Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“I know.”
“I managed to talk my dad into not storming the town after the fire, but if he thinks I’m going to lose a contract…”
That was not true. Not from anything he’d learned over the last couple of days. “That is not why he would come running back.”
At first he wished they were alone. That first night Miranda and Gabe had been sitting in Olivia’s house when they all came in from work. Gigi hadn’t been far behind, bringing big bags of food she brought from the kitchens of The Willow Fork Tranquility Spa and Resort.
And it had been a lovely night. They ate and had some wine and beer and talked about what it meant growing up with two dads. He learned a lot about Olivia and her family, and he was sure of one thing—Jack Barnes loved his baby girl.
“Fine. He’ll freak out if he finds out it’s Scott. He’ll lose his shit and cause a way bigger issue than we have right now. I don’t need my dad running in to save me.” She gave him a brilliant smile. “I have you and Keane to do that for me.”
He was falling for this woman so quickly.
“Well, it’s been easy to put him off. I was surprised he agreed to move the meeting.” He thought Scott would put up a fit. He’d simply said yes.
It made him suspicious.
“I think he realizes that there’s zero way he’s getting back into my bed,” she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Garrett wasn’t sure. He didn’t think Scott was one to easily give up. He’d regrouped and was likely trying to come up with another plan.
But they had more than Scott to deal with. “We need to talk about Gladen Farms.”
She sighed, an exhausted sound. It had to be emotional exhaustion since he knew she’d slept like a baby the last couple of nights. “You mean the one the nepo baby fucked up?”
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m sorry, baby. I was in a bad place because the most gorgeous woman in the universe used me for sex and snuck out of my room without a good-bye kiss.”
Her head tilted up, a hollow look in her eyes. “You’re not the first to call me that.”
His heart ached. He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Then they don’t know you. Even when I said it, I was lying. Livie, you’re infinitely competent. Your parents don’t leave you in charge because they love you. They leave you in charge because they trust you. You are far more than a walking bank account.”
“So you don’t think I fucked up?”
“Fuck-up is a strong word that I would never have used if I wasn’t so pissy about the whole gorgeous woman using me for sex thing.”
“So you don’t think I did anything wrong?”
He went still.
She frowned and started to slide off his lap.
“Hey, if we’re going to work together, we have to be able to talk without you withdrawing affection,” he said quietly. “I’m going to be open and honest with you. I can take a lot. I can take you screaming at me. I can take you dressing me down. Withdrawal of affection hurts me. Keane won’t ever say it, but it’s the thing that will push him away quickly.”
Her eyes rolled and she sighed but she settled back in. “Needy men making me sit on their laps while they tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
“I’m worried you were too aggressive with the owner. I wish you had kept your suspicions to yourself until you talked to legal.” He had to be careful with this but also honest. “Is it true you told him the only way he would ever be able to understand a contract was to stick it up his ass and hope he gets it through osmosis?”
Her lips curled in a smile. “That does sound like me.”
“Did you accuse him of embezzling?”
“He is,” she shot back.
“Do you have all the proof? Because generally it’s best not to accuse someone until all the details are locked down and they can’t change things. We don’t give the criminal the heads-up that we’re onto their crimes before we’re ready to handle the aftereffects.”
She sighed and laid her head back down. “I was mad. He’s a dick, and he’s cutting corners and skimming off the top.”
“I understand, but now we have to prove it.”
“I thought Dad would fire him. He doesn’t usually take legal action if he doesn’t have to. Gladen isn’t the first to cut corners on our organic protocols.”
“No, but Gladen himself is incredibly litigious,” Garrett pointed out. “We’re facing a potential defamation case.”
“It’s only defamation if it’s not true.”
“And if he gets rid of all the records?” She needed to be realistic. He knew that the company was very much a friendly, family type, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a business. There were protocols to be followed and a reason for them. “We have to have legal reasons to void his contract and proof that what you saw is true. Court can be brutal.”