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“I can’t talk too much about it here. But I’d like to share some of the details with you to see if you’d like to partner with me.”
“How much could this business of yours bring in?”
I let out a low whistle. “You could easily net somewhere in the mid-six figure range. And that’s just to start.”
His eyes sparkle with greed.
“Can you meet me at my office tomorrow morning at seven-thirty?” I don’t wait for his response. “You know the address, correct? I assume a smart man like yourself has done his research.”
He stands to his full height and nods with a proud smile on his face. “Absolutely. I knew it was a good decision to come here.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” I shrug. “Well, let’s wrap this up and we’ll talk in the morning.”
He makes more promises to meet me first thing in the morning before leaving. The fool is practically giddy as he saunters down the hall to the exit.
He won’t have that same confidence by the time our next meeting ends.
CHAPTER34
Riley
“I didn’t know he was coming,” I blurt out when Kyle re-enters our condo.
“I know,” he says, sounding calm.
“Honestly. I haven’t spoken to Wallace Jr. in months. That was only to get him to call Eve because she likes to talk to him every now and again.”
“I know.”
“He mostly stays out of our lives. In all seriousness, I would never speak to him again if it wasn’t for her. But he is her father and—”
“Riley.” Kyle grips me by the shoulders and squeezes. It’s not painful, more comforting. “I said I know.”
His facial expression is open as he looks me in the eye. I search his gaze for any hidden meaning. When I don’t find any, I exhale.
“Did my dad leave?” Eve asks, catching both of our attentions.
Kyle is the first to answer. “He had to go but he said to tell you he’ll miss you.”
Eve’s shoulders slump. “No, he didn’t.”
Kyle looks to me, but my surprise is as evident as his.
“He won’t miss me. He barely even spoke to me.” Eve’s voice is forlorn. “I think he just came to meet you. When I told him Aunt Riley got married and to who he started asking me all of these questions about you.”
Kyle’s jaw tightens, that tell-tale muscle in his jaw ticking at his anger. He squats down low, getting on Eve’s level.
“It’s my fault he came,” she finishes.
“No, it isn’t,” Kyle tells her firmly. “Your father’s a grown ass man who makes his own decisions. And those decisions alone will be his downfall. Nothing he does or doesn’t do is your fault. Understood?”
My heart expands at the sincerity in his voice. It grows even more when Eve’s eyes fill with a lightness that Kyle seems to bring out in her.
“Can we give Aunt Riley her gummies now?”
Chuckling, Kyle nods. Eve runs over to the kitchen island and opens one of the bags they brought in with them earlier.
“Here you go.” She hands me a bag of my favorite Haribo gummy bears. “Kyle picked these out for you when we stopped at the store. It’s because you had one of your headaches last night.”
