My Brother-in-law Is My Ex

~Four~

Everyone rushed to Marshall’s room. The doctor began working on him immediately, as the nurses ushered the family out of the room.

"All right, everyone has to leave so the doctor can care for Mr. Jenkins. Please go to the waiting room. We will call you after the doctor examines Mr. Jenkins and gets him stabilized and comfortable."

Max looked around, hoping to see Peyton. Nadia hadn't informed him at all that she would be coming home to Wickham Falls, and he wondered where she had gone. He needed to see and talk to Peyton. Three years had never felt so long, and he couldn't wait to see her and lay eyes on Peyton Jenkins, but she didn't return to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Peyton stood outside the hospital, pacing back and forth, worried. She had never experienced anything like that, and it frightened her to death.

“Oh no! Don’t let Marshall die; I was the last one in his hospital room with him. Surely Nadia and Mother will accuse me of killing him!" In a panic, she stood outside the hospital on the verge of tears, worried half to death. "Oh God, why did I return? I don't want him to die all on account of me."

The rest of the family stood outside Mr. Jenkins room.

"Baby, what happened? Do you know?" Nadia asked Max, wanting to know if he had seen Peyton but afraid to ask him directly as she began tearing up.

"I don't know. The doctors and nurses came rushing in before I could enter his room. Calm down, and be strong for your mother. I'll get you and your mother a cup of coffee."

"Okay, thanks, honey..." Nadia said, hoping that Max didn't see her sister Peyton.

"Where is she anyway?" Nadia thought.

Max left the fifth floor, looking around the hospital for Peyton. He knew she had notified the nurses, who had informed Nadia and their mother that Marshall was having an emergency.

Max looked everywhere, but he couldn't find her. He even briefly stepped outside, looking for Peyton. But she stood across the street at a safe distance to avoid being noticed.

Max brought Nadia and her mother coffee while they waited to see Marshall. Max hoped Peyton would return, before he had to leave.

A couple of hours later, Peyton reappeared. Hoping Max was gone and Marshall was still alive. When she saw only her mother and Nadia standing in the hallway, she sighed in relief.

“Peyton! You are here?" Her Mother exclaims.

"What happened?” Nadia inquired.

“Hi, mother. Nadia, Marshall was talking, and suddenly he couldn’t breathe.”

“Oh God! Let us pray, girls, that your dad pulls through this.” Liza said, visibly worried.

“Mother, don't cry.” Nadia hugs her mother with compassion. Peyton stands back. She doesn't feel that sort of compassion for her mom. She feels disconnected as a daughter.

The only words Peyton uttered were, “Marshall is strong. He'll pull through.”

The doctor exits his hospital room. “Your husband and girls, your father, as you know, had a heart attack last night. Even though the surgery was successful, he had two blocked arteries. He won’t be able to talk because we sedated him so he could rest. Now, we must wait to see if he pulls through it.”

Reaching for Mother’s hand, the Doctor gently squeezed her fingers. “Pray for him, ladies.”

“Thank you, Dr. Frost.”

“Peyton, can you afford to stay for an extended period to take your father’s place at the company? I don't think he will be returning to work anytime soon. " Peyton's mother asked, all emotional and looking sick with worry. This was Peyton's first time visibly seeing her mother vulnerable.

She nodded yes but reluctantly. “I’ll get a hotel and make arrangements at my job in Europe for extended vacation time…”

“Hotel! You can stay with us at Nadia's house.”

“Mother, I don't think me staying at Nadia's house is a good idea.”

Mother looked at Nadia, waiting for her to speak up. “Sure, we would love to have you stay at the house. You're family, Peyton. We are all adults, not kids anymore.”

“See, Peyton, your little sister misses you. You two need to catch up, and Nadia can tell you how much she’s enjoying married life.”

The words of her mother felt like she was sticking a lit cigarette to Peyton's chest, burning her heart. Peyton felt a sickening pain. Her mother’s callous, thoughtless words burned through and through. Her mom had to be clueless or just plain evil. Peyton didn't know which one, but it wasn't a smart idea.

“Honey, you must be exhausted after such a long flight. Let's all go home and get some good food and rest. Peyton, darling, you look thin. I wouldn't dare have my child stay in some stuffy hotel room. I don’t want to hear another word about you staying in a hotel.”

Peyton hung her head in despair. She wasn’t in the mood to argue, mumbling. “Staying in cell block A- prison would be more joyous right about now.”

******

Being in her home town again was surely going to be a nightmare. Peyton knew it was a ridiculous idea and outright stupid to be under the same roof with her family! But everyone was already under so much stress over Marshall, including herself, that she didn't want to fight with them. So the strategy was to leave as soon as possible and avoid the family, especially Max.

