by BWWM Club
He put his arm around me, helping me back inside, leading me toward the conference room. “Maybe there's a reason why you're faced with it now. Just sit in the room. I’m not proud about what you're about to see, but only Josh can fix it.”
Curiosity invaded her mind as she stared up at her boss. What could Josh possibly make better? He guided her toward the room, the dark hardwood floor echoed their footsteps. Her feet landed on plush carpet and she held Josh’s eyes, not wanting to back down from the stare. His eyes held sadness, disappointment, regret, and…a hint of desire? No, she had to be reading that wrong. Now was not the time for that.
She sat at the other end of the long oak table and laced her hands together. She sniffled every now and then, but her tears had dried. Garret opened a folder, spreading out paperwork in front of Josh.
“Ginger, you're witnessing Williams Law being sold to Josh Hart,” he said with a heaviness in his voice.
She gasped. “What? You’re selling? Why?” Was she going to lose her job?
“I’m buying, but the firm stays. Everyone keeps their jobs, but Garret is unable to keep it afloat,” Josh said, his voice sliding over her like a warm blanket, heating her core, making her yearn for his touch and his strong arms around her.
Her mouth dropped open in confusion. “Garrett?”
“I have a gambling problem, Ginger. If I want to be able to keep everyone here, including you, I have to sell.”
“So, he'll be my boss now?”
“Technically, but you’ll still answer to Garret. I’m buying him out but I’m only paying his debts, anything else that's owed will get paid to him throughout the year and half of that will go into a retirement account. I’m taking all of his finances to my advisor and he'll only be getting paid what he needs.”
Ginger was flabbergasted. Mr. Williams had a gambling problem? A pretty severe one from the way it sounded. “Why are you helping him?”
“Because he's my friend and he's been fighting this for a long time. A part of the deal is that he has to see a therapist. I’m not going to give him any wiggle room. He won’t have an extra dollar to spend. He isn’t even buying his own groceries right now. I don’t trust him not to use it for blackjack.”
He didn’t look up from the paperwork that he was reading and signing. “Can you please notarize this, Ms. Lanton?” She felt the sting of the professional name. It was no longer Ginger and that hurt more than she thought it would.
She cleared her throat, pushing her chair out. “Sure.”
“You don’t have to get up now. When it’s all done.”
“How long has this been going on, Garrett? Are you sure I don’t have to worry about my job?”
“Years and no, Josh here will make sure of that.”
“As a matter of fact, all the paralegals are getting raises next paycheck. Garrett has been wanting to do it, but…” he didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. Garrett had been using the money for gambling.
It hurt knowing that he'd been dealing with this and Ginger had no idea. He'd acted happy and care free, like nothing was wrong.
And the last twenty years made her relate to that more than he could ever know.
Chapter 4
Joshua
He sat there signing the paperwork that officially made him the owner of William’s Law Office and Associates. Ginger sat a few seats away with a tear−stained face and he hated that he was the cause of it—no—he hated that his father was the cause of it. He had no idea what had happened twenty years ago. Hell, he'd been fresh out of college with his Ph.D. in Business. His father had refused to let him play a role in the business until he'd finished his education.
Well, nothing had prepared him for this. He had a friend who needed help and the woman he was interested in—really fucking interested in—hated him. Go figure. With the way his week was going, who knew what else would happen.
“What’s in this for you, Mr. Hart,” Ginger asked, snarling when she said his last name.
He stopped signing his name and glanced at Garrett. “Garret, can you please give us a moment?”
Ginger opened her mouth to say something, but Josh held up his hand to silence her while staring at Garrett. “Please. Only for a few minutes.”
“Sure. I’ll be right outside.” Garrett stood, running his hand down his tie, and cleared his throat before taking a few steps towards the door and closing it behind him once he'd left the room.
It left Josh and Ginger alone. She looked like she was about to bolt—the way her chest heaved and her hands clutched the arms of the seat. He laid the pen he held across the papers and then folded his arms in front of him on the table. “I don’t want another minute to go by where you say by name like that. I also don’t want another minute to go by with you looking at me like I’m the devil.” He also wanted to say that he didn’t want another minute to go by where she looked at him like they didn’t have a chance in the world because she was the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen. From her long, shiny, dark espresso hair, to her flawless chocolate skin and unique hazel eyes. Her lips were plump, painted with red. She was a natural beauty, and he never wanted to look away, but Josh had a feeling those words wouldn’t be appreciated right now.
“Let’s air this out, Ms. Lanton. Tell me what happened. I don’t know anything that happened with the company more than fifteen years ago. My father didn’t trust me with information like that. Hartline Industries, since I’ve been the CEO, has grown tremendously, it isn’t the same company, so please tell me your issues.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Issues? What happened wasn’t an issue. It was a catastrophic life event. It changed my life forever, my son's lives.”
She had children. That was good to know. It wasn’t unheard of when it came to people their age, but he wanted to know everything about her. Her fire, her sass, her anger, what made her happy, Josh wanted to know it all. He just had to get past this first. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like what happened isn’t important. It is. I call tell by the pain written on your face and the tears. Please, let me help you. Tell me what happened.”
