“Sounds more than reasonable.”
The baby pulled Zander’s finger into his mouth, so Zander handed him his teething ring. “And no casino.”
“I can live with that. What about the shopping outlet?”
“Unresolved for the moment, but discussions are underway. Also, Savannah would like us to explore incorporating physical activity into the offering. Like tours of the historic town, guided hikes in the mountains, that kind of thing. She loves nature and wants to share her passion. You know, something like ‘Stop living in a virtual world and start playing in the real one’.”
A smile spread over Kent’s face. “That’s fantastic. I love it.”
“Like I said, her requirements are reasonable.”
“Holy Hell. She saved us.” Pushing off the sofa, Kent extended his hand to Zander.
Zander rose and shook it. “Yeah, big time.”
“This is huge.” Grinning like a happy fool, Kent pulled Zander in for a backslapping man hug.
Megan breezed into the room, Colin locked on her hip. “And now you two arehugging? I can’t keep up with all these changes.” With a playful smile, she plunked her son down on the carpet and he wheeled over a large fire truck.
“Pay with me, Unky.”
Zander sat on the floor and rolled the truck around while making a siren noise.
“Honey,” Kent said. “The Starry Cove deal is on.”
Megan flicked her gaze between the two men. “Oh, my! Does that mean what I think it means?”
“We’re staying afloat,” Zander replied.
Megan’s eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around her husband. “I’m super relieved. I’ve been scared sick you’d have to look for a job. That’s too stressful right now.”
Kent kissed her. “It’s all good, honey.”
“But we’ve got to retool,” Zander continued. “Slow things down, take the company in a different direction.”
“Whoisthis man?” Megan asked her husband.
Kent kissed the baby and ruffled Colin’s head of blond hair before returning to the sofa. “A laid-back version of himself, that’s for sure. Maybe he’d like to stay for dinner.”
“Stay, Unky, stay!” Colin squealed.
“I’d love to.” If Zander went home to an empty condo, he’d spend the evening thinking about Savannah. He’d done plenty of that on the flight home.
“We’re having baked chicken, salad, and quinoa,” Megan said.
“Sounds great.” Kneeling, Zander rolled the truck over to Colin who’d started building with his Lego Duplo blocks.
Megan pulled the baby from the exersaucer, kissed his chubby cheek, and sat on the floor with him between her legs. “Zander, you look…well, you look great. Can I assume a woman is responsible for this change?”
He smiled. “I reconnected with someone from my past.”
“Oh, wow,” Kent blurted.
“What?” Megan asked. “Do you know her?”
“I did, years ago,” Kent replied.
“She’s my former stepsister,” Zander said. “My dad married her mom when we were kids. Our folks stayed together for something like eight years. Due to the terms of my dad’s will, Savannah and I were forced to work together. Turns out, we’re complete opposites, yet totally compatible.”
