Page 87 of Charm

His brows perk. “So there is something going on between the two of you?”

“There is,” I admit. “We’re navigating through it, but spending time with her is the best, James.”

His gaze jumps over my face. “You’re falling for her. You’re falling in love with her, aren’t you?”

I’m not ready to admit that to myself yet, so I sure as hell won’t admit it to my younger brother. “We like being together.”

It’s not exactly what he wanted confirmation of, but he takes it with a grin. “Good. I want you to be happy, Holden.”

“I’m happier than I’ve been in years,” I say with confidence.

“That makes losing the deal worth it.”

“Thanks, James.” I pat his shoulder. “We’ll find you another company to obsess over.”

“I already found three.” He holds three fingers in the air. “All are great fits for us. I’ll forward you the specs later today.”

Just like that, he’s moving on.

“Sounds good.” I tilt my chin up. “How are Morgan and Sinclair today?”

“Perfect as always.” He smiles. “You can stop by for dinner tonight if you’re free.”

“I’ll be there unless I get a better offer.”

“Understood.” He laughs. “You like Greer more than you like me.”

All he gets from me in response is a hearty chuckle.

“After all the shit you went through with Finella, you deserve to be happy.” He lowers his tone. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around when your marriage fell apart.”

Since we weren’t talking at the time, James didn’t know anything about my divorce until it was final. He helped me pick up the pieces afterward. To me, that counts for a lot.

“That’s my past,” I remind him. “I’m focused on my future.”

“With Greer?” he asks with his left eyebrow cocked. “This could be your forever, Holden. Can you see yourself having kids with her?”

I’m nowhere near thinking about that yet, but I fill him in on the most important person in Greer’s life. “She has a daughter. Olive. She’s seven.”

Jameson’s eyes light up as he smiles. “That’s fantastic. Have you met her yet?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I’m hoping we’ll get there in time.”

He pokes a finger into the center of my chest. “You will. When you do, Olive will think you’re great. Just like Morgan does.”

I can only hope that’s the case.

The closer I get to Greer, the more I want things to work out between us. What started as a weekend of fun has the potential to morph into a lifetime of memories. I’m not going to get ahead of myself, but I can see it in the distant future, and I like the way it looks.

I’m aboutto indulge in a late afternoon treat that has the potential to turn my day around.

After I got to the office earlier and had the brief discussion with my brother about Greer, all hell broke loose.

One of our deliveries was lost somewhere between North Dakota and New York State. A store with our name on the awning in Seattle caught on fire. It was contained to a corner ofthe storeroom, and no one was hurt, but it did shake up the two employees who were present.

I called them both personally and assured them that we’re here for them. Marc is scheduled to fly out there tonight to address the situation in person. He’s an expert at handling a crisis, so I know the employees will be taken care of. Marc will deal with all the insurance issues, too.

I swing open the door to a café that I’ve become familiar with over the past few years since it’s around the corner from my office tower.

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