by Alicia Rae
Ashton stepped to the side and said, “After you.”
I walked toward my office, the same path I’d traveled countless times. All the artwork was in the same place, as were the cubicles and furniture. I opened the door to my office and went around my desk to my chair. I glanced around the space, observing everything was in its proper place. Again, it was all the same.
The only thing that’s different is me.
I instantly shook off the unwanted thought when Ashton sat down in a chair across from me.
His posture was relaxed, and his eyes were sincere as he told me, “I’m truly pleased to see you’re healthy and well, Raelyn.”
“Thank you, Ashton.” My mouth curved into a smile. “And I must also thank you for stepping in to help out with my clients during my absence. I would have been in dire trouble without your help. Damien has spoken highly of you.”
“I’m glad I was able to be of assistance. You have some great clients, and it was a pleasure to work with them.”
I acknowledged him with a nod. “So, how have things been going for you here at the office?”
“I’ll be honest; it was overwhelming, between your client database and my own, until Cale was able to step in and ease some of the workload,” Ashton replied. “Since then, with another experienced accountant, the days have gone rather smoothly.”
“How many accounts is he handling?”
“All of his previous clients before his departure. I’ve kept your accounts and my own.”
There was only one large account that piqued my interest, so I queried, “And Heathman Enterprises’ account?”
“Damien made it quite clear that he’d be managing his account until your return.”
“Oh.”
In truth, after Cale had embezzled nearly seventy grand from Damien’s company, Ashton’s answer didn’t surprise me. However, I was shocked that this was the first time I had been made aware of this arrangement. Though I shouldn’t be. Damien wouldn’t have wanted me to stress over him trying to juggle and balance his accounts while still managing Heathman Enterprises and taking care of me.
I looked Ashton in the eye and got right to the point. “I’m sure you’re aware of the reasons Cale was let go from this firm.”
“Yes, I am.”
“What is your professional opinion of his work ethic now?”
“From what I can see, he’s been honest and dedicated to his work. He’s put in as many late nights as I have.”
“Have you been overseeing his accounts?”
“I have, and every account he’s handled has balanced out properly.” Ashton nodded his head. His expression appeared almost guilty. “Am I in the wrong for doing so?”
I didn’t hesitate to answer, “No.”
Ashton discreetly exhaled and leaned back in his chair. “So, Raelyn, how would you like to proceed with our arrangement from here on out?”
This was a tricky question. I loved running my own company, but I’d be a fool not to ask for help. The workload was too much for one person. My business mode instantly kicked into gear.
“I’d like to take you up on the offer you made to me before my leave of absence.”
Ashton linked his hands together.
I continued, “I’ll give you forty percent of my company for three hundred fifty thousand. We’ll merge our clients—all of them—and rebrand a new business name.”
“Three hundred fifty thousand for forty percent…” Ashton hummed from the back of his throat while rubbing his hands together. “That’s a bit steep.”
“You’ve been working here for three months, so you’ve seen the numbers. My clients alone bring in nearly eight hundred thousand in revenue each year.” I crossed my legs. “I think my offer is very generous.”
“My client database generates nearly seven hundred thousand.” He lifted his arm to rub his thumb and forefinger along the base of his jaw. “Forty-five percent of the company, and we hire two full-time accountants, and then you have yourself a deal.”
“One full-time accountant. Forty-two percent,” I spoke clearly. “Take it or leave it, Ashton.”
“Does Cale stay?”
“We can make that decision together, based on his current work ethic.”
I wasn’t sure why I’d just gone out on a limb for my former friend. Cale had helped the company in my time of need, more than once, so I couldn’t just throw him under the bus.
Ashton appeared to be lost in thought before his brows rose. “You drive a hard bargain, Raelyn.”
“I’ve worked hard to build this accounting firm from the ground up. I want a business partner who respects the company’s worth, who’s personally invested in seeing it succeed, and who isn’t afraid to work late nights to make it flourish.” I threw that all out there since there was no reason to beat around the bush.
No secrets, no lies, no deceit. Only straightforward honesty. I always gave what I wanted in return.
Ashton rose from his chair and came toward the desk, outstretching his arm. “You have yourself a deal, Raelyn.”
“Great.” I stood and shook his hand. “I’ll have an attorney draw up the paperwork.”
“Thank you. I look forward to our business venture.”
“As do I.” I came around my desk, prepared to walk Ashton out of my office.
“Shall I turn over all your clients’ files, so you can see where they currently stand?” Ashton queried.
“Only the ones that need my attention for now. Then, I’ll work my way through the pile.” I imagined it would take me weeks and weeks to officially catch up.
One day at a time, I reminded myself.
“All right. I’ll have Tim start sorting through them, and we’ll have a stack on your desk shortly.”
“Perfect.” I walked to the door and let Ashton pass.
He made his way down the hallway to his office.
Cale approached me seconds later and hesitated at the threshold. “I was hoping I could speak with you for a minute, too. May I come in?”
I ignored the ping of unease that arose in my stomach. I couldn’t avoid Cale forever, especially with him working at the office.
“Of course.” I waved my hand, gesturing for him to enter the room.
