“Because I thought I could handle it.” He grimaced. He remembered the first thing he told Buford when the man offered him the paper.“I’m not a businessman.”He sure proved that. He also proved that he couldn’t trust his own judgment—professional and personal.
“What are you going to do?”
“Sell.” He scrambled up off the bank. When he finally got around to turning on his phone, he was sure he’d find a voicemail from Miles. Jade had accomplished her mission. But he wasn’t selling it to Harrington. No. Way. There were other media companies that had wantedThe Timesover the past couple of years. He’d contact one of them.
“And that’s it?”
He went to the cabin, ignoring her.
“You can’t do this!”
Halting his steps, he turned around. “It’s my paper. I can do what I want.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair. What about your employees?”
“I’ll make sure y’all stay on. That will be part of the deal.”
“Sebastian—”
“It’s done, Evelyn. I’ve already decided.” The fact that he’d decided just this moment didn’t matter. She might be right about moving to digital, and that might keep the paper in business. But he couldn’t bear to see Buford’s lifelong work, and his own too, go through such a drastic change. Not when he was at the helm.
She jumped in front of him, her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “This isn’t like you. Something else happened. Something... Where’s Jade?”
“She’s got nothing to do with this.” He stalked toward the cabin again.
“Now I know she does.”
He opened the sliding patio door, resisting the urge to slide it shut in Evelyn’s face. His sister didn’t do anything wrong. Not this time anyway. Actually, not in a long time. Their relationship had always been solid. But part of being her brother was to let her have her say, no matter how long it took, or how much he didn’t want to hear it.
“Where is she, Seb?”
“Atlanta.” He went to the kitchen counter, grabbed his phone, and turned it on. Might as well start making calls now.
“She really left? I thought—”
“What?”
“Well, Mabel saw you two kissing in the parking lot. She told Clyde, and you know he can’t zip his lips for nothing—”
“Stop,” he said. Fantastic. Now most of Clementine had gotten the news that he and Jade were making out. “Just... stop.”
“When are you going to see each other again?”
“We’re not.”
“But I saw how you two were—”
“What?” he shouted. “Lookingat each other? We’re not googly-eyed teenagers. We’re not...” His chest felt like a concrete block had fallen on it. “Anything.”
Evelyn grew quiet. Tilted her head. “Oh, Sebastian,” she said, her expression filling with sympathy. “She was something to you.”
He gripped the phone, not looking at her. This was painful— not just Jade’s betrayal, but that Evelyn Margot had figured out his feelings so easily, with an assist from Mabel and Clyde. Painful and humiliating.
She went to him and put her arms around him.
Against his will, he hugged her. After a few minutes, he pulled away. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.
She nodded. “Anytime.”