She stood and moved to a different seat while pouring herself a cup of coffee. She added a dash of creamer and grabbed a scone. She sat where Garret had a moment earlier and took a sip. “September 15, 1999. Does the date sound familiar to you?”
Josh really thought about it. He wanted to know the date. He wanted to know of her issue, but nothing came to mind. In 1999, he'd barely been working for his father. “I’m sorry I don’t.”
“That was the date my husband fell thirty stories because the cable he wore snapped. The cords had been recalled, but Hartline didn’t notify the employees or change the equipment.”
Josh’s breath caught and he ran his fingers through his hair. Another fucking death his father had tried to cover up. He really thought he'd cleaned up all of his father’s messes.
“He landed on a car and died on impact, obviously, but it left me and my sons alone. I was a single, stay−at−home mom. I'd just had a baby. I couldn’t work yet. Kendrick didn’t want me to work. He wanted me to be at home with the boys. Do you know the pain I felt when I got that call?” Her bottom lip quivered as she obviously tried to hold her emotions back, but it didn’t matter.
A tear fell, then another, and then another, until she had to take a napkin and wipe away the drops . “I had to identify his broken body.” She choked as she sobbed. “I had to see his distorted limbs.” She banged her chest as her voice rose. “Me. Not you or your father. You didn’t have to tell a toddler that his daddy wasn’t coming home, ever. You didn’t have to think about what to tell your children when they got old enough to notice that they didn’t have a daddy like the rest of their friends. You didn’t have to plan a funeral and have a closed casket because the body was too unrecognizable. I sued Hartline. I fought them for five years. I got myself into so much debt fighting your father and it got me nowhere. He must have paid o
ff the lawyers, it’s the only thing I can think of.”
Josh’s day had just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated. “He did.” His father had a notorious streak of paying off people to hide what he really did. His father was a real piece of work. Josh loved him, because it was his dad, but other than that, he really disliked the man. “I’ve been slowly trying to find the files from the time he ran the company and paying the people that got hurt while he was at the helm of the company. I hadn’t seen yours. I’m assuming it's because it’s the biggest mistake in his career. Lanton. Was that his last name or your maiden?”
“His.”
He ran his hands through his hair, rubbing his face. His palm ran over the scruff that was a few days old. He was ignoring the jealous voice in his head that hated the fact she had the same last name as her husband−−dead husband. Shit, that was so insensitive. She'd had a family, an entire life, and it had all come crashing down because of his father. That was what he had to concentrate on. It was the most important—no—the only detail that mattered. “I’ll do my best to find the file and read through it. I’ll make sure you're compensated like you should have been. With interest.”
“It isn’t about the money anymore.”
Josh wanted to groan, but he knew that would be insensitive. If it wasn’t about the money, then what was it about. “I don’t understand. You've been angry at my company for twenty years because you never got compensated.”
“No, I’m mad.” She pushed away from the table and stood. “I’m mad because no one was held accountable. Your company wasn’t held accountable. Your father. No one. The only person that paid for that was my husband. He lost his life, and no one cared. I wanted someone to care.” She shook her head and sat back down, but she didn’t cry, which surprised him. “I’m tired, Mr. Hart. I’m tired of holding onto this grudge. This anger inside me has eaten me alive for twenty years. Do you know I’ve had my life on pause this entire time? I stayed in Georgia and visited my husband’s grave every Sunday for twenty years? It’s pathetic.”
“I don’t think it’s pathetic. I think that’s how someone heals.”
She sighed before bringing the coffee to her lips, but she dropped the cup to the table like she wanted to say something. “I wasn’t healing. I was mad and I lost myself in it.”
“I’m giving you the opportunity to move on and to not be mad.”
“I wouldn’t use the money. I haven’t even touched the insurance money.”
He choked on his coffee, shocked that the money had just been sitting there. Most people would have used every penny. “Why?”
“It doesn’t feel right. Anyway.” She sighed, like she was tired of talking about it. “ I…I’m sorry for being so hateful towards you. It wasn’t your fault. I was shocked when I heard the company name. I've cut Hartline out of my life for a long time. I moved to New Orleans a year ago to start over and here you are…” She laughed, dropping her head in her hands. “It seems the past is going to follow me everywhere.”
“Maybe you’re here for this reason. I came to New Orleans for a fresh start too. I hated being in Georgia where my dad had ruined so many people’s lives.” Josh stared at the window for a moment. “I’m sorry I hadn’t seen that file or I would have reached out to you.”
“I need to go.” She stood, running her hands down her skirt, but it was pristine. There were no wrinkles, lint, or any disturbance of any kind on the colorful material.
He liked that. He liked the color. She was bold and gorgeous, strong and willful. They were good qualities for a woman to have. After a moment of silence, he stood and ran his fingers through his growing beard. He didn’t want her to go, but she seemed like she couldn’t stand the thought of being there for another moment.
“It was nice to meet you, Ms. Lanton.” He tried not to make her last name sound like venom. He really didn’t like how it tasted on his tongue. Josh reached out, stretching his hand toward her.
