I shake my head, feeling even worse about not clearing things up with him before now. “No, and again, I’m sorry for that. I’ve talked to everyone who worked here prior to me purchasing this place, and they’re all staying on. I hope you’ll consider it too.”
“Uhh, I’m not sure. This might be the perfect time for me to step away. My full-time job keeps me pretty busy, and I was just doing this to help Chuck out a day or two a week.”
I take a step forward. If I were to reach out, I would touch him. I don’t, of course, because that would be completely unprofessional of me. “I understand that, but honestly, it would help me out too. You know this place, and even if you still work one or two nights a week, you’d give me a chance to take a break or work on some of the changes I’ve been hoping to make.”
At the last part, I see the corner of his jaw tick as it tightens. Clearly, he doesn’t like the idea of me making changes. I can understand his reluctancy, but he’s annoyed without even hearing what I have planned for this place, and thatannoysme.
“Listen, you and I got off on the wrong foot. I’d like to start over. I’m not a bad guy—or woman, actually. Yes, I do plan to make some improvements and changes here, but I’m not about to destroy what Chuck has already built.” An idea quickly forming in my mind, I add, “Give me thirty days. It’s a simple request.”
He holds my gaze, not saying a word for several seconds. Finally, he asks, “A simple request?”
I nod. “Yes. Thirty days, and at the end, if you don’t like what I’m doing or simply don’t like working here anymore, just say the word and I’ll take you off the schedule. No questions asked.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” I confirm.
He exhales, running his hand across the back of his neck. “Thirty days.”
“Yep.”
After a few seconds he finally agrees. “All right, thirty days.”
Relief washes over me at his agreement, mostly because I don’t want to worry about hiring someone right now. I have along list of projects to work on, and training a new employee isn’t near the top of that list. “Great. Thank you.”
He nods, glancing toward the door. “You should probably get back out there. It was pretty busy.”
“Yeah,” I reply, moving to the closed door. “The entire town seems to be here tonight,” I add with a big grin.
“The entire town is curious…about you.”
“I’m nothing special,” I state with an awkward chuckle.
I swear I hear him murmur, “I beg to differ,” but when he doesn’t elaborate or say anything else, I assume I just made it up. My mind wants Collin to be different for some reason, to prove good guys really do still exist.
Just as I pull open the door and step forward, I smack square into the chest of…Collin?
“There you are,” he states, a big, wolfish grin on his face.
My mouth drops open and my neck practically gives me whiplash as I look behind me. “What the hell?”
The man in front of me barks out a laugh. “Well, hello to you too, darlin’.”
Collin exhales loudly before saying, “Lizzie, meet my brother, Cade.”
“Brother,” I whisper, looking forward once more.
“Twinbrother,” Cade announces, reaching his hand forward and giving mine a gentle shake before bringing it to his lips. “I’m the better looking one.”
I bark out a laugh, because from where I’m standing, there’s not much difference between the two. Actually, I take that back. There are a few subtle differences, like a small scar under Collin’s right eye, and the slight lump on the top of Cade’s nose that indicates it’s been broken at one point. Not to mention Collin’s eyes appear a bit more vivid and a lot more hypnotic, while Cade’s blue eyes just scream mischief.
Collin sighs once more and steps between us, practically pushing his brother out of the way. “She’s gotta get back to work.”
Cade just smiles. “What were you two doing in here…behind a closed door…alone?”
“Talking,” Collin insists, his tone leaving no room for nonsense.
Cade barks out a laugh. “Is that what you kids are callin’ it these days?”
