Page 189 of As The Shifter World Turns

“No.” That wasn’t how I should have responded to my mate’s offer of help. “Thank you, you’re an angel and I really appreciate it but what I was tryingand failing to say was I need to hire a manager for the office. My job. All my attention needs to be on growing and nurturing the app and right now, I’m not doing either very well.”

My mate adjusted his robe and sat at the table. “I agree. But you don’t need to look very far for a manager. You have the perfect person right under your nose.”

I took both his hands, not quite believing that we were thinking the same thing. It’d been in the back of my mind to ask him, but our history of working together had come to a sticky end with the whole Kellan issue. Having Ivor run the business, and me the app side of things, we’d be a formidable team.

“Thank you, babe. You don’t know what this means to me.”

My mate gave me an odd look and put a hand to my forehead. “You’re more tired than I realized.”

Now it was my turn to make a face. “Can’t I thank my mate for saving my ass and offering to take over the company?”

Ivor’s mouth opened and closed, his eyes narrowed and he tilted his head. “Oh, Ryder, no. You’ve got it wrong.”

My overworked brain couldn't wrap itself around what he was telling me. “You’re not making any sense, love.”

“The person I was thinking of was Trey.”

“Trey?”

“Yeah, the guy who works in your office.”

I knew who he was and how Ivor had been so jealous of him initially. But that wasn’t who was most suited to take over from me. My mate understood the business and the workings of the office better than anyone and he appeared to have dealt with his Trey issues. Here I thought I had everything sorted and now I had to hire a manager with all that crap that entailed. Trey took over for me constantly and was more than capable but he wasn’t a big picture guy.

“I never considered taking the job.” Ivor got up and began to make tea. “But now you’ve planted the seed.”

So there was hope. I zipped my mouth shut knowing he’d weigh up the pros and cons and reach a conclusion without my interfering. “My boss just told me yesterday he’d accepted a new position in another company so it'd be the perfect time for me to leave.” He brought the teapot and two cups to the table. “But would I be in the office every day and you work from home?”

I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Everything is doable, and there’d be a lot of juggling, but one thing is certain, Dyani would be with one of us at all times.”

“And I get to be the boss, right?”

I raised both arms in surrender. “I’ll be hands off because my focus will be the app.”

“Let’s do it.”

I was so proud of the man my mate had become. Sure, he had bouts of uncertainty as we all did, but he now had an air ofconfidence about him.

Neil

As I walked up the stairs to 3A, Martin’s voice drifted out the open door. “Toby, please put your dirty clothes in the hamper and why is your school bag on the floor where I keep tripping over it?”

“Because it keeps falling off the hook,” Toby yelled. “I’m going to do my homework at Ivor’s, Dad.” Toby clattered down the stairs and said, ““Hi, Neil,” as he passed.

As Ivor and Ryder had three bedrooms and one was used as a home office, Ivor had told Toby he could do his homework there as long as he wasn’t using the room himself. Toby and his dad needed more space. Sunshine Manor was perfect for singles or couples but only 1A was suitable for a family.

“And where’s the—” Martin stuck his head out the door but based on his expression, he’d expected to see his son, not me. “Hey.”

“Toby’s already downstairs.”

“Tea?” he asked as we walked inside the apartment.

Martin liked everything neat and tidy and he always washed the dishes when I made dinner. But as I waited for him to make my hot drink, I scanned the living room. There were boxes of toys and a rail of clothes. A small desk in one corner was for Toby, and bedding was neatly folded at one end of the sofa because where I was sitting was Toby’s bed.

Martin’s tablet sat on the coffee table and the site he’d been looking at was a realtor.They’re leaving!My heart constricted. They wanted out of Sunshine Manor and that would change mine and Martin’s relationship. I’d always known it was a possibility they’d move, but now it was close to reality, I was bereft. It felt like a rejection of me, which was silly, but that was my immediate reaction.

And rather than waiting for Martin to broach the subject, I nodded at the tablet. “You’re moving.” It was a statement, not a question and there was a tremor in my voice.

“Mmmm. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it.”

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