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That’s odd.
Cash didn’t mention Harrison’s plans to visit Aspen Grove this weekend, and he wasn’t at the Staffords’ house for lunch yesterday. As far as I know, he doesn’t own property in town. And even if he did, the CEO of a multibillion-dollar real estate firm doesn’t strike me as someone who would do their own painting or any manual labor.
“Hey, Harrison,” I call out as he gets closer.
He glances up, and his expression softens when he notices me waving at him. “Hi, Everly. What are you doing up so early on a Sunday morning?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” I say as he comes to a stop in front of me. “Cash didn’t tell me you’d be in town this weekend.”
He hesitates for a moment before saying, “Uh, yeah, I got here a couple of hours ago.”
“How long are you here for?”
“My flight leaves this afternoon. I had to handle a few urgent matters here before heading to New York for an early meeting tomorrow.”
I nod, refraining from asking about his peculiar appearance.
It is odd that he’s only in town for a few hours, especially since he doesn’t plan to see his family while he’s here, as far as I know. I’m surprised Johanna doesn’t insist he stay, but then again, maybe she doesn’t know he’s here. Regardless, I’m sure he has his reasons.
“Listen, do you have a few minutes?” he asks. “I’d like to talk with you if you don’t mind.” He nods toward Brew Haven.
“Sure, I was going to order a protein shake for Cash and a coffee for myself. He said he was going on a long run, so I have some time to kill until he gets here.”
Harrison holds the door open for me, and we step inside. After placing our order, and picking up our drinks we grab a table near the front.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I ask, tracing my finger around the edge of my coffee cup.
“How’s work going?” he questions. “We might not be able to talk about the specifics of the pending acquisition, but overall, how do you like working at Townstead International?”
“Honestly, aside from the fact that I work for my dad, I love my job. Things have been challenging lately because he’s been more irritable, probably because of the Stafford Holdings deal. He tends to take it out on me and my step-siblings,” I explain as I sip coffee. “He hasn’t been to London since the day he showed up at Cash’s office, but that hasn’t stopped him from inundating us with impossible amounts of work.”
My dad’s emails and phone calls have become more terse in the past week, and we’ve all been waiting for the inevitable fallout.
“How did Liam and August take the news about the acquisition?” Harrison asks.
“They have reservations about it,” I tell him honestly. “For all they know, your team is planning to fire them or will micromanage every project they’re working on like my dad does. But I assured them you weren’t like that.”
“I appreciate your confidence. All I can say for now is that big changes are coming to Townstead International. Positive changes,” he adds, sensing my apprehension.
I give him a quizzical look. “How long until the deal is signed?”
“Off the record, we’re looking at two weeks.” He runs a hand through his hair. “We’ve had to speed up the timeline because of some unforeseen circumstances.”
“I see.” My gut tells me the fast-tracked timeline has something to do with my father.
At the same time, a wave of relief washes over me. The looming deadline has lost its significance. Yesterday, my marriage had an undisclosed expiration date. Now, it signifies the start of a new chapter in my life.
“Everly, I meant it when I said that Dylan and I will support you and Cash no matter what. You’ll have a place at Townstead International as long as you want it. If I thought I could convince you to work at Stafford Holdings, I’d hire you to work directly for me.”
I shake my head. “I would never leave Liam and August. We’re a team, and I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else.”
“That’s what I thought.” He drums his finger on the tabletop as he glances at me, then back down at his coffee.
I’m surprised at how easy it is to confide in Harrison. He comes off as stern and reserved, but beneath that exterior, he’s empathetic and caring.
“You don’t have to worry about Cash and me,” I say.
He raises a brow. “Oh, and why is that?”