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“Hey, I need a few minutes before we get started.”
He nodded. “I’ve got some figures to go over with you about your secondary project,” he answered, nodding toward the rest of the beach. My investment properties. I wasn’t so sure my father would be thrilled about that, but I didn’t give a shit at this point.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the one number I swore I wouldn’t use over the next six months. His answering chuckle almost made me hang up the phone, but I gritted my teeth and moved forward.
“I need access to the business accounts.”
“Not until you get back here,” he answered. “We made a deal.”
“Yes,” I bit out, “and I assume you want us to be successful in this new…venture. I need to see everything before I return so I’m not walking into this blindly.”
Again, he chuckled. “It’s interesting how quickly you’ve changed your mind. You didn’t want anything to do with the company, but you’re just like me. You can taste the money and you want more of it.”
“This has nothing to do with money. I agreed to run the company, and to do that, I need to be up to date on everything going on with the business or the board will vote me out. Not to mention what it would do to our stocks if I can’t run the business profitably.”
“You make a good point. I can have my secretary get everything set up for you. Where are you, by the way?”
“That’s one thing we said we would never discuss. You’re not allowed to know that.”
“Fine, fine. Just remember, the clock is ticking.”
“Thank you for reminding me how long I have until I’m forced to do a job I never wanted.”
“You’re awfully greedy to get to work for someone that doesn’t want to do the job.”
“Don’t mistake my drive to succeed in what I’m doing for the need to do your bidding. I’m not Michael, and I never will be. I won’t make deals just because you want them. I won’t do anything that’s not in the company’s best interest. And if you try to shove me into a corner, all bets are off.”
“Duly noted.”
I hung up without saying another word. I really hated that man. I found Shane just as he was hanging up his own phone call. We went over paperwork for the investment properties, and by the time we got to work it was already closing in on ten o’clock. I tried my best not to watch out for her. She said she would come if she could. I had to trust her.
But as the day dragged on, my heart sank at the thought of her not coming. She promised she wouldn’t leave without telling me, but the twisting in my gut told me she already left, that I would never see her again. I didn’t even know her last name. How was I supposed to leave her a house when I couldn’t figure out who she was?
“She’ll come,” Shane said, shaking me out of my thoughts. I was helping him lay the flooring that had arrived last night. But I was so consumed with thoughts of her that I couldn’t concentrate.
“I’m not so sure anymore.”
He sighed, wiping at his forehead. The heat was damn near oppressive today. And in the house, the breeze from outside wasn’t really filtering through. “When I ran into town earlier, I stopped by the resort. She’s still there.”
“She is?” I stood from the ground, my knees protesting at how long I had been kneeling. “How long ago was that?”
“Three hours ago.”
I ran a hand through my hair. I’d lost all track of time, lost in thoughts of her. Shit, she could be gone by now. I started for the door, but he stopped me with a hand to my chest. “I went to see her.”
I glared at him with all the hatred in the world. “You went behind my back?”
“I just wanted to see where her head was. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to work around you. She said she’s staying. She just promised her friend that she would take the day to think about other options.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “The other option being that she doesn’t see me.”
He shrugged. “She didn’t go into specifics.”
“But she is staying the night,” I clarified.
He gave a curt nod. “Don’t ruin it by running over there. This is her life too.”
I knew that all too well, and that was the only reason I stayed away.
