“And what are those plans?”
“Let me go and I’ll tell you.”
“That’s not how it works, sweetheart. I’m in charge here.”
She licked her lips, and I felt her nipples harden against my chest. Maddie was driving me crazy. I might have fooled myself into thinking I was in charge, but the truth was Maddie had all the power. I lowered one hand between our bodies, strumming her clit. She gasped. I kissed one corner of her mouth, then the other.
“So, are you going to talk?”
“You terrible man. If you must know, I want to do something for you to relax. Something nice.”
“You already give me everything I need, Maddie. Coming home to you? Waking up next to you? Those are the best parts of my day.”
“That’s lovely to hear.” Her voice caught, and she paused for a moment, clearing her throat. “But I was thinking something more proactive. Like a hot bath or a massage. And then something outdoors. It’s the end of July. Best time in LA, if you ask me.”
“I have another proposition for relaxing. I want this. You.” I lowered my head and flicked my tongue around her nipple until she bucked her hips.
“You’re taking advantage of my goodwill,” she muttered between moans. “But since I’m enjoying it so much, I might let you get away with it.”
“Let me?” I placed open-mouthed kisses on her chest, looking her straight in the eyes. “You need to be reminded who is in charge here, sweetness.”
“Is that so? Well, I’m looking forward to being reminded.” She flashed me a bright, beautiful smile.
I’ll miss that smile. All of her. I’d go to war for that smile.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Landon
There was no other way to put it: Hailey was whip-smart. She proved it every minute of the next week. I’d never worked with her before, and part of me wondered if I’d be able to see her as a business partner instead of my little sister. I shouldn’t have worried. She was keeping everyone on their toes, and had also asked me not to call her “sister” in front of the employees. She only acknowledged our shared bloodline behind closed doors (neither of us was a fan of Val’s open-door policy).
She slid inside the office while I was on a conference call with Sullivan and sat on the floor, spreading small bottles and files before her. We’d brought in a second desk for her, but in the week she’d been here, I rarely saw her sit behind it.
“Sullivan, this is clearly not working out,” I said. I was standing behind Val’s desk, too worked up to sit. “If we don’t finalize negotiations by the end of the week, we’ll go our separate ways.” I wasn’t bluffing. I knew that investors would be uneasy, but ultimately Sullivan was wasting everyone’s time.
“Due diligence is important,” Sullivan countered.
“Due diligence was completed before I left. That’s why I left. Clearly, if you have so many doubts, it means we’re not a good fit.” We were a good fit. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to find another partner who complemented our capabilities so well, but Sullivan’s work ethic in this process made me think we were better off without him anyway. “That’s my final word. Have a good evening.”
I ended the call, running a hand through my hair, and finally sat on my chair.
“My feet are killing me,” Hailey mumbled, kicking off her shoes.
“Those are killing you.” I pointed to her shoes.
“Hey! The heels are only two inches, and I love them. What do you think Sullivan will do?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But at this point, I think we’d be better off without him, even if the investors will be at my throat.”
She pointed to the small bottles on the floor. “I brought the final samples. They were the winners with the focus groups we’ve conducted.”
“You mean you conducted. Hailey? Thanks for being here.”
“Awww, and you thought you could do all this without me.”
“You won’t let me forget this for years, will you?”
“Be serious. I’ll hold it over your head forever.”
I could see her doing that. One thing was still nagging at me.
“Are your sure taking this time off won’t count against you for the promotion?”
Hailey took a deep breath. “I’ve been passed by already.”
“What? When did that happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it still stings?”
“You deserved that promotion. You’d brought in more revenue than anyone in your office, and you had the highest efficiency rate. What was their feedback?”
“Nothing useful. So I decided I’m not going to break my back for them anymore. Do you know how many birthday parties and Christmases I missed because I was working overtime to meet deadlines, make our clients happy?”
I knew all too well.
“I’ve missed every single one of Milo’s school events. From now on, I’m only going to bend backward for the family. Anyone else is just not worth it.”
“I’m sorry, Hailey.”
“Lesson learned. I’ll move on as soon as I find a job that pays well enough. That’s the problem with consulting. They pay in gold for your sweat and blood, and the salaries on the rest of the market don’t keep up.”
“If you need a job—”
She wiggled her finger at me. “Don’t you dare offer me one. I’m so disappointed with consulting right now that I’d be tempted to take it.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“I’d never know if you’re offering because I deserve it or just because I’m your sister.”
I groaned. “Hailey, I know how capable you are.”
“Look, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to move to San Jose anyway.”
I opened my mouth to argue some more, but my phone lit up with an incoming message.
Grace: It’s all set.
Landon: Perfect.
I’d gotten her number from Maddie, and together with her and my sister, we were planning Maddie’s birthday. Lori was doing the actual planning; Grace and I just came up with ideas.
“Who are you texting?” Hailey asked.
“Grace.”
My sister beamed, stretching out her legs on the floor.
