Page 28 of Embracing the Change

Hale had sounded guarded.

Now he sounded amused. “You clearly haven’t witnessed Chloe pitching a fit.”

“Nora, nor I, are finding anything funny,” Jamie warned.

“I think maybe, and I say this with the utmost respect, you both should take this time we’ve given you to find out why you don’t,” Hale returned.

Could he have a new phone airlifted to him if he threw the one he had into the Hudson?

A uniformed woman approached and spoke to Nora, saying, “Hello, I’m Amy, and I’m your chief steward. Would you both like to be shown to your cabins? We’ve settled you in. Dinner will be served at seven, which is a little under two hours from now, with cocktails before, and you might want to refresh and dress.”

Trust Chloe to charter a yacht where they had to dress for dinner.

He had no doubt he was prepared, since Dru had commandeered his assistant and taken over his packing.

Christ, his own daughter was involved in this disaster.

“Sounds like you’ve got things to do,” Hale said in his ear, and yes, he again sounded amused.

Nora was staring at Jamie helplessly.

Seeing that look on her face, a look she’d probably never assumed in her whole damned life, his fury escalated.

But he jutted his chin at her and said, “We’ll have dinner. I’ll take care of this. We’ll be home later this evening.”

“All right,” she said shakily and followed the steward.

Jamie watched her go before he turned his full attention to Hale.

“You don’t understand what you’re doing with this, Hale.”

“I think we know exactly what we’re doing, Jamie.”

“You’d be wrong.”

But…

We?

“Exactly who’s involved in this fiasco?” he demanded.

“Well, Chloe, me…I’m sure you know Cadence and Dru.”

“Yes, I got those four,” Jamie drawled.

“There’s also Mika. And Genny,” Hale went on.

Naturally.

“And Tom, Duncan. Alex wasn’t a fan, but Rix thinks it’s a scream,” Hale continued.

“Fucking hell,” Jamie muttered.

“And Judge,” Hale finished.

It felt like he’d been sucker punched.

So he forced out his sardonic, “Excellent,” and he hung up on Hale.

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