“I’ll make sure everything you need will be accessible by email, and I’ll reschedule the meetings you have next week with the Board of Directors.”
“Thanks, Cara. You’re the best.”
“Enjoy Red Oaks, Troy.”
Troy hung up with his assistant, and then called Kyle, ready for his weekly report. Earlier today he’d assumed he was going to have to bail on the whole idea entirely, and start from scratch, but with his last-minute decision to let Hailey know he was going to donate, it felt like everything was on track.
“Troy. You’re the first one to call in this week. How did it go?” Kyle asked.
“It went really well,” Troy said, thinking through all of the moments he’d had with Hailey from the first day he met her until now when they’d worked so hard to get the donations together. It had been an exhausting but fulfilling week.
“That’s good to hear. I want more details, but let me grab Kandice and get her on the phone too. She’d going to judge this little contest, so I want her to be up on all of the details so she hears everything first-hand. Is that okay with you?”
“Sounds good,” Troy said, suddenly feeling like he was in the hot seat and that he should have something grandiose to announce. A moment later, Kyle’s wife, Kandice, said, “I’m here. Hi Troy.”
“Hi Kandice,” he said, walking away from the crowds to be able to hear them better. He wandered toward the parking lot.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Kyle said.
“Tell us all about your week,” Kandice said. “Have you picked a charity to work with?”
“I did,” Troy said, and proceeded to tell them all about the Forest Festival event, and meeting Hailey. He gave details about their plans, and how they’d spent the week gathering donations to prove to Edna they were serious. It was a lot to download to Kyle and Kandice. When he finished there was a pause.
Finally, Kandice asked, “Have you told Hailey about why you’re doing this? Was she curious?”
“She asked me about it, especially because she was concerned about my vacation time. I didn’t tell her about the contest.”
“It’s for the best,” Kyle said. “Your assistant knows, so you can have help balancing work. Don’t feel like you have to delegate all of your regular work from now until mid-December. It’s not required. If you need to commute or go in for meetings, or anything like that, that is fine.”
He understood Kyle’s words, but he wasn’t sure how that would work. He wanted to be involved with this project and see it finished. “Like we said on the yacht, we all have plenty of vacation. I’ll make sure I’m not neglecting my business, but right now I’m okay on that front.”
“Have you spent any of your own money yet for the Forest Festival?” Kandice asked. “I’m going to keep track.”
Troy cleared his throat. “None of it has been spent, but I told Edna that there was a $10,000 donation made to the Forest Festival. Hailey pressed me on it, because nobody around here gave that kind of cash donation, and I told her I was donating it. But we haven’t done anything with it yet.”
“I see,” Kyle said. “What do you think, Kandice?”
“It sounds like it’s within the limits of the rules. Remember it can’t just be donated to the cause, it needs to be used for something,” Kandice said.
“I understand,” Troy said.
“Tell us more about the donations you’ve received,” Kyle said.
Troy told them about the in-kind donations, mentioning a few that stood out to him as the most unique. “While you’re keeping track of the giving and donating side, I’ll send you a copy of the donations we’ve received so far. Roughly half of what was donated was from my efforts, but they were on a list from previous donors, so I wouldn’t say that they count toward what I’ve helped with. We were just making sure that the list we had was accurate.”
“I look forward to seeing the list,” Kandice said. “Nice work this week. It seems like you’re well on your way with this challenge.”
“Thanks,” Troy said, feeling like her praise meant something to him. He wanted to do well. He wanted to win, and so far he was on the right track.
“Check in again next week and let us know how things are going,” Kyle said. “The Forest Festival is lucky to have you helping them.”
“That’s what Hailey said. She’s convinced that the festival wouldn’t be happening without my pledge of a donation. Edna had all but turned us down before I mentioned the money.”
“Really?” Kandice said. “That’s an interesting point. I’m glad for her sake and the festival’s that you brought it up. Just be careful with throwing money around.”
