Wyatt laughed. “Yeah, make sure you put some ice on that in the morning.”
He pulled out two bottles, popped the caps off, and handed one to Dan.
“Thanks.” Dan leaned against the counter and took a long swallow. “How are you?”
Wyatt scrubbed a hand over his face. “Tired.”
Dan nodded. “It’s been a long month since the Harvest Ball. You’ve been working yourself ragged trying to calm everyone down.”
Wyatt shrugged. “I have to. It’s my fault.”
Dan paused in the act of lifting his bottle for another drink. “What’s your fault?”
“What the town is going through. I let everyone down. I have to fix it.”
“Blame advancing technology, the change in the economy, Nate being complacent with his business. But this isn’t your fault. Caila—”
His lungs constricted, making it hard to breathe. “I don’t want to talk about her.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t need to rehash it. It’s done. She came here, she lied, she used me. It’s over.”
“I thought giving you some time to get past the hurt and think about everything would be helpful. Instead, you’ve settled deeper into your resentment. Laura told me I should’ve talked to you immediately, but I gave her the men-need-time-to-process-their-emotions speech. Thanks for making me look like an ass.”
“That’s all you.” Wyatt sighed. “Look, I don’t know why you’re here, Dan. Go home. Be with Laura. I’m fine.”
“You’re the least fine that I’ve ever seen you. Caila didn’t come here to use you. She didn’t even know you. She came to do her job. And as much as I don’t like what that job was, it had nothing to do with you.”
He flinched. “How can you say that?”
“It was your idea to pay Joe to stay out of town longer, so she’d be forced to remain here and get to know the town. And you could’ve delegated that job. Any number of people could’ve shown her around. But you did it. Because you wanted to. I was there the first time you guys met. I saw the way you looked at her. You wanted her from the jump.”
“I did. And look where it got me. I put what I wanted above the needs of others and almost ruined everything.”
Just like his father.
“You’re conflating the two issues. Yes, the factory losing the contract sucks. But it was going to happen. If they hadn’t sent Caila, they would’ve sent someone else. They’d already made up their minds. In fact, because it was Caila and because of the connection the two of you had, you probably had a better chance of getting them to reconsider. Do you think that Gerald Thorpe would’ve given you the benefit of the doubt?”
He scuffed the toe of his shoe against the bare floor. “No.”
“And all of that is separate from the issue of Caila and how you feel about her. You deserve to be happy. And when you were with her, you were happy. Happier than I’ve ever seen you. Do you love her?”
Did lumber turn into furniture in his hands? “Yes.”
Dan punched Wyatt’s arm. “Then tell her that.”
“What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
“I was there, remember? At Turk’s when you met, at the football game, at the bonfire, and at the Harvest Ball. She loves you.”
The Harvest Ball.
Wyatt replayed their conversation and the things he’d said to her.
“She’ll never forgive me.”
Dan smiled. “Yes, she will. Because you’ve already forgiven her. And if you get desperate, just remember, you’re Mayor McHottie. Try turning on that devastating charm you’re known for.”
There!
With a flourish, Wyatt signed the last document in the folder. He didn’t think he would ever be done. He’d stopped by the office to tie up a few loose ends and return some phone calls before he left for the airport.
He was heading to Chicago. To Caila. Granted, he didn’t know where she lived, but he knew where she worked, and he intended to go there and get her to listen to him. He loved her. And he needed to see if there was any chance for them to be together.
“Wyatt Asher Bradley IV, I want to talk to you. Now!”
Wyatt’s head jerked back as his grandfather strode into his office, brackets carved on either side of his mouth. He didn’t know the last time his grandfather had visited him at city hall. In fact, Wyatt couldn’t remember the last time his grandfather had visited him anywhere. When Asher wanted to see him, he usually summoned Wyatt to the house.
“Grandfather. What are you doing here?”
“Is that all you have to say to me? Your mother and I haven’t seen you in weeks!”
He hadn’t been back since the night of their disastrous dinner with Caila.
Wyatt sighed. “I’ve been busy. As you know, a lot has happened.”
“It has. But that woman is gone and this sulking is beneath you. We need to get back to focusing on your future.”
Wyatt stared at his grandfather. He’d never considered how tough it must’ve been for Asher. The heaviness of his burden. He’d spent his entire life carrying on the Bradley legacy, and when the time came to pass it on, his son had bailed.
But instead of learning from what had happened with Tripp, Asher had doubled down with Wyatt and firmed his grip, thinking that would keep him in line.
And Wyatt had allowed it.
Because Caila had been right. He’d been afraid. Tripp’s selfishness and failures had been drilled into Wyatt since he was a little boy. He didn’t want to risk alienating the only family he had with the notion that he might be exactly like the man they seemed to despise.
But Wyatt wasn’t like Tripp. And he wasn’t like Asher. He was his own man. And he had to live his life in the way that was best for him.
