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Chapter Nineteen

Canyon

The rest of the day goes by too fast. And not fast enough. I eat lunch with Jared and Ander. They’re no longer fighting, but they aren’t talking either. Ander picks at his lunch while Jared gives him worried looks.

Wade sits by himself, and it’s as if the last few days haven’t happened. As if nothing has changed. But it has. He’s not the bosshole I thought he was.

But the evidence of change is there if you’re looking for it.

Carol interrupts his lunch, showing him something on her phone that I suspect is a picture of the fish she caught this morning.

She showed it to me earlier. She’s animated and so unlike the person unable to talk around him.

Sheila stops by his table to give him what looks like a list. Healthy snacks to add to the breakroom?

I catch Wade looking over but not at me. He gives Ander a worried look, and then our eyes catch. He sucks in a breath but doesn’t look away. Can we fix this thing between us? Does he want that?

Al says something to him, and the spell is broken. I press my hand against my chest, ready to be done with this. Needing to know if we have a chance.

After lunch, everyone packs up their stuff. Wade hangs back, shuffling the papers he brought with him and gathering supplies. Is he doing that for me? Giving me a chance to pack my things?

I try not to dawdle as I pack. The memories are too fresh. Too intense. My life has changed completely. But has it really? My time with Darian Enterprises will end after I leave here. I could slip back into my old life like this adventure never happened. No, my life hasn’t changed much at all.

But I have changed. And tonight is my chance to prove it.

Friday, June 13 th , 4:00 p.m.

Excited chatter fills the dining hall as everyone piles food on their plates.

The final camp meal consists of light finger foods.

Easy cleanup to get everyone on the road and home faster.

Even Sheila is happy with her plate of vegetables and fruit.

I grabbed a cherry pie when I was in Plevna.

It’s not homemade, but Lydia seems happy with store-bought pie.

Meredith is not sitting alone. Two men and a woman are also with her.

I’ve never seen them before, but their nice clothes—too nice for camp—and snooty attitudes suggest they might be board members.

My hand tightens around my fork at the audacity of this woman.

Earlier, Wade and Ander had, at different times, stopped by the table and shaken their hands.

I search the room for my brother and find him at the dessert table with Jet.

They’re both laughing, and Jet places his hand on River’s forearm.

It probably means nothing, but the smile on my brother’s face and the way they stand close together tell me something different.

Jet and River are together . And quick after that, Jet was in contact with River the entire time.

That’s how River knew about Wade and me.

It doesn’t change anything. I have to do this.

And thankfully, River agreed. The consequences of it going wrong are steep.

He could get fired. My employment will be up, but they could decide not to pay me.

I’d have no way to fight it. With no jobs and no money, River and I could lose everything. The car. The house.

The fear is still there, twisting in my gut, but I can’t let it win. This is the right thing to do. Our only choice. After the telephone game, I knew exactly who to talk to. It didn’t take much for them to crack.

Meredith stands and my stomach decides it no longer wants the muffin I just ate. I shut my eyes and swallow the bile in my throat.

“Thank you all for being here today,” she begins, a bright smile on her face.

There are a few murmurs as the campers look at each other. They’ve been here all week and didn’t have much of a choice.

But her comment isn’t for them. It’s for the other board members.

“As you know, I arranged this retreat to encourage inclusion and diversity in our company. I appreciate all of you.”

Wade stiffens, a frown on his face confirming my suspicions. She just took credit for his idea.

“That fucking bitch,” Ander whispers harshly.

Meredith goes on for a bit, highlighting her good work without thanking anyone else, and I tune her out. I have everything I need. Is River ready for this? Will Wade be thankful or pissed that we didn’t come to him? But my plan is to draw the attention away from him.

“Canyon?” Jared asks in a quiet voice. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “I’m good.”

“And now our retreat is at an end. Wade, dear,” she asks in a sickeningly sweet voice, “do you want to make your announcement?”

Ander, Jade, and I exchange startled looks. The group murmurs as Wade stands. His body is stiff, and he walks slowly to the podium like a man walking to his death.

“Fuck,” Ander says. “He’s going to resign.”

“What? No. He can’t. Not yet.”

“Good luck stopping him. My aunt always gets what she wants.”

“Not this time,” I say before jumping to my feet. “Excuse me, Mr. Darian?”

He blinks and stares at me like he’s been in a trance. “Um, yes, Ca—Mr. Drake?”

