He jerked his head back around. “Thank you.” He took the cup from her.
“See you tomorrow? Same thing?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what was up with her interaction with Ashiya. He hated that he even cared to know. He’d staunchly avoiding trying to overhear or participate in any gossip related to Ashiya. That was typically easy to do because, unlike her cousins, she tended to stay out of the spotlight. Most people in Jackson Falls loved her, her store, and her bubbly personality. They didn’t realize there was a cold heart beneath all of her outward sunshine. Something he wished he’d learned long before he’d trusted her with his own heart.
Instead he nodded at Beta. “See you tomorrow.” He turned and walked toward the front.
He didn’t need to be concerned about what was going on with Ashiya. They’d broken up, and he was moving along. While he had to see her occasionally due to working for her cousin Elaina, he wasn’t involved in her life anymore. Whatever was going on with her wasn’t his business.
Outside, the warm spring morning air was already thick with humidity and the promise of a hot day ahead. He headed toward his car parked not too far on the street from the coffee shop. Camille Ferguson and Ashiya stood in front of his car. His footsteps slowed. Camille’s family owned a brewery in town, and she loved to brag about it. She wasn’t a friend of Ashiya’s, either, which made the pained expression on Ashiya’s face even more honest. Just like that, the urge to help Ashiya one last time bubbled up.
“I was so sorry to hear about what happened,” Camille was saying as Russell approached, her hand pressed to Ashiya’s shoulder. “If you need anything, just let me know. Of course, I’m going to tell your mom the same thing. You know I would do anything to help you all out.”
Ashiya smiled tightly and stepped back, causing Camille’s hand on her shoulder to drop. “Thanks, Camille, but I’m fine. I promise.”
“But it must have been a shock. How did you find out?”
Ashiya’s lips pressed into a thin line. A glint came to her eye that meant Camille was about to get cursed out. Russell hurried over. “Ashiya, do you have a second?”
She turned to him, relief clear in her eyes. “Yes.” She looked back at Camille. “Will you excuse us?” Despite the question, her voice warned Camille walking away was the only option.
Camille lifted her chin. “Of course. Remember what I said.” She smiled at Russell before sauntering away.
Russell walked over to Ashiya. Now that he’d rescued her from what appeared to be an awkward situation, he didn’t know what to do. It was the first time they’d been alone together in months. They stared uncomfortably at each other for several long seconds.
Ashiya pointed over her shoulder. “I should go.”
“Are you okay?” he asked at the same time.
She blinked, and her lips parted. She didn’t have on lipstick, but the gloss she wore made her full lips look tastier than the latte in his hand that he’d craved all morning.
“Depends,” she said.
Don’t ask. Don’t ask. It’s not your business. “On what?”
The second the words came out, he bit the inside of his cheek. Damn his brain and his tangled emotions for not staying on the same page this morning.
Ashiya shifted her weight to one foot and eyed him warily. “Are you asking because you care, or because you’re just as nosy as everyone else in this town?” Resentment filled her voice.
His defenses immediately rose. He did care, but he couldn’t tell her that. He’d spent the years since their breakup denying any hint of a thought about wanting her back. The problem was, some of his tangled emotions wanted to believe her pleas for forgiveness were sincere. He wanted to forgive her, and that pushed bitter frustration through his veins. He wasn’t supposed to care about her.
“I was trying to be nice.” His voice was harsher than he’d intended.
She took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Look, I appreciate it. I’m fine.” She glanced at her cell phone. “I’ve got a long drive. Thanks for saving me from Camille.” She turned and walked away before he could say anything else.
Russell swallowed the need to call out and ask her to come back. Find out what was wrong. Fix whatever caused that look in her eye.
She broke your heart. Remember?
He did remember. He’d been played by love once in college and then later as an adult. He wasn’t about to sign up to be fooled a third time. He knew very well that Ashiya would make a fool out of him.
* * *
RUSSELL ENTERED THE conference room on the top floor of Robidoux Holdings with the rest of the research and development team. He’d been shifted over as the head of the division after Alex Tyson quit to take a job teaching at the local college. Since then, he and his team had successfully completed testing several new products that were now ready to introduce to the public. The quick comeback hadn’t been easy after the company shock of Elaina being fired, Alex stepping in temporarily before leaving, and Elaina ultimately buying a major stake in the company and ousting her father.
Russell was proud of what they’d accomplished. Proud enough to believe he was the best fit as chief operating officer to partner with Elaina, who was president of the company. Too bad he wasn’t as confident in his ability to get the position. Elaina was a hard person to read.
She entered the conference room shortly after the rest of his group. Her beige suit jacket was open, revealing a silky top and the matching pair of tailored beige trousers. Her black strappy heels clicked with her confident strides as she crossed the room. She smiled and nodded coolly at everyone before taking a seat at the head of the table. After settling into her chair and straightening her jacket, she looked at Russell.
“How are we coming with the new bioplastic?” she asked in a no-nonsense voice.
Russell nodded and spoke confidently. “We’re ready to start internal testing. We think it’ll be a good alternative for Kamanda Motors.”
