Page 23 of The Grumpy Boss Agreement

“Go in the living room and watch some TV,” my grandad says. “Keep the volume turned way down.”

Lighting up at the suggestion, Dex jumps up and takes his mug along with him. My grandad shakes his head as soon as Dex is gone.

“That boy is a handful. It’s too bad that his daddy is MIA. Dex needs a firm hand.”

I smirk. “He needs to be told no once in a while. Birdie’s too afraid of stepping on his toesie-woesies.”

“Look. You and I both know that Dex will be heartbroken when he learns about the sale.” Grandad sighs and turns to me. “But you take your time moving out. Or stay, if you want. I won’t have you driven out of my house by that kid, no matter how much I love him.”

I stand up, hugging Grandad fiercely. When I pull back, I see tears in his eyes. He blinks and coughs to cover his sudden emotional turn.

I kiss his hand. “When I move, I’m not going far. You hear me? I can promise you that.”

He clears his throat. “Don’t do anything on my account.”

“You’re stubborn and silly at the same time.” I wrinkle my nose. “Now how do you feel about taking in some of the finest early morning cartoons?”

“Dex isn’t watching early morning cartoons on television. He’s doing a YouTube.”

“I think you mean watching a video on YouTube.” I screw up my face. “Ugh, I hate that my entire childhood has been erased in the name of the internet.”

“Don’t even get me started.” Grandad shakes his head, motioning for me to go first. “After you, I reckon.”

I skip into the living room and throw myself down onto the ancient, jade-colored couch beside Dexter. He smiles and moves over to make room without breaking his eye contact with the iPad in his lap. I grab the remote to the television and turn on screen sharing so that we can watch it with Dex.

Grandad hobbles into the room and eases down to sit on the other side of me. I sit back with a smile, surrounded by two of my favorite human beings.

But internally, my mind is awhirl.

Grandad has to sell the house eventually. Unless…

Can I somehow save it?

In my mind’s eye, I see Cole. He’s the man with the plan… and the money. If I’m able to work with him, maybe I can somehow springboard that into a plan that will save this beloved house.

But will crabby Cole actually be swayed by my sunshine and charm? Will we be able to work together? And why on earth is he such a grump?

More importantly, does Cole remember our kiss?

7

Cole

I pull back the sleeve of my gray fleece to check my watch. It’s five minutes to nine in the morning, and a biting chill is in the air as I climb out of my car.

I’ve parked right on the edge of a dirt road that runs on for about another twenty feet before it trails off into rocks and weeds. I slam the door shut, and I turn myself in a slow circle, taking in the green-gray, wetland grasses that go on for miles in every direction. I can still see the tip of the Cape Simon lighthouse from here, but I can easily blot it out by holding up one finger.

Why am I standing in this huge empty field by myself?

“Fucking Rex,” I mutter. “Of all the things you’ve talked me into, Mr. Superstar, this has got to be one of the most idiotic.” I throw my hands up, gesturing at the empty air around me. I raise my arm to the sky and shout, “I’m talking to my goddamn self!”

Before I can belabor the point, I hear a long, grumbling cough. It sounds like whatever made it is heading toward me. I whirl and see a little speck on the road ahead, getting slowly but steadily bigger. Eventually, I can make out a very old sedan. It limps in my direction, revealing rust-colored side panels, a single lit headlamp, broken windshield wipers that occasionally attempt to wipe, and a spiderweb of cracks across the windshield. When the car coughs and sputters to a stop about a hundred yards down the road, I’m honestly surprised. The fact that it made it that far is impressive, in a way.

I swallow. I’m nervous, I realize. I can’t suppress the excitement that runs through me like a chill. I’m shocked that Savannah agreed to show up today.

She has no real reason to other than morbid curiosity, I feel.

The driver’s door opens with a great creak and an attractive blonde head appears. Savannah slams the car door, but it doesn’t want to close. I watch with amusement as she tries to close it once, twice, three more times.

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