“These are terrible,” she said to the two men, covering the screen of her tablet computer on the revised storyboards.
Noah jumped in. “We think they’re very much in keeping with the overall—”
“No,” said Angelica. “They’re terrible. And, what’s more, you both know it.” Her anger was rapidly replacing her disappointment. “You want this project to fail. You don’t agree with the direction I’m taking, and you want to prove your point by compromising the project.”
This time, Ken tried. “We took what you said and—”
“No,” Angelica repeated. “You deliberately undermined me. And you compromised the good of Lassiter Media to support your own agenda. You don’t get to do that.”
She rose to her feet. Then she hit a speed dial button on her cell phone. Her assistant immediately answered.
“Becky? Please send security in here right away.”
The color drained from Noah’s and Ken’s faces.
“Are you all right?” Becky asked.
“I’m fine.”
There was a briefest of pauses. “They’ll be right in.”
Angelica set down her phone. “Someone from the finance department will be in touch with a severance package. It will include your pension plans. For now, security will escort you to your offices so you can pick up your personal belongings.”
The boardroom door opened, and two Lassiter security guards entered the room.
“These two gentlemen are leaving Lassiter Media’s employ immediately,” Angelica said to the security guards. “Please give them a chance to pick up any personal items. They’ll need to leave their company cell phones and their keys. And have the IT department shut down their accounts. I’ll make arrangements with the Cheyenne office.”
Noah came to his feet, and the two security guards instantly moved toward him.
“You can’t fire us,” he shouted.
Ken rose as well, but he seemed more stunned than angry.
“I just did,” said Angelica, gathering her things.
“We have the support of the creative team!” Noah shouted.
“And I’m the CEO.” She headed for the door.
“You’ll regret this.” Noah’s voice followed her out.
Becky was there to meet her. “Are you okay?” She took the tablet from Angelica’s hands.
“I’m fine. Really fine.” A weight felt like it had been literally lifted from Angelica’s shoulders.
“Can I get you anything?” asked Becky, her glance going furtively over her shoulder to where security was escorting Noah and Ken the opposite direction down the hallway.
“I’m heading down to twenty-one. Can you free up my next two hours?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.” Angelica pushed the button for the elevator.
She made her way to the twenty-first floor, to Reece Ogden-Neeves’s office.
“Angelica?” He looked surprised, but quickly asked the man and woman in his office to excuse them.
“I’m sorry to barge in,” she began as he closed the door behind them.
“Not at all.” He motioned to a chair at the meeting table next to his picture window.
Angelica couldn’t help but note that L.A. was moving along as normal. Traffic was brisk. The flags were blowing. And clouds were moving in from the ocean. It was going to be another beautiful afternoon.
She sat down, and Reece took the chair opposite.
“I’ve just fired Noah and Ken,” she told him without preamble.
The surprise was clear on Reece’s face.
“Louie is next.”
“I see.”
“I’ve decided to create two senior vice president positions, one for core operations and one for new ventures and expansion. My initial thought was you for core operations and Max Truger for expansion.”
“So, you’re not firing me?”
Angelica cracked a smile. “No, I’m not firing you.”
“I wasn’t sure there for a moment.”
“Did I bury the lead?”
He grinned. “You did. And Max Truger?”
“What do you think?”
“I think he’s great. He’s smart, innovative and fearless.”
“Is fearless bad or good?”
“Depends on your tolerance for risk.”
“High,” she answered.
Today it was very high. She was taking risks at Lassiter Media, starting now. But she was about to take an even bigger, personal risk right afterward.
“Then Max is your guy.”
“I need people I can trust,” she told Reece. “People who see the future the way I see it, and in whom I can put a lot of faith and decision-making power. This isn’t a one-woman operation.”
“It’s not,” Reece agreed.
“Are you up for the challenge?”
“I am.”
Angelica rose, and Reece stood with her.
“I’m going to fire Louie now,” she said. “After that, you want to come to Cheyenne and help me promote Max?”
Reece reached out to shake her hand, his smile going wide. “I’d like nothing better.”
“The car will be out front in half an hour. It’ll be a whirlwind trip. I have something I need to do in L.A. tonight.”
* * *
Evan was in no rush to get home. His flight left for Frankfurt at nine in the morning, and he didn’t feel like facing an empty apartment tonight. Instead, he levered himself into a high leather seat in the Sagittarius sports bar. The chair was comfortable. The brickwork detail and low lighting gave a pleasing ambiance. And a major league game was just getting underway on the big screen.
He ordered a beer from the bartender. Barry was the man’s name, and Evan had spoken with him a few times over the past week. But tonight, Evan didn’t want to chat. He wanted to think. He wanted to sort through his emotions fully and finally, and leave it all behind when he got on the plane.
Maybe he would have a fling in Paris. Why not? Celibacy wasn’t a realistic long-term strategy. He might as well get started now. Get that first encounter under his belt, and maybe it would become easier with time.
“This seat taken?” The soft voice sent a shot of reaction up his spine.