He looked at Asher. “I love you and I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. It couldn’t have been easy, but you did it and you instilled some wonderful values in me. But”—he reinforced his words and his spine with titanium; he didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding between them in the future—“I’m not a little boy and I won’t tolerate or accept being spoken to as such. Do you understand?”
Asher’s jaw worked and his hand flexed on the table. They stared at each other for a long moment before Asher gave a brisk nod.
“As for my future, I will always welcome any advice you offer, but that’s all it’ll be. Advice. Not dictates.”
“Dammit, Wyatt—”
Wyatt shook his head. He would’ve gotten around to this later, but since Asher was here, he didn’t want to waste the opportunity. He glanced at his phone. Even with the possibility of missing his flight if he didn’t leave soon.
“I’m not done. Despite myself, I think the idea of being governor is intriguing. There’s a lot of good I can do at that level, but right now, I’m the mayor of Bradleton and I intend to focus on that job. And if my constituents see fit to reelect me next year, then I’ll continue to hold the office and fulfill my duties to the best of my capabilities. This is my town and I’m not ready to let it go without a fight. Now”—he stood—“I really do have to go. I’ll come by and see you both when I get back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Chicago.”
“For that woman,” Asher said, his disapproval obvious.
“Yes. For Caila, and I’d advise you not to speak about her—”
His cell phone rang and Vince’s name flashed across the screen.
Fuck! Wyatt didn’t have the time or patience to deal with Vince. He declined the call, only to have it ring two seconds later, Vince’s name flashing again.
“Dammit!” He accepted the call. “This had better be go—”
“You need to get down here,” Vince said, his voice frantic.
Wyatt frowned. “I’m on my way to the airport.”
“I don’t care where you’re going. You need to get down to Chro-Make right away. There’s some trucks and town cars parked in front of the building.
I thought you said we had time—”
Wyatt disconnected the call.
“I have to go,” he told Asher, as he rounded his desk.
“We’re not done here.”
“I’ll talk to you when I get back.”
Ignoring Asher’s sputtering and exaggerated outrage, Wyatt hurried to his car and headed over to the plant. On the way, he tried calling Nate several times, only to have his calls go straight to voice mail.
What the fuck was going on?
He pulled into the parking lot and found that for once, Vince was right. In addition to the cars of the employees working their shifts, there were a few construction trucks and a couple of luxury vehicles he didn’t recognize.
Vince ran up to him as he exited his car. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“No, but I intend to find out.”
He strode up to the front of the building, but the door opened before he could get there and Nate strode out, talking to a man Wyatt didn’t recognize.
“—not using that space, so there’s plenty . . . Mayor, hey . . . hold on,” he said to the guy, before rushing over to Wyatt.
Wyatt jammed his hands on his hips. “Nate, what’s going on?”
“Great news. In fact, I was just getting ready to call you.” His smile stretched ear to ear on his thin face. “We won’t have to close down the plant!”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re not going to lose the Flair contract. In fact, in addition to producing Flair products, we’re going to start manufacturing more of Endurance’s products.”
Wyatt looked at Nate. “I don’t understand. When did you find this out?”
Nate jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Just now. Caila told me.”
Wyatt looked up and saw Caila step out of the building and stand just beside the door, her hands clasped in front of her. Just like the first time, she took his breath away. His legs ate up the distance between them until he was standing before her.
“Wyatt, I’m so sorry.”
He gathered her into his arms and held her tight, shuddering as he realized how close he’d come to never holding her again.
“Aren’t you mad at me?” she asked against his chest.
“No.” He pressed a kiss to her hair, wishing they were somewhere private, so he could kiss her the way he wanted. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here. We can deal with everything else.”
“I’m so glad you said that. That’s why I came.” She pulled away from him. “Did Nate tell you?”
“The main point,” he said, his eyes skimming over her features, drinking them in. Was it possible she was even more beautiful than he remembered? “You tell me the rest.”
“Endurance has decided to continue its acquisition of Flair Cosmetics and honor the contracts Flair had with its co-packers.”
That sounded promising, but—“Nate mentioned something about manufacturing more products?”
She nodded. “Endurance doesn’t manufacture its own products. We use several co-packers around the world. I convinced them that in the interest of streamlining our process and strengthening our brand, it might be better to bring as many products in-house as possible, to cut down on costs and to present uniformity. Once they saw the benefits of that idea, I told them I knew of a plant that had good bones but needed a little overhaul.”
“A partnership,” Nate said, coming up to stand next to them. “They’re going to invest money in the business, which I’ll use to overhaul our machines and get up to date with the latest advancements in the field. For that, they’ll own thirty percent of the company. Then we’ll both have a stake in this relationship working.”
Caila continued. “As our other co-packing contracts end, Endurance will be able to begin fulfilling them in-house, here, instead.”
“So that’s what all these trucks are here for.”
“Yes. Just looking at the building and the property. Getting some initial measurements and an inventory of what they have on-site right now,” Caila said.