Troy wanted to say that it was only ten thousand, but as fellow billionaires, they understood that. “Not throwing around money might be the hardest thing of this whole situation. They could really use it, and I have it. I could really make a difference.”
“You’re already making a difference,” Kyle said. “Stick with the rules.”
“I’m doing my best,” Troy said.
“That’s all we expect,” Kandice said. “Good luck this week.”
“Thanks,” Troy said, and then they all said their goodbyes. Troy wondered how Hunter and Jared were doing on their first week. He wanted to know how they were doing and if each of them had found what they wanted to work on. He knew he could call them up at any hour of the day or night, but for the next seven weeks they weren’t supposed to talk much about how they were doing. Troy wasn’t sure if that made the competition feel easier or harder. He wanted to compare himself to their progress, and then realized that was probably the exact reason why that rule had been added.
Troy headed back to the stage where he found Hailey. “It’s time to try the ring toss,” she said, laughing.
Troy nodded. “You’re in charge,” he said.
Chapter 7
Hailey looked around the shared office Edna had given her and Troy to work at during the duration of their time in Red Oaks. Saturday morning around the foundation was a quieter day. Hailey wasn’t sure how much time they’d use the office, but it was nice to know they had a place to work if they needed.
Edna had suggested they look through the Christmas decoration storage to see what they could repurpose, and know what they wanted to use, before the foundation building started decorating with all of it. It was the second weekend in a row of going through Christmas decorations, but somehow with Troy by her side it didn’t feel as daunting. It also wouldn’t hold the specific personal triggers that going through her aunt’s things had caused her.
A calendar reminder of today’s event her company, Perfectly Planned Parties and Events, was in charge of popped up on her phone. It was Mr. Tingey’s retirement party. She called her assistant, wanting to make sure that everything was set for the day.
“Hi, Hailey.” Janelle’s voice was perky, even with the time difference.
“Hi, Janelle. How are things going today?”
Her assistant laughed. “They’re going well. I’m sure you’re wondering about the retirement party today, and not about my amazing date last night, so hold on because I have a lot to download before I need to get back to my post in ten minutes.”
Hailey sat down. “I’m ready for the details.”
“Okay. There were two fires yesterday. One was an actual fire in the kitchen.”
“Oh no,” Hailey said. “Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah. The whole building was evacuated, but as it turned out it was a water leak from the floor above into the stove through the overhead vent that caused the steam to set off the alarm. It was kind of nuts. Anyway, everything is fine now, except that the oven is out of commission. I’m pretty sure we’ll have a replacement in the next hour, so we should be good there. Decorations arrived in plenty of time that we weren’t scrambling, and …” She continued talking and Hailey took notes, realizing just how capable her assistant was. It was so nice to be able to delegate things and know that everything was be
ing handled—even the fires.
Troy knocked on the door while Janelle talked about the cake fillings and the last-minute change from mint to cherry. Hailey pointed to the phone, and gave a shrug of her shoulder, mouthing the word “sorry” to Troy. He nodded, and pointed down the hallway. He’d start going through things without her. She nodded, mouthing “thank you,” and continued listening.
As Troy headed toward the storage closet Hailey almost told Janelle that she’d catch up with her later.
She wanted to talk with Troy. Their impromptu date last night at the Carnival had been a lot of fun. Tingles spread through her fingers from when he’d held her hand. Maybe it was just a necessity to navigate the crowd, but they’d ended up holding hands for the better part of the evening, and she hadn’t minded.
Hailey ended the phone call, after Janelle assured her that things were running smoothly. Janelle promised to call again if there was anything more to report about the day. Hailey was grateful for such a competent employee. It made being away from her job a little easier.
She straightened the few folders she’d added to the desk and then headed out of the office to find Troy. A smile held onto her lips as she practically skipped toward the main hallway that would lead her to where Troy had gone only a few minutes earlier. A woman sat at the reception desk, talking to a man. The receptionist pointed toward Hailey, and the man turned around, looking at where the receptionist had indicated. Hailey’s smile immediately fell. What was Paul doing here?
