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“My pleasure. Now—” she turned to the kids “—who wants chocolate chips in their pancakes?”
Both their hands shot into the air. “Me! Me!”
“Awesome.” She winked at me and then spun back to the stove.
I stared at her in awe. Ellie had no idea how much this meant to me. I’d been drowning, and she’d offered me a life preserver.
“You okay, Daddy?” Savannah asked, and I forced myself to drag my eyes away from Ellie’s ass.
“Yeah. Of course.” I finished off the rest of my coffee and placed my mug in the dishwasher. “If you’re good here, I’m going to head to work.”
With her back still turned to me, Ellie waved over her shoulder with the spatula. “Have a good day.”
A week ago, I would’ve laughed at such a seemingly preposterous idea, but that actually seemed…possible. Despite Maddox’s latest night terror, despite everything else, I actually felt somewhat hopeful. All thanks to Ellie.
She’d calmed Maddox down when he’d woken up screaming in the middle of the night. She’d restored some sense of order to our home. She’d made me feel less alone.
I kissed the top of Savannah’s head. “Have a good day, sweetie.” Then I moved over to Maddox and gave his shoulder a squeeze, which he shrugged off. “You too, Mad.”
“Bye, Dad!” Savannah singsonged. “See ya.”
I headed for the door, giving the top of Rex’s head a pat. When I glanced back, everyone was smiling. I breathed a sigh of relief and shut the door.
When I arrived at the office, my assistant, Olen, jumped up from his chair. “You’re early.”
I grunted my acknowledgment. I was early or on time for the first time in about a year. But since I was the boss, no one cared when I showed up. Add in the fact that my wife had died, and more often than not, I saw pity in their eyes.
“What’s new?” I took a seat at my desk and switched on my computer.
Olen shoved a hand through his hair. It was a dark brown, the same color as his polo pony. I wondered if he’d lose his beloved horse if we lost the company.
“We have new data from Fall River Estates and Hummingbird,” he said, and I forced myself to focus. “Two more Sonoma wineries signed up as well.”
“Great.”
Lockwood Industries used artificial intelligence to streamline the wine making process. After an initial investment from Enzo, we’d successfully developed systems to monitor and improve use of the equipment across the region. Now, we were looking to raise thirteen million dollars of additional backing so we’d be able to further optimize our user base and product offerings. Ideally, we hoped to scale the product across different markets.
“We got a call from a potential investor,” Olen said, following me into my office.
We’d been talking with a few venture capital firms, but I was beginning to think our best bet might be an “anchor” investor. I was tired of dealing with all the politics.
With everything that had happened the past year, courting investors had been less of a priority. So my team had focused on building the software’s capabilities instead.
“Stan?” I asked, hopeful.
Olen shook his head, and I tried not to let my disappointment show. Stan’s good opinion was worth as much as his money. His investment would show confidence. Strength.
“Who?” I asked.
If I hadn’t been watching, I wouldn’t have seen him wince. “Celeste Duyk.”
I frowned, knowing she wasn’t our first choice. She had money, lots of it. But it often came with strings attached. She was a shrewd businesswoman, and I should’ve been relieved. I should’ve been, but I wasn’t.
Even so, I needed to entertain every offer. I was getting desperate, though I couldn’t let on. Not even to Olen. “What’d she say?”
“She invited you to her annual Fourth of July party on her yacht. I checked, and your calendar is open.”
I frowned. Celeste and I had met a few times in the past, mostly for dinner or drinks. She’d never invited me to stay on her yacht, and I had a feeling she’d only done so because she was hoping to mix a little business with pleasure. My stomach churned.