She considered the delicate issues from three years ago that were left unresolved. Now Peyton was left to brush all this dirt under the rug and stay out of sight and out of mind while she was here. The goal was to rise early every morning, tired or not, and leave this house before sunrise.

It was Sunday night, and Mother permitted her to drive Marshall Jaguar to work. So Peyton planned to head to the office first thing Monday morning. Her schedule would be to leave before dawn and come home late at night.

She sat in the car until the sun came up. It was shining bright, even though it was already October, and it was getting cold in Wickham Falls. She slid on black shades to block the sun from her hazel eyes,that are a combination of brown, green, and gold.

Entering one of the tallest buildings in Wickham Falls, the large lobby had a front desk, sofas, several chairs, coffee tables, and lamps. The décor was cozy and warm. Peyton wondered where Marshall's office was located. Two security guards were monitoring the building, so she inquired.

“Oh yes, Miss Peyton Jenkins, we were told to expect you. But work doesn’t start until 7 am. Ma’am.”

Peyton chuckled, surprised, wondering if Marshall had discussed her replacing him in advance.

"I’ll be arriving here earlier than 7 a.m. every morning.” She said, as one guard asked him to follow her as they proceeded to the elevators to the twenty-fifth floor. He uses a key card to open the door to Marshall’s office. Then, turning around, she placed it in her hand.

The guard stated, “This is your office.”

Peyton replied. “Thank you.”

When she entered the office, the stale air of an older man’s English spice cologne immediately slid around her. You could tell this office was closed for a while and once belonged to a male. It had a large dark mahogany desk with a computer. There was a large leather chocolate swivel desk chair and a matching leather sofa similar to the one in the lobby. Two leather wingback chairs sat around a wooden and glass coffee table. Several lamps were placed around the room.

One wall in the office was taken up by a tall, wide mahogany bookcase with beautiful belvedere glass doors. Right behind the desk was a picture window with beige, green, and chocolate drapes pulled back on each side. The window provided a view of Wickham Falls mountain and a pond with ducks swimming in it. The maple wood floors complimented every piece of furniture in the room.

Everything in the room screamed out, "Male and must go!"

Peyton looked at the desk and noticed a file sitting there. She opened it, and it contained a letter and a schedule. It read, Good morning, PJ. It's been too long. You’re still an early riser, I see. ^^

Peyton stepped back from the desk, surprised. She instantly knew it was Max's handwriting and words. Her heart began pounding as she read the note. She took a deep breath, "What's wrong with me?"

She continued to read it, inhaling air into her lungs.

Knowing you probably would avoid trying to see me, but that is inevitable, PJ. Destiny has finally brought us back together. I will hold an orientation meeting in my office for the VP position at nine this morning to bring you up to speed. Oh, my office is the adjourned door to your right inside your office.

I look forward to seeing you again.^^

CEO

M.L.

How could a note leave her feeling anxious and nervous? She thought, plopping down in the large chair.

‘Oh my God tell me this isn’t happening to me, why me?’

She looked at her cell phone at the time, realizing she didn’t have much time to get her mind right. Everything was happening at warp speed, and she didn't have time to process Marshall's words, living at Nadia's place, and now she will be in the the loins dean twice with her ex! Peyton couldn't let herself fall to pieces after she had worked so hard to put her life back together again. To be asked to become a VP. would look astonishing on her resume. She couldn't let past feelings and emotions interfere.

The minute she found a restroom, she went into one of the stalls and had herself a good emotional talking to and crying.

‘I can't believe this is happening to me. I feel overwhelmed. I need to come to my senses! He’s a married man, and I will treat him as such!’ Peyton got angry that she was even feeling some kind of way about his note.

'This is strictly business. He’s not the Max Lanaro I once knew and loved to the ends of the earth. No! He is Nadia's man and husband. And if he gets unprofessional, I won’t hesitate to remind him that he chose my sister Nadia over me.'

Peyton got her a cup of coffee, twiddling her thumbs, anxiously waiting for the meeting to begin. Her heart began racing as she watched the minutes tick by. She wasn’t ready to face Max.

Peyton tried to focus on the reasons Marshall asked her to be there. It was her savvy management skills. But she had no experience as a major company's vice president, and the idea of working directly with her ex-boyfriend, the most handsome man she had ever seen, was going to be tough.

'No, no it's not because he is my sister’s husband. I would never stoop low like Nadia! Never! I can't allow myself to be distracted no matter how he looks right now, and besides, I have no intentions of getting involved with my boss, a married man. That would be unacceptable and not professional. I'm here to work. I don't need any blurred lines here at the office or home. After all, I do stand to inherit a percentage of this company. So I need to be here to protect my interests.'

Peyton squares her shoulders and braces to see Max Lanaro in the next few minutes.

‘I’m not giving up my inheritance over no ex. I must face as my boss and brother-in-law!’