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Flynn shook his head. “Not the entire house. Just the roof. A temporary fix. No one needs to go up into the second part of the house anyway. It’s just for when people arrive.”
“Then, there’s decorations and food.” Already I could see the dollars racking up. How in hell was I supposed to fund a party? “What am I supposed to do for all that?”
“Do something with the business,” Flynn said. “Have them pay for it all. Isn’t there something you could set up on the company’s dime? A team-building activity or company mixer?”
A team-building activity? I couldn’t imagine having to do some sort of trust-fall exercises with my cousins. They’d sooner put a knife in my back when I turned it rather than catch me before I fell—even with an audience.
As for a company mixer, that sounded even more terrifying. A handful of employees, all trying their hardest to suck up to Kyle and Vanessa, each one trying to outdo the other. It made me nauseous even thinking about it.
A mixer for clients, however, that held merit. We entertained somewhere close to a hundred clients. With that amount of people, our perpetrator would feel comfortable enough to slip away in a large mansion to commit his nefarious deeds. Plus, I could convince Kyle and Vanessa it was the perfect opportunity to maximize our interactions. All remaining clients would be introduced to their potential spouses at once, and those who were still in the beginning dating stages would be given a safe space to meet their new matches.
“This could work,” I said softly. “I’ll run the idea by Vanessa and see what she says.”
“Great, then let me know.” Flynn moved toward the door. “Let’s set something up as soon as possible though. We don’t want to give the person too much time in between to strike. Though, I have a feeling they’ll just wait for the party.”
I opened the door and stepped outside with him. I was meeting another client in thirty minutes anyway. “I hope you’re right.”
Flynn stared down at me, noting the concern in my features with a knowing grin. It was inevitable. How was I to simply forget that we were setting someone up to come and hurt me? Flynn saw this as no more than business as usual, something he could control without hesitation. I trusted him. But there was no ignoring the potential for danger.
He reached for me, taking my arms between his palms and holding me out far enough to level his eyes over mine. “You’ll be fine. I’ve got everything under control. Have I ever let you down?”
I tilted my head to the side. “Well, there was that one time you almost left me in the river to die.”
He tossed his head back with a laugh. His hands released me, flying to his face to curb the growing frustration. “My God, I’m never going to live that one down. Lynds, you were in a foot of water. You were not going to die.”
“I thought I was. It looked like there was a gator nearby.”
“What more did you want me to do? I came back as soon as I realized Kyle left you there alone. Though to be fair, we both recommended bringing better shoes.”
“Fine.” I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I trust you. Just get the son of a bitch already.”
Chapter Fifteen
Hunter
“How long were you in the military?”
I asked the newest date Lyndsey had set up for me. A pretty young blonde by the name of Crystal Brooke, this woman excelled in terms of upgrades from my previous match. She exuded enthusiasm and charm, with a smile that could melt even the frostiest of hearts. She was perfect in every way that seemed to matter, and yet...
“I spent one year in Turkey,” she said. “Then, I spent three years in Germany and two more years stateside—so six years in total.”
“That sounds exciting.” Way more exciting than anything I’d ever done. I’d never even stepped foot outside of the United States and barely ever out of Madison. It had always been on my list. Though, there never seemed to be a right time to leave. Even if it was only for a brief period of time. “Don’t you think you’re going to miss all the adventure?”
Crystal flashed that heartwarming smile. “I loved traveling and seeing as much of the world in my spare time as possible. But those last two years really put things into perspective for me. Being in the states made traveling home to visit my parents even easier, and I realized I wanted that more than anything.”
“Your parents are here?”
“Yes. Family means everything to me,” she exclaimed. “Which is partially why I’m doing this. I want someone who isn’t into playing games. I just know what I want and how to get there, and you can either be on board or not.”
“No nonsense. I get it.” Hell, I almost stood up and applauded her. “I think that’s why many of us choose this route.”
Crystal nodded and flipped a long sheet of golden hair behind her shoulder. “Vanessa and Kyle have quite the unique business plan here. They’ve taken a lot of the guesswork out of it, which is invaluable in a world where nothing is ever really what it seems.”
She was already hitting every point on the requirements. Everything I decided months ago that made up the perfect wife, she embodied with finesse. She was strong, family-oriented, and knows exactly what she wants. There was no drama with Crystal, no games or secret affairs. She even craved adventure and inspired the same in me. Not to mention, she was incredibly attractive.
There was just something missing. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it.
“What do you do now?” I asked, trying to reroute my thoughts. There was no room to think about the missing parts I wasn’t even sure were really missing. For all I knew, this was just me getting cold feet in the face of finding everything I’d ever hoped for.
