Page 35 of Betrayal

Casildo took a swig from his bottle as answer.

“Before we abandon the conversation about the childcare centre, how do you think your dad would react if I said I wanted Maha to manage it?”

Casildo’s shoulders slumped, and he dropped onto the second sofa.“Another good deed?”

“Maha’s always planned to open her own centre when the time was right.”

He kept his voice neutral, because while he’d had the credit record with the bank to get the loan to buy The Hariri building, Cas had handed over every cent he had to his father first, money Cas had been saving for years to start his own business.

Hunter continued.“Maha and her friend set up the first centre together because neither could afford to do it alone.You know they planned a second, when they had more experience and resources behind them, so they could each manage one.”

Hunter liked matching the right people to the right project.A skill he’d discovered in himself that he hadn’t observed in anyone else in his family.Claiming it for himself gave him enormous satisfaction, enough he was realigning his business interests to operate more as broker—assembling a team with disparate skills, then placing them in made-to-measure projects.Maha was right on so many levels for this project—not least because she’d see it as standing up for her family in a time of need.

“You think they’re ready?”Cas asked.

“Maha thinks she’s ready.She’s not so sure little brother and Daddy have noticed she’s all grown up, running a successful and expanding business and ready for new challenges.”Hunter put his feet on the coffee table.“You dope.She’s the one who hung on your father’s every word about business at the kitchen table.You’re the dreamer.”

“Has she asked you?”

“I was the one raising hypotheticals, but she spent a lot of time with Anna showing her around her place and essentially auditioning for the role.”

“I’ll talk to Dad.Get him to suggest it to you.”Casildo wore a proud grin.

“Now can we watch the game?”

Casildo’s answer came in the form of punching buttons on his phone, followed by “Pizza in thirty.I don’t rank as highly as you.”

CHAPTER SIX

Anna’s ride share deliveredher to her sister’s home twenty minutes later, and Anna had spent most of that time with a goofy smile on her face.Hunter’s kisses could melt ice sculptures, and despite some gossip to the contrary, she wasn’t made of ice.

“The boys are already here,” Kate explained, although the male laughter coming from the living room made her comment redundant.“I’ll show you what we’ve done in the nursery first,” she said, “and don’t you dare say I waddle.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”Anna hid her smile because her sister definitely waddled.

“What do you think?”Her sister remained leaning against the doorjamb, while Anna wandered the room.