He turned slowly to see Angie standing beside him. She looked gorgeous and uncertain. Her hair was half up, half down, softly curled. She was wearing a pale pink dress with spaghetti straps and a layered skirt.
“Can I get you a drink?” asked the bartender.
“Brandonville Chablis,” Evan quickly answered for her, hoping she’d feel obligated to stay for a while.
She climbed up onto the seat. “I was on my way home from work.”
“Dressed like that?”
“I changed before I left the office.” She set a small purse down on the bar. “I...uh...well. I wanted to give you something.”
She reached out her hand, opening her fist.
He looked down and saw the circle of his engagement ring sitting in her palm. His heart froze, sending a sharp pain through the middle of his chest.
He’d known it would hurt. But he hadn’t expected to feel like he was drowning. For a split second, he wondered if he’d ever breathe again.
“Charade’s over?” he managed.
“Charade’s over.”
When he didn’t take the ring, she set it on the bar in front of them. He couldn’t bring himself to look at it.
“I fired Noah today,” she told him conversationally.
The bartender set down the glass of Chablis. He glanced at Evan, looking like he might join in the conversation. But Evan’s expression obviously warned him off, and he moved briskly away.
“Probably a good call,” Evan told her.
“Then I fired Ken.”
That got Evan’s attention.
“Well,” she continued. “I actually fired them both at the same time.”
“What happened?”
She toyed with the stem of her wineglas
s. “You were right, and I was wrong.”
He gave his head a little shake. “Excuse me?”
She looked at him. “Are you going to make me say it again? Because it’s embarrassing. It seems you can run Lassiter Media better than me.”
He struggled to wrap his head around her words. “What happened?”
“They were sabotaging me.”
He paused. “Somehow, that doesn’t come as a complete shock.”
“I mean, it’s one thing to disagree with your boss. And it’s one thing to press your point. But to try to make something fail? To waste the company’s resources? No. That wasn’t going to happen. I fired Louie too.” She lifted the glass to her lips.
“He was in on it?” Evan asked.
“Thick as thieves. I’ve never done anything like that before.” She took another drink. “I need this.”
Evan resisted an urge to take her hand. “I’m proud of you, Angie.”
“Thank you. I’m a little proud of myself.”
“You should be.” His glance went to the diamond ring on the polished bar top.
“I promoted Reece.”
“Reece is a good man.”
Evan realized that Angie had finally come to her senses. The woman he loved was back, but she was breaking up with him all over again. The pain in his chest radiated out.
“We went to Cheyenne together.”
“You and Reece?”
She nodded, and Evan felt a stab of jealousy.
He reached out and picked up the ring. That was it, then. It was over. He dropped the ring into his shirt pocket. He was going to have to stay away from Reece Ogden-Neeves for a while. Otherwise, he might end up with an assault charge on his record.
“I wanted Reece to be there when I promoted Max Truger. I’m really going to count on the two of them.”
“You promoted Max?” Evan couldn’t help but be pleased about that.
Angie turned and looked him in the eyes; hers were soft and fathomlessly dark. “You were right, and I was wrong. I need help at the top. I need it from people I can trust. And then I need to back off and let them do their jobs, so I can have a life.”
He loved her. He loved her so much it hurt.
His throat was raw. “But you’re giving me back the ring?”
“The engagement was fake, Evan.”
He knew that. But it didn’t change how he felt.
“I don’t want a fake engagement.” Her gaze fixed on his shirt pocket. “If I’m going to wear that ring again, it has to be real.”
It took a moment for her words to penetrate. When they did, he couldn’t believe it. “Are you saying...?”
She nodded.
He came to his feet, his body all but vibrating with joy. But this couldn’t happen here. It couldn’t happen in a sports bar.
He drew her from her chair, then out of the bar, down the wide hallway. It took him a moment to figure out where to go. But then he used his access key to let them into the dim, closed spa. He pushed the door shut, locking it behind them.
“Marry me,” he told her, wrapping her in his arms. “Marry me, marry me, marry me.”
“Yes,” she answered simply, her dark eyes shimmering.
He kissed her then, deeply, thoroughly, passionately.
“I love you, Angie.”
“I love you, Evan. I never thought I’d get to say that again.”
He scooped her into his arms. “Say it as much as you like. Say it every day.” He started to walk.
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.” He made his way down a narrow hallway. “I’ve never been in here. But I’m betting there’s something back here that resembles a bed.”
“We’re going to make love in the spa?”
“It’s closed and locked, and I own the place. So, yes, we’re going to make love in the spa.” They came into a lounge area with a softly lit fountain. He spotted a wide, low sofa.
“Here we go.” He set her down on the sofa and gazed at the picture she made. “I love you in pink. You should always wear pink. Now, take it off.”
She grinned up at him. “I just fired three men for not being deferential.”
“Oh, I’ll be deferential. I’ll be very deferential. Just as soon as you’re naked.”
She held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. “Can I have my ring first?”
He dropped down on one knee, pulling the ring from his pocket. Then he smoothly pushed it onto her left hand. “This is never coming off.”
