digit.
He smirked in that way that knotted her insides. “Just stop talking, angel. There’s nothing to forgive you for. Had the tables been turned, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have reacted the same way. The only thing that counts is that you’re here now, with me. Being together is all I ever wanted.”
Her insides melting, Sabrina finally relaxed and swayed toward him, catching herself on his shoulders and pressing her forehead to his. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. I was so worried…”
“You haven’t lost me. Never,” he assured her as his hands rested on her hips, and then he tilted his head back to meet her lips with his.
It wasn’t a long or deep kiss, but it was no less passionate. It was an apology and an admission and a declaration all wrapped up in a gentle and lingering press of their mouths.
With her eyes still closed, Sabrina gave voice to a lingering fear. “Do you think Conner or Ollie will feel the same?”
“Only one way to find out.” Urging her back with gentle pressure on her waist, William stood and transferred his hand to hers, and she followed him out the door without hesitation or a backward glance.
Epilogue
One year later…
Theirs had been a whirlwind romance written for the ages. Sabrina didn’t know how she’d come to be so lucky. Seeing her guys running and jumping and playing in the sand, their skin made bronze by the tropical sunlight, she thought back to how she’d come to be here.
It all tracked back to that fateful day, when she’d taken a risk—with her heart and her pride.
William had taken her hand, buoyed her when she might have folded to fear and indecision, and guided her through. When she’d appeared in Oliver’s doorway with her tail between her legs, she hadn’t expected to be so warmly received, but he had taken one look at her and his brother, put the pieces together, and swept her into his arms in a crushing hug that had stolen her breath.
The trio had then visited Conner’s doorstep, and as she’d expected, it’d been a little harder to sway him. But he’d eventually come around, at his brothers’ urging, and given her another chance.
They’d never looked back.
As a group, they were unstoppable. Conner took the natural leadership role that he was born for, paving the way for the rest of them to follow. He had a head for business that even Sabrina couldn’t match, but he never tried to overrun her authority or step on her toes. In the office, he was the perfect complement, always at her side ready to hand out valuable advice. She leaned on him more than she ever thought could be possible, as someone who prided herself on her independence.
William brought levity to the table. He knew when she was stressed, and he knew all the right solutions to relieve it. There was a never a dull moment when he was around.
Oliver…well, he was her anchor. Just as much a leader as his brothers, he did so with a quiet authority that she respected above all others. He pushed and pulled at all the right times, reading a room in a heartbeat and helping to adjust the climate to maximize results.
They were a powerhouse together, bringing the company to new heights, and they’d done it all without the interference of either of their fathers. Sabrina’s father had made good on his promise to hand the business over to her completely, and he’d returned to paradise and was now enjoying a full and true retirement. Charles Hargreaves had quietly returned to his hometown in the UK, and after a few shaky months, bowed out of the corporate world entirely, turning over all US holdings to his sons and selling off the rest to support his own retirement.
They hadn’t heard much from him since.
Sabrina couldn’t say she was sorry, but she did regret that it had come down to this, where Conner, William, and Oliver had to experience the loss of a parent in order to claim their future.
But there was nothing she could do about that. They’d assured her every time she expressed concern that they were fine and wouldn’t have it any other way. That they didn’t feel it was much of a loss, after what their father had done. Charles’ actions had been just as much a betrayal to them as it had been to her, and they couldn’t and wouldn’t stand for it in their lives. The trust had been not just broken, but shattered, and they didn’t foresee reconciliation in the near future.