Page 66 of Acadia Falls

Chapter Twenty-Six

JACK

Tommy paced back and forth, then tugged at the collar of his suit coat again. “You think they’re actually going to sign this time?”

“I think so.” I tugged at my collar, too. Why would anyone willingly wear a suit? I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“Easy, you two,” Mom chided. She wore a flowery dress, her hair up in a bun; she looked very much like she was from Maine. “They’re going to sign. Trust me.”

“How do you know?” Tommy asked.

“Because they know we’ll walk. The money doesn’t mean much to them—it’s just a drop in the bucket. We’ve done well for ourselves, boys. Your father would be proud.” She nodded in Maran’s direction. “It’s all going to work out. Our lawyer’s a pretty tough negotiator.”

Maran straightened her shoulders beneath her pale blue suit. “Thank you, Mrs. Brennan.”

“You can call me Rose.”

Maran’s mouth gaped open a little. “Okay, Rose. Thank you.”

Ryan watched all of this with interest, a smirk on his handsome face. He was the only one of us who looked comfortable being dressed up. “You coming back to Maine with us, Maran?”

“Um…” Her cheeks flushed pink. “Jack and I haven’t really talked about⁠—”

“Yes, she’s coming back with us.” I possessively put my arm around her and palmed her waist.

“Aren’t you supposed to start with that law firm?” Ryan wouldn’t leave it alone. I made a mental note to punch him when the meeting finally ended.

Maran nodded. “Yes, I⁠—”

“I need to talk to you about that,” I interrupted.

She whipped her head at me, ponytail flying. “Well⁠—”

“We’re ready for you.” The conference room doors swung open, and Everly Reyes’s assistant waved us in. He was short with dark hair and had an ever-present bead of sweat on his upper lip. He hustled us inside.

Everly Reyes was seated at the head of the table. Young, fit, and attractive, she wore black trousers, white leather sneakers, and a tight-fitting black tee. She seemed too youthful and hip to be a billionaire, but what the heck did I know about it?

“Mrs. Brennan. Gentlemen. Attorney Riley.” Everly Reyes motioned to the table. “Have a seat.”

Her attorney, who wore a deep-purple dress with matching glasses, gathered the documents and hustled them down to us. She hadn’t smiled or made much eye contact during the negotiation, and she also seemed a bit sweaty. Working for Everly Reyes must be no joke! “Please sign here, here, and here.” She rapidly flipped through the pages and showed us the tabs.

“Were there any changes after the last round?” Maran asked.

The attorney shook her head no.

“We decided to humor you,” Everly Reyes said. “I can’t say I’ve ever been asked to pay for attorney’s fees in a situation like this, but there’s a first time for everything, I suppose.”

Maran lifted her chin. “I asked for my fee to be covered because your legal team made the proceedings unnecessarily drawn-out and difficult. I imagine because you can outspend everyone, it’s a tactic you utilize often. No offense.”

“None taken.” Everly nodded. “You did so well against my team that I would offer you a job, but I understand you’re already spoken for.”

Maran’s face flushed pink. “Thank you. I’m very flattered.”

“You should be.” Everly waited until we’d signed, then she watched as her lawyer stacked the documents into a neat pile. The billionaire turned to me. “We’ll send you electronic and hard copies. Congratulations to you and your family. We’re looking forward to working with you, Jack.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”

“No.” Everly Reyes smiled. “But we’re looking forward to harvesting your manganese. Good day, gentlemen. Mrs. Brennan. Attorney Riley.” She stood up and sashayed out, all five-foot-three of her.