Page 16 of Stay

If she’d stayed, I would have asked her to marry me. I would have cut my education short and gotten a job at a smaller firm, which would have been fine.

But I wouldn’t be who I am today. I know it.

When she drove off with my heart and hoodie that day, I told myself if we were meant to be, we’d be.

Love requires good timing. We didn’t have it before, but maybe we’ve got it now.

Taking the elevator back up to my office, I wonder what the best-case outcome is now that Haley’s crashing back into my life. I’m at a loss. She’s already moved at least twice in the five years we’ve been apart. I’d be an idiot to think she’ll stay in Banner Bay for any decent length of time, even if she’s leased an office space and plans to renovate. I just don’t think she has it in her.

And if that’s the case, why am I allowing myself to have hope? Why am I staring at the number she saved in my cell? Why am I pulling up a text box? Why am I—

“Cole, come into my office,” Noah orders, storming past me. Christ, I was in such a fog, I didn’t even realize I’d made it up to my floor already.

My stomach churns. Noah’s been acting weird lately, grumpy one minute, laughing the next. His polarizing shifts give me whiplash. It also feeds my inner fear of having the rug pulled out from under me.

I close the door and sit down. Noah’s office is three times the size of everyone else’s, and it has drywall instead of glass walls. The shades facing the main office area stay drawn and the afternoon light casts a golden glow on all his mounted plaques and awards.

“I need you to plan this holiday party. I’m too swamped.”

“What? Woah. No, I don’t know the first thing about…” Timing. Is. Everything. Sitting down across from his desk, a great idea hits me. “Okay. No problem.”

Noah’s brows fly to his receding hairline. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”

“I’ll do it on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I get to hire someone to help me.”

“Get Tamara to do it. I already pay her.”

“Nah. I want a professional planner.”

Noah frowns. “How much is this going to cost?”

“A lot.” I’ll make sure of it. “But you have to spend it to make it, right? This is for our biggest clients who have new properties popping up all over the country. Let’s remind them how great we are and show how much we appreciate them.”

Noah’s bloodshot eyes widen, and his frown turns upside down. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s make it big.”

“Go big or get off the porch, you know what I mean?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Are you high or something?”

Laughing, I stand up and straighten my suit jacket. “Don’t worry about the party. I’ve got it covered.”

“Good.” Noah clicks away on his keyboard, getting back to business while I head for the door. “And Cole?”

I look over my shoulder at him. “Yeah?”

“You’ve got lipstick all over your mouth.”

Well, shit.

He arches his eyebrow. “That must have been a damned good site visit you were on.”

I leave without saying another word and pull Haley’s number up on my cell.

Cole: Want to help me plan a company holiday party?

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