Page 121 of Broken Grump

Please.I beg her and the universe at the same time. I don’t care how desperate I sound—I just want to talk to her.

After that, I pop a few painkillers, despite knowing fully well the only thing that will temper my busy mind is the tranquil sound of her voice.

When I look down at my watch a little later, I see that I have about thirty minutes to get to the property. So, I abandon the towel, saunter naked through my house, and slide across the wooden floor before my closet. I’m not sure what Randall is going to tell me, but either way—be it a “yes” or “no” to mine and Salvador’s dream of opening Ivory Shores—I need to look my best.

I decide to go for a dark gray suit with a white undershirt and navy tie. All colors scream “confidence” to me while also mirroring the icy feeling that I’m currently experiencing in my heart.

Perfect,I think, while putting the final touches on the look.

Before leaving, I have to lean against the stove and stave off one more bout of nausea, but then I straighten myself up and tighten my cuff links.

***

On the way over to the lot, I send about a dozen more texts to Addie—each one going “unread.”

Fuck.I hoped she’d at leastaccidentallyread one of them by now. But I’m still determined now to give up hope. I have to be.

So, I call someone else.

“Miss Dunn?” She’s Salvador’s old assistant.

“Hayden?”

“Yes.” I can hear through the scratchiness in her voice that she just got out of bed.

“I’ve told you a million times, just call me Penny. Um, what can I do for you?”

I smile for the first time that day. “I’m so happy you asked. It’s going to be quite the mammoth of a task, I’m afraid—”

She blows raspberries into the air. “Oh, please. Sal once made me spend over seventy-two hours looking forCriollo.Do you know what that is, young man?”

“Um . . .” Perhaps in my completely alert and sound state of mind, I could’ve remembered. But not now.

“It’s the rarest form of chocolate in the entire world.”

“Ah.”That’s right. I knew it sounded familiar.

“It’s so rare, in fact, that it only makes up about .01 percent of the global cacao production. And do you know how I know that?”

She’s always been a spitfire, and I love her for it. “Let me guess. Because you had to research and find it?”

“Exactly! One day, Sal made it up in his mind that he was going to befriend this Mexican diplomat, or whatever. So, after finding out that it was his favorite little treat, I was sent on my mission.”

“And were you able to find any?”

She’s quiet for a moment, and I can practically hear the mischievous smile on the other end of the line when she finally says, “Why of course, darling. Sal wanted one pound, and I had five delivered to his office the very next day.”

That’s why you’re the best.

“Well, my ‘ask’ won’t be as detailed as all of that. At least, I don’t think so.”

“Go on,” she encourages.

“I messed up.”

“Oh, okay. So, this is a matter of the heart and not one of business, eh?”

I sigh. “A little bit of both, I’m afraid.”

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