Paul smiled at her, walking fast toward her and giving her a huge hug. Hailey stiffened as his arms wrapped around her. Troy wrapping his arms around her last night immediately filled her mind. Where Troy’s had been tender, Paul’s hug felt crushing. “I’ve missed you, Hai,” he said, reverting to the pet name he’d used when they’d dated years ago.
She cleared her throat, awkwardly stepping away from his hug.
He let go of her but reluctance was written on his face.
She kept her face and her tone neutral. “What are you doing here? I thought you lived up in Silverwood now.” Him living next to the ski resort was precisely why she’d avoided the area over the last couple of winters when she’d been in Red Oaks. Chance encounters were not her thing.
His wide smile grew, if that were possible. “You remembered. Yeah, I’ve been up there for the last couple of years. With my money from my inheritance I bought a chateau that overlooks the ski resort. It’s amazing. You’ll have to come and see it.”
She ignored the invitation, and went back to her original question. “So what brings you into Red Oaks?” There was no way that this was a coincidence. He was happy to leave his small-town roots, and made that very clear. Hailey, too, had never planned on living here, but it wasn’t because she didn’t love the town. She still loved the charm and the close-knit feel of the place. It had always been great for a visit with her aunt. But Paul had never embraced Red Oaks.
“You do, of course.” His eyes searched hers. “I knew you coming back was a sign. A buddy of mine attended that little shindig the town put on last night and said you were up on the stage making an announcement.”
“I’m helping with the Forest Festival this year,” Hailey said, knowing that if he’d been filled in on the announcement then he already knew as much, especially if he was trying to track her down at the foundation.
He gave her a lopsided grin. “I remember kissing you next to several of the trees during one of the Forest Festivals.”
She rolled her eyes. “That was a long time ago. We broke up. I’m still not sure why you’re here.”
He stepped closer to her and she took another step back. “I wanted to rekindle things with you. We’d be great together.”
“I’m not interested,” she said flatly.
“You will be when you know how much my inheritance was.” He smiled like that mattered to her. It didn’t.
She pursed her lips. “Paul, I’m not—”
Paul interrupted, running over her words. “My buddy says you guys are hurting for donations. I have my inheritance you know. It’s five million. My investors say with their expertise I won’t have to work ever again. They’re taking care of the details. I just spend money when I want to spend money. I could donate to your Forest Festival, if you wanted me to.”
She sighed. “Of course you’re welcome to donate. We’re grateful for all of the help we can get.”
“How about $2,000?”
“That’s nice of you, Paul. Thank you.”
Paul shrugged. “I’m not going to donate without getting something for it. That makes no sense. I want to spend time with you.”
“You’re trying to bribe me to go out with you? No.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He sounded like the same Paul she’d grown up with. The same one she’d dumped years ago. Nothing had changed, except that he thought he could buy his way into people’s lives and hearts. She wouldn’t fall for that. Not again.
He lifted one shoulder. “Think of it as an exchange. Come have dinner with me at my chateau and I’ll donate $2,000 to your cause.”
Hailey blanched at the idea. She couldn’t help comparing Paul and Troy again. She didn’t know Troy well, but Troy had been willing to donate for the Forest Festival because he’d believed in the cause, not because he was trying to get something out of it. And he hadn’t made any stipulations on giving the money. It had never felt like an exchange or a bribe. “No. Paul, I’m sorry, but—”
He pushed a finger to her lips, stopping her sentence. She backed up again, running out of room to keep her personal space personal. “Don’t answer now. The offer is still on the table. I want to date you, Hailey. I know you’re probably not in town too long, but I’d like to make the most of the time we have together.”
Before Hailey could answer, Troy came down the hallway. “Hailey, look what I found. Do you think we can use it?” He laughed, then stopped, looking between Paul and Hailey.
