Page 132 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

Hellcat got that crease between her eyes and threw him a puzzled look. But he needed to pitch his idea, so he ducked out of the tent to find a quieter space behind it. He thumbed the call button.

“Hey, what’s up?” His colleague sounded rushed and harried.

Warmth spread through him at the thought that his partner would always take his call, but he met resistance when he considered thinking of his partner as a friend. Because at the back of his mind, fear lingered. It was a ruthless, competitive business and one day, George might fuck him over.

But that wouldn’t happen. He knew George. They’d worked and lived together.

George is way more than a colleague, and I’m an asshole for thinking anything else. “I figured it out.”

“I’m listening.”

“Partners need to be in the office for the first seven years.”

“Okay?” George sounded wary.

“But we never talked about associates.”

“Oh, no, you don’t. Come on. Associates getbonuses. You’re a partner. Partners split the commissions. You’re not working this hard to take a massive cut.”

“I will if it means I can be a father. I bring enough value that no one’s kicking me out of the firm. And it’s to everyone’s advantage to keep me in any capacity, so it’s the best of both worlds. I keep my career and live near Lorelei and my daughter.”

The line went quiet. A worker came out the back flap of a tent, loaded a few boxes onto a dolly, and then wheeled it back in. Across the fairgrounds, the Ferris wheel revolved, and the sound of chatter, laughter, and joyful screams filled the air.

“You there?” Had the call dropped?

“Yeah, I just can’t believe this. I don’t even know what to say. Dude, this is more than finding out you’re a father. Youlovethis woman.”

“I don’t know about that.” He’d never been in love before, so he had nothing to compare these feelings to. His pulse pounded in his throat, and he paced away from the tent. “I have strong feelings for her. I want—I need to…” The boom of van doors closing had him jumping out of his skin. He walked farther away. “All I know is I can’t risk losing her.” But there was nowhere to go. Past the brewer’s tent was nothing but scrub grass. All the action was behind him. “I’ve never stopped thinking about her. Not once. There’s no one like her.”

“Well, yeah, it’s Lorelei Calloway. I could’ve told you that.”

Booker grinned. “You did. Many times.”

“But you’re willing to take a massive cut in salary for her?”

“What else can I do? She’s not going to date someone who lives two thousand miles away. She’s going to find someone here.” The truth squeezed his heart. “And that man will be Stevie’s dad. I’ll just be a father.”

No.

The word roared through him.

Hell, no

“Booker—”

“If I go back to the city, I’ll be a face on the screen of her phone. If I’m lucky, she’ll want to spend a week with me in the summer. And even then, I won’t have time for her. So, you guys either let me be an associate and work in Calamity, or I’ll quit.” Because he wasn’t losing his family.

Driven by his clarity of purpose, he stalked back to the tent.

“You’re not quitting.” George sighed. “Look, don’t lead with this cockamamie plan. Start with changing the terms of the contract. If you hit a brick wall, then…No. Booker, you’re not an associate. Jesus, man. You’ve got me completely turned upside down. Hang on. Let me look out the window because I’m sure it’s a dystopian world out there.”

“What are you talking about?”

“How long have I known you? Fifteen years? You’ve never dated anyone seriously. You never put a single relationship over your work, including your own mother.”

He lowered his head in shame. “Well, when you say it like that, I’m an asshole for still not forgiving her.” His mom wasn’t a pathological liar. She wasn’t selfish. His parents made a choice in a difficult situation, and maybe it was time to stop judging them for it.

“I mean, it was a zinger, but yeah. She’s a grandmother, so it’s probably time to make peace with that one.”

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