“I—” I stop. Frown. Then say, “What?”
“Eduardo called me, we chatted, and he sent the contract over about thirty minutes ago. For all six buildings. He’s going ahead. He wants to be the first in the area. But he wanted me to add a provision that every time another farm completes its final building, he has a chance to add another to his farm, if possible.”
I feel my mouth drop open.
“Are you still there?”
I nod. Then remember we’re on the phone. “Yes. I’m here. So…”
“So you did a great job. Perfect, in fact. Just like I knew you would.”
I feel my heart squeeze again. I love that he believed in me. And that I could deliver. I clear my throat. “Why didn’t you make this trip? Eduardo wanted to talk toyou.”
“Because you needed to be there. He needed to meet you, since you’ll be working on things going forward, and I knew you’d do a great job with it.”
“But just because I’m here doesn’t mean…” I trail off as a thought hits me. I sigh. “You didn’t come because I would be here?”
“Right.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Everett… come on. This is how it’s going to be? Really? We can’t be on the same trip? We can’t be friends?”
There’s a long pause on the other end of the phone. Then he says, “Not yet.”
My heart squeezes again, but not in the warm, happy way. “I hate that.”
“I just need time.”
“But…” Dammit, this isn’t what I wanted. “This isyourcompany. I can’t run you out of business meetings, Everett.”
“You’re not. I’m doing plenty of meetings. I just need some time to… adjust. I know we’ll get to the point where we can be in the same room together, but it’s not right now. I still want you too much.”
That makes me hot and sad at the same time.
That also sounds like he knows he’ll eventually get over me, and that should be what I want, too. I should appreciate it. But the idea of him getting over me hurts. I’ll admit it.
“If it’s any consolation, I miss you,” I say.
He groans, and the sound is husky, hot, and also pained. “That isnota consolation, no.”
I press my lips together, then say, “I know you’re doing this to respect my boundaries and…I really appreciate that.”
“You don’t want to be involved with your boss or a co-worker,” he says. “I get it. I heard you. But IES needs you, so this is how it has to be right now.”
I don’t know what to say to that. He’s…a really good guy.
Who I’m probably in love with.
So yeah, avoiding each other is probably the only solution.
But I’mreallygoing to miss him. We need to get to the point of being friends by the next family holiday in Sapphire Falls. I think quickly. That will probably be Easter. Then Mother’s Day. Then the annual summer festival.
Oh, he definitely needs to come to the festival. But all the others, too. He needs to hang out with my family. He needs to be included, and I want to sit around the table and laugh with him, and I really want to see him playing carnival games, and I want to take him on the Ferris wheel.
Okay, not the Ferris wheel. Couples who go on the Ferris wheel at the Sapphire Falls summer festival end up kissing at the top.