She raised a brow and eyed him skeptically. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” He picked up the dark blue folder in front of him. “If you take a look at page six of our report, you’ll see that the flexibility and strength make it a perfect alternative to chemical plastics for Kamanda’s new line of hybrid vehicles.”
“Prove it,” she said, her voice a challenge.
Russell only smiled in the face of her skepticism. For the next hour, his team went over the details of the new bioplastic they planned to manufacture using the hemp Robidoux Holdings processed through Elaina’s recently acquired company. Elaina drilled them on strength, reliability, and life cycle costs, and they answered every one of her questions. By the time the presentation ended, she’d given them the go-ahead to start manufacturing on a small scale for internal trials.
“Good job, Russell,” Elaina said once they were finished. She scanned the rest of the people in the room. “All of you. I look forward to the results of the trails.”
His team smiled and nodded. Elaina stood, and so did the rest of the group. Without another word, she walked toward the door. Not surprising. Elaina had warmed somewhat in the past few months, but she was still a straightforward businesswoman. Russell preferred her get-to-the-point style and directness more than he did Grant’s manipulation and innuendo.
“Elaina, can you spare a second?” he asked before she could leave.
She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got a lunch meeting. Can you walk with me?”
“Sure.” Russell followed Elaina out of the office.
“What do you want?” she asked in her typically blunt fashion.
He knew her well enough to understand that beating around the bush would only irritate her. “Have you made a decision about who you’ll choose for your CEO?”
She stopped at the elevator and faced him. Her chin lifted as she watched him with mild in
terest. “Are you asking because you think I should consider you?”
“I know you should consider me.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “Why is that?” She crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice was mildly bored, but the interest hadn’t left her eyes.
“Because of what I’ve done with research and development in the time I’ve been here. Many of the products that were held up before I took the position have either finished testing or gone on to market.”
The elevator doors opened. “Many of the products were held up because I refused to let Alex be successful.”
True, and he was surprised she would even admit that. He, along with many people in the office, hadn’t believed it when Elaina and Alex ended up together. He’d thought they were more likely to kill each other than sleep together. Then again, Ashiya was proof he wasn’t the best at reading a room and understanding relationships.
Elaina walked onto the elevator, and he followed.
“Despite that, you can’t deny the quick, and successful, turnaround after things with you and Alex smoothed out.”
“No, I can’t deny that,” she said with a hint of praise. “I am impressed by what you’ve done. I will admit that your group was able to bounce back despite everything that happened.”
“Which makes me one of the best people for you to consider.”
Elaina’s direct stare met his. “You are one of the best, but you’re also my father’s man. My dad may have accepted might taking over without much of a fight, but I know that won’t last forever. One day he may try to come back. How can I trust you?”
He’d expected the question to come sooner or later. In the past, he had to be Grant’s guy because he’d wanted the respect, power and privilege that came with climbing the ladder of the Robidoux corporation. Without climbing that ladder, he’d be no closer to finding answers about his brother’s disappearance. But being Grant’s guy didn’t mean he’d make a decision that would compromise his own integrity or that of the company. He wanted Grant’s privilege, but not to be like Grant.
Russell pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m not your dad’s man. He hired me, and I do respect and admire him, but at the end of the day, I work for you, and I’m loyal to you.”
Elaina’s gaze sharpened. He had the weird feeling that she’d been waiting for him to offer her his loyalty. “Then you’ll have to prove it. I’ve worked hard to get control of this company. Whoever I hire to be the CEO will have to be someone I can trust not to go behind my back and tell my father every move I make. I’m still not convinced you’re the right person to do that.”
“What will it take to convince you?”
As long as whatever she asked wasn’t immoral or illegal, he was willing to do whatever it took to prove his loyalty. Elaina, though she could be cold, wasn’t callous. She’d push him, but she wouldn’t push him into something that would compromise the company.
The elevator doors opened. Elaina stepped off, and he followed her. She stopped and faced him. “Are you still seeing Ashiya?”
He flinched, and his steps faltered. That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. “I wasn’t seeing Ashiya.” The old habit of denying their relationship made him respond automatically. He spoke in a rush. The words sounded like a lie even to his ears.
As far as he knew, Ashiya’s family wasn’t aware they dated. They’d kept it quiet because Ashiya didn’t want her family “meddling.” Later he’d learned it was because she didn’t want too many people to know about her fooling around with him while she was on “break” from her ex, Stephen. Discovering that had done more than bruise his ego, it pulverized his heart and shattered his confidence.
Elaina’s lips lifted in a patronizing smile. “Don’t be ridiculous. You may have kept it from my daddy, but I was well aware of what was going on. You two breaking things off and her getting back with Stephen is the only reason I didn’t say anything when Daddy tried to hook you up with India. Now that Ashiya has finally come to her senses and dropped Stephen, I wasn’t sure if you were back in the picture.”
“I’m not. Whatever was between Ashiya and me is over.”
Elaina made a noise and smirked. “Hmm...that’s too bad.” She turned on her heel.
