Page 127 of The Havenport Collection

“Were you able to set up a meeting with the bank?” he continued.

Callum had suggested I set up a meeting with the loan officer at the bank to review our current loans and renegotiate our interest rates.

He felt that with the right forecasts and projections we could consolidate and reduce the interest on some of our debts.

“Yes. The entire team actually wants to meet with me at the end of October. I have a feeling that’s bad news.

We need a line of credit to make improvements, and we need to lower our interest rates if we are going to make any progress here.

” I was panicking. The thought of having to explain my business strategy to a bunch of suits scared the shit out of me.

“That gives us plenty of time to work through everything and put together a plan.” He smiled at me, a kind genuine smile that made me want to grab him and kiss him. “We can do this.”

I was grateful, so grateful that he wanted to help me sort through this mess. And I knew that I needed his help. But I was embarrassed to admit I didn’t yet have what he was looking for.

“What’s up, Violet?” he asked sternly. Ooh. I liked his stern voice. It gave me ideas of what it might be like to have him ordering me around in bed.

I shifted uncomfortably in my desk chair, which was just an old chair we had found in one of the barns. It was rattan and had a hole in the bottom but worked well enough.

He continued to stare at me as I let the silence linger.

“I don’t have everything.”

“What?”

I sat up straight. “I don’t have all our records yet.”

“What do you mean?”

I was so tired and overwhelmed and just over it. “Nick. Fucking Nick, okay?”

I stood up, accidentally kicking over a random box of crap on the floor.

Fuck, I needed a file cabinet, or ten. “After I fired him, I asked for all our records. He sent over some boxes—I gestured to the corner—but those are from ten years ago. Nothing for the last five years and nothing digital. I have the records I kept here after I took over, but that only goes back a year. There are some pieces missing, particularly when it comes to some of the loans we’ve taken out in the past few years and a lot of the underlying receipts and invoices.

I have been trying to piece things together and I can’t. ”

His eyes flashed with anger. “Violet, you need everything.”

“I know.”

“He can’t hold that stuff hostage.”

“I’m working on it.”

“What are you doing?”

I twisted my hair around my finger. “I’ve called and left messages and spoken to his assistant.”

“This is illegal and immoral.” He got up, obviously pissed, and stalked toward the door. “I will go talk to him right now.”

“Stop.” I walked over and put my hands on his chest. I looked up into his gray-blue eyes which were fiery with anger. “I told you I’ll handle it.”

“But you’re not. We can’t do anything without your tax returns, profit and loss statements, and operating expense reports from the last few years. All these dreams,” he said, gesturing to the whiteboard we had been using to plan, “don’t exist without them.”

“I know that.” I stomped my foot and looked up at him again. “I’m trying, okay? I only have so many hours in each day. I can’t chase my asshole former accountant around. And I don’t need you Hulking out over this. Okay? I can fight my own battles.”

We stood, inches apart, staring at each other, and for a brief moment, I contemplated ripping my clothes off. Angry Callum was unbearably sexy.

And then, he did something truly unexpected. He put his arm around me and pulled me in for a hug. His arms were strong and warm, and I relaxed into him, feeling his chest rise and fall against my own. It had been a long and productive day, and there was so much excitement and hope for the future.

Cal rested his chin on the top of my head, and we just stood there, looking out at the sun setting over the orchard. “I believe in you, Violet, but you need to let me help you.”

“I am letting you help. But I’ve known Nick since he was born, so please let me handle him.”

“I hate that guy, and he has treated you so poorly in the past.”

“I know. And I appreciate your protective instincts.” I more than appreciated. Seeing him go all alpha male turned me all the way on, but that was neither here nor there.

“At least talk to Astrid. She can probably write him a threatening letter.”

“Good idea. She is terrifying.”

“Yup. She will make his balls shrivel up.”

I laughed into his chest, but inside I cringed as I felt my confidence deflate.

That was probably the kind of woman he wanted, some ball-busting alpha bitch.

I respected the hell out of those women, but it just wasn’t me.

I hated conflict and despised negotiations.

Having Astrid on my team was a massive relief, but it also made me feel inadequate.

People like her and Callum, they weren’t like me.

They were focused and intense and ambitious.

I was just a mom who inherited the family farm and was trying to figure it out.

For a moment—just a small moment—I wished I could be the kind of woman he wanted.