Page 104 of Someone to Tempt
“I’ll be at the dance studio.”
“Iris, I?—”
She stops me with a small shake of her head. “I need some time, Jake. That’s all.”
Her words hit me like a gut punch. I watch her walk away, and all I can think is that the secret I thought would make it all better, might have ruined the one thing that matters most.
37
JAKE
I drive homewith the windows cracked, willing the crisp night air to clear my head. My grandfather’s house is dark when I pull down the long driveway, which is disappointing because I’d love to share this night with someone.
I want to share it with Iris, but I’m giving her the space she asked for. Despite the sense of emptiness inside me, exhaustion takes over when I close my eyes, and sleep comes easy.
The next morning, I head to the main house before eight. Grandpa and I have a meeting with the foundation’s senior staff, one I’m not as prepared for as I should be. I’ve spent the bulk of my time the past couple of days enmeshed in the world of my new story, determined to give Ellie Spaulding the farewell she deserves.
When I walk in, he’s at the kitchen counter, bent over his daily crossword puzzle.
“Are you ready to head out?” I ask.
“Grab a cup of coffee and have a seat.” He keeps his gaze lowered.
“Should I take it to go so we can talk in the car? I don’t want to be late for?—”
“We aren’t going to be late,” he says, his voice clipped.
A quick glance at my watch says otherwise, but I won’t argue.
I add a splash of creamer to the dark brew, then sit down next to him at the island, his thick fingers tapping on the granite countertop.
“Are you planning to move the foundation’s headquarters to Austin?”
I blink, caught off guard. “Where did you hear that?”
“Is it true?”
“I’ve been considering it.” I place my mug on the counter with a decisive clink. “Nothing’s finalized yet.”
“You bet your ass it isn’t.”
I rub a hand across my jaw and force myself not to look away from his sharp gaze. “It’s not a big deal, Grandpa. It won’t change?—”
His face darkens. “It would change everything. You want to uproot the foundation I spent a good portion of my life building in this community. How is that not abig deal?”
“There will still be a presence here,” I answer. “We’ll keep a satellite office to manage the local grants, but Austin is a bigger stage to expand our reach. Help more people. Isn’t that what you want?”
“The Texas office was never meant to be the headquarters, and I don’t give a rat’s ass about a bigger stage. This foundation means something to this town, Jake.”
“Nothing needs to change—for a while.”
“For a while,” he repeats. “Jake, this is my life’s work, my tribute to your grandmother and what this community meant to her. Moving it sends a message, and not a good one.”
“We need to grow if it’s going to keep making an impact.”
“You sound like your father.” Disappointment and challenge clash in his eyes. “That’s not a compliment.”
His words feel like a slap in the face. “Fine. We’ll keep it based here. Like I said, nothing is finalized. Why is this such a big deal, and how do you even know?” No one knows I’m not planning to stay except... “Did Iris say something to you?”
