Page 134 of Homecoming

“We agree that your contributions can’t be easily summarized or given a value because, quite frankly, we’d be screwed without you. I’m sure you’ve been thinking it’d be easier to get another job than to deal with whatever’s going on between the two of us—and don’t say there’s nothing going on.”

“Okay, I won’t,” Renata said with a small smile as an oddly warm feeling overtook her before a slightly horrifying thought occurred to her. “Did you tell your dad there’s something going on between us?” she asked in a high, squeaky voice that had her clearing the panic from her throat. She’d die of embarrassment if the delightful Mr. Williams ever thought she was anything other than professional at work.

“Not in so many words, but I told him I thought it was high time we made you a partner in the business—and he completely agreed.”

Renata was stunned speechless, which didn’t happen very often. A partner in the company. Had she heard him correctly?

“Are… are you doing this for the right reasons, Myles?”

“What would be the right reasons?”

“Because I truly deserve it and not because you want to sleep with me.”

The minute she asked the question, she regretted it because he looked like she’d slapped him across the face.

“You truly deserve it, and you know you do. You’ve been the heart and soul of this place for going on a decade. We value and appreciate your contributions, and we wish to reward you by making you a partner.” He handed over a sheet of paper that outlined the offer, including the significant increase in pay as well as a paragraph about profit sharing that made her eyes bug out when she saw what the number would’ve been for the previous year, which had been given as an example.

“As you know, this year has been better than last, so you can expect quite a bit more than what it would’ve been in that example. We’re prepared to make this offer retroactive to last January first, so you’d benefit from your hard work this year, which has been our busiest one yet.”

Renata’s mind raced with a million thoughts that overwhelmed her all at once, one in particular—that he’d said the exact right thing after she foolishly questioned his motives in making the offer.

“What do you think?”

“It’s… um… a very generous offer, and I appreciate the recognition.”

“You’ve earned it, Renata. My dad and I agree completely on that.”

“Could I think about it?”

The question clearly surprised him. “Of course. Take as much time as you need.”

“Thank you for this. It means a lot to me.”

“Thank you for everything you do to keep things running so smoothly here. Much of our success is due to your hard work.”

Renata needed to get out of there before she embarrassed herself by breaking down. She got up and took the offer letter with her when she left his office. She was through the door when she turned back to him. “Would you like to go to a soccer game and dinner with my cousin and her husband later this afternoon?”

“Are you going to be there, too?” he asked, smiling as his eyes danced with amusement.

Renata sighed with exasperation. “Yes.”

“Then I’d like that very much.”

She nodded and returned to her desk, where she sat for a long moment to gather herself and process what’d just happened.

They’d offered her a partnership.

She’d asked Myles out on what could only be considered a date.

Holy shit.

Dan wasastounded by the sheer scope and size of the Ballard Boat Works campus. He’d seen pictures online, but they didn’t do justice to the vast enterprise he saw before him. Spanning about twenty acres, the yard included multiple large white buildings bearing the maroon company logo, as well as a full marina and a mechanism that Kara called a travel lift, which was used to haul boats out of the water and put them back in.

He watched as a huge sailboat was slowly moved to another location.

“We call this ‘the hard,’” Kara said of the asphalt area where boats were lined up on stands and blocks. “You’re either in the water or on the hard.”

At the far end of the complex, a two-story white building with the BBW logo housed the executive offices.

---