“My brother and I have something we’d like to share.”

Meredith stands and glares at me. “The retreat is over, Mr. Drake, and your services are no longer needed.”

I nod and smile. It isn’t easy. “Sure, I understand.” I turn to the group. “It’s just some awards we wanted to give out. You’ve all worked really hard this week.” I focus back on Meredith. She smiles, but I can see the fury in her eyes. “But it’s your decision.”

Returning to my seat, I wait to see if she’ll take the bait.

“Fuck, you’re good,” Ander mutters.

“Agreed.” Jared nods with an assessing look in his eyes. “That was impressive.”

Meredith presses her lips together like she’s trying not to agree to this when Wade clears his throat. “I agree, Mr. Drake. Everyone deserves recognition for all their hard work. I think I speak for all of us when I say this is a nice surprise.” His eyes are on me. Trusting.

I jump back up before I can chicken out or Meredith can intervene. “River?” He joins me at the front with the box of certificates.

“I’m so glad I got to be a part of this retreat. Thank you—” I stop and swallow the emotion clogging my throat. “Thank you, Mr. Darian, for the opportunity.”

Most of the awards are silly. Fun reminders of the week we shared printed on copy paper and wrapped in a document protector.

River hands me the first award, and I clear my throat. “The first award goes to Wade Darian.” His brow furrows and I give him an encouraging smile. “The Braveheart Award for ‘standing up to the killer squirrel.’”

He laughs and joins me at the front as everyone—almost everyone—applauds. His fingers brush mine as he takes the award and my eyes jump to his. My heart leaps in confusion at his warm gaze, and I push it all away to contemplate later.

I present Ander with the Gaga Ball Award for “being fast on his feet” and Carol with the Dori Award for “not giving up until she got her fish.” Dillian earns the QWERTY Award for “knowing his way around a keyboard.”

The room buzzes with laughter and excitement. I soak it in for a moment. It was a good week, and I’ll miss almost everyone here.

But the mood is about to change. “We also had our share of mysteries this week. The Bakeoff-Detective Award goes to Vivian for ‘never giving up on finding the dessert thief.’”

She accepts her award and takes a bow. Then, there’s an uncomfortable shift in the group as some dart glances at Sheila.

“Next, the Lifesaver Award goes to Sheila for ‘saving the lives of Darian Enterprises employees one carrot at a time.’”

The laughter sounds relieved and Sheila accepts her award with a smile and a wave to the crowd.

“Lydia earns the Sweet Tooth Advocate Award for ‘making sure everyone has access to cherry pie.’”

River hands me the next set of awards with a nod of encouragement. I don’t dare look at Wade. After giving Jared the Legal Eagle Award for keeping us all in line during the retreat—or at least trying to—I turn to Al.

“The Bluster Award goes to Al for ‘using his loud personality to stand up for what’s right.’”

Al accepts the award and darts a look at Owen before turning back to me. His eye is a sickly green now. “Thanks, I guess,” he says. “At least I get something besides a black eye out of this retreat.”

The group gets restless, whispering to each other. They don’t know what we know, but they will soon.

“The Secret Keeper Award goes to George for ‘trying to do the right thing even when no one listens.’”

George accepts the award as quickly as he can and sinks back into his chair.

Only a few left now. “Jet gets the Keller Bond Award for ‘his ability to read lips to thwart evil plans from afar.’”

As Jet accepts his award, his face red, I sneak a glance at Wade. He’s sitting up, his back straight as he grips the table.

“We’re almost done, I promise. This next award is very special. The Loki Award goes to Owen for ‘his ability to play both sides.’”

Owen stands but then stops at my words.

“It’s amazing, really,” I continue. “He can pretend to be your friend while also stabbing you in the back.”

“This has gone far enough,” Meredith says as she stands. “Wade, you need to put a stop to this.”

“No. I don’t think I will. Sit down, Meredith.”

Her mouth drops open and I can almost see the wheels turning in her mind. She’s still not worried. “Very well.”

Once she’s seated, I turn to Owen. He’s still standing in the same spot. “You’ve been here for five days,” he says with a glare. “What could you possibly know?”

“I’m so glad you asked. We know you helped erase George’s documentation on Tim Smart. And helped forge information to help Tim win his case.”

“You can’t talk about that,” Owen sputters. “We’re legally not allowed. Jared?”

I wave his objections away. “I didn’t sign an NDA—I can talk about it. Right, Jared?”

“That is correct.”