“And you’re the best match for him, too,” Corey said. “I’ve never seen him so happy.”
I smiled. “Good. So, don’t give up just yet, Corey. I know it hurts that Rachel didn’t value you, but someone will. Eventually.”
“Well, until then, I’m going to focus on getting my life together. Hank doesn’t need to be taking care of me.” He paused. “Or you. You guys have your own lives.”
“Sure, but we’re always here for you.”
He gave a nod. “I appreciate that. But, uh, we’re running late for work and you should probably get that lunch to Hank. I bet he’s starving.”
I glanced at the time on my phone. “Shit! I’ll get going. If you need a few extra minutes, I’ll cover with Marissa.”
He swallowed hard. “I’ll be there on time, but thanks, Jamie.”
“For what?”
He shrugged. “Showing me there’s a better way.”
He could have been talking about the job or about my relationship with Hank, but in the end, my answer was the same.
I hugged him. “I’m always glad to help.”
CHAPTER 31
Hank
I rubbedJamie’s feet while we sat on his loveseat, take-out Chinese food containers littering the coffee table. Bruno had curled up in Jamie’s nap, snoring quietly, while Lady and Tramp both zonked out on the dog couch.
I dug my thumb into the arch of Jamie’s foot, and he moaned. “God, that’s good. Don’t stop.”
I chuckled. “Never. Though I’m going to get a complex if you don’t moan and beg the next time I take you to bed.”
“Oh, bed.” He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. “That sounds good.”
“Hm. Something tells me you’re thinking of your soft pillow, not my hard body.”
He laughed quietly. “Sorry, the wedding reception wore me out. That woman is a total bridezilla. She actually rejected something right before the reception. Can you believe that? Just suddenly demanded a different dish because that one didn’t look pretty enough!”
Jamie was getting all worked up again. He’d vented long and hard when he first got home. I redoubled my efforts on his sore feet, and he slumped back against the cushions. “Sorry. Cranky.”
“It was a long day,” I said. “I hope Corey did okay?”
“Mm-hmm. He was great.” He sighed. “At least that’ll make it easier to quit when the time comes.”
“Yeah?” My hands stilled. “You going to finally launch your dog biscuit business?”
“Once I can save enough for a retail space. I can only go so far with the online orders, you know? But I’ve got to cover my bills and my overhead, so…”
“You don’t think your parents would help?”
“Well, you saw how they were at dinner,” Jamie said. “They love the idea of a bakery or something traditional like that. But even if they would loan me money for this, I’d feel so much pressure to prove myself worthy.”
“Of course you’re worthy,” I said. “You’re amazing.”
“Thanks. But I want to run a business that brings me joy, not worry about hitting financial goals my parents think I should. I don’t want the weight of their expectations. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” I hesitated, heart thumping at the thoughts playing through my mind. “Maybe I could help.”
“How? I don’t want to take your money.”