Hailey’s eyes stayed connected with Troy. “What did you find?” Her voice felt wobbly.
Troy held up a huge mistletoe, and Hailey found her opening, she just hoped Troy would forgive her for it.
Chapter 8
Troy looked between Hailey and the guy she’d been talking to. He’d seen them talking together as he’d walked down the long corridor. They obviously knew each other.
Hailey turned toward him, and mouthed the word, “help,” a few seconds before he reaching them. “You found a mistletoe?!” Her words sounded unnaturally loud and high. She started laughing and then looped her arm through his, snuggling close to his side. “Oh, Troy, that’s going to be perfect.” She pulled him forward toward the man she’d been talking to.
“Who’s this?” the guy asked, his features darkening.
“Paul, this is Troy. Troy, Paul. Paul is my ex-boyfriend. We grew up together.”
“I don’t live here anymore though,” Paul said, a smug look on his face. “I live in Silverwood, by the ski resort in a custom-built chateau. I’m Paul Jones the Third.”
Troy bit the inside of his cheek to hold in his laugh. This guy was definitely putting on airs. “How nice for you,” Troy responded.
“And who are you?” Paul asked holding out his hand.
“Troy Rasmussen,” Troy said automatically, as he shook Paul’s hand more firmly. Paul tried to tighten his grip, but Troy squeezed first, keeping eye contact with the guy.
“And …” Paul said.
“Oh, you want a title. Right. I’m the man Hailey can’t live without.” Troy released his grip on Paul’s hand, satisfied when Paul shook out his hand once it was down at his side.
“Is that right?” Paul asked.
Hailey moved closer to Troy, and Troy put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him. “That’s right,” she answered. She took the mistletoe from Troy’s hand. “Nice work on finding this, honey. I’m sure we can put it to good use, even if we don’t use it as a decoration for the Festival.”
S
he looked him in the eye, trying to communicate something, but Troy wasn’t exactly sure what. All he knew was she’d asked for his help when she’d walked toward him, and he wasn’t going to let her down. He liked her too much for that.
He took her hand with the mistletoe in it and lifted them both in the air, then gave her a quick kiss. The touch was almost too light for him to enjoy, but he knew that she was trying to get rid of this guy, so it was the least he could do. But when their lips collided, he wished he was kissing her for real, and not just to get rid of her ex. He’d thought of kissing her all week long. They’d spent the better part of every day together, planning and laughing and talking.
This was not how he’d seen their first kiss going, at all. He savored the few seconds he could and forced himself to pretend that it was the most natural thing in the world to steal a kiss from the woman who couldn’t live without him. If they were really dating, really in love, not just trying to get rid of an old ex, a little peck wouldn’t have phased him. But his head was spinning. She opened her eyes slowly, a smile never leaving those beautifully kissable lips. Finally he said, “Agreed. This decoration definitely works.”
Paul rolled his eyes and turned to go. Then he stopped, pivoting around. “I’m confused. Why didn’t you say you were seeing someone earlier?”
Troy looked between the two of them, knowing that there was no way he could answer Paul’s question.
Hailey’s grip on Troy’s arm tightened just slightly. “I told you I wasn’t interested, Paul. You’re the one who made your donation conditional on me going out with you. I never agreed to that.”
“Hmph. Maybe next time I’ll offer $3,000. I bet you would have had dinner with me for $3,000.”
Hailey made a noise in the back of her throat.
Could Hailey be so easily bought? Warning bells went off in Troy’s head.
“You’re wrong,” Hailey said. “I don’t want your money. I don’t need your money. We’ve already had very generous donations by people.” She looked directly at Troy, and Troy hoped with everything in him that she didn’t bring up the dollar amount he’d given. He didn’t want the attention, especially not for this project. She looked back to Paul. “Some people choose to give because they have good hearts, and because they care about the cause without an ulterior motive.”
The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle: The Billionaires’ Christmas Gifts Romance Page 7