He started to let her go, but her mention of Ashiya brought back his curiosity from that morning. The way people kept stopping Ashiya and offering their condolences. Elaina was at work, and no one had said anything about her family being in trouble. As much as he hated asking, he couldn’t stop himself.
“Elaina.”
She glanced over her shoulder and lifted a brow. She was growing impatient. He quickly asked the question.
“Is Ashiya okay? This morning, people seemed to be worried about her.”
“Oh, that. Her grandmother died,” Elaina said, some sadness coloring her voice. “She’s on her way there now.”
Russell watched, stunned, as Elaina walked away. Ashiya’s grandmother died. She’d never spoken of a grandmother before. More proof of how superficial their relationship had been. He understood how painful it was to lose a relative. The gaping holes in his heart after his brother’s disappearance hurt every day. If Ashiya felt a tenth of that then he empathized with her. As he turned back to the elevator, he sent up a quick prayer for her strength. Ashiya might have broken his heart, but he could never feel good about the thought of her in pain.
CHAPTER FOUR
ASHIYA ARRIVED AT her grandmother’s home, a huge, two-story house on a secluded lot overlooking the bay, late that afternoon. She was greeted at the door by Brianna, her grandmother’s personal assistant. Based on her stiff tone, and her father saying she was more of a companion than an assistant, Ashiya expected Brianna to be older. Instead, a woman who looked close to Ashiya’s thirty-two years, with sienna skin and curly hair cut into a short, tapered style, gave her the tour of the eleven-thousand-square-foot home.
“Would you like something to drink?” Brianna asked once they were settled in the downstairs library.
Brianna wore a black sleeveless silk shirt and black slacks. The funeral was the next day, but Ashiya wondered if Brianna wore black out of mourning for her late grandmother. Every time she’d mentioned one of her grandmother’s favorite spots in the house, she’d spoken with fondness and sadness. She might have been an employee, but she seemed to have cared about Ashiya’s grandmother.
Ashiya shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I am curious to know why you asked me to stay here instead of getting a hotel.”
Brianna smiled at Ashiya as if she were a silly child. “Because once the family reads the will, this house is yours. I thought you’d want to get familiar with it.”
Ashiya shook her head. She jumped up from the couch she’d settled on as if it burned her. “No, I’m not here to count my inheritance. I don’t have to stay here.”
“It’s what she would have wanted.” Brianna’s voice was tinged with sadness.
Ashiya rolled her eyes and barely stopped herself from snorting. “I doubt that.”
She’d thought about what her dad said earlier in the week. This inheritance, if it really was all coming to her, wasn’t about what her grandmother wanted for her. The gesture was intended to make her father feel better, and her father would feel better knowing Ashiya was getting the very thing her mother always wanted.
Brianna was unfazed by Ashiya’s skepticism and spoke with conviction. “I’m telling the truth. Your grandmother was a... stubborn woman, but she did have regrets. Unfortunately, she realized that too late.”
She slowly eased back down onto the couch. “Which is even more reason I don’t need this house or anything else. Just because she had a last-minute realization that her relationship with my dad was screwed up doesn’t mean I should get anything.”
“It’s about more than her relationship with your dad. Your grandmother admired you and what you accom
plished. She believed you would do better with all of this—” Brianna waved around the house “—than your dad would.”
Ashiya crossed her arms. “How could she admire me when she didn’t even know me?”
“She knew about you. That’s all that matters.” Brianna glanced at her cell phone. “I’ve gotten the house cleaned and the sheets in the master bedroom changed. Your grandmother spent her last days here, surrounded by her sisters.”
“Wait, she died in this house?” Ashiya glanced around as if waiting for her grandmother’s ghost to pop out.
“She passed away at the hospital. She had to be rushed there, but she was here before...” Brianna’s voice trembled. She cleared her throat and glanced back at her phone. “Anyway, the house is cleaned and ready for you. The funeral is tomorrow at two in the afternoon. You’ll meet with her sisters before the funeral. I thought you’d rather wait until you’ve had a night’s sleep before dealing with them, and then the lawyer will read the will at five in the afternoon once the funeral is complete.”
Ashiya blinked and tightened her arms. “That fast?”
“That fast.” Brianna said with a self-satisfied smile.
Brianna already had things organized and ready for her. “Did I inherit you, too?” Ashiya said with scoff.
“No, but your grandmother did leave a stipend for me to assist you with the transition into the company.”
Ashiya held up a hand. “Hold up. I was only playing. I don’t need a personal assistant.”
Brianna’s bless-your-heart look almost made Ashiya feel like a five-year-old. It might have if Ashiya’s mother hadn’t perfected the look decades ago.
“Maybe not,” Brianna said. “But I was at your grandmother’s side for the past five years, and I know as much about her hopes and plans for the company as she did. I’m just as invested in the success of the Legacy Group as she was, so I look forward to helping you. But that’s not the reason the funeral and will reading are happing so fast. Your cousin Levi insisted.”
Foolish Hearts Page 4