“I have a daughter. Caroline is about to leave for a job that will take her to Colombia. There are two other men who I think are in love with her as well. If we were to pursue a relationship, it would be a polycule.”
She nods. “You have a daughter who adores Caroline and vice versa. Airplanes do fly to and from Colombia. And two other people mean even more people to love your daughter, and this woman that you love, and more people to fill your life." She shrugs. “So I ask again, what’s complicated? You’re an adult who already doesn’t really care what people think of him. You know what you want. Just go get it.”
“I know what I want. It might not be whattheywant.”
She frowns and leans in. “Mightnot? Are you telling me you didn’t even ask?"
I think about her question, then shift on my seat. “I’m saying that I told her how I felt and she said goodbye to me and Evelyn.”
There is a stabbing pain near my heart remembering Caroline’s soft goodbye.
“And had you at any point prior to that, given her any indication, this is how you felt? Or did you just drop it on her like you did the shareholders about the acquisition of four new properties that cost them nearly one billion dollars last year?"
“They wereverygrateful to me by the end of the year.”
“Yes. You always know best, don’t you?”
Kind of. At least, I thought so.
I don’t answer. Which gives Andrea her answer.
She nods. “You have this way of assuming that you know what other people think. And doing whatever the hell you want to and expecting everyone else to catch up, eventually. Maybe she just needed a couple of minutes. Did you ask her how she feels?”
"We had an agreement. Hot sex while she was in town. I messed it up by catching feelings. I broke the terms of our agreement. That makes it null and void.”
Andrea rolls her eyes. “She’s not a business deal or a real estate acquisition, Grayson. She’s a person. And these arefeelings,not dollars or stocks. Besides, even in business, if you want an agreement to continue, but you no longer like the terms, you renegotiate.”
“To renegotiate would mean to ask her to stay. I can’t take Evelyn to Colombia. I want to settle down in Honeysuckle Harbor. I need stability for my daughter. I want to be closer to family and friends. I want a house, a yard, maybe a dog. Caroline is traveling the world. I don’t need to negotiate. I already know our terms aren’t compatible.”
Andrea shakes her head as if very disappointed.
“You can’t expect someone to consider a proposal if you don’t even make one, Grayson. You’ve had people say no to you before. You’ll survive. But she deserves the chance to consider all the options. You don’t actually know what other opportunities she would entertain. Sometimes I wonder how you got this far in this business." Andrea stands and starts for the door. "Actually, I don’t wonder. You’re extremely good looking, you’re a man, and you have a gigantic ego. That’s how you got this far.” But she pauses at the door and gives me a smirk. “But like all powerful men throughout history, I have a feeling that a woman is about to teach you a thing or two.”
I frown, thinking that over. Then realize that I really hope she’s right. “So what should I do?"
“Get your ass back to Honeysuckle Harbor before Caroline leaves.”
CHAPTER33
James
“I can’t believeyou wouldn’t let me make a sign,” I tell my husband as we wait in the baggage claim area at the Charleston airport. “I love those signs.”
“While I would have appreciated seeing the sheer mortification on Grayson’s face if you were holding up a ‘welcome home’ sign, there wasn’t time for an arts and crafts project this morning.” Cas pushes up his glasses and gives me an amused smile.
He’s right. But I still would have loved it. “There is always time for arts and crafts. I feel like Caroline would agree with me on this point.”
The thought of Caro has me rubbing my jaw and shuffling on my feet a little, wishing things could be different. I miss her already and she hasn’t even left the country yet. But it’s been a whirlwind since Grayson ended his relationship with her, which abruptly halted all of our involvement. Caroline has been wrapping up all her final details before leaving the country, including spending two days down in Florida to see her mother. We’ve barely seen her and when we have, it’s been brief and casual at the baby gym or at the coffee shop.
“I’m sure she would.” Cas glances at his phone. “If she were here. Besides, Grayson was only gone a week. That hardly merits a welcome home sign.”
“But he’s made the decision to stay in Honeysuckle Harbor permanently. I think that’s a big deal.”
“You think everything is a big deal and a case for celebration and I love you for it.” He leans over and gives me a quick kiss. “I know you miss her. I do too. I’m sorry, James.”
I nod, a knot in my throat. Letting Caroline leave is just as hard as I imagined it would be. I fucking hate it. I’ve been torn between being respectful and just demanding she stay here with the three of us and the babies.
“She’d be happy here,” I tell Cas stubbornly. “And very well fucked.”
