Page 80 of Three Little Wishes

“I’m good. We’ll go out and celebrate after your meeting.”

She held up two fingers and crossed them while glancing up at the imposing glass-and-steel building.

“Don’t be nervous. They wouldn’t have scheduled a face-to-face if they weren’t interested.”

An hour and a half later, she learned they were interested, just not in buying Channel 5. Noah was leaning against the car when she walked across the lot toward him.

“Ted called you, didn’t he?” For the first ten minutes of the meeting, Ted, the head honcho at the station, had talked about Noah and how much he respected and admired him.

“He did, and before you ask, I had nothing to do with you getting a face-to-face with them, or with their offer. Ted wanted me to put in a good word for them, that’s all. They want you for you, Willow. They’d be stupid not to. And Ted is not a stupid man.” His gaze roamed her face. “Why don’t we go and get something to eat? You can tell me what you think about the offer. But you should know that they’re willing to negotiate.”

“Negotiate? Noah, I can’t believe the compensation package they offered me,” she said as he guided her across the parking lot with his hand at the small of her back.

“Whatever they offered you, you’re worth ten times more.”

She sputtered a laugh. “You’re biased.”

“Personally, I am. But not professionally. You’re the only one who doesn’t recognize how talented you are, Willow,” he said as they stood waiting for the traffic light to change.

“You’re great for my ego, you know. But Noah, this isn’t just about me. How can I even think about entertaining their offer when Naomi, Victoria, and everyone else at Channel 5 will be out of a job?”

Noah held open the door to the crowded upscale restaurant. “Is that the only thing holding you back from accepting?”

A couple of weeks before, she probably wouldn’t have even entertained the offer. She would’ve been overcome with anxiety at the thought of leaving her family and Sunshine Bay and would’ve refused almost immediately. But she’d begun to wonder if some of her anxiety had more to do with her not believing in herself and her broadcasting chops than it had to do with leaving Sunshine Bay. Lately, thanks to Noah’s unwavering support and faith in her, she’d started seeing herself as he did.

“Willow?”

She glanced at Noah. He and the hostess were looking at her as if expecting a response to something one of them had said.

“They don’t have any tables available inside.” Noah clued her in. “Are you okay on the rooftop patio?”

“Of course. Sorry about that,” she murmured to Noah as they followed the hostess up the stairs. “My mind was elsewhere.”

He reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Understandable.”

When they were seated at a glass table under a black umbrella, a waitress came over to take their order. Willow ordered a lavender lemonade and Noah ordered a citrus spritzer. They settled on a platter of seafood appetizers to share.

Noah leaned back in his chair. “Would it make it easier foryou to accept the offer if I told you that I’ll do whatever I can to ensure everyone at Channel 5 finds a job?”

She looked away, blinking the gathering moisture from her eyes. He really was perfect. The kindest, most considerate man she’d ever known. The smile she offered him wobbled. “It would.”

“I’m sensing abut.”

The waiter approached with their order. Willow waited until he walked away to tell Noah how she was feeling. “When Ted and his management team were talking about their plans for me, I realized how different it would be from working with everyone at Channel 5. They’re a major network, so I knew it wouldn’t be the same, and this will probably sound naive to you, but our vision for a new, improved Channel 5 didn’t just come from Don, Victoria, Naomi, and me, everyone gave their input. It was a group decision. We’re a team.” She took a sip of her lemonade. “But I’m not sure everyone else feels the same as me.”

“Maybe I’m missing something, but unless you have another buyer interested in the station, it’s a moot point.”

“And here I had been thinking you were the kindest, most considerate man I’ve ever known,” she grumbled.

His lips twitched. “That’s an improvement over how you’ve been thinking about me lately.”

“Did you miss the part where I said Ihad been?”

He held her gaze. “I’ve missed a lot about you these past few days.”

“Ditto,” she murmured.

He glanced at the couples at the surrounding tables, who were clearly enjoying a romantic lunch.

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