Page 10 of Bargain With the Boss

“Tell us what?” I turned my attention to my business partner.

“Since we have officially gotten the go ahead to start on the renovations, Sydney will be helping us.”

Chapter 3

Sydney

Xavier Hastings.

I didn’t have the capacity for his…charm.

Not exactly the right word, but that stupid smile made my skin feel too tight.

I needed to make sure my brother’s little project failed. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have to make much effort. How the hell did he think this dilapidated building would bring in revenue? It needed to be torn down instead of rehabbed.

Period.

“Is that right?”

I cleared my throat, snapping back into the moment. “Since Jude’s attention needs to be on Bernice and Maddie, I agreed to help. I have extensive experience with job sites.”

His brow arched. “For craft stores, not exactly the same, sweetheart.”

“I’m not your sweetheart or even your friend.”

Xavier only smiled wider.

“I think I can manage the paperwork and maybe I’ll even have better luck making the permits stick this time—unlike you.”

He rubbed his chest, but the smile didn’t waver. “Direct hit. This will be fun.”

“We have very different ideas of fun.”

“Hey, if you can sweet talk Maitland’s cousin into cooperating, I’ll fly in lobster from Maine with a tray of caviar.”

“Deal.” My smile was cool. The one I used on job sites when the crew underestimated me. I’d been dealing with the less than desirable areas of the business since I was twenty. My mother hated the details, she only wanted the glory and the ribbon cutting photo ops.

Xavier rubbed his hands together.

His other partner had already wandered back to the ladder near the building. Gavin Forrester had chestnut dark hair and a quiet capability compared to Xavier’s yacht boy good looks and hint of chaos.

I dug into my purse for my sunglasses. The water was ruthless with the late afternoon sun. “I’d like to see the offices you have for this company of yours.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Jude hasn’t taken you yet?”

“No. I had to go back to Seattle to handle some personal matters.” Because Jude didn’t need me and the company and my team did. He only had eyes for his new wife and their family. I shoved back the pain and the loss. It had been us against our mother for the longest time, but then that reporter ruined everything. I swallowed tightly. “Then the baby came.”

Xavier dipped his hands into his pockets. His comic book T-shirt over Hugo Boss trousers made no sense at all. “I was surprised you weren’t here when Nessa was born.”

I glanced at Jude who was already checked out. He was texting furiously. “Something wrong?”

Jude looked up.“I need to get back to Maddie. Can you ride with Xavier?”

I nodded. “That’s fine. He’s going to show me the offices.”

“Good. That’s good.”Jude hustled over to his SUV without a backward look.

Another person in my life that left me to take care of details. I should be used to it by now, but it just left my chest hollow.