His dad frowned. "If it's going to take longer, perhaps we should talk to the Hartman Sterling guys. Perhaps they'd understand…"
Reaves cringed, waiting for Delaney to correct him. His dad wasn't doing himself any favors if he was going to get the distributor's company name wrong.
Delaney shocked him when she gave his dad a warm smile. "I understand the sentiment, Charles. But as I just explained, we have to approach it as though we're the only ones who understand sentiment in any way when it comes to this business. We'll be able to work around it, I'm sure, but those guys—Caleb especially—are working under a strict deadline. If we can't fit in with it, we'll fall out of it." She gave him a grim smile. "No sentiment involved."
She sat forward. "I won't put any pressure on Alara. And from what she's told me, she's already had the major breakthrough she needed. The rest of it should be downhill for her from here. But if we're going to get House of St. James included in this new Provenance line, we can't ask for more time. If anything, we want to be ahead of schedule." She held up her hand before either of them could interrupt. "And I think the two of you maybe need to give her more credit. No matter how rough she feels physically, she's an artist. She's driven. And I think we all know she's deeply invested—this isn't just a job to her."
Reaves had to smile. Delaney was surprising him in the best way.
She chuckled. "There's no need to look so shocked. My reputation is a tool I use, because it's the most effective way to get things done the way I want them." She shot his dad a quick smile. "I can't afford sentiment in my business. Mostly."
Reaves knew that whatever they'd talked about in his absence, his dad had really taken a shine to her. It was obvious in the way he smiled as he said, "I have to hand it to you. The reputation and the outer shell had me fooled. But I'm glad to be on the inside now."
Delaney got to her feet. "I'm glad too. And I'm grateful that I wasn't able to fool you completely. You must have seen a chink in my armor, or you wouldn't have called me in to chat like this."
His dad chuckled. "I don't mind telling you that I wasn't entirely convinced. And I thought perhaps I was fooling myself. I'm glad to be wrong. I think we'll work together better now." He got to his feet and came to shake her hand. "Thank you, Delaney. This means a lot."
She looked gentler than Reaves had ever seen her as she shook his dad's hand and said, "It means the world to me too."
"I can see that. And perhaps one day you'll tell me why."
Reaves watched the exchange, intrigued. He felt bad that it had never occurred to him until now—that maybe Delaney had a story of her own that made her the way she was.
After they'd left his dad in the study, her heels clicked on the hardwood floor as they headed to Alara's office.
"Don't you dare go telling anyone I've gone soft."
He chuckled. "Dareis the right word. I wouldn't. I'd hate to get on your bad side."
"Pfft. Maybe I've worked my hard-ass image a little too well."
"Shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to make you sound all that bad."
"No, I know. It's all good. And listen, Reaves. I like Alara. I'll adapt the way I work with her so she can do her thing." She glanced at him. "She's insanely talented, you know."
He nodded. "Yeah. I know."
"Good. I didn't know if you were so blinded by love that you couldn't even see that."
He just stared at her, and she laughed.
"Oops. Sorry. Did I slip a four-letter word in there before you were ready to admit it?"
He gave her a wry smile but didn't answer.
Just before they reached the office, she turned to him. "You know, Aaron and Caleb aren't going to like your dad calling them Hartman Sterling. And as fantastic as Alara is at what she does, House of St. James needs someone who can step into the ring. I'll do my part. And I'll be honest—I'll do far more than my part, because I can see how much your dad needs this. And he's awesome. But Reaves, you might need to step up."
"Yeah, I know. And I'm prepared to."
She cocked an eyebrow.
"Really. I am."
"I don't just mean pitching in here and there. Before Caleb is ready to sign off on this deal, he's going to want to know that you guys can come through. Signing the contract is the beginning of things, not the end. And I know you fly."
Reaves nodded slowly. "Yeah. And I'm prepared to give it up."
"You should think it through first."
