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She shakes her head so vigorously she’s going to give herself whiplash. “You taking care of Claire is all the help I need, I promise. Thank you for worrying about me, dear, but you needn’t. I’m just going to run to the car and grab Babe and Claire’s things. I’ll be right back.”
Ruby dashes away to her red hatchback parked on the other side of the street.
I turn to Miller as soon as she’s out of earshot. “That was weird, right?”
He nods in agreement. “People only act like that when they’re being watched…or chased.”
Step one—get the girls home safe. Step two—call Nathan. He’ll know what to do.
“Who is Babe?” Miller asks with a hum of light curiosity.
“Spike’s lady friend.”
Miller exhales out a weighted breath. “Boss is going to love that.”
“I don’t think he’ll care, actually.”
Nathan and Spike have made their peace. Tolerating Babe for a few days shouldn’t be a problem. He might not even notice…
There’ll be a far more distracting presence in his home.
44
Nathan
Two quick knocks sound from my office door before Dad barrels in. “Working hard or hardly working?” He tosses a manila folder on my desk, then plants himself in the chair opposite me.
“What answer do you think I’m going to give my boss?”
“You look tired,” Dad says. “Too much on your plate?”
There’s no way in hell I’m going to tell my dad that I’m probably looking worse for wear because Spencer and I are having sex twice a day, every day. “Just this timeline.” I drag my hand over my face, feeling my thick stubble which probably accentuates my exhausted appearance. “Dad, I don’t care if every permit, inspection, and transaction goes flawlessly from now until opening, there’s no way we’re getting this hotel built and opened in a year.”
“Okay. How about another year?”
“That might save me from a stress-induced early grave,” I say.
“You got it.”
“But I thought you wanted it opened as soon as possible so your investment wasn’t dangling.”
He dismisses my worry with a carefree shrug. “You’re too young for gray hair. My money can sit tight another year.” Dad nods to the folder. “That might help.”
Dragging the folder in front of me, I glance over the stack of paperwork. “A partnership agreement with Harvey Corp?”
“I’m taking the old bastard out tonight for dinner and his signature. We’re going to celebrate our first joint venture.”
Leaning back in my chair, I fold my arms across my chest. “You’re not exactly one to play nice in the sandbox. Why are you suddenly sharing your toys with your competitor?”
Dad laughs. “I’m getting too old for rivalries. They’re tiring. It’s time for Senior and I to bury the hatchet and see if partnering gets us further than sabotage. We still need a project manager though since you exiled Casey.”
He arches his brow like I did something wrong, but I regret nothing. Casey got off easy. I should’ve decked him in the jaw. “I want to work with Spencer on this. Not as my assistant but as project manager.”
To my annoyance, Dad frowns. “She’s inexperienced. This is a huge undertaking.”
“We’ll get her all the support she needs. But she has good judgment and a keen eye. I think this would be good for her.”
“All right. I trust you.”