Page 19 of Taming the CEO

"It is," I replied. "It's one of my favorite spots. To tell you the truth, I was actually a bit relieved when we closed the station here. I was afraid we’d damage the tree too much. Dad loves this white cedar, too, and was in total agreement when we made the changes. Anyway, we worked hard to preserve it."

"You know, this part of the forest actually wouldn't be affected when we start work," Maddox noted.

I stood up straighter, looking at him. He was always thinking of business.

"When? That's very cocky of you to assume, considering my dad hasn't signed any papers."

His nostrils flared, making me wonder if he was gearing up for a fight. Well, good, because so was I.

What exactly did he think? That if he came with his grandmother, I’d mellow out?

"It was just a figure of speech," he said tightly.

"Do not mind my grandson," Jeannie cut in. "He suffers from a severe case of cockiness. They all do.”

That actually made me smile. Jeannie smiled, too, though her grandson didn't seem amused, which only made me laugh.

"That's good to know, Jeannie. So it runs in the family?"

"Absolutely. And they’re thickheaded, too, the lot of them. They take after my husband. When he puts his mind to something, there's no talking him out of it."

"Should we head back?" I asked. All of this was a bit awkward. I had no idea why they wanted to see the tree, or, frankly, why Jeannie Whitley was here at all. "I have to welcome a new group in about five minutes."

It actually wasn't for ten minutes, but I wanted to hurry us along.

Jeannie nodded. "Yes, yes. Let's go back. We don't want to keep you."

I walked in step with Jeannie. Maddox was a few feet behind us, but I felt as if he was right behind me. His presence was overpowering. I'd never met anyone like him. He oozed confidence even when he didn't say anything.

"What did you study in college?" Jeannie asked.

"English and Foreign Languages," I said, surprised by the question.

"Did you want to teach?"

My eyes widened. "Yes. How do you know that?"

"It was a lucky guess. Most English majors do. Did you ever get to do it?"

"No. I lost my mom shortly before graduation. Then... well, Dad... couldn't really manage this place on his own." Or her loss; it hit us both hard.

"Oh, my darling. That must have been difficult," she said.

Jeannie Whitley was a perfect stranger, and yet I was telling her things I hadn't told anyone in a long time. But I felt comfortable with her, as if I’d known her for years.

As we approached the cabin, I said, "Jeannie, thank you for stopping by."

"Thank you for showing us around. Not to put pressure on you, but I can see why my grandsons want this place. It’s amazing."

I gave her a tight smile. They wanted it to tear most of the forest down, not to preserve it. That was the part that still tripped me up.

"Ready to go?" Maddox asked his grandmother.

"I need to go to the restroom first. I saw one inside when we came in," she said. " I probably won't see you again, Cami, so have a great day."

She turned on her heel and walked inside with more speed than I thought she was capable of.

Maddox, to my astonishment, started laughing.

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