Page 125 of Discretion

“Who’s everyone?” he asked in a gruff tone, so I listed off all our names.

Then I explained everything. How I was dating Halle. Why we needed to tell the board. The plan to promote her to SVP permanently. When I was done, everyone was silent.

“So what’s your plan?” Graham finally asked.

I glanced around, wondering who would answer. Only to realize that everyone was looking to me. Waiting for me.

“Jasper?” Graham was the one to speak. “You’re the head of the company. What’s your plan?”

I blinked a few times, stunned. I’d expected Graham to start barking out orders, telling us exactly what was going to happen like he would’ve in the past. Instead, he was deferring to me. Not because it was my problem to solve, though that was certainly part of it. But because I was in charge, and my family was looking to me for solutions.

Sloan gave my arm a squeeze. When I looked at her, she mouthed, “You’ve got this.”

Nate nodded. “You do. You always come up with creative and elegant solutions.”

“We’re here for you,” Knox said. “Both of you.” He looked at Halle.

All along, I’d doubted myself. I’d questioned whether I was fit to be the CEO. I’d convinced myself that I only held the position by default. That everyone was comparing me to Graham. But my family clearly believed in me. They had faith that I was up to the task.

Maybe I needed to stop second-guessing myself. I needed to stop focusing on the past and start looking toward the future. It was time to step up and be the leader that the company needed.

“You’resure you want to do this?” I asked Halle, rubbing my hands up and down her arms. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it more to soothe her or myself. My chest felt tight, and none of my breathing exercises were doing a damn thing.

It was Sunday, the day after the Leatherbacks game, and I’d summoned the board for an emergency meeting. The other members would be filling the conference room, but Halle and I were cloistered in my office, soaking up these last few minutes before we disclosed our relationship to the board.

She placed her hands on my lapels, smoothing them down my suit. “I’m certain.”

I let out a shaky exhale, my insides quivering. “How areyou so calm right now?”

It felt as if everything was on the line. Her future. Our future. That of the company. I had no idea how this would all play out, and that terrified me.

She lifted a shoulder. “Because as long as we’re together, I know that everything will be okay.”

“True,” I said, letting that calm me.

“Plus—” She grinned, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We have your family’s approval.”

“Approval.” I chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “That’s putting it mildly. You know they’re thrilled, right?”

My family, Sloan, was already planning the next time we could all be together. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they were planning our wedding. And I couldn’t wait—for either event.

Halle and I hadn’t discussed it, but I wanted to marry her. I knew she might have complicated feelings about marriage because of her divorce, but I was willing to wait. As long as we were together, that was all that mattered.

Halle smiled, a real smile this time. And I could see both relief and happiness reflected back at me. “Kai is too.”

She’d told him yesterday, and he’d been ecstatic. He was currently hanging out with Brooklyn and Emerson, and I was sure he was having a blast.

Halle had also broken the news to Craig, and she’d said he’d been surprisingly supportive. Now, the only people we had left to convince were the board members. Somehow, I didn’t think they’d be as overjoyed by the news.

I didn’t even realize I’d started breathing more quickly until Halle placed her hand over my heart. I took a slow, deep, cleansing breath.

“What’s one thing you hear?” she asked, and I smiled, reminded of that moment all those months ago when we’d been trapped in the stairwell. It felt like a lifetime ago.

I steadied my breathing and listened. Since it was a Sunday afternoon, the office was pretty quiet. “A helicopter.” I smiled, eager to take Halle and Kai out for another adventure. After today, there would be no more sneaking around. We would no longer have to hide our relationship.

“What’s one thing you smell?”

I dipped my head, inhaling her perfume. “Sunshine.Home.”