"Of course," she said, with one of her gentle smiles. "I know he's been kind to you, and you're still close to his mother, but you're also trying to start a new life away from the Kingsleys. This is a good fit for us, but family is more important than business. If Nash being here is a problem, we'll say no."
I stared at them, reeling.
Nash in Sawyers Bend?
Family is more important than business?
I didn't know how to make sense of either of those things. "What I think doesn't matter."
"It absolutely matters, Parker," Griffen said. "I'm not Dad. The company is important, but there's more than one way to make a profit. If you don't want us to invest with Nash, we won't. Simple as that. There are other opportunities. Your happiness is more important. By far."
His green eyes were steady on mine, heavy with love. While my head wanted to doubt, my heart couldn't. His face said it all, and I knew without question that if I said I didn't want Nash around, Griffen would turn him down and that would be the end of it.
Was that what I wanted?
Did I even have to ask?
This is a bad idea, the cautious side of me warned.Nash is the past, remember?
Was this what he'd meant bySee you soon?
My head spinning, my gut took the lead. "If you think it's a good investment and you're excited about it, don't let me stand in your way," I said, my ears ringing with shock.
What was I doing?
I didn't care, I was doing it anyway.
"Nash hates Tyler, so he's not going to help his brother, and I don't want to punish him for something that isn't his fault."
"He'd be here, at least to start," Hope said, cautiously, with a quick glance at Griffen. "Either staying at the Manor or in the Inn. He's ready to move his team and get going as soon as he makes an agreement with his investors. Would you be okay with that?"
To my own ears, my voice sounded tinny and thin, like it was traveling down a wire from very far away. "The Manor is probably easier than the Inn, now that we have a real guest room. Less driving back and forth for you two."
Sure, I was thinking about convenience. Absolutely. This was all about the deal and business and not at all about the heady prospect of having Nash under my own roof. Because that would be insane.
He's your brother-in-law!my sensible side screamed.
Not for much longer, my gut reminded me.
And this isn't about me, right? There was no reason I had to avoid Nash, was there? Of course, there wasn't.
"You're sure?" Hope asked, a speculative gleam in her eyes.
I blinked, taking a bite of my cookie for cover while I reeled in my scrambled thoughts. "I'm sure. Really. My problems are with Tyler, not his family. If Nash's company is a good fit for Sawyer Enterprises and you're a good match for Nash, there's no reason for me to stand in the way."
Hope's lips curved in a satisfied smile. "I'm so glad. I think this will work out well for everyone."
I glanced over to see Griffen's eyes narrowed on me, no hint of his wife's satisfied smile on his own face. "And if there's a problem, you'll let us know? You promise?"
"I promise." For the first time in my life, I believed I could. With my father, no way. But Griffen was entirely different. He'd back me up if having Nash around was a problem.
Assuming I was willing to tell him exactly what kind of problem Nash could be.
Did I think Nash was going to be a problem?
I took another bite of cookie, savoring a sweet chocolate chip as it dissolved on my tongue. No, Nash wasn't the problem. I was the problem, pining and obsessing, checking for texts, and scanning gossip sites when I should be putting Nash out of my mind.
I'd meant it when I said I wouldn't be the one who stood in their way. Nash wouldn't be a problem, and neither would I. I could keep my hands, and my mind, to myself.
