Page 137 of Taming the CEO

Chapter Thirty-Two

Cami

One month later

"I love crisp winter mornings so much," I exclaimed, taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes. Maddox and I were sipping coffee on my front porch. I heard a chuckle and opened my eyes. He was holding his phone in front of me. "What are you doing?"

"Snapping a picture of you. I want to immortalize this moment. You look so damn happy."

"I am."

A deafening sound pierced the air, and we both burst out laughing.

"Well, there goes our Zen morning."

Leo showed us every available house in Essex, but there simply weren’t enough on the market. So when he found a gorgeous property not far from here, Maddox and I decided to build our own house instead.

We couldn't wait for it to be ready. Not just so we could move in, but also because the noise from the construction of the hotel and distillery was considerable.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked him.

He flashed me a knowing smile. "How about taking a walk through the park?"

My eyes lit up. "Is it safe?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I double-checked with the construction crew. The snow’s melted, and there’s no ice."

Since they'd started paving pathways and arranging it for the hotel, it had been off-limits. I hadn't been inside the park since before Christmas, and I dearly missed it.

"You should have led with that. I wouldn't even have needed coffee. Come on, let's go," I said, jumping to my feet.

"Babe." He chuckled. "How about changing first?"

I looked down at myself. Yeah, he had a good point. Clearly, I wasn't as awake as I'd thought, because I'd forgotten I was wearing slippers and my workout clothes. He’d already dressed in jeans and a sweater.

"You look so dapper," I said.

He grinned. "Dapper, huh?"

"That's just what came to mind."

"Come on, beautiful. Go change."

"You don't have to say it again," I replied and darted inside.

I dressed at top speed, putting on a thick sweater. We didn't have too much time, as I was opening up my shop at ten o'clock, and Saturdays were busy.

I was so happy with how my new business was going. I'd managed to open two weeks ago. Half the town showed up on my opening day, and all the local businesses promised to send me customers. I thought they were just trying to be polite, but I had a constant stream of tourists and locals alike. It probably helped that most locals were low-key happy that Bill had moved away, thanks in part to me, but mostly to Maddox. The man had skills.

Bill was so deeply rooted in Essex history that I never thought he'd actually move, but he did. Once Maddox started the litigation, several other lies of Bill’s came to light. It was like a house of cards that kept crumbling. His reputation wasn't built on anything real.

When the mayor fired him, he threatened to sell all of his assets in Essex at the same time, which would bring down real estate prices. The mayor fired him anyway, and Maddox snapped up everything Bill was selling. He decided to move elsewhere after that, and no one was sorry about it. I’d asked Maddox what he was going to do with all the acquisitions. He replied that for the ones that currently housed people or businesses, nothing would change. He and Gabe were already making plans for the vacant buildings.

And in my man’s words, "It was a small price to pay to get rid of that moron."

I headed outside, looking a bit like a snowman. The cold had seeped into my bones from earlier. I should have listened to Maddox and gotten dressed before drinking coffee. He was on the phone when I stepped out.

"No, she doesn't suspect anything. Oh, for God's sake."

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