Page 3 of Bargain With the Boss

“It’s fine. Most of the time I don’t need you out here. Even Crescent Cove Bank is good with electronically signed contracts for anything we have coming up.” I shoved a curl out of my face. “I still can’t unload Hastings Investments ties, so I feel you.”

Since my sister was less than interested in the family business, it fell on me. I also needed the contacts and capital for FHK until we got this massive project moving. Evidently we’d all be splitting time.

Gavin pulled out his phone and paced away from us with a finger up.

“Sorry it wasn’t the best way to pull you back in.”

Jude nodded. “It’s fine. We haven’t had a face-to-face in a while. The red tape is killing us on this.”

“Tell me about it. At least we have six more houses in progress over at Cove Gardens to pull in some cash to cover the insurance on this place. Which I also had to readjust because of Maitland.”

“This guy is like the villain in old ’90s movies. Does he think he owns the town or something?”

I laughed, picturing an old movie I used to watch with Luna during summer breaks. She watched for Patrick Swayze’s swagger, and I just liked the action. Okay, and maybe a little bit of how badass Patrick was.

“Since I didn’t get a call for one of the auctions on the boardwalk, I’d say yes.”

“Shit. Which one?”

“The arcade just couldn’t hold on anymore.” Which had hit me harder than I wanted to admit. I’d spent many a quarter in there with my friends in the summer. “Maitland snapped it up which means he has half the boardwalk storefronts now.”

Jude tipped his head back with an oath. “Seriously, this guy must be mortgaged to the hilt.”

“Helps that his family money keeps building thanks to increased rents. Doesn’t help the stores stay open on Main or even over on Grange.”

Grange Street held the town newspaper which was a staple of Crescent Cove. The Wainwrights wouldn’t let that get snapped up by Maitland, but a few factories had been bought out by a conglomerate that made me nervous.

Grange Street shouldn’t be on Maitland’s radar, but he did own quite a few factories and empty lots prime for building. Selling them had given him more capital for the lakefront project.

As fast as properties went up for sale, Maitland seemed to have inside knowledge and beat us out more times than I could count.

Gavin came back over, stuffing his phone in his pocket. “I have to get back to the worksite. Backhoe cut through an underground line that didn’t show up on my last review from the power company. Freaking cluster.”

The conspiracy theorist that lived in me wondered if that was because of Maitland too. He really hated when we made any progress on our properties. However, Gavin didn’t need any more grief today. “Head out. I’ll take care of the paperwork. Have the lawyer call me and I’ll give him the details.”

Gavin nodded curtly. “Will do. Sorry we didn’t get to have a beer or something while you were in town, Jude.”

“All good. I have to get back to the West Coast anyway.” Jude flicked up the collar of his overcoat against the howling wind.

We all walked out together scattering to our respective vehicles.

I sent another look out over the vista and the churning lake.

This was going to be a longer fight than I thought.

Chapter 1

Sydney

Present Day

My heels clicked along the wide planks of the white oak flooring of A Home You Love’s headquarters. Seattle was enjoying a rare day of sunshine, and I wanted to be anywhere but here.

The summons had come from on high. Michelle Keller, aka my mother, had demanded an audience the minute I was free. Which meant ASAP. As per usual, she was there before me no matter how early I arrived.

She was already overbearing and exacting in how she ran A Home You Love, the multi-million dollar elite home decor business. However, whenJude left the company, she’d become a tyrant. Since he’d left Seattle for New York and his new family, she’d been intolerable.

Avoiding her wasn’t an option.