Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“You’re expected at a site visit in Maui next month,” Sean, my head of contracting says. “We just bought the property, and you need to approve the plans so we can start construction.”
I just stare at the man I’ve worked with for ten years.
“He’s gonna blow,” Ronan mutters, looking at Fiona, and she stands to address the rest of the room.
“Please give us a few moments with Mr. Gallagher,” she says. “We’ll reconvene in thirty minutes.”
The rest of the table stands and exits the room, leaving me with Fiona and Ronan.
“What in the bloody hell has gotten into you?” Fiona asks, scowling at me. “You’re a grumpy bastard, but you don’t usually speak to your board that way.”
I pace next to the long table, then walk back to the windows and stare outside.
This isn’t the view I want to be looking at.
“What’s up with the site visits?” Ronan asks.
He’s been my best mate since we were at university together. We played rugby together, and because he’s the best in the fucking world at what he does, it was a non-issue to bring him into Gallagher Hotels.
When I came to the head of the board, I brought Ronan with me.
He even married my ex-wife. The woman sitting directly across from him.
“Now he’s not speaking to us.” Fiona sighs.
“I’m fecking pissed,” I reply and turn back to them. “I didn’t need to be brought in here for this. It could have been handled with a Zoom call, and you know it.”
“Stockholm is an issue,” Fiona presses. “They’re threatening lawsuits, Connor.”
The words I don’t bloody give a shite almost leave my mouth.
And I’ve never said something like that when it comes to business. Never.
Instead, I take a breath. “It’s time to start delegating this out. I won’t pull back completely, but I’ve been traveling the world nonstop for fifteen years, as you said, Fi. I’m fecking tired.”
Her pretty blue eyes widen, and she tilts her head, looking at me closely.
“You’ve met someone, Connor Gallagher.”
I shake my head, but Ronan chuckles. “I never thought I’d see the day. Who is she, then? Obviously, she lives in Montana if you want to stay there.”
But I study Fiona. We were married for less than five years, and I admit that the relationship ended because of me.
Because I wouldn’t sit still.
Because the business was more important.
But she doesn’t look hurt.
“Stop it.” She reaches out to pat my shoulder. “You’ll not hurt my feelings for this. You and I weren’t meant to be married, and that’s the truth of it. I could have traveled with you, and I chose not to. Besides, I married the love of my life—”
“That’s me, mate,” Ronan says with a wink.
“—ten years ago, have two gorgeous children, and am perfectly, blissfully happy. So get over yourself and just be bloody honest about what’s going on here.”
“I am being bloody honest,” I counter. “For the first time in my life, I don’t want to travel so much.”
“And you met her,” Ronan adds, but he’s not ribbing me now.
“And I should be there, right now, rather than here for a meeting that could have been an email. I have meetings with the city and the county this week. I’m meeting with the architectural firm. I am working in Montana, you know, building a brand-new resort from the ground up, spending nearly half a billion dollars. And I want to be hands-on with this one.”
I know that the resort in Bitterroot Valley will be special, and I want my hands on every piece of it.
And that has nothing to do with wanting my hands on every inch of a certain bumble bee.
“We’ve seen the schematics,” Fiona reminds me. “It’s going to be bloody gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see it in person. But I’m personally asking you to go to Stockholm on your way back to Montana to spend one day taking meetings and talking to the people there. One day.”
“It won’t be one fecking day, Fi. It’ll turn into a week or more, and we both know it.”
She’s already shaking her head. “One day. I promise. I’ll tell them you have a family emergency or something, and we’ll get you out of there. Twelve hours of meetings.”
“Twelve hours.” My eyebrows lift.
“I said it would be one day. I didn’t say it wouldn’t be a long one.”
“I’ll work on finding someone else to do the majority of the site visits,” Ronan adds. “Or we split them up among the board. The properties should know all of us, not just you. You’ve just never had a problem with the travel before.”
No, I didn’t have a problem with it. I thrived on it. I still enjoy travel and am proud of our properties, but I no longer want it to be my lifestyle.
Of course, the woman I want in Montana won’t give me the time of bleeding day, but I’m working on that.