by Lea Coll
The pain throbbed in my chest and no amount of rubbing the spot helped. The ache would be there until I talked to Cade.
Instead, I texted Colin.
Hadley: I’ll see you this weekend.
Female voices drifted down the hall from Avery’s office. It was too early for a client meeting, so I headed to her office, where Avery sat at her desk talking animatedly to Dylan. I’d forgotten she was officially starting this week.
“Hey!” I sat in the empty chair next to her.
“Hey, yourself. I’m officially a partner in a law firm. No more bosses for me.”
“Just us three, lady bosses.”
“That’s right.” I laughed. It felt good to ignore my troubles for a while, focusing on the positives. The firm was gaining ground, slowly but surely.
“Thanks for all the work you did to get the word out about the firm,” Avery said to Dylan.
Dylan wiggled her brows. “People are my specialty.”
“Word of mouth is everything. The website’s up and running now too.” Her body practically vibrated with energy as her knee bounced, her hands flying in time with her words.
Avery shifted the computer so I could see the screen. The firm’s name: Arrington, Gannon, and Winters, stretched across the top of the screen.
“It looks great.” Each time I saw my name as part of the firm’s name pride filled my chest in a way it didn’t when I worked for my dad during the summer breaks from law school. I’d accomplished this on my own.
“Arrington, Gannon, & Winters. We even sound professional.” She placed her hand over her chest.
“And eighty.” At Avery’s raised brow, Dylan continued, “We sound like we’re eighty years old.”
“We totally do.” I laughed. The stress and worry from the fight with Cade and the lack of sleep eased.
“As long as people don’t expect stodgy old men when they walk in and get twenty-something year old, beautiful women.” Avery gestured at us.
“We’re finally doing it. We started our firm.” Avery smiled with pride as she looked back and forth between us.
“We need to celebrate.” Dylan clapped her hands together.
“Should we go out tonight?” Avery asked.
I wanted to celebrate. I wanted to forget last night, but I had other things to deal with too. “What about painting these walls and celebrating afterward with champagne?”
“Ugh. I don’t like the sound of that.” Dylan held up her perfectly French-manicured hands.
“We can’t afford to hire painters, especially if we’re paying for ads. We can deal with the carpet for now.” Avery tipped her head slightly toward Dylan as she tried to reason with her.
“Fresh paint on the walls will make a huge difference.” I gestured at the holes in the walls left behind by the previous occupants and the scuff marks on the bottom half of the wall, most likely from bags rubbing against it.
“Fine. I’m in charge of wine and food.” Dylan laid her hand flat on her chest before pointing at us. “You two are in charge of paint and supplies.”
Avery looked pointedly at me. “Make sure you keep any receipts for supplies. They’re all business expenses.”
“Aren’t you coming with me to get the supplies?” I asked.
“You’re the one with the contractor-boyfriend.” Avery smirked.
I opened my mouth then closed it. I had a boyfriend. I wasn’t so sure if I did today.
Avery rested her elbows on her desk and leaned toward me. “Uh oh. Did it not go well with his parents?”
They both waited for an answer. I didn’t want to tell everyone about our fight, but Avery was a friend and Dylan was fast becoming one. “No, dinner with his parents was great.”
“Then what happened?” Her face was pensive. Her hands were clasped in front of her.
“My dad called on the way home.” The sound of my voice hung in the air between us.
“You didn’t answer, did you?” Avery’s face fell. “Ugh. You did, didn’t you?”
Dylan looked uncertainly between us.
“He called several times in a row. I thought something was wrong.” My excuse was lame. Even I knew that.
“There’s never anything wrong.” Avery shook her head before explaining to Dylan, “Her dad likes to control everyone around him, especially his kids.”
“Dad wants me to go back to New Orleans to work for him. His business is in trouble and he needs my help.”
Shaking her head, Dylan shifted in her chair. “Nope. Not happening. We need you here.”
“I agree. I have too much invested in the firm.” It wasn’t just money. My sense of self and independence was wrapped up in this office and this town. I had to do this for myself. I wouldn’t let him talk me into going back. Last night, it hurt that Cade thought I was too weak to resist my dad. He thought I’d cave, but I was stronger than that. At least I was now. It would take more than my dad’s presence or his threats to get me to leave these women, who were becoming my friends, in the lurch.
“He has to respect the fact you started your own business in a new town,” Dylan said.
“You would think so, but he wants me to work for him and he won’t settle for anything less. He claims this merger will go through and save the business if I smooth things over with Layton. Plus, he likes me close and—"
“Under his thumb,” Avery added.
“A bad combination,” Dylan said.
“Exactly. Anyway, my dad wanted me to date his friend’s son, Layton Black. Back then, I did what my dad wanted me to do.” I played the part of the dutiful daughter even when I formulated a plan to escape.
Avery raised her brow at Dylan. “Then the asshat proposed in the middle of a charity event after they’d only been dating a few months.”
“Why do men think public proposals are romantic?” Dylan asked.
