He laid over the top of me, breathing hard, afterwards.
“That was… amazing,” I finally gasped out.
He chuckled darkly. “We’re already making new memories, aren’t we?”
“Definitely,” I grinned, turning around and trying to fix my appearance. “I think I need to freshen up in that bathroom,” I said, but he grabbed me.
“Don’t clean up that pussy,” he said in my ear. “I want you to think of me the rest of the day as I drip out of you.”
I groaned. “You know I love it when you talk like that. You’d better stop or we’ll be in that bed in the next five minutes.”
He looked tempted.
I kissed him once more and pulled away to take care of things in the restroom. Even though I loved Thatcher’s dirty talk, there was no way I was going to be uncomfortable all day.
“You know,” I said as I came back out, “I think I’ll just head home and grab some lunch with Blair, Sadie, and Melinda. I’ve got to get going on this Orchid Ball.”
I’d recently been named chairwoman of the Orchid Ball, the main fundraiser for the Indigo Falls Garden Club. It was also the social event of the season. It wouldn’t take place until the end of October, but it took months to plan. I was under a lot of pressure to make it a huge success. Part of the reason for that was that my mother had planned the Orchid Ball for the past two decades.Living up to her tough standards would be almost impossible. I knew. I’d been trying to live up to them for most of my life.
He kissed my forehead. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You’re going to make it perfect. I know it.”
“And you’ll help me some?” I knew I’d especially need help with getting items donated for the silent auction. With his business and personal contacts, we’d have the best items we’d ever had before.
“I’ll help you in any way that I can,” he said. “When have I ever let you down?”
CHAPTER TWO
Thatcher
I pretended to be listening to the meeting even though I was really looking out the window and wishing I was already on my way home to Carrie.
“And so,” Bryce continued, “we just need more input from you, Thatch, before we make this new campaign official.”
I sat up straighter and cleared my throat. “Right,” I said looking around the table. The only people in attendance were my siblings, my mother, and a few high-ranking staff. “Before Dad died, our campaigns were focused primarily in the Southeast and were…” I tried to think of a good way to say boring. “Well, they were bland. But in recent years many financial companies have transitioned to using celebrities, mainly actors and athletes, to advertise their brand. With that in mind, please look at one of the new commercials for Caldwell Financial. It’s rough, with only an AI figurehead in the place of whichever celebrity we cast in the role, but it will give you an idea of what we’re going for.”
I sat back and let our tech people handle the rest.
I nervously watched people’s faces, looking for any signs of disapproval. I didn’t see any, which was a relief. Dad had run the company in the same direction for years without any problems. To take things down a different road so soon after his passingmight feel risky to some of our board members. So far, though, they seemed fine with it judging from the looks on their faces.
After the meeting, my mother, my sisters Olive and Celia, and my brother Bryce and I sat around discussing how things had gone. Mom and Olive didn’t usually come to the Caldwell Financial building, but they both held seats on the board. We were just finishing our conversation when my mother dropped a major bombshell on me.
“So,” I said, getting ready to stand, “we just have to finalize the names of some celebrities to approach with an offer, and we can move forward.”
“I have some ideas,” Bryce said, while Olive yawned and Celia stood up.
“I’m out of here,” Celia said. “I should have left fifteen minutes ago. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”
She walked out without waiting for anyone to say goodbye. That was Celia, though. She was blunt, straightforward, and opinionated.
“I also have some ideas,” I said. “I’m leaning more to an athlete for this first campaign…”
“I hired someone already,” Mom said while studying her manicure carefully.
Bryce and I exchanged an alarmed look. Olive sat up and paid attention for the first time in the entire meeting.
“Who?” I asked.
“Madison Welles.”
