Page 36 of You've Got Male

Julie looked from Evie to Jonah and back to Evie and gave a dramatic brow waggle. “Take all the minutes you need.”

Evie rolled her eyes, then grabbed another cookie for Waverly and walked around the counter.

“You don’t have to stop for me,” he said, even though that was exactly what he wanted—to sit down with her and tell her what had just transpired.

“This seems like more of a sit-down conversation. Not one casually thrown over a counter.” They walked to a table in the back and sat. He expected her to hand over Waverly, but instead she bounced his daughter on her knee. “I want to hear everything.”

That comment hit him in the chest. He hadn’t had this kind of excitement since he almost made partner.

“I think it went well. Better than well. Maybe closer to great.”

Her face lit with genuine excitement. “Oh my God, Jonah! That’s amazing.”

“He didn’t seem to care that I’d quit a prestigious job to be a stay-at-home dad. He agreed to really look at my resume and call my former clients before deciding.”

He stopped and Evie smacked the table. “You can’t leave me hanging with two-line items. Tell me everything!”

A little surprised that she wanted to hear all about it, and uncertain about the rusty way his chest expanded, Jonah went into every detail about the meeting, getting more excited by the moment, until he got to the part when he brought up Amber and being a widower.

“I should have left it alone. I know it makes people uncomfortable. And it was like he went from looking at me as a viable candidate to a broken and inept has-been.”

“I’m sure it went in one ear and out the other. I mean, what kind of man would use that against someone?” Evie said. “Plus, I see it as a strength. For you to go through that and come outthe other side with your family still intact? That takes courage, determination, and power.”

Her positivity shined through her and was so contagious he couldn’t help but smile.

He ran a hand down his face in disbelief. “It’s terrifying. Now that this is a real possibility, I have to get my shit together for the actual interview.”

Because there was going to be an actual interview. He was going to manifest the shit out of that.

“You can do this, Jonah.”

He had to. But he also couldn’t do this alone. That was a fact. He needed help. More than that, he needed a professional organizer. “Remember that offer you made the other day?”

She lifted an amused brow. “You mean the one you shot down?”

“Maybe I was a little hasty.”

“No, you were right. It is a ridiculous idea.”

“Give me three reasons why this can’t work.”

“Easy. We hate each other.” She ticked up a finger. Then another. “Our lifestyles clash. And your life is a disaster. You should have a walking hazard sign around your neck.”

“Your life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine.”

She crossed her arms stubbornly. “Then why do you call me sunshine?”

“Because while you pull this June Cleaver act with everyone else, with me you are all fire and brimstone.”

“You just proved my point. And if you want another reason, here.” She handed him an estimate from a landscaping company for his yard if he missed his timeline.

He glanced at it, then crumpled it up. “This is bullshit and you know it.”

“I agree. And FYI, I vetoed it, but the rest of the board saw the progress you’ve made and voted to hire Karlson’s son’s companyif you fail to comply.”

He ran a hand down his face and looked at the ceiling. “Shit. Shit. Shit! I can’t afford this.” He looked at Evie. “I can’t afford this. Not without breaking into the kids’ college fund, which is a nonstarter.”

“You still have a month.”

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