Page 119 of Love By Design

For years, it had been me and my dad against the world. And even when that wasn’t okay, it alsowasbecause it was all I had. I’d known since college working with him wasn’t supposed to be a forever thing, but I’d always planned on him retiring sooner or later and handing me the reins. The Cahuenga Pass project made it clear he never truly planned on giving up unless it suited him, even if the cost of his stubbornness was my future. It was a shocking revelation to me, softened only by the very careful and kind way Marshall had helped me navigate through it.

Pulling into the parking garage at the address Cory had given me, I found a parking spot. I tossed my cell phone from hand to hand, knowing that sooner or later I was going to have to talk to my dad again. There was no way I could leave things the way they were: the firing, the tension, the things he’d said to me. It had to be addressed, right? Marshall always talkedabout what I deserved, and I deserved peace with all that mess, didn’t I?

I sent him Marshall a quick message.

When is Cahuenga Pass decided?

His response came quickly, like he’d been staring at the phone and waiting for me to message him.

Marshall

They’re delayed, but before the end of the week I think.

Why?

Just thinking about my dad.

Instead of another message, the phone rang. Marshall’s face flashed across the screen, and I pressed the button to accept the call.

“I’m fine, I swear,” I said instead of hello.

He huffed out a laugh into my ear. “I know you are, but I want you to know that even though it hasn’t been announced yet, he knows he’s lost it. He knows you were his only chance at it. That’s why he reacted the way he did when you told him no.”

Sighing, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Okay.”

“Was that all?” he asked.

“For now.”

“Are you where you need to be, Silas?”

I dropped my head against the headrest and stared at the concrete wall in front of my car. The elevator was at the end of the row and eight floors up my new boss waited for me. I had ten minutes until I was due to report for my first day. I was where I needed to be physically and mentally, Marshall’s low voice and steady presence.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Have a good day, sweetheart.”

My heart twisted, tight and expansive at the same time in the middle of my chest. I loved when he called me that but didn’t want to ask for more of it. The sparse use of the endearment made it that much more special when it did slip out. I tucked the sound of it away in my pocket—alongside my keys.

I sent a text to Lincoln for good luck, even though I knew he would be sound asleep, then forced my legs to carry me to the elevator. The ride to the eighth floor was nowhere near long enough for the first day jitters to subside, and seeing Cory leaning against the wall in the elevator lobby as the doors slid open didn’t help much either. He smiled down at his phone, then up at me and held out his hand for a quick shake.

“Silas,” he greeted, palm a thousand times less sweaty than mine. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Good to see you too, Mr. Callahan.”

His cheeks flushed and he shook his head. “Please remember, Cory is fine.”

“Cory,” I repeated.

“Marshall has done nothing but speak highly of you since we met last.” He gestured toward the office. “Want to follow me and we can get you caught up?”

“Yeah. Yes.”

Following him through the maze of desks gave me a few moments to school my expression, to fight down the nervous bile that kept trying to force its way up and out of my stomach. Instead of taking me to an office, Cory walked me to a conference room, blueprints spread across the entirety of the table, his laptop open and a drafting program up on screen.

“I’d love your help with this.” He tapped his finger against something on his laptop, and I sat down, pulling the computer in front of me. Immediately, I recognized the schematics, and I blinked up at him.

“What…what do you mean?”