I closed the door behind him and spun to face him. It was strange to look in the eyes of a man whom I’d misplaced my trust in not long ago. Typically, my former longtime friend’s persona was filled with superiority and mischief. Today, not so much.
He shifted on his feet. “I can see I make you uncomfortable. I don’t want that, so I’ll go.” His normally vibrant green eyes were consumed with remorse. “I’d give anything, anything in the whole world, to undo the hurt and betrayal I caused you. It’s my greatest wish that you’ll forgive me someday. Good-bye, Rae. I wish you only the best.” Cale pivoted to face the exit.
I almost let him walk out. Almost. But there was a part of me—deep, deep inside me—that wanted one of my oldest, dearest friends back in my life. He’d been a part of my life ever since college. If I’d realized one thing since my brain surgery, it was that life was too short. I had no blood family. My friends were my family.
I set my hand on his arm, halting his actions. “I’m not sure I know how to forgive you, Cale,” I began, forcing back the tears I felt coming on. “Maybe I’m not ready to, or maybe I need more time to let the dust settle between us. That said, I’m willing to try.”
Cale rotated to face me. Years of friendship and love and hope flitted across his features. “After all I did, you’d consider giving me another chance?”
I nodded.
He swallowed thickly and admitted, “I don’t deserve one.”
“I know,” I said, not denying the gravity of the situation at hand. “But I miss having you in my life. So does Damien. We love you, like family, so we’re going to find a way to get past this.”
Cale used the back of his hand to rub at his eyes before inhaling a deep breath. “I fucking love and miss you bot
h, more than anything.”
He closed the gap between us, wrapped his arms around me, pulled me to his chest, and squeezed me rather hard. It was the ultimate big-brother hug. I struggled to free my arms to return his embrace.
It was then, in this very moment, I found my anger and hurt over his deceit slowly beginning to ease. It wasn’t much per se, only a sliver. But the power of forgiveness was beginning to burrow itself into my heart and soul. It was potent. It was enlightening. There were no words to describe it. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off me. I didn’t doubt Cale and I had more to work through to restore our friendship, but this was a monumental start.
“Thank you.” Cale kissed the top of my head and tightened his hold on me.
“Cale,” I rasped. “I. Can’t. Breathe.”
He immediately released me. “Oh, sorry!”
I inhaled a heap of air and laughed. “That’s okay.”
“Is there anything you need me to do today to help you out?” Cale asked softly.
“No, I think I’m all right.” I smiled. “I’m just going to check over some of my main clients’ accounts to see how they’re doing. I’ll let you know if I need anything though.”
“Sounds good.” Cale mirrored my expression. “I’ll check in on you later.”
“Great,” I told him.
Cale exited the room, and I settled into the chair at my desk and fired up my computer. It was time to dive into work.
nine
Raelyn
By the afternoon, I’d looked over several of my clients’ files. To Ashton’s word, all of the accounts appeared to be up to date. I was impressed, to say the least. His organization and accounting skills were a little different than mine, but I was able to easily follow the trail of numbers. I loved how he’d added a cover sheet to each file where he recorded the total monthly figure and date, whereas I did it differently. Both ways were efficient. His was just more readily available.
I came to Mr. Zuckerman’s file and saw his monthly figures had been generated yesterday. Ashton hadn’t run the totals yet. I glanced at the clock, seeing it was half past two. I was a bit tired, but I had plenty of time to knock this off my to-do list today.
A tap at my door caused me to glance up. “Come in.”
Kate swung the door open and bounced into the room, carrying a beautiful bouquet of white and red flowers. “I have a delivery for you,” she sang.
“Oh my.” I beamed, making room for Kate to set the arrangement on my desk.
She grabbed the card and handed it to me. “I’m guessing these are from that romantic man of yours.” Kate grinned. “I’d love to stay, but the phones are ringing off the hook, and Cale and Ashton have me doing all sorts of things for them. I’ve got to go!” she exclaimed, dashing out of the room.
I called after her, “Okay. Thank you!” I reached for the white envelope and hastily tore it open to read the notecard.
ROSES ARE RED.
VIOLETS ARE BLUE.
NEITHER IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU.
AND THAT’S ALL I GOT, GORGEOUS GIRL.
I HOPE YOU’RE KICKING ASS ON YOUR FIRST DAY BACK AT WORK.
SEE YOU LATER TONIGHT.
~DAMIEN
My face split into a grin at his poem. I instantly pulled out my phone and slid my finger across the screen to send him a text.
Me: Love, love, love the flowers. Thank you. ♥
His reply came within minutes.
Damien: I’m glad you love them. How is your day going?
I didn’t want to admit I was tired because I refused to feel defeated by my first workday. I focused on the positives instead.
Me: I’m settling in well. I organized a lot today. Everyone’s been fantastic.
Damien: That’s great. So proud of you. Feeling okay?
I bit my lip, and once again, I zoned in on the good.
Me: I’m keeping myself busy. You?
Damien: Crazy busy. My meeting was pushed back an hour, so I’m going to be late tonight. Pretty fucking pissed about it.
