The bluntness offered a masculine sort of mercy—no coddling, no judgment. Just truth.
Everett swallowed hard. “What happens now? To Purity? To my position?”
“That depends,” Wolfe said. “Do you want the GM job there? Permanent. Your hotel. Your team. No travel. Same salary you have now. No ladder climbing—just stewardship. Leadership. And a life that actually means something.”
Everett’s pulse tripped. “You’re serious.”
“Yes.” Wolfe’s mouth curved. “Besides, Matthew made it easy. Anyone who sends me a proposal cutting community initiatives doesn’t understand what Purity is becoming.”
Everett let out a breath. Was he dreaming or did he just give up a promotion to take a permanent job in Hawaii? “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes,” Wolfe replied. “Or at least say you’re thinking about it.”
“I’m thinking about it.” A half laugh escaped his lips. “Holy shit, I’m considering it. I want to stay.”
“Then stay.” Wolfe smirked. “On one condition.”
Everett tensed. “What’s that?”
“When Rowan finds out you turned down Senior VP for her, don’t be an idiot about it. Women don’t like martyrdom. They like honesty. They like a big moment where you admit you were an asshole.”
Everett grinned. His insides felt like there was more space to breathe. It was the most impulsive action he’d taken in his whole life, yet it felt completely right. “I think I can handle that.”
“I think you can, too, or I wouldn’t have offered you the promotion. And Hale?”
“Yeah?”
Wolfe’s gaze softened. “Good call.”
The Zoom screen blinked black.
Everett sat there, breath suspended in his chest, the weight of ten years lifting off him so quickly he almost felt dizzy. All he could think about was telling Kelsey and Rowan. To finally show them he was listening.
To finally do something that made him happy, deep in his bones and his heart and his soul.
But beneath all of that, a slip of fear curled through him. What if choosing Hawaii wasn’t enough to fix what he’d broken? Rowan had been right. He’d simply assumed she’d leave her life for his. He’d done what he always had—made decisions for all of them. It was time to admit what he’d done wrong.
It was time to try harder to be the man she deserved.
He’d tell her everything at the beach party, along with Kelsey. He’d give them both a chance to choose the life they’d want.
God, he hoped Rowan would choose him.
He began to laugh. A soft knock tapped against the doorframe. “Everything okay?” Jessica asked, peeking in.
He nodded because he didn’t know what else to do. It was like a tsunami of light bulb moments crashed over him and left him gasping and wrecked on the shore.
He looked at his assistant and laughed harder. The poor woman looked nervous that he was about to have a breakdown. “Jessica, please clear the rest of my afternoon. There’s a beach picnic and I’ll be out by four p.m.”
Her mouth curled in a tiny smile.
Everett grinned as the blood pumped through his veins and his head suddenly felt light and clear.
He had a lot to do yet today.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Rowan balanced a foil pan of garlic-butter shrimp on her hip as she stepped down onto the sand. The beach glowed with that late-afternoon gold Waikiki did better than anywhere else. The scent of grill smoke filled the air. Laughter sounded from the spill of groups bringing more food, gossiping in circles, and watching the surfers catch waves.
