Page 49

“Excuse me, Miss Sheridan?”

I spin around to face the woman who’d spoken my name in a polite but firm tone. I’m surprised to be staring at someone who looks like the poster child for swim moms everywhere with a tone that deserves to be commanding boardrooms. Her smile is warm, but professional.

“That’s me.” I smile, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “What can I help you with?”

“It’s nice to meet you! My name is Rachel Smith. My daughter Daisy swims on Coach Ronan’s team.” The girl in question instantly pops into my mind. She and Emmie have gotten close, clicking almost immediately. I’ve heard Ronan and Bryce, reminding them to focus on practice.

“Right.” I shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Daisy is a great kid and a wonderful swimmer.”

Rachel flushes in the way all doting parents do when someone compliments their kid. It’s the same prideful look Ronan gets when Lezak learns a new trick. “Thank you. I was wondering if I could speak with you about a job offer? ”

Well, that’s certainly not what I was expecting to hear right as practice is about to start. I was about to retreat to the gym for a quick workout. “Oh, that’s very nice, but I’m in the process of building—”

“Your own freelance marketing business, I know. Bryce told me when I asked who does the marketing for Adair. I’m looking to hire an independent marketing professional for the business I run with my wife. Is there somewhere quiet we can talk?”

I blink, but recover my surprise quickly. “Sure. We can go up to my office or go outside?”

Rachel agrees to stepping outside, since it’s not too hot. Before long, the two of us are sitting across from one another at a picnic table. Rachel slides a dark green folder across the table to me.

“My wife and I own a number of restaurants and bars in both Columbia and Charleston,” she begins.

“Bryce told me you like to work with people who have causes. I’d like to chat about some of the things we believe in.

First, we locally source as much product from South Carolina farmers as possible, but all our products are organic and ethically sourced, regardless.

Secondly, and most importantly, my wife was formerly a social worker and has seen firsthand the difficulty children face when they age out of a system that doesn’t always work in their favor.

Over seventy-five percent of our workforce is made up of kids who are about to age out or have aged out but don’t know where to go. ”

I feel an itch under my skin, a dozen or more ideas already bubbling up in my head. “And you would want me to handle the marketing for the restaurants?”

She smiles. “Exactly. Our last marketing person didn’t seem to care about the vision we had or the difference we were making in these kids’ lives.

We provide a sense of normalcy, teach them a positive work ethic, and help them learn what to expect from the outside world.

I think you’d be perfect to take this over. ”

“I would love the opportunity to present my portfolio and a list of references—”

“Mia, I’ve looked through your portfolio, read the testimonials, and even looked at the work you did under your former employer in Charlotte.

As far as we’re concerned, this is a done deal if you agree.

The contract, description of work, and everything else can be found in this folder.

Take your time, look it all over—even have a lawyer look it over if you’d like.

I’m willing to wait for you. The only way we’re pursuing any other options is if you turn us down. ”

From the window overlooking the deck, I can see Ronan and Bryce talking.

It doesn’t take me long to realize they’re talking about me.

Between Ronan’s look of frustrated confusion and the way Bryce keeps motioning toward the window, despite neither one of them knowing I’m in the building tells me enough.

I don’t know what they’re saying, but part of me wants to go down there and handle it myself instead of making Bryce do it.

The other half of me is tired of being the only one who fights for me. So, I let it go this time.

I still haven’t decided what to do about the Ronan situation.

He hasn’t given me any sort of honest explanation about what kept him in California and whether or not it’ll take him away again.

But I also haven’t given him the chance to explain.

He got in late last night after I told him I couldn’t pick him up at the airport due to a freelance client, but then I was already in bed when he got home.

He’d called my name in the dark, but I’d pretended to be asleep, my heart twinging when he pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

After not getting much sleep, and his exhaustion from a cross-country trip, I was able to sneak out before he woke up .

I’ve been avoiding him since.

I’m surrounded by Olympic gold medalists, but if there was a chance to win one in avoiding conflict, I’d be the most decorated Olympian of all time—not Michael Phelps.

Ronan glances up toward the window, eyes lighting up when he sees me. He gives me a wink that has me frozen on the spot before excusing himself and heading down the deck. I watch Bryce sigh before looking up toward the window, shaking his head when he sees me.

I think we might be getting written up by HR.

I grab my drink and settle onto the couch with my laptop and the folder Rachel gave me. I'm not in the mood to have some long, drawn-out reunion with Ronan, but it'd probably be in our best interest if I didn't completely ignore him.

"Hey, gorgeous," he greets when he enters the room.

I look up at him and fight the swooping feeling of my heart. He looks good. Well-rested and refreshed in a way I've always associated with California. And that's just another pierce to my heart. Because why would he want to stay here when California treats him like that?

"When did you get here?" I don't get up, keeping my tone casual as I flip open the folder, looking through the paperwork but not really taking in any of it.

He hesitates by the chair. "About an hour ago. What are you up to?"

"Hmm?" I feign being interested in what's in front of me, looking up at him with a smile. "Oh. I’m looking over some information a potential client gave me. Figuring out if it's something I want to move forward with."

It is. I know it is. I read the package front to back a couple times and showed it to both Bryce, who sang Rachel's praises the way he apparently sang mine, and Josie. Both of them are in agreement that this is an opportunity I should take.

I'm not sure I'm ready to share this news with Ronan, though. What difference does it make if he knows the truth when he's probably not going to stick around long enough to see it come true?

"Yeah?" he asks. "Are you thinking about taking it?"

"I am. It's a long-term contract. I'll have a better idea of my monthly income with it." The vagueness of my answer puts a bitter taste in my mouth. Hadn't we just spent glorious weeks tearing those walls down brick by brick? And now I'm building them back up.

I'm tired of destroying, only to rebuild.

"That sounds like a great opportunity. I'm happy for you."

He's happy for me, but not happy enough with me to stay, to see where this thing could really take us and find out if it'd be as magical as I always wondered.

"Mia." His tone is gentler now, quieter. "I think there's been a misunderstanding about what's going on here."

I fake a look of pure innocence when I tilt my head. "I have no idea what you mean, Ronan."

"Can you come over tonight?"

That's the last thing I want to do. Why would I give him the opportunity to break up with me in person?

But there's still a small part of me that's holding onto the hope that I'm wrong. Maybe he doesn't want to break up with me. Maybe he doesn't want to tell me he's moving back to California.

It's stupid to hold any hope around this, but I can't help it. I want to believe he's not capable of abandoning people the way he was before.

"Mia, please. I have news I want to share with you, and there are some things we need to clear up."

"Fine," I relent. "Do you have practice tonight? "

"Uh, no. Bryce wasn't sure when I'd get back, so he was already planning to lead it. He wants us to figure things out first."

Because Ronan is moving away and Bryce would be the one to take over, having the most experience as a freestyler.

"I'll be there at six." I stand from the couch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to call the owner of this company and tell her I accept her offer."

"I can't wait to hear about it!" Ronan calls happily, but I close my office door behind me.