Page 34 of Three Little Wishes

“It’s Megan, isn’t it?” She nodded and held up her phone. “She got to the Beaches first, and they’ve been sending me texts on her behalf.” She shook her head, as frustrated with her squad now as she had been when they began sending her texts all in caps with angry-face emoji. “I can’t believe—”

He held up his hand, cutting her off. “This has nothing to do with Megan and the… Beaches. Whatever they are.”

She opened her mouth to tell him.

“I wasn’t asking. I don’t want to know. What I want is to tell you what I asked Don to keep to himself until I had spoken to you, which he’s obviously been unable to do. I’d planned to tell you when I saw you tonight, since you didn’t have a free moment in your schedule today, seeing as you spend your entire day when you’re not on air volunteering for community events. Which, by the way, is something we’ll be discussing tonight.”

Her spine stiffened at the way he spoke about her schedule, as if he didn’t appreciate her not being at his beck and call. “Oh, so you were actually planning on coming home tonight? Color me shocked since I haven’t heard from you or seen you since you left the beach house at seven last night.” Realizing she sounded like a petulant girlfriend, she said, “I meantRiley hasn’t seen or heard from you since you left the beach house at seven last night.”

“I got back from the station at two in the morning, Willow. I didn’t think you’d appreciate me waking you but I won’t make that mistake again,” he said with a promise in his voice that had her imagining how he would wake her. “My reasoning for not waking you when I left for the station at five this morning was the same.”

“That’s insane, Noah. You can’t function on that little sleep.”

He shrugged. “I won’t have to for much longer. We have two sale agreements left to finalize. There were issues with one of them, but they’ve since been resolved. And this morning I wanted to look over Channel 5’s financials before talking to Don.” He studied her for a moment and then straightened in his chair to type something into his computer. “I’m giving you, and Don obviously, three weeks to find an interested buyer for the station.”

She froze in the chair. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that?”

He angled his head. “That wasn’t the reaction I expected.”

“I guess I’m in shock.” She glanced over her shoulder at her coworkers, who sprang into action as if they hadn’t been watching what was going on in Don’s office. Then she returned her gaze to Noah. “I’d convinced everyone, including myself, that we could change your mind. But I guess I didn’t believe it because I…” She lifted a shoulder, stuck for words.

“It’s the responsibility,” he murmured.

“Pardon?”

“I should’ve anticipated how you’d react. I might’ve givenyou the opportunity you wanted, Willow, but I’ve also placed a heavy burden on your shoulders. The hopes and dreams of your colleagues. And that’s because Don’s not the heart of the station, you are.”

Even though she had a feeling Noah was right about her reaction—she felt more like throwing up than like dancing for joy—Don wanted to save the station as much as she did. She opened her mouth to come to his defense.

“Whether you believe it or not, that’s how your coworkers see you, Willow. I had an opportunity to speak with several of them last night between conference calls. I learned a lot about your colleagues and the inner workings of the station. That’s the problem with being a corporation as big as Bennett Broadcasting, we look at numbers, not people.”

“Is that why you changed your mind?”

He nodded. “I just emailed you the contact information for potential buyers. Don has a copy too. Robyn will be sending both of you the feedback we received when we initially put up the offering for Channel 5. It isn’t fun reading, but it’s best you go in prepared.”

“You still don’t believe we can find a buyer, do you?”

“I’m sorry, but no, I don’t.” He smiled. “Then again, you convinced me to stay with Riley at the beach house for the summer and to let your aunt hide out there, so when you’re involved, anything is possible.”

Noah was right, she thought, reminded of Audrey Hepburn’s quote “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible.’” And the panic that had kept her from fully appreciating Noah’s news was replaced with hope and the urge to celebrate. She wanted to leap from the chair and do a happy dance.

As though he sensed the change that had come over her, Noah’s smile widened, and she no longer wanted to dance. She wanted to throw herself across his desk and kiss him all over his gorgeous face.

Instead, she said, “I appreciate your faith in me, but finding a buyer in three weeks won’t be easy. Is there any chance we could get an extra week? Maybe two?”

“I’m afraid not. We set a target of September thirteenth for the dissolution of the corporation, and the paperwork is underway. Seventy-five percent of our head office staff are moving on to other jobs or have opted to retire at the end of this month. I’m pushing it by giving you three weeks, but we’ll make it happen if you find an interested buyer.”

His phone rang, and he glanced at the screen. “I have to take this.”

As Willow got up from the chair and walked to the door, she turned. “Mr. Elliot”—he looked at her with his brow furrowed, no doubt at her formal address—“you should probably know that I have a crush on you.”

A slow smile curved his lips. “The feeling is mutual, Ms. Rosetti,” he said, lifting his chin at the door as he brought the phone to his ear. “You should join your coworkers. They’ve been waiting to celebrate with you.”

She danced out of his office, yelling, “Whoo-hoo!” to the cheers of her coworkers, but it was Noah’s deep laugh following her out the door that made her smile, and she smiled hugely.

Chapter Twelve

Riley sat in the sand readingA Game of Thrones, the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. It was Noah’s book. He’d written his name inside the front cover. She liked fantasy, and judging from the books lining the shelves in the living room at the beach house, her brother did too. At least he had when he was her age.

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