Wyatt’s heart still hadn’t settled from his mad dash here and seeing her again. “I thought they were closing the plant down now.”
“No.”
Nate was so happy, he could barely stand still. “That means no one is going to lose their job. In fact, we’re going to have to hire more people as we start running shifts twenty-four seven. Excuse me.”
He headed back to the man he’d been talking to.
“It should also mean better paying jobs,” Caila added. “Some of this new equipment is specialized and will require additional training. Hopefully, you’ll be able to attract a younger, more upwardly mobile workforce, who will buy houses and pay taxes. Stimulate the local economy.”
“How did you convince them to do this?”
She waved a hand. “It was easy. I pointed out it wouldn’t look good to have to deal with the PR backlash when they were on the verge of announcing the merger and rolling out a new product.”
“What backlash?”
“Oh, you know the media can be relentless when they get a whiff of stories about another small-town plant closing, and corporations favoring profits over investing in the country. Add to that the lure of Southern royalty and this story would’ve led morning talk shows for weeks to come. Even spawned some documentaries. Or maybe a movie, starring Christian Bale or Tom Hanks, depending on the tone.”
He laughed. “We weren’t planning to do any of that.”
She shrugged. “They didn’t know that. And to them, I’m the expert on Bradleton. They seem to think I may have an in with the mayor.”
Damn, her intelligence and shrewdness were a complete turn-on.
“But it only worked because it made financial sense, too. In the long term, it’s a win for everyone.”
He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “You are amazing. Why did you do all of this?”
“Because it was the right thing to do. And because I know how important this town is to you. Wyatt”—she gripped his wrist—“I’m so sorry for what I said. You’re not a coward. You’re strong and brave and—”
“No, you were right. I wasn’t being truthful with my family, for the exact reason you said. But I’ve taken steps in the right direction. They’ll always be my family, but I don’t need to feel smothered by their expectations any longer.”
“All of this made me rethink my issues with my mother. We’ve had some good conversations, some much-needed conversations, and I’m heading up to visit her when I’m done here.”
Done here . . .
“Caila, I love you. In fact, I was on my way to Chicago when Vince called me in a panic and told me to come here.”
“You were?” Confusion clouded her expression. “But you didn’t know about this. As far as you knew, the plant was going to lose the contract.”
“You were doing your job. And whether it was you or someone else, Endurance would’ve still wanted to get out of their contract with Chro-Make. But only you could’ve done what you did.” He exhaled. “So if we need to be in a long-distance relationship, then that’s what we’ll do. I can’t leave; this town is going to need me, especially with what’s going to be happening in the future.”
Her dark eyes sparkled. “That’s the best part. It doesn’t have to be. This is a massive project and Endurance is going to need someone to oversee it and the brand. And that someone is me! I got the promotion!”
“That’s wonderful,” he said. And he meant it. Even though it likely implied one of them would have to make a difficult decision down the road.
She raised a brow. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic.”
“No, I am, I just don’t see how that makes a long-distance relationship any better.”
“I wasn’t finished,” she said, a smile teasing her lips. “We’re looking at a two- to three-year initial time frame, and for that period I’ll need to be on-site, which means living here.”
To hell with an audience. He captured her lips and felt his wor
ld shift back into focus and settle back onto its axis.
“I’m glad you approve,” she murmured when they drew apart. “I’ll still have to fly back to Chicago a couple times a month—”
“I don’t care. I’ll take it. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Which is good, because this could’ve been extremely awkward if it didn’t work out.”
He laughed and kissed her again. “I have something for you.”
He raced over to his car, where he’d put the bag he’d packed for his trip, and grabbed the parcel from inside.
She smiled. “A gift?”
She opened the package and gasped at the wooden box, about the size of a hardback novel, nestled within the tissue paper.
“You made this?”
He nodded.
“And you used the Olivia Pope wood?”
He had. Just for her.
“It’s your new dream box, like the one your father gave you that you had to leave behind.”
“Oh, Wyatt. This is beautiful.”
She lifted the latch and opened it to reveal a red velvet-lined interior . . .
And a small black jewelry box.
She stilled. “Uh, Wyatt, I love you, but we’ve only known each other a short time.”
“Just open it.”
She did. A necklace with two entwined hearts encased in diamonds winked up at them.
“So that no matter where you are, our hearts will always be together.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Three Months Later
To: Ava Taylor
From: Caila Harris
Date: February 20, 2020
Subject: The Ladies of Lefevre Annual Vacay
Ladies—
Last year was extremely difficult for me, between losing Pop-Pop and almost losing my job. But in the midst of all of that darkness, I met the love of my life. At the time, I wondered why these things were happening, but—like that fateful day we all met back in college—I know things happen for a reason.
I can’t wait for all of you to meet Wyatt, but us being together will not change anything. My time with you is sacred and I’m never giving that up.
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