I imagined Damien’s expression right now. That handsome face of his was probably scrunched up into a frown. He didn’t like anything cutting into our few precious hours together at night. Neither did I. Sometimes, that was the price of running our own companies, so I tried to lighten his mood.
Me: I’ll wait up for you. And don’t crease your forehead. It causes premature wrinkles.
I added a kissing face emoji with a heart to the end of my text before sending it.
Damien: Hot CEOs don’t get wrinkles. Or gray hair. Ever.
I chuckled at my phone and rolled my eyes as a second text from him dinged on my phone.
Damien: Got to go, gorgeous. Love you. Don’t overdo it!
Unable to contain my sass, I typed out the first comeback I could think of.
Me: The sexier a man is, the harder he falls…including looks. Love you, too!
Damien: We’ll see.
I grinned stupidly at my phone, beyond in love with the man, as I counted how many times Damien had sent me the text, We’ll see.
I loved the way he challenged me. I loved his strong-mindedness and the dedication he put forth in everything he did in life. Especially when he had been determined to make me his and even more so when he had been determined to save me, refusing to let me go.
Knowing the clock was ticking, I put away my phone and got back to my task at hand. I pulled out a new monthly spreadsheet for Mr. Zuckerman’s restaurant and dived in without delay. I tallied up the customer transactions for the past thirty days in an Excel document. A second document was made to organize and record all the expenses he’d incurred, including employee wages. I double-checked my numbers on the computer with the paperwork before me to ensure my accuracy. I didn’t want to overlook anything.
Sure enough, two receipts were missing from my catalog. I briefly closed my eyes and rubbed them in hopes of easing some of the strain. Then, I inserted two columns in the computer program to fix my mistake.
I configured the total of his debts and expenses and subtracted them from his income to get a sum of his profit margins for the month. I printed out a summary report for his file and emailed Mr. Zuckerman his copy.
By the time I finished, it was only a few minutes to five, and I was completely famished. My shoulders, neck, and back muscles all throbbed with a vengeance. My brain was mush, and my fingers were numb.
There was only one thing I wanted to do, and that was to face-plant onto my bed and curl up with Damien.
I backed up all my work from today, shut down my computer, and grabbed my bag before making my way out of my office. Kate was the only one still in the building, so I went to her.
“Hey, are you about finished up for the night?”
“Hey.” Kate glanced up from her computer screen and smiled. “Yep, I finally wrapped up the last email for Ashton that he asked me to send out for him before I clocked out.”
“Great.”
Kate shut off her computer monitor and grabbed a yellow notepad from her desk. “Oh, I almost forgot. There was a gentleman here to see you. He didn’t have an appointment. I asked to take a name for you. The guy got all weird, refusing to give me one, and then he went rushing out of the office,” Kate said, waving her hand in the air.
“Huh,” I replied, truly stunned. “That’s kind of odd. Did you recognize him as one of our clients?”
Kate had worked for me since day one. She was great with faces. If anyone could recall one, it was her.
“No, I didn’t.” She shook her head, appearing thoughtful. “He was tall and scrawny with fair skin and freckles.” She motioned to her face. “He said it was in regard to an urgent matter. I told him I’d have to check your schedule. When I asked for his first and last name, he got snappy with me and stormed off.”
My eyes went wide at her description. I had a pretty good idea of whom she was referring to. I would bet money it was Drake Stevens, Damien’s stepbrother.
; “What time was this?”
“A couple of hours ago.” Her voice was uncertain. “Maybe less. I meant to tell you sooner, but then I got swamped. I’m so sorry. I hope it wasn’t anything important.”
“No,” I answered. “I have a hunch I know who he was. If he comes here again, please come and get me. We’ll have Ashton or Cale handle him.”
“Okay.” Kate stood and grabbed her purse off the back of her chair.
She and I walked to the front of the building. Kate opened the door as I reached into my bag to retrieve my keys to lock up. We spun around and began our journey down the sidewalk, side by side.
“So, I was going to ask you this earlier until the clock got the best of me,” Kate said as we curved to the left and entered the alley en route to the parking lot. “I was hoping it would be all right if I took this Friday off.”
“Oh,” I breathed at the short notice.
“Noah has family flying into town, and I’d like to spend the day with them, if I could. We haven’t had the chance to meet, so it’s kind of a big deal.”
I sensed Kate’s nervousness, and I guessed it was about meeting Noah’s family for the first time.
“Sure. Tim, Ashton, Cale, and I can manage without you for one day.”
“Thank you.” Kate beamed as we reached the middle of the walkway where a section of the parking lot came into view. “This means so much to me. I promise I’ll make it up to you by coming in early or working through my lunches or whatever you need…”
I tuned out Kate’s response as my attention locked on an old white GMC Yukon. It was parked two spaces away from my red Chevy Malibu.
A tall man filled the driver’s seat. Every single hair on my body straightened when I noticed he was staring directly at my car. His right hand was tapping against the steering wheel, almost impatiently, while the left one held a cigarette. I squinted, determined to get a better look at the guy’s face. He lifted his hand, brought the cigarette to his mouth, and inhaled. When he blew it out, his head began to move.
“Shit,” I gasped, throwing myself behind Kate.