“I realized he never cared about me. He wanted a show and a trophy wife. It was that moment I realized I wanted more. I didn’t want to be under my dad’s thumb or Layton’s. That’s when I took Taylor’s advice to apply here.”
“Good for you, but why is Cade upset with you?”
“Is he worried about another public proposal?” Avery’s forehead wrinkled.
“Ha! No, he wants to go with me to support me.”
“And you told him no?” Avery asked, her face serious.
“I want to face my dad on my own. Why does everyone think I’m too weak to do this? That I’ll fall right back into my old ways?” I shifted in my seat, looking from Dylan’s face to Avery’s.
“We don’t think you’re weak, but this is your dad. Every kid wants to please their parents. Deep down, you want his approval. Don’t you think it’s time you did what was right for yourself?” Avery asked.
“Of course. That’s why I’m here.” But what was right? Was I pushing Cade away?
“But you continually allow yourself to be sucked back into what’s going on in New Orleans. If your father’s business fails—it’s not on you. If your father throws a tantrum—you don’t need to run to him.” Avery leaned her elbows on her desk.
“We’ll raise funds for Kids Speak, don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Dylan’s voice was steady. Her eyes focused on me.
“Cade should support you no matter what you decide,” Avery said gently.
“It felt like he issued an ultimatum last night.” When Avery’s eyes narrowed, I added, “Not in so many words. But he withdrew from me when I insisted on going by myself to the gala. He said he’d be there for me when I was ready.”
“So, talk to him. Tell him you’re ready to talk to him,” Avery said matter-of-factly.
“But what if what I have to say is not what he wants to hear?”
I walked out of the office at lunchtime intent on grabbing a crepe from the same place I’d gone with Cade when I almost ran into Nolan.
“Oh, hi. Are you looking for Cade?” I glanced at the dark studio.
Nolan’s face was pensive. “No. I wa
s looking for you. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Is Cade okay?” I couldn’t imagine why Nolan would approach me by himself unless something was wrong with Cade.
“Yes. He’s fine.”
I tilted my head and studied his face. He looked nervous and unsure. “I was going to pick up lunch.”
“Can I walk with you?” He raised a brow.
“Of course.” We fell in step beside each other, walking in the direction of Annapolis Harbor. I kept glancing at Nolan’s tense face wondering what he had to say to me.
“Cade doesn’t know I’m talking to you.” He chuckled. “He probably wouldn’t want me here.”
“Okay.” My stomach churned.
“He told me what happened. How he wants to go with you to New Orleans, but you want to go alone.”
My face flushed. I hadn’t expected Cade to tell Nolan about our fight, but I’d talked to my friends too. “That’s right.”
I wanted to say there were things he didn’t know about my family, but I wanted to hear what he had to say first.
“My brother only recently started reaching out to my parents and me again. He’s there for the families that are part of Morrison Construction Rebuilds, but he hasn’t been there for anyone close to him. It’s a big deal for him to offer to go with you.”
He looked at me pointedly. I could see this was a big deal to Nolan too. He wouldn’t be here otherwise. I respected that he wanted me to understand where Cade was coming from.
“It’s important for me to go on my own. There are things you don’t know.” I didn’t feel comfortable talking to him about it.
“I get that. But I think you’re looking at things—” He paused and shook his head. “I’m screwing this up. I want you to understand what a huge deal it is for Cade to offer to go with you. For Cade to make that step means he feels deeply for you. He’s opened himself up to you and let you in. I didn’t think he would do that for anyone again after Caroline.”
My heart swelled at what Nolan was saying. I knew this thing between Cade and me was serious. That it had potential to be the real deal but to hear Nolan say that too, was affirming. Maybe I was looking at this the wrong way. Cade wanted to be there for me, yeah, but also for him.
Nolan stopped walking. “You were there for him last night, let him be there for you. I’m not an expert in relationships, but I think compromise is important. I get that you can deal with your dad on your own, but should you have to when you have someone who wants to be there for you. No, he needs to be there for you. I can’t explain it any better than that.”
A tingle ran through my body. The way he was describing things, it almost seemed like he was saying Cade loved me. Could that be the case? If it was, did I love him?
“I hope you do the right thing. We have our big home reveal on Saturday morning. The one the local news is filming. I’m not sure when you planned to leave, but if you left early on Saturday, you could do what you needed to do with your dad and Cade could join you for the gala that evening. Does that help?”
I smiled. “So, we both get what we want.”
Nolan’s lips twitched as if he was trying not to smile. “Yes. Don’t tell him I told you.”
I nodded. We resumed walking as I sifted through the possibilities and implications in my head. I had early morning airline tickets on Friday since I’d scheduled an appointment to meet with Dad at the house early on Saturday.
“For what it’s worth. I think you’re good for him and maybe he’s good for you too.”
“Thanks, Nolan.”
“I have to get back to work, but I’m glad I caught you.”
I wanted to ask him the best way to talk to Cade about it, but he’d done enough. I needed to handle the next part on my own. We said our goodbyes before I continued walking. The sun warmed me in a way it hadn’t when I’d come outside. I felt lighter than I had this morning when everything was weighing me down. When I thought I had to do everything on my own.
