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The email is from my old boss, Ryder.
Rumor has it you worked up quite a scare for the Joneses over there. I got a call looking for dirt on you but they didn’t get a thing from me. I did, however, enlighten them on a few of the cases that you worked on and informed them that it would be in their best interest to let you have what you’re asking for or they may see that ugly side of you that will stop at nothing to get the bad guy.
I’m breathless. I can’t believe that’s how they reacted. I expect them to contact me and make me an offer, not attempt to return the scare.
But the rest of the email shocks me even more. I’ll need to think about this.
I text him back.
Thank you, Ryder. I’m so grateful to you. Give me a few days to get back to you.
Now I have to find a way to share this information with Michael.
Great.
CHAPTER23
MICHAEL
“Are you okay?” I ask Christine as I walk back into the room.
She’s staring wide-eyed at her laptop, but she jumps when she hears my voice.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Perfectly okay.”
She’s definitely not fine, but I don’t push.
“Alright. I’ll be in the study. Come find me if you need me,” I tell her before walking out of the room.
The meeting with the president of the bank is crucial in getting funds to start off a particular project that I’ve been planning for a while. They might refuse, and if they do, I’ll be at a deadlock, which would make the members of the board very happy. They’re always looking for a chance to demote me from head of the company. It’s been nice talking to Christine about it all, though.
The meeting is cut short, however, when the bank president announces he has urgent business to attend to. He apologizes and asks to reschedule. After the call, I exit the study, ready to go and spend some quality time with Christine and maybe get her to tell me what’s wrong. But I run into my mom outside the door.
“Oh, hey, sweetie. I was just coming to find you,” she says.
I’m worried about her. She’s getting older and I think lonelier as time passes. She barely leaves the house anymore and when she does, she’s either going to visit Christine’s mother or she’s taking a walk. I’m not sure how to help her, especially since Christine, Noah, and I might have to move to New York.
We haven’t talked about it yet, but I would like to think it’s inevitable. We’re in a good place, our son is happy, and the next step should be living together in our own home. I’m worried about Noah, though.
I’m not sure whether it would be a good idea to change his school and environment so soon after he just did so,
but I don’t want to leave him behind, either. The little guy has changed everything. Work is important, but nothing is more important than Noah.
Christine also has her coffee shop. I’m sure she can leave it in capable hands if she moves, but that’s for her to decide. She can always fly back anytime she wants to. To me, it all seems so easy—my only problem is how to bring it up to her.
I’m not sure how she might react, which is why I’ve been waiting for her to talk about it first. But she hasn’t been exactly forthcoming.
“What’s up, Mom?” I ask her.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’m going to go back to attending church.”
I stare at her. Her green eyes are gleaming with excitement. “That’s surprising,” I say.
She hasn’t stepped into a church in years. Not since my father died.
“I know, but I just feel this emptiness in me, Mikey. Maybe going back to something I abandoned will help to heal that.”
“I understand, Mom. And I think it’s a wonderful idea,” I assure her. “Is there anything you need to me to do?”
