Page 36 of Charm

As he takes his seat, I glance at the open doorway to see two members of our team file in.

“Gentlemen,” Sasha Cardinal, one of our in-house lawyers, greets us both as she sits next to me.

Jameson’s assistant, Marc, takes the chair beside him. Marc retired from Carden after a stellar career that spanned decades. My brother was able to lure him back to work as his right hand man. His knowledge is invaluable, so I’m glad to have him here.

Jameson’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He tugs it out, scanning the screen before he looks in my direction. “Krista and Greer are here. They’re on their way up.”

“You’re not going to greet them at reception?” I shake my head. “Rude, James. That’s so fucking rude.”

Sasha and Marc both laugh.

My brother pushes back from the table. “I’ll wait for them at the elevator.”

“I was kidding.”

“You were right.” He starts walking toward the door. “I want them to feel welcome.”

As soon as he’s out of the room, Marc glances at me. “He’s killing it lately, Holden. That kid has really taken to the role of COO.”

Leaning forward, I nod. “I’m damn proud of him. He’s got the job under control. He’s an incredible dad. He’s not a half bad brother either.”

Marc grins. “He wants this deal. He sees a lot of potential in it.”

“As do I.”

“Good.” He slaps his hand on the table. “I wish your grandparents had lived to see this day. You two working this well together was all they ever wanted.”

I take comfort in knowing that. Jameson and I are a solid team, and we’ll prove that again today with this negotiation.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Greer

I subtly studythe face of the man who was waiting for us as we exited the elevator. There’s something familiar about him, but I know we’ve never met before.

Jameson Sheppard introduced himself as the Chief Operating Officer of Carden Confectionaries. As he shook my hand, he explained how his grandparents launched the enterprise decades ago.

Krista nodded in response to everything he said. This is the most nervous she’s ever been. I knew it as soon as I walked into our store and saw her shoving a fistful of jelly beans into her mouth.

A bright red one got away from her. It bounced down the front of the light blue dress she’s wearing. Thankfully, it didn’t leave a crimson trail behind.

I couldn’t help but laugh. She joined in, and that immediately broke the tension that had been brewing between us for days now.

I glance down at the red blouse and matching pants I’m wearing. I even chose red heels.

There’s no rhyme or reason behind it. I didn’t want to appear too formal, but still wanted to look presentable, since I know this is important to Krista.

This meeting isn’t going to end the way she wants, but I’m here, and that’s what matters at the moment.

“My brother is waiting for us in our main conference room,” Jameson says as he leads us down a corridor. “Holden is excited to meet you both.”

Good for him. I have no interest in meeting the man.

“He’s the CEO, right?” Krista asks excitedly. “I read all about both of you on the company website last night.”

I, on the other hand, read a fairytale to my daughter last night before she fell asleep. The main character was a princess who fought a few dragons and broke down some barriers to find success. She did it alone without the help of a company whose sole focus was to steal her dream away.

I may have been the one who hastily typed that fairytale into the notes app on my phone while Olive was kissing her grandparents good night.

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