“This is,” she lightly joked. She slipped her fingers from his hand, drew back and pulled the dress over her head, tossing it to one side.
Epilogue
Spring had arrived at Big Blue. Flowers were blooming, birds chirping, and the bright sunshine heated the lush hills. Evan had warned Angie they were taking a chance with the garden wedding, but now he was glad they’d risked it. The sky was a perfect, vast blue. White folding chairs were set up on the lawn, azaleas, peonies and tulips making the landscape colorful.
Angie had walked alone down the aisle toward Evan and the preacher, who were standing under the natural wood canopy. Her brothers and Chance had all offered to escort her, but she’d said J.D. was with her, his presence in everything about Big Blue.
Evan had never seen her looking more beautiful. She’d chosen a simple white dress, knee length, made of delicate chiffon. Crisscrossing to a low, V back, the spaghetti straps left her shoulders bare. She’d woven wildflowers in her upswept hair and carried a tiny, cornflower bouquet.
It was nothing like he’d originally imagined their wedding, but it was perfect. And when he’d kissed his bride, he knew they were ready to stand together through anything life might throw at them.
Much later, he stood with Chance at the edge of a garden overlooking the natural swimming pool. The stars were a sparkling canopy above the ranch, while tiny, white lights decorated a temporary dance floor. Angie was dancing with her brother Dylan, while his wife Jenna watched, holding their baby son.
Deke was dancing with a dazzling Tiffany. Evan was in on the secret that his friend was proposing to her tomorrow night.
“Have you picked out a spot yet?” asked Chance, smiling, his gaze resting on his wife Felicia as she stopped to talk to Jenna. Felicia was several months pregnant with what they had just discovered were twins.
“Angie says we should build in the meadow beside Rustle Creek.” Evan couldn’t help but smile at the memory of their conversation. “I say a hundred feet up the hillside in case there’s ever another flood.”
Chance chuckled. “Don’t blame you for that.”
Although the ranchers had completely recovered from the fall flooding, nobody wanted to go through anything like that again.
“I can deed you the property,” said Chance. “As much of it as you’d like.”
Evan shook his head. “Not necessary. I don’t think Angie wants to break the place up into pieces.”
“She’s keeping the mansion in L.A.?”
“She’s not interested in letting go of any of the family possessions. We’ll be here part-time, but we’ll still need roots in L.A.”
“It’s a big house for two people.” Chance gave Evan a sidelong glance.
“We hope it won’t just be the two of us for long.” Evan and Angie had tossed out her birth control pills last month. They were both content to let the babies come along whenever it happened.
Chance’s gaze went back to Felicia and Jenna. “It looks like the Lassiter clan will be growing in leaps and bounds.”
“I’m more than willing to do my part.”
“I’ve set the bar pretty high,” said Chance.
Evan laughed at the reference to the twins. He gazed around at the crowds of happy people, including Marlene dancing with the senior partner from Logan’s law firm. The two had been inseparable since Christmas. Sage and his wife Colleen had announced they were also expecting a baby.
“I can’t help but think J.D. would be ha
ppy with all this,” he told Chance.
“I can guarantee he would,” said Chance. “He’d have loved all the grandchildren, and especially the strong bonds between the family members.”
Evan nodded his understanding and agreement.
The band ended the lively song then slowed things down to a waltz. Angie glanced around, and Evan knew it was his cue to join her.
“Catch you later,” he told Chance, his feet taking him toward his bride.
“Later,” Chance answered from behind him.
Angelica caught sight of Evan and flashed him a brilliant smile. His heart warmed, and the world around him seemed to disappear. He quickened his pace, scooping her into his arms, drawing her tight as they settled into the slow rhythm of the music.
“Hello, Mrs. McCain,” he intoned next to her ear.
“Hello, Mr. McCain.” She molded against him, letting him support her slight weight.
“Are you getting tired?”
“A little bit. But it’s been a fantastic day, don’t you think? Everyone seems really happy.”
“As long as you’re happy,” he said. “That’s all that counts.”
“I am happy, Evan. I’m incredibly happy.”
“I told Chance we wanted to build in the meadow.”
She drew her head back. “Is he okay with that?”
“He’s fine with it. I think he’s looking forward to all the little Lassiter grandchildren that’ll soon be running around Big Blue. He’s bragging about his significant contribution to the effort.”
“Felicia’s the one doing all the work.”
“He’s still taking credit.”
Angie went silent for a few minutes, swaying to the music.
“We can say goodnight anytime you want,” he told her.
Chance had a horse-drawn carriage waiting to take them in true Big Blue style to a little cottage in the hills for their wedding night.
“A few more minutes,” said Angie.
“Sure.”
She drew a deep sigh. “It feels like the Lassiters are starting a whole new chapter.”
“They are,” Evan agreed. “And I am thrilled and proud to be part of it.”
“Something fantastic is starting.” She gazed up at him, her eyes shimmering in the tiny lights. “But something fantastic is ending too. I just need a little longer to savor the goodbye.”
Reunited with the Lassiter Bride Page 17