Nash’s hand slipped off her knee, leaving behind a cold sensation that made her shiver. “That’s right.”
“On the other hand, I’m not sure how I feel about working for someone who is half my age.”
“Half? Pft. Not likely,” Kenzi scoffed.
“Please.” Emma rolled her eyes. “Raquel flattered him enough to make his head swell. We had to put the top down on the Porsche to get him home.”
Guy scowled good-naturedly.
Nash folded his hands on the table. “What would sway you our direction?”
Kenzi’s mind caught on how he’d used the wordour, like they were a team. She liked that word. A lot.
Guy pondered for a moment. “I already know you want to keep the company together, but I’m concerned about your ability to maintain the level of growth we need to succeed in the market. Being on top means we can suffer a slow, painful demise, and I’d like to avoid that at all costs.”
Nash tapped his finger on the table. “We’re within days of signing off on new flavors. Bringing fresh product to the market will revitalize our sales. And, we’re considering rebranding. Everything Kensington is doing points to the fact that she wants to move the company forward.”
Kenzi cast Nash a grateful look. She reached for his knee. When her hand met the soft fabric of his pants, his leg jerked up, smashing her hand against the bottom of the table. She clamped her lips together and smeared on a smile to cover the bump of pain. The hurt cleared quickly as she discreetly shook her hand under the table and scowled at Nash.
A mischievous glint lit up his green-gray eyes, like a kid who’d gotten away with a prank. Well, two could play at that game. Kenzi scooted her chair closer to his. “I’m currently looking into other markets. I’d like to expand.”
Guy lifted an eyebrow. “How? We are already at the top of our field.”
“There are new flavor combinations popping up each year, and gelato has been big for a while.”
“True.” Nash leaned back in his chair. Kenzi leaned her shoulder into his firm chest. He paused in his thoughts, only briefly, but enough for her to know that he was affected by her nearness. She reveled in the knowledge.
“But,” he continued, “the ice cream market changes as often as the American diet. Frozen yogurt hit in 2004 and you all managed to stay on top. But that was a wave. How much of a wave is almond milk ice cream? Moving in other dairy-related products would be better.”
Kenzi stared up at him, her thoughts racing. “We have the manpower and the facilities to try new things.”
“Exactly,” Nash agreed.
“But in the amount of time it would have taken us to jump on the frozen-yogurt bandwagon, the fad would have faded considerably.” Guy slumped in his chair. If he had a sign on his head, it would have read “Unimpressed.”
“Yeees.” Nash drew the word out. He lifted his arm up and over Kenzi’s head to rest it on the back of her chair, raising the stakes in their daredevil game.
Kenzi chewed the inside of her lip, her stomach alive with butterflies.
Nash traced circles on her upper arm. He made his movements look natural and as if they were an afterthought; however, a vein in his neck that pulsed like a rabbit in a race. “That’s why we need to look into the future and predict trends.”
“Not possible,” Guy challenged.
“Actually, it is possible,” Nash returned. Kenzi placed her hand on Nash’s thigh as he continued, “There are dozens of smaller companies trying to gain a foothold in the market by reinventing the ice cream churn.” He got a blank look from Guy and Emma. “The American diet is evolving due to food sensitivities. Dairy free, gluten free—”
“Taste free,” Guy grumped.
Kenzi smiled as she copied Nash’s circular pattern on the inside of his knee. His hand stilled on her shoulder and then wrapped around her arm, holding tight as he maintained his composure in front of their dinner companions. “Those segments of the market are continually growing, and if they can find their favorite flavor with our brand-name within their dietary guidelines, then we’ll be their number one choice.”
Emma gave her husband a pointed look. “I wouldn’t mind a gluten free S’mores.” She sighed, and her ample bosom rose and fell.
“I didn’t know you were gluten free.” Kenzi leaned slightly forward and used her free hand to squeeze Emma’s hand and then let go.
“I don’t make a big deal over my celiac, because it’s embarrassing to bring it up all the time. I just want life to go on as normal.”
Kenzi leaned back, and Nash gave her a one-armed hug. She reveled in his warmth and strength; at the same time she was impressed with his ability to think on his feet. Expanding into the niche markets hadn’t occurred to her. Her grandpa and dad had maintained the thought process that being a big fish in the big pond was the best way to make the most money. And their process had worked for years. But there were more sales to make—sales that their single-minded approach had left on the table.
Guy shook his head. “There’s distribution, shelf space, and a dozen other factors to consider before we could even whisper this news to the executive committee.”
