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“I do. And he’s right when he says it would negate any gossip about you getting the position because of our relationship.” He brushed the hair from my face and smiled. “But it’s ultimately your choice. You did want to leave, after all.”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t as though I had another job lined up. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do,” I said as he took my hand and linked our fingers together. “It’s not like I have nothing to leavefor. I don’t know what to do.”
“Don’t get yourself all worked up about it. Like Dad said, you can think about it for a while. I’m already doing the job anyway, so I can always tell you what your responsibility would be as we work on it.”
I nodded my head slowly.
Theo brought our clasped hands to his mouth and kissed my fingers. “I don’t care if you resign, Chloe. Just don’t leaveme. Please.”
“Silly.” I sat up and touched my free hand to his cheek. “I don’t plan on it. As if you could live without me.”
He grinned, turning his face into my palm. “It’s true. I would be utterly hopeless without you.”
“I’m very glad you’re aware of that.” I checked the time. “Come on. You have a meeting in half an hour.”
“Do you want to take the rest of the day off to clear your head?” He pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on top of my head. “I’ll allow it.”
“Stop giving me special treatment.” Still, I smiled at his words and hugged him back. “No, I’ll be fine. But you won’t be if you don’t get moving and read my report for this meeting.”
Theo sighed. “I miss the cottage.”
Me, too.
“Hey,” I said softly. “If I accepted your dad’s offer, would it mean more trips up to the cottage?”
Theo pulled back and looked down at me. “Why? Does that tempt you?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, brushing my lips across his. “Only if I could kidnap the company Vice-President and make him go with me.”
“Hmm.” He kissed me softly. “It’s not kidnapping if he’s willing.”
“Your grandfather might not think so.”
“It’s fine. We can just bribe him with marriage. He’s easy pickings.”
“Who’s easy pickings?” The office door swung open, and Charles stomped back inside. “Stop canoodling at work! Put her down, you little sod!”
I pushed Theo away, laughing. “He’s right. We have to get back to work.”
“Ow, ow!” Theo flinched away from his grandfather. “Stop hitting me, you fossil!”
“Fossil?” Charles gasped. “Who are you calling a fossil, you foetus?”
I covered my face with my hands.
“Foetus? You wanna talk foetus?” Theo taunted. “Keep beating me, and there’ll be no great-grandchildren for you.”
Silence.
I peeked through my fingers, and Charles was staring at Theo, cushion still raised.
“Great-grandchildren?” he asked after a moment. “From you?”
“No, from the weekly farmer’s market,” Theo replied. “Yes, from me.”
Charles swung his gaze towards me. “Great-grandchildren from you means…”
“Mhmm.” Theo nodded. “That will never happen if you hit me every time we canoodle, as you put it.”