“Lori told me the three of you are planning Maddie’s birthday. That’s so sweet, Landon. Val and I made a bet with Pippa and Summer that we’ll have a Connor wedding soon on our hands.”
Pippa and Summer were two of our Bennett cousins. I loved them to bits, but wished they weren’t giving my sisters dangerous ideas.
“I hope you don’t plan to let Maddie go,” Hailey said.
When I didn’t respond, she said, “I swear I’ll throw this at you if you give up the chance to be happy.” She grabbed one of her shoes. “Look at this heel. It can do a lot of damage. And I love these shoes, so this should tell you how strongly I feel about this.”
“It’s complicated, Hailey.”
“Because you live in different cities?”
“Not just that. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Yeah, I do understand. You lost Rachel. If there is anyone who understands fear of attachment, it’s us. We all lost Mom and Dad. We’ve been trying to tell you this all along.”
I was too stunned for a moment to even think, let alone answer. I’d always hung on to the foolish hope that Val and I had managed to shield our younger siblings from that bone-deep insecurity that came with losing the people you loved and depended on.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to minimize your—”
She shook her head. “This is not about us. It’s about you. Since Maddie, you smile again, Landon. I mean real smiles, the kind that reaches your eyes. And you’re good together. Lori told me how cute you were that morning when she and Will stopped by. Maddie makes you happy.”
“Very,” I admitted. Hailey waited, but I volunteered no other information.
Eventually, she sighed dramatically. “If you keep up the one-word answers, you�
�re giving us no choice but to choreograph a CSI.”
“Crime Scene Investigation?” I asked in confusion, thinking about the show.
“Connor Secret Intervention.”
“What is that?”
“It wouldn’t be secret if I told you the details. But you have been warned.”
I glanced at the time. It was six o’clock. I still had documents to go through, and the samples, but I could do that tomorrow.
“Let’s call this a day,” I suggested.
“I agree 100 percent. So what are you planning for Maddie’s birthday?” Hailey asked, putting on her shoes as I rose from my seat. “Lori won’t tell me a thing.”
“Like I’d tell you. It would get back right to Maddie.”
“Are you implying I have a big mouth?”
I extended my hand, helping her to her feet. “Hailey, I love you, but you’re the reason surprise birthday parties aren’t a thing in our family.”
“Once. I ruined it once.”
We’d planned a surprise party for Lori when she turned sixteen, but two days before, the jig was up.
“Don’t forget Will’s graduation gift.”
Hailey gaped at me. “I only did that to save him from spending all his money on a motorcycle. What was I supposed to do?”
“Come up with something more inventive than ‘Hey, Will, don’t buy a motorcycle. That’s our gift’?”
“I panicked, okay?”
“I’ll sleep better at night if you don’t know.”
Hailey and I said goodbye in the elevator. She was heading to the garage for her car. I was taking a cab. I hadn’t rented a car because I liked to use the time on commute to respond to e-mails. Adam had sent me a list of companies we could consider for a partnership if Sullivan pulled out of the deal. My mind wasn’t on the partnership, though. I was fixating on my conversation with Hailey about Maddie. Going back to San Jose meant no more Maddie. I couldn’t wrap my mind around that idea.
When the cab pulled in front of her house, I saw her perched on a ladder, fixing something on the roof.
I paid the cabbie quickly, then called out to her, “Maddie? What are you doing up there?”
“A shingle is giving me trouble. I need to fix it, but I can’t reach it, damn it. I’m going to have to climb on the roof completely.”
“Baby, I’ll fix that for you. Get back down here.”
“It’s okay. Can you hold the ladder?”
“Baby,” I warned as I gripped the metal ladder with both hands. “You can’t climb on that roof. I’m taller. I can reach it from the ladder. Get down here.”
Instead of listening, Maddie climbed up to the last step of the ladder, propping her palms on the roof. I was half in a mind to grab her and bring her down, but her balance was precarious already. I held the ladder tight, tasting bile at the back of my throat when she perched one foot on her roof. When she pushed off the other foot, she lost her balance.
“Shit!” she exclaimed, groping at the roof with both hands as she slid downward. She tried to stop her slide by gripping the ladder, but she was moving too fast to catch it.
I caught her legs when she was in my reach, stopping her fall, but the force of impact messed up my balance and I stumbled backward. We both sprawled on the ground.
“Shit! Ouch!” Maddie exclaimed. As soon as I was on my feet, I helped her up, inspecting her for any damage.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. Just a few scratches.”
“Why didn’t you listen? I told you it was dangerous to climb on that goddamned roof,” I yelled.
“Don’t yell at me. Don’t you dare yell at me,” she yelled back.
“You could’ve really hurt yourself.”
“Well, I didn’t. What’s the big deal? I slipped. Isn’t the first time and won’t be the last one. A shingle is broken, and I needed to fix it.”
I dragged both hands down my face, willing myself to calm down. “I’m sorry I yelled. I just—I panicked. I thought you were hurt.”
Maddie crossed her arms over her chest, but her expression softened. “I’m not hurt, Landon. Thank you for catching me.” She looked up to the roof. “I need to get back up. I want to fix that shingle today.”
