Silence hung between us while I waited.
“I see.”
“I’ve been considering this issue a lot, before I even came back to visit you. How to juggle things. With technology these days, there’s no reason I can’t work remotely. We have virtual conference calls, the phone, email... it will practically be like I’m there. We have offices in Chicago I can take a helicopter to as needed, and a couple times a month I can come to New York for briefings. But the rest of the time, I work from right here. In Door County.”
More silence on his end.
“Grandpa. I want this company. I can run this company. But my life is here now. And I won’t trade it for all the money in the world.”
I waited, breath held fast in my chest, for his response.
“Then consider me even prouder of you than I already was before this phone call.”
“What?” Even though I knew I could run Davenport Industries primarily from Door County, I’d expected more resistance from him.
“You have chosen happiness over money. And you’ve shown me you are capable of problem-solving. I see no reason why we can’t figure out how to run things remotely. In fact, we can even open a small remote office in Door County where you can hire some key staff to help you. Why don’t we see if Eleanor wants to visit you for a while and help you get up and running? We’ll make it work.”
“Are you serious, Grandpa? You’re giving me the company? And I can stay here?”
“Nothing would make me happier.”
Just when I’d thought I had everything, even more dropped into my lap. Taking up my family’s legacy was a dream I would now realize. And I was going to do it right here with Jake.
“I can start after Labor Day weekend. I have a commitment to bartend up here until then. I’m not leaving Jo in a lurch.”
“Even prouder still, Cassie. You finally understand the meaning of hard work and the importance of keeping your word.”
Jake peeked out again, this time I waved him out. “Grandpa. I love you. And I can’t wait to tell you all the ideas I have for Davenport Industries. I promise I’m going to make you proud. But right now, I have to eat these eggs before they get cold.”
“Are they as good as Nancy’s?” he asked.
I looked at Jake’s ripped body sitting across from me. “Even better. Jake made them.”
“You re-caught your fisherman? Good for you.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Indeed, I did. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
Jake arched a brow and my smile grew.
“I look forward to it. I love you, Cassandra. We’ll talk soon. Enjoy your breakfast.”
“I love you more, Grandpa. And thank you. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.”
We hung up, and I stared at my phone for a moment before looking over to Jake. He shoveled a bite of eggs into his mouth while he looked at me expectantly.
“Well? What did he want?”
“Um. To give me the company.”
His chewing stopped and his eyes bulged while he looked at me. “You’re kidding.”
Shaking my head, I bit my lip while I fought my smile.
“Holy shit, Cassie. That’s amazing. It’s what you’ve always dreamed of.”
“I can’t believe it, Jake. I’m going to get the chance to prove myself and continue my family’s legacy.”
I saw the light leave his eyes before they dropped back to his plate. “I’m really happy for you, Cassie. I am. I’m just... what about... us?” He looked back up.
I let my smile free. “I’m going to run the company from right here in Door County.”
“What?” His eyes bulged wider. “Are you serious?”
Smiling, I nodded and took a bite of the eggs. “Yep. You think I’m going back to New York and giving up having these eggs every morning? Not likely.”
Setting down his fork, he leaned forward on his elbows. “Are you serious. You’re staying and you’re running the company?”
“Yep.”
“Wow.”
“Yep.”
We were back to one-word conversations, just like when we’d started.
“As long as you don’t mind me hopping off to Chicago on our helicopter when I need to, and a once a month trip to New York on the jet, then yes, I will have both.”
“Our helicopter? A private jet?”
I took another bite of eggs. “Yep.”
“Holy shit.”
“So, are you good with that?”
After a momentary pause, he reached forward and took my hand. “I will never stand in the way of your dreams, Cassie. As long as you don’t shove me into a tuxedo and force me to live in New York, you have yourself a deal.”
“Cover that up with a tuxedo?” I waved a finger at his shirtless body. “Also not likely.”
He grinned. “Then deal. So you’re staying.”
“I’m staying.”
He pushed out of his chair and stepped to my side. With a powerful pull I was back in his arms. Bending me back, he sealed our love with a kiss.
“Want to know the best part of this?” I whispered between kisses.
“What’s that?”
“That property you love so much? The one I live at?” I paused and smiled. “Or lived at.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s mine. Grandpa signed it over this week along with two hundred acres across the street.”
The way his body froze, I was certain he would drop me.
“Jake?” I asked, trying to rouse him from his shock. “You okay?”
“Do you mean to tell me you own almost two-hundred-fifty acres on Kangaroo Lake. Two-hundred-and-fifty acres that will never be developed into condos, or a hotel, or a resort?”
“Yep.” I grinned. “It’s all ours. Even that crappy little cabin.”
“Hank! Did you hear that!” he called to the lab that raced around the yard with Poppy in tow. “You dogs have your own wildlife preserve!”
Ignoring his joy, Hank kept on running and Jake turned his attentions back to me.
“I love you, Cassie. And I always will.”
“I love you more.”
When his lips pressed down on mine, I knew that not only had I learned to live like the other half, I’d found my other half.
DOOR PENINSULA PASSIONS
Did you enjoy this romantic romp through Door County? Check out the next book in the Door Peninsula Passions series, THE OTHER ROOM!
