Naomi sighed, her face softening just slightly. “Okay, I’ll back off. But only if you swear to run the actual company as well as you’re apparently running your love life.” I raised my coffee. “That’s the plan.”
She stood up, grabbing her phone. “Fine. I’ll review the fallout from the HR announcement and prep legal for gossip damage control.”
“Want a donut?”
“Only if you got the lavender cardamom one.”
“You’re so annoying.” She winked. “And yet, I’m your second favorite Hayes.” As she left, Harper passed her in the hallway, holding a pink box and a mug that read ‘Queen of Compliance’.
I couldn’t help but smile.
God help me, I might actually be enjoying this whole Hayes chaos.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
sam
Pascal pokedhis head through the door like a spy in a sitcom.
“Naomi’s here for you,” he whispered dramatically. “Should I stall with coffee or make an excuse?” I smiled. “It’s fine. Let her in.” Naomi stepped into my office with a caution I hadn’t seen on her before. She looked less like the Head of Legal and more like just my sister.
Which is bizarre.
Her blazer was perfectly tailored, her expression perfectly unreadable. But I caught the faint trace of a smile beneath all that polish. She shut the door behind her. “You okay?” she asked, no preamble, no sarcasm. I blinked. “Define ‘okay.’”
She gave me a look. “Well, Jones kind of proposed in front of a dozen executives, our dad tried to turn it into a press headline, and now HR and Legal are probably running emergency drills in case one of youaccidentally announces a wedding date. So are you, okay?”
I snorted. “Yeah, that sums it up. Nope, I’m not okay.” Naomi sat in the chair across from my desk and crossed one leg over the other, like we were back in the living room at our childhood house, talking late into the night with wine and whispered secrets. “For what it’s worth,” she said, “you handled it well.”
“By turning the color of a tomato and forgetting how to blink?”
“You didn’t run.” Her voice softened. “That’s progress.” There was a pause. A kind of quiet that felt like a mutual breath. I leaned back in my chair. “I didn’t expect him to say that. At all.”
“Did you expect him to care that much?” Naomi asked, but there wasn’t judgment in her tone, just curiosity. I hesitated. “I think… I hoped.” She nodded slowly. “I know we’re not always the warmest family, Samantha. But I see the way he looks at you. I don’t think this is some reckless fling.” That surprised me. Not the observation, well, that too, but also the gentleness in her saying it.
“I always thought you hated him,” I said.
“I don’t hate him. I hated the idea of you being the CEO’s secret. Or worse, a scandal for us all. That’s part of both my jobs. Older sister and Head of Legal.” Her voice faltered just a little. “But I don’t want you to be alone in this company, or this family, just because it’s easier for everyone else.”
And there it was. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
Naomi gave me a small smile. “Just don’t make me be your maid of honor.” I laughed. “No worries on that one.” She stood, smoothing down her skirt. “Come to lunch with me next week? Just us?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.” As she walked out, I felt the weight of years begin to shift, just slightly. The distance that had grown between us wasn’t gone, but maybe,just maybe, we were building a bridge back to something worth keeping.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind Naomi, I reached for my phone and fired off a text to Rose.
Me: You are NOT going to believe the last 20 minutes of my life.
The typing dots popped up immediately. Of course they did.
Rose: Tell me you didn’t elope with Mr. tall, broody & inexplicably sexy bossman.
Me: No. But Theo kinda proposed, and Naomi just came to my office.
Like, willingly. And sat down. And asked if I was OK.
Then said she doesn’t hate Theo.