I pulled out my phone, wondering if I should text Cade to ask him if we could talk. But I wanted to talk to him as soon as possible. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to tell him he was important to me too. I pushed dial on his name. Then held the phone to my ear.
I moved toward one of the side streets for privacy.
“Hey.”
I felt his low and rumbly voice in my chest. “Hey.” I wanted to put this behind us. “Do you have time to talk?”
“I’m just working on my house today so I can take a break.”
“Great. Want to meet me for lunch at the harbor?”
“Sure. I can be there in fifteen.”
“Great. See you then.” I took it as a good sign that he was willing to meet with me. Hopefully, I hadn’t screwed up too badly last night.
I sent Avery a quick text to let her know I was meeting with Cade to talk so that she wouldn’t wonder if I was late getting back.
I went to the crepe store and ordered two, one for each of us, and two iced teas. When I walked outside with the bag under my arm and iced teas in my hands, I saw him waiting by our bench. “Hey!”
Cade turned, immediately taking our drinks. His hair was disheveled as if he’d been running his hands through it all morning and there were dark circles under his eyes.
My heart clenched at the idea that I’d done that to him. “Thanks.”
“You didn’t have to buy lunch.” He sat on the bench before he placed the teas next to him.
“I’m sure you’ve been working all morning without stopping to eat, right?” I sat next to him and placed one of the wrapped crepes in his lap.
He looked sheepish as he quickly unwrapped it. “Yeah. I’m starving.”
I unwrapped my crepe more slowly, thinking of what to say to him first. I couldn’t eat yet, not until I explained things to him. I hoped it wasn’t too late. “Listen. I wanted to talk to you about last night.”
He placed his crepe back on the wrapper as he shifted to face me.
“I’m sorry for pushing you away. I get that it’s important for you to be there for me and I’d like that. I’d like you to come to New Orleans with me.”
He paused and looked at me. “Yeah?”
I smiled. “Yeah, I want to introduce you to my brother and my friends. I want to show you what I love about New Orleans.”
“I’d love to come. When do you need to leave?”
“My flight is at seven a.m. on Friday.”
He grimaced. “I have my reveal Saturday morning. The local media stations will be there. I’m supposed to speak.”
I didn’t mention that Nolan reminded me already. I got the impression he didn’t want Cade to know he’d interceded on his behalf. “You could still come on a later flight.”
Now that I’d decided to have him there, I would be disappointed if he couldn’t come.
“Yeah. I’ll look at flights when I get home.”
“Great.”
“I’m happy, but what brought on this sudden change?”
“I thought about everything important to me, you and our relationship, and I realized I want you there. Going to New Orleans isn’t just about standing up to my father. Kids Speak is important to me. You’re important to me too. I want you to share it with me. And I understand it’s important for you to be there for me.”
“It is. Thank you.” He placed his hand over mine and leaned over to place a light kiss on my lips.
“So, I’m forgiven?” I asked him when he pulled back slightly, his hand still on mine.
He smiled sweetly. “Yes.”
“Good. Because I think—I think I’m falling in love with you and I was worried I’d screwed everything up last night.” I sucked in a sharp breath. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
He smiled wider and brushed a few strands of my hair behind my ear. “Good. Because I am too.”
He kissed me again and all I could think was how my heart was bursting for him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
HADLEY
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The rest of the week, I talked to new clients, researched the law, and filed motions. In the evenings, we painted, first our offices and then the reception area.
“We did it!” Dylan exclaimed when she swiped the brush over the last dry spot in the reception area.
I stepped back to admire our work. We’d gone with taupe which was warm and inviting. I didn’t think things could get any better than Monday when Cade declared he was falling in love with me too, but the last few days were filled with more happiness. We were getting an influx of new client calls. Dylan even heard from interested donors. It would take time to expand Kids Speak, especially without my father’s backing, but hopefully, it would work out.
Glancing down at the carpet, I groaned. “Are you sure we can’t afford carpet?”
“I called someone in for an estimate and it’s too much. I swear they charge more for business than personal,” Avery said.
“Probably.” I sat in the receptionist’s chair and spun a little.
Dylan pushed a chunk of hair out of her face getting more paint on her face when she placed her brush in the tray. “I swear there’s more paint on me than these walls.”
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Avery asked.
“Seven a.m.” Initially, I was adamant that I could face my dad on my own, but now that I would potentially be facing him alone, I was worried. I didn’t want to back down from the decisions I’d made, but I never knew what my dad would use against me next.
“Ugh. We can’t even go out and have a proper celebration.” Avery picked up her tray of paint before heading to the sink in the back.
“No worries. I brought champagne.” Dylan went to her office, returning with a bottle held high in her hands. She opened the door to pop the cork outside so it wouldn’t spill in our newly painted office. She poured a glass for each of us.
When we held our glasses up, she said, “Let’s toast to us and our firm, Arrington, Gannon, & Winters.”
I smiled. “To Arrington, Gannon, & Winters.”