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THE OTHER ROOM
Door Peninsula Passions Book Two
Releasing August 15, 2019
Will an unwanted roommate turn into an unexpected romance?
Even though Jo is furious with her ex-best friend Matt, she takes pity on him when he ends up homeless. The two frenemies and her nasty cat squeeze into the tiny beachfront cabin she scored on the Door County waterfront. But as mad as she is at him for his betrayal, staying that way proves more difficult than she thought when his charms start wearing down her armor.
It’s more than the walls between their rooms that separate Jo from Matt. He’s desperate to gain her forgiveness, and soon he’s desperate for a lot more. The passion igniting between them threatens to burn their little cabin down.
As Matt tries to break down the walls between them, Jo struggles to deny her feelings for him... feelings that are anything but anger.
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The Other Plan
The Other Way
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THE OTHER ROOM EXCERPT
I took the overflowing pitcher of money from him and dumped it out on the counter. Bartending here at JJ's in Sister Bay was hard work... exhausting, sanity-stripping work. But it was this moment of every night that made it worth it and stopped me from running back
to the slower pace of the Blue Ox.
Between sips of my margarita, I smoothed out the crumpled bills and stacked them in piles of singles, fives, tens, and twenties. While I separated them into equal piles of two that Hanson and I would split, I heard new voices flood into the bar. I looked up to see a few guys filing in through the door, and I groaned when I saw the one face I’d have happily never see again.
Matt Michaelson.
“Jo?” Matt said, and I curled my lip at him in return.
His face dropped at my response. Even with his muscular build, strong cut jaw, and piercing eyes, he still managed to look like a small, scolded child when he shrunk beneath my gaze.
Matt, Aaron, and Tony headed toward me. I’d grown up with all three of them, and had always considered them friends, and only one no longer got to wear that title. The one who used to wear the title of best friend, and the one I now considered my mortal enemy.
Matt. Matt the betrayer.
“Jo!” Aaron grinned, his lips parting between his bushy red beard. “What up, girl? I forgot you worked here now.”
Before I could answer, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me off my stool, squeezing me so tight I struggled to inhale.
“Hey, Aaron.” I managed to grunt out. “Hey, Tony.”
“Hey, Jo!” Tony patted me on the back. “Long time, no see!”
Aaron set me down, and I slid a glare to Matt. Through gritted teeth, I growled. “Matt.”
Dropping his chocolate eyes to the ground, he swallowed. “Hey, Jo.” When they lifted back up to meet mine, the sad look he’d been giving me any time I saw him this past year returned. And once again I reminded myself that even though he looked like a scolded puppy who just needed a hug, he was anything but. He was the selfish liar and the betrayer who’d slept with Jake’s fiancé and shaken our little friend group right to the core. There would be no scratches and soothing tones from me for the puppy standing before me. Hell, he was lucky I didn’t swat him upside the head with a newspaper, or maybe even the drink pitcher just within my reach.
I sat back down, and Tony settled into the stool beside me.
“We miss you at the Ox,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s been a big change moving to Sister Bay.”
It was only fifteen minutes away from where I used to live and work, but the faster pace of Sister Bay was a big change from Baileys Harbor, the place locals referred to as “the quiet side.”
“Are you done for the night?” Aaron asked, grabbing the stool on Tony’s other side.
“Yep. I survived another crazy Friday night. I thought I was prepared for working a summer in Sister Bay... I was drastically wrong.” Laughing, I took a well-deserved sip of my margarita.
The sweet and sour flavors combined with the salt from the rim and I closed my eyes, letting the tequila work its way into my aching body.
Matt shifted beside me, and I saw him glance at the last open stool on this side of the bar. The stool that would seat him next to me. One cautious move at a time, he slid into his seat, pausing to look at me before settling all his weight down.
“Sorry. It’s the last stool,” he said, barely a whisper.
My only answer was a sideways glare.
“Hey guys!” Hanson came around the corner and tossed drink coasters in front of them. “What are we having?”
“Pitcher of margaritas and a round of Bernie’s, please,” Aaron answered. “You want a Bernie, Jo?”
Scrunching my nose, I shook my head. “No, thanks. I poured enough of those tonight I never want to see one again.”
“Coming right up.” Hanson smiled and spun around, heading for the tequila bottles.
“Not guzzling beer tonight?” I asked, turning my body to block Matt out of the conversation.
“We stopped for beer along the way, but you can’t come to JJ’s and not do margaritas and Bernie’s.” Tony grinned, his white teeth gleaming as much as his perfectly shaved bald head.
“Valid.” I lifted mine and took another sip.
“So, what’s it like over here in Sister Bay? We rarely make it over here. But Tony agreed to drive tonight so Matt and I can booze it up in Sister Bay.”
“You’re driving next weekend,” Tony answered, pointing a finger in Aaron’s face.
“Deal.”
“It’s good. My cabin is pretty awesome, and right on the water, which is amazing. And it’s right over there.” I jutted a finger out the window pointing in the direction of the cabin I’d inherited just a short jog away.
