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Time was money, and from what I could tell, she had no problem spending it like crazy.

“And their timeline to completion on a twenty-thousand-foot property?”

She let out a sigh. “Come on, Mark, that’s so far out,” she said, a little pout in her voice. “My boss is such a hard-ass, and he’d never let me get away with that kind of a deadline...” She winked at me, then looked down at the table, nodding. “I know, I get it, I do. I just wanted you to get the commission, especially with your wife due soon. But if I have to go somewhere else, I guess I can. Man, that stinks....” Her lips slowly curled into a smile. “Are you sure?... That would be fantastic. I’ll see you here at five.”

She hung up and stuck out her hand for a high five.

I stared at it. “What was that?”

“That was me working magic.”

“It only took...” I glanced at my watch. “Forty-five minutes.”

She shook her head at me, lowering her hand, but that smile still played along her lips. “That forty-five minutes will save you countless headaches later on down the road and months off our timeline. This flooring company is the best in a two-hour radius. They’re always booked out at least a year in advance for projects like this, but they’re giving us rush treatment without the extra charge.”

“Why the hell would they do that?” I asked.

“Because his wife is about to deliver, and I just gave him an amazing recipe, plus the commission will give them a little extra cash while she’s at home not working.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. But it was a big deal.

People expected me to throw money around because I had it. But with the way she connected so naturally with people, she could be the ace up my sleeve. No matter how much I hated to admit it.

“Five o’clock?” I asked. “I have dinner reservations at six.”

“I’ll be here,” she said. “I can handle it while you’re at dinner.”

I raised my eyebrows. “The surly teenager and the sensitive five-year-old will be okay?”

She nodded. “But it’s anyone’s guess with the middle one. He’s a wild card.” Her smirk caught me off guard.

Pointing at me, she grinned. “Made you smile. Just a little bit.”

It took all I had not to roll my eyes. No one joked with me like this except for my siblings. “Get to work, Ms. Elkins. We still have a lot to do and only...” I glanced at my watch. “Six hours left to do it.”

* * *

“She madefour calls all day, each one longer than the last,” I told my siblings and my new sister-in-law at dinner Thursday evening.

The five of us were at an exclusive restaurant on the west side of Dallas, halfway between my office and Cottonwood Falls, the small town where all my family lived. Paparazzi weren’t allowed inside this place, and no one who ate here would dream of leaking a photo. Politicians, actors, and famous athletes alike enjoyed having a private meal from time to time. And it was nice to take my siblings here without worrying about the media showcasing them. Even though we were grown, I still felt protective over them.

I was the oldest, then there was Tyler and his wife Henrietta, Rhett, and our sister Liv. A little under eight years separated the four of us.

After my rant about Farrah and her overly chatty demeanor, Rhett grinned, putting the results of years of braces on full display. “Is she single?”

Liv hit his shoulder, and Tyler groaned. I gave Henrietta, Tyler’s wife, an apologetic look. If she wasn’t used to Rhett by now, she would be soon.

“She’s single,” I said, “but she’s newly separated. The ink’s barely dried on the divorce paperwork.”

Rhett’s eyes lit up. “So she’s single and needing a rebound? You have to get on that.”

Liv took a piece of ice out of her cup and threw it at him. He easily caught it, popping it in his mouth.

“What?” he demanded. “You’re all alone at that hotel and—”

Even though I knew he was half joking, I shook my head at him. “You’re old enough to know business and pleasure don’t mix.”

Rhett waggled his eyebrows. “So youhavebeen thinking about pleasure?”

“I think that’s just you,” I retorted before taking a sip from my scotch on the rocks. “And besides, even if I liked her and she liked me, I’d rather not be sued for sexual harassment.”