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“Okay, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We hang up, and I grab another tie and then change my mind, choosing to go without one, hoping it won’t fuck up my track record.No tie is better than the wrong tie, right?
I’m in the car, on the way to dinner, when I get a text from Paigethat reads
Incoming…NSFW.
And then, a moment later, the sexiest fucking photo I’ve ever seen pops up. It’s of her, completely naked, wearing only my lucky tie around her neck, leaning back in her chair in her home office with a caption that reads
I’m wearing your tie for good luck.
New fantasy unlocked. When I get home, I’m going to fuck you just like that.
Come home soon, and you can fuck me however you want.
Soon.
I can’t wait.
Since I have a good thirty-minute drive to the restaurant, thanks to traffic, I give my dad a call.
“Hey, son. How’s it going?”
“Good. Hoping to close the deal in Portofino and then get back to Rosemary.”
“Your mom mentioned you’ve been gone for over a week. I’m sorry.” He sighs. “I know this isn’t what you want to be doing…”
“It’s not. But I’m not going to leave my family hanging. Speaking of which…I know we talked about me working remotely, but I think it’s too much.”
“I know,” Dad agrees. “I’ve spoken to Valerie, andshe’s going to take over for you. You’ll have to spend some time getting her caught up to speed, but she’s a hard worker and motivated.”
“But that doesn’t help with your situation,” I point out.
Dad was supposed to retire at the end of the year. If he can’t find someone to fill his shoes…
“I’ve made the decision to push my retirement back,” Dad says. “Dustin offered to step up as CEO, but I know he doesn’t really want to, and the last thing I want is my son in a position that makes him unhappy. Valerie is willing to learn, but she has a long way to go.”
“Fuck, Dad,” I mutter, hating that I’m putting him in this position.
“Nate, it’s okay. I’m going to interview some candidates and see what we’re working with. You need to focus on Paige and my grandbaby. Have you thought about where you’d like to work there?”
“I don’t know. Nothing feels right. I was thinking about maybe taking a year off. I have enough saved from investments. I can cash in some stocks if I need to. It’ll give me time to figure out where I want to go from here.”
“You’ll figure it out, son. It feels hard right now, but your mom and I are proud of you. You’re putting your family first. As you should.”
I know I’m doing the right thing, and I’m content with my decision. I meant what I told Paige—she and our son come first. They always will. But BradfordHotels has been a huge part of me since I was born. I’d be more concerned if walking away from it didn’t hurt as much as it does.
It’s late,a little after ten, and when I texted Paige that I landed, she didn’t respond. So, using the key she gave me, I open the door quietly, not wanting to wake her.
As she gets further along in her pregnancy, it’s harder for her to sleep, so the last thing I want is for her to wake up and be unable to go back to sleep.
Only, when I get to her room, the bed is empty.
What the fuck?
I check her bathroom, but she’s not in there.