“I can’t believe you scored waterfront property in Sister Bay. That’s freaking awesome.” Aaron shook his head.
“Yeah. It’s pretty crazy.”
It turned out I’d had a great uncle I’d never met who passed away this past winter, and my mom, his only heir, had inherited the property. Since my parents had a house they loved out in the country, they’d offered it to my sister, Jenna, and I. She’d taken one look at the small “rustic” cabin and turned her nose up at the offer to split it, choosing to stay in the fancy new house she’d just built. I’d been overjoyed at the thought of getting out of my apartment and getting my own place on the water... even if it did need a little TLC. Okay, a lot of TLC.
Hanson arrived carrying a pitcher of margaritas, setting three glasses down then returning with three Bernie’s.
“I’m driving,” Tony said, pushing the shot away.
“Oh shit, that’s right.” Aaron grimaced, then his lips pulled into a smile. “Jo can do it.”
“Oh God, I do not want a Bernie.” I laughed, but Hanson pushed it my way.
“You earned several Bernie’s tonight, Jo. It will help numb the pain you’re going to feel later tonight.”
“Oh, that pain is already alive and well.” I chuckled and picked up the cinnamon and sugar-coated orange that was lying on top of the glass. “Why the hell not?”
“Cheers!” Aaron lifted his orange and tapped it against mine, the traditional way to take a Bernie. He leaned over me and bumped his orange against Matt’s, and all eyes fell on me while Matt held his orange slice waiting for me to give him the obligatory cheers. Rolling my eyes, I bumped his hard, nearly dislodging the piece of fruit from his grip.
“Cheers,” I said, then licked the cinnamon mix off my orange and we all downed our shots then chomped into the fruit.
“God that’s good!” Aaron announced as he chewed on the remains of his orange.
The warm liquid burned a trail down the back of my throat, but in only a few moments I felt it start to work its magic. The tension from my busy night slid off my shoulders and I relaxed into my seat.
“Can we get the bar dice cup?” Tony asked. “I may not be drinking much tonight, but I can still kick their asses in bar dice.”
“You got it,” Hanson answered, leaning down and returning with the black plastic cup filled with five dice. It was a traditional Wisconsin drinking game I’d mastered in all my years of bartending. The loser of each game bought the winners a round of shots, and it was often the catalyst to a night spent out drinking far more than you’d intended.
“So how you been, Jo?” Matt asked, a sheepish look tightening his face.
“Fine,” I snapped back, picking up the bar dice cup, giving it a shake and slamming it down with enough force to shake the whole bar.
“Jesus, Jo. Whose face were you picturing pummeling with that roll?” Hanson asked.
My eyes slid over to Matt, who slumped a little lower in his seat. “Forty-six in one.” I pushed the dice cup over to Tony.
“Damn. That’s hard to beat.” He blew out a puff of air and shook the cup, slamming it down with far less rage than me.
“Twenty-four. Shit.”
I didn’t try to hide my victorious smile while he slid the cup over to Aaron.
Aaron rolled a thirty-two, leaving me sitting in the winning seat. With a grumble, he slid the cup and dice back down the bar, and I pushed it in front of Matt.
“Thanks,” he
said, but I just pursed my lips and turned away.
When he finished his roll with a forty-four, I grinned and leaned back in my chair.
“Jo’s out,” Aaron said, shaking his head. “Of course, Jo’s out. She always wins.”
“And don’t you forget it.” I waggled my brows.
While the three of them continued shaking the dice to narrow down the loser, I sipped on my margarita, helping myself to a refill from the pitcher sitting in front of us. The last round ended in a tie between Matt and Aaron, and I cheered on Aaron while he tossed his last roll.
“Yes! You lose!” Aaron jutted a victorious finger at Matt.
“Yep. Matt’s a loser. Surprise, surprise.” I smiled, and the unveiled insult caused Matt to drop his eyes back to the bar.
“Jo, seriously. Everyone else has forgiven Matt for banging Nikki. Now it’s your turn,” Aaron said, having taken notice of my icy attitude to my former best friend.
“Good for all of you. I’m not the forgiving type.” Crossing my arms, I turned in my seat, leveling Matt with a glare.
“Jo, I’m sorry. Seriously. It was a fucked-up thing to do, but Jake forgave me. Why can’t you do the same?”
Why couldn’t I do the same? It wasn’t like he’d slept with my fiancé, but the betrayal to Jake cut as deep as if he had. The three of us had been best friends our entire lives, the Three Amigos as our parents used to call us. We’d played in the sandbox together as kids, learned how to drive together, had our first drinks together, and had maintained that close friendship into adulthood. That was until Matt went and slept with Jake’s fiancé last year, breaking up the Three Amigos and destroying a lifetime of friendships. Even though he’d won back Jake’s forgiveness, I didn’t think he would ever win back mine.
It was me who’d taken care of Jake during the aftermath of losing his fiancé and his honorary brother in one foul swoop. Me who’d help him crawl out of the hole Matt’s selfish actions had tossed him in. After seeing the wreckage of my other best friend that Matt left in his wake, I didn’t think I could ever forgive him... or want to for that matter.
The Other Half (Door Peninsula Passions Book 1) Page 24