She stared at it like it was a wild animal out to kill her. “Um, of course. You too, Mr. Hart.” Ginger reached for his palm, gliding her own across it.
Time stood still when their hands met. A bolt of electricity shot through their palms and Josh tilted his head to see her staring at him with her wide hazel eyes.
So she did feel it—that was good to know.
“Please, call me Josh.”
Her dark skin got a bit darker on her cheeks. “Ginger.”
“Ginger.” He repeated, loving the way her first name sounded slipping from his lips.
“Well.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you again, for giving me time to explain. Uh, have a good day.” She bent down to grab her purse off the floor, the bright yellow stood stark against her dark purple skirt.
Josh watched her hips sway as she strutted toward the door. He couldn’t take his eyes off the round, thick globes as she walked away. He didn’t want her to go, but the view from the back was something he would never get tired of looking at. “You don’t have to go you know, you can stay.”
She peered over her shoulders and she fought a smirk. “While you sign papers in front of Garrett? I think it’s kind of personal, whatever he has going on. I didn’t need to see as much as I did. I need to go home. I need…I need clarity.”
Clarity. Something she had to get away from him. “I understand. I hope you have a good day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Well, since this is my company now, I’ll be here.”
Her eyes were like saucers. “Right, of course you will be.”
“Don’t sound too excited.” He smirked, trying not to show how hurt he was. He shouldn’t be hurt. He didn’t even know the woman. She was as much as a stranger as the next person, but when Josh had seen her at the café, his entire body had zinged. Everything had slowed, time, space, people, life, but the one thing that remained constant in that moment was her. The way the sun shined against her dark hair, accentuating the deep red hues. The dark chocolate hues of her skin made his mouth water as the pigment shimmered against the sun.
A dream. A living, breathing, talking, gorgeous dream—right there in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it. She was close, yet so far, just like a dream.
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to sound like I wasn’t. I might take tomorrow off. I’ll talk to Garrett. I need…”
“Clarity,” he finished for her.
“Yes. Anyway.” She wiped the corner of her eye but he didn’t see her eyes tearing. “I’m off. Good day.” She went to bow, but caught herself and rubbed her lips together, holding back a smile.
Josh stuffed his hands in his pockets, bouncing on the soles of his shoes, enjoying her flustered moment. “Good day to you as well.”
Her hand slapped her forehead. “I’m leaving. I don’t know why I said. My god…” She turned, grabbed the door handle and walked out. When the doors were wide open, Josh noticed Garrett leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, but when he saw her, he straightened.
“Mr. Williams. I’m taking today and tomorrow off. Personal days. You’ll find that you are caught up for the week though for dictation.”
“You’ve earned it. I’ll see you back on Monday.”
“Monday? I only need tomorrow.” She tilted her head in question and Josh thought it was endearing. She seemed so puzzled as to why he was giving her Friday and the weekend.
Garrett shook his head and placed his hand on her upper arm. Josh suppressed a possessive growl. He didn’t like Garrett’s hands on her. When Garrett glanced at Josh, he must have seen the look that promised death because he quickly removed his hand from her body.
Good.
“Ginger, you haven’t taken a day off in the entire year you've worked here. I appreciate your work ethic, this firm wouldn’t be as successful without you, but you deserve time to yourself. Visit your boys, go to a spa, do something for yourself. Your job with be here Monday.”
Her ey
es lit up like a Christmas tree and right then and there, Josh swore he would do anything to see that look on her face every day. “Thank you, Mr. Williams. I appreciate it so much. I’ll be back Monday.”
“Gosh, you better be. I’d die here without you. Really, Josh. I don’t know how I survived without her before,” he joked.
Josh narrowed his eyes into slits as he stared at his best friend. “Well, you did.” And that only made him sound like an asshole and made it seem like Ginger wasn’t needed there. He was just racking up those brownie points.
“I hope you figure everything out, Mr. Williams. I’m proud of you for noticing something that you needed to change about yourself.” She turned her body toward Josh, and it might have been his imagination, but she thrust her chest out. “Mr. Hart.”
Josh leaned against the wall, watching the woman of his dreams leave him in the wake of her vanilla and sugar scent. A few blinks later she was gone. Poof, like the last hour hadn’t even happened.
“You like her.”
Josh shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “It doesn’t matter. She fucking hates me. Did you hear anything of what she said?”
“No. It wasn’t my business to eavesdrop.”
“Well, she has every right to. My dad covered up her husband’s death. He worked for us and he died on company property. My dad didn’t hold himself accountable and paid off all the lawyers, leaving her alone with no justice.”
“Whoa, wait a minute. Her husband worked for your father? No wonder she nearly fell over when I mentioned Hartline.”
“I know.” Josh rubbed his forehead with his right hand, trying ease the headache that was tapping against his skull.
“It isn’t your fault. She can’t hold it against you. That wouldn’t be right.”
“Why not? She's had no one to blame for twenty years and now—all of a sudden—she comes face-to-face with the head of the company? I’m going to try to find the file later. My father was a sneak, so I don’t know if I can make any promises, but I’m going to try and compensate her.”