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Leo said, "Meow".
Joel just ruffled Leo's head and then headed out the door. "I don't remember pretending to be an animal when I was a kid," he said, when they left the restaurant. "Chloe says it's just a phase."
"Probably. I have to say I'm surprised you're dating a woman with a child."
"A few months ago, I decided to say yes to everything I would have ordinarily said no to, and it has been an excellent strategy. I'm happier than I've been in a long time. Chloe is different from other women I've dated. She's down-to-earth and sweet—always smiling. She's easy to be around. There's no drama. No agenda. It's refreshing."
He felt an odd sense of envy at Joel's words, which made little sense, because he was living exactly the life he wanted to live. And he always picked women who were drama-free. But he couldn't quite equate the word easy with a single mom and a child. "Let's get a drink. You can tell me all about your new life."
ChapterThree
They endedup at an Irish bar, and after ordering a whiskey, Decker had time to catch up with Joel. "How long has it been since we've seen each other?" he asked.
"Four years?" Joel said, a question in his eyes.
"That sounds about right."
"It's been too long, but you're not an easy man to pin down, Decker. I never know where you're going to be."
"I've been in Los Angeles for most of the past few years."
"Most?" Joel challenged. "You had a job in Hawaii, one in Park City, Utah, another in San Diego."
"That's true," he admitted. "I met some people with second homes that needed remodeling. It was nice to pick up work in other locations. I get itchy feet if I stay in one place too long."
"You sound like your dad."
"We were definitely cut from the same cloth. But let's get back to you and your new life goals. How on earth are you going to run your very large construction company from this small town?"
"I have a plan. I want to downsize the Manhattan office and set up satellite offices. Whisper Lake would be one. I'd have another in San Francisco to cover the west coast. I think we could be more efficient by operating across the country instead of in one location."
"And what does your father think about that?"
"It shouldn’t matter what he thinks. He stepped down as CEO last year, and he put me in charge. It's my company now."
Despite Joel's words, he heard the tension in his voice. "It's difficult for me to believe he actually retired."
"Me, too, because he spends almost as much time at the office now as he did when he was working. He has trouble letting go, which makes things difficult, because clients and partners still trust him more than they trust me. And senior management has been giving me grief, especially my father's best friends, who don't love that I got the company instead of them. But it has always been a family business, and it was always going to be mine. I just need my father to step back and let me do what I was born to do." Joel blew out a breath and drained his whiskey, then called the server over to ask for another.
Having met Joel's father, he understood the pressure Joel was under. "I'm sure your dad will eventually back off," he said. "I know he's always been proud of you."
"I wouldn't say that," Joel muttered. "Most days he acts like I'm an idiot. It's nice to be away from him."
"Is that why you want to live here? Because I thought you loved New York. You used to say the city energized you."
"It did at one time, but now I feel claustrophobic when I'm there. Everyone wants something from me. Everything is about networking and going to the right parties and showing up at the new restaurant and living this life that seems so unreal. So, I'm walking away from it all. I'm going to be a mountain guy."
"Maybe you just need a vacation."
"That's what I thought at first, but I've been here five months now, and I can finally breathe again."
"And you're not bored?" he challenged. "I know you, Joel. You like upscale restaurants, museums, and the theater. You like expensive suits and traveling. You're not a mountain guy."
"I could be. I want to be. I've done all that other stuff. I don't care about any of that anymore."
Despite Joel's words, Decker wasn't completely sold. "And Sylvie is definitely out of the picture?"
"Sylvie didn't like it here. She said it was too small and too dull. When I told her I wanted to make Whisper Lake my home base, she thought I was out of my mind. She couldn't get on a plane fast enough. She didn't even try to like it. We're at different stages in our lives."