“You’re joking, right? I’m not letting you go up there.”
“I’m not asking for permission.”
“I told you I can fix it.” I felt my temper flare again.
“I don’t want to get used to relying on you for stuff, okay?”
Her words slayed me. I pulled her into a hug. “Baby….”
“I sure sound like a baby now. I’m sorry, Landon, I don’t know why I’m getting so worked up.”
“Maddie, let me do this for you, okay?”
She nodded, snuggling closer to me. “And I had this great plan tonight to lure out what you’re planning for my birthday,” she said into my neck, making me chuckle. “I kind of blew that chance away, huh?”
In the beginning, Grace and I had wanted to include Maddie in the planning, then decided a surprise was better. I could just imagine her smile on that day.
“You can try,” I said on a wink. “I’m going up on the roof. You work on those persuasion skills while I fix your shingle.”
I didn’t want this woman to ever worry about a shingle again. I wanted to fix every shingle, paint every wall for her. I had a crystal-clear vision of our life together right at that moment. I sure as hell didn’t want to let her go, but I had no idea how to hold on.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Maddie
The Monday before my birthday, I was cooking in the sun, dragging a sack of fertilizer across the school grounds, when my phone buzzed. I took refuge under the shade of a large California oak tree before answering.
“Maddie Jennings speaking,” I said into my phone.
“Hi, Ms. Jennings. This is David Hooper, from Hooper Properties.”
I recognized the name. It was the housing developer who was looking for landscape developers for his green residential project. I’d applied a few weeks back, but I wasn’t expecting a call so soon.
“I love your portfolio, but I hit a roadblock in your application, and I’m hoping it’s a typo. In the comment section, you mentioned it would take you two months longer than I asked for to complete the project.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Unfortunately, that’s the capacity I have.”
“I see. Well, if your situation changes, give me a call. I’d love to work with you.”
“Sure. Thank you for the call, Mr. Hooper.”
I couldn’t help the pang of disappointment after the call disconnected. Sure, I’d known my personnel capacity would prevent me from winning this project, but hearing it out loud still stung. I thought about working with Elise again. Landon was right. I shouldn’t allow the failed partnership with Owen to keep me back from following my dreams. Easier said than done, but I resolved to give this more thought after my birthday.
Right now, I saw Leta Hendricks, the school’s principal, crossing the yard. I’d asked her here today to show her our progress, ask if she wanted any changes. The boys I’d hired for this project and I had worked a few weeks on it already. We still had ten days left, but I wanted her opinion before we completed it.
“This is amazing, Maddie. The parents will be very happy,” she announced. “I love what you did with that cluster of palm trees and with the arch with bougainvillea. It’s even better than what I imagined when you described it. And they blend nicely with the sycamore trees.”
“Of course. That’s what I wanted. I fell in love with this space as soon I saw them.”
The California sycamore trees were on the property before there was a school here. They gave the entire space a traditional air, even if the school was relatively new.
Since she was impressed, now was the best time to ask the principal for a favor. I took in her coiffed salt-and-pepper hair, the old-school cut of her jacket and skirt. Leta looked exactly like I’d imagined the principa
l of a private school would look. But despite her strict appearance, she was friendly.
“I’d love to stop by on the first day of school, if that’s okay with you, and show the parents and kids around.”
“Sure. We’d love to have you here.”
I didn’t doubt Leta would refer the parents to me if they asked, but I wanted to be more proactive. Nothing beat being there in person. I normally wasn’t a fan of pitching myself to people, but this opportunity was golden. I couldn’t pass it up.
“Thank you.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to get back to work.”
After she left, my stomach started grumbling, reminding me it was lunchtime. The boys had packed lunch with them, but I went to the burrito place across the street. I missed my lunches with Landon.
While I ate, I mentally reviewed my work calendar for the year. I was booked almost solid until the end of October. Even though LA had nice weather most of the time, people didn’t give redoing their yard much thought in winter, and I had to go the extra mile to secure projects. I wondered if project rotation was the same in San Jose, then shook my head. Why was I even entertaining those thoughts? I knew the score.
But I was missing Landon already.
The next morning, I woke up buzzing with anticipation. I patted the bed next to me, even though I knew it would be empty, but I’d harbored the hope that Landon had snuck in during the night. A girl could dream.
The buzz of anticipation intensified. Grace had been teasing me relentlessly about the plans she’d concocted with Landon and Lori, but neither was sharing any details. Bastards. I’d get my revenge on them first chance I got. Well, on Grace anyway. I wasn’t sure how that would work out with Lori or Landon. He was leaving in one week. Val had declared that she’d be fit to return to work by then. My eyes began to sting, and I blinked a few times. I couldn’t tear up on my birthday.
I reached for my phone. It was almost eight o’clock in the morning. I hadn’t slept so long on a weekday in years, but Landon had persuaded me to take the day off.
My phone rang the second the clock turned eight. I grinned as Landon’s name appeared on screen.
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