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Gideon Jones. He’d been an enigma from the moment he’d shown up on the scene. Still, Lyssa had seen the writing on the wall the moment Rosie laid eyes on him—and he’d laid eyes on her. She’d known Gideon was in love with Rosie long before Rosie seemed to know it herself. Where his face used to be frozen into a perpetual scowl, now he was always smiling. And when he looked at Rosie, he got positively gooey-eyed.
Lyssa felt just the slightest flicker of something, not jealousy or envy, something more like…wistfulness.
Even though she didn’t need a man right now. Not when she had her career to think about first.
Gideon was smiling as he told everyone, “With the help of Karmen’s mom, Ernestina Sanchez, who found a wealth of old documents and letters in her family archives, we traced some of the painting’s history. And because of the added historical value of those letters, we were able to sell the painting for…” Gideon paused for a virtual drum roll. “A whopping sixty million dollars, which was ten million more than even the auctioneers expected.”
Lyssa’s dad stepped forward to shake Gideon’s hand, then folded him into one of his big bear hugs. “We’re so proud of you, son. Not many people would use all that money for a good cause the way you are.”
“That means a lot to me, Bob,” Gideon said. And then to everyone, “We’re going to call our new foundation Lean on Us, dedicated in Karmen Sanchez’s name. And our slogan will be—” He looked at Rosie with another of those gooey-eyed, bone-melting looks. “Let us be your team.”
Everyone clapped.
“We’re still looking for a good candidate to run the foundation,” Rosie put in. “Any and all suggestions are welcome.”
“What about Cal Danniger?” Will suggested.
Lyssa’s heart fluttered, and she actually felt a rush of heat to her cheeks.
“He’d be a good choice, since he manages our joint ventures,” Sebastian agreed. “He’s a smart guy. Capable.”
All her Maverick brothers were nodding agreement.
“I don’t want to steal him away from you guys,” Gideon said.
“I’m sure he can handle both,” Matt said.
As they fell into a discussion of Cal Danniger’s skills, Lyssa turned away slightly from her friends. Just in case Kelsey or Chi saw her blush and started asking questions.
Lyssa was already thinking about all the possibilities. One person wouldn’t be able to handle the whole foundation. If Cal took it on, he’d need help, especially if he was still managing her brothers’ ventures as well. That was a heck of a lot of money, and he’d definitely need a good accountant.
She was a very good accountant. Even if her boss didn’t think she could handle more than collections calls. The job had fallen far short of her expectations.
But the Lean on Us Foundation? She could do so much to help Rosie and Gideon get it off the ground. It wouldn’t be nepotism—she’d never sponged off her brothers. Yes, they’d helped her by paying part of her way through college, but she’d also won scholarships and worked at the same time. Even though they’d all said she didn’t need to.
Working with the foundation would be a perfect way to pay them all back.
All she had to do now was convince Cal Danniger that he needed her.
In more ways than one.
* * * * *
