Page 33 of Saving the CEO

“It’s not that we don’t think it’s a good idea,” Capri reassured her. “The problem is that if it does bring in more clients, we’re not going to be able to handle them all.”

“What do you mean? There’s four of us. We can totally take on a couple more clients each.”

Amber blew out a long breath. “We’ve already had to take on your workload this week, so that’s three more cases for each of us. We’re spread thin as it is.”

“I know, but I’m here now. I’ll be taking those clients back from you guys.”

“I wish it were that simple.” Capri walked over and placed her arm around Scarlett’s shoulders. “The thing is, all your clients but one have expressed reservations about having you as their matchmaker. They said they’d rather work with someone else, so we had to follow through on their requests.”

“You guys did what?”

“I’m sorry, Red. Under the circumstances, we thought it was the right thing to do.”

“I can’t believe it.” Scarlett shook free of Capri’s arm as disappointment twisted her insides. “Did you guys explain to them what happened? Did you even try to stand up for me?”

“Of course, we did,” Amber stated matter-of-factly, “you’re our baby sister. We’ve stood up for you your whole life. We’ve always cleaned up your messes. But this is one mess that’s beyond our control. We’re doing what we have to do to keep the business running.”

Scarlett’s throat burned and tears blurred her vision.We’ve always cleaned up your messes.Is that what her sisters thought about her—that she was only good at making mistakes that they had to fix? “I’m sorry I’ve made life so hard for you guys. But don’t worry, you won’t have to clean up my messes anymore. I quit.”

She covered her mouth to stop herself from sobbing out loud, then quickly turned and fled the office.

CHAPTER17

Devin

Devin ran through the doors of his home and straight into Bekah, nearly knocking her over. His heart had been racing ever since his sister called him at work, urging him to come home. “Where’s Scarlett?”

“She’s in the kitchen.” Bekah picked up her purse that had fallen off her shoulder when Devin had bumped into her. “Thanks for coming, Dev. I didn’t want to leave her alone, but I have to get to class. You’re on boyfriend duty now!”

“Boyfriend duty?” he muttered as he watched his sister leave without a backward glance. He ran a hand down his face and released a heavy breath, unsure of what those words entailed. All he’d heard from Bekah was that Scarlett had quit her job and was having an emotional meltdown. Nothing on his resume qualified him to handle something like this, but for Scarlett’s sake, he’d tackle the issue head-on and resolve it for her.

He marched over to the kitchen, ready to problem-solve, when he came upon a scene that had him at a loss for words. There stood Scarlett wearing a bright pink suit with her hair tied up in a bun on the top of her head. A layer of flour covered the countertop where she was kneading a large ball of dough. A baking tray full of cookies sat on her right and a pan of brownies on her left. The sweet smell of sugar and chocolate hung in the air, welcoming him inside, yet his feet remained still as he lingered in the doorway. This was not the state he’d expected to find Scarlett in. He’d left his busy workday for this?

“Hey, what’s going on?” Taking tentative steps, he walked over to Scarlett. “Is everything okay?”

“Devin!” She dropped the dough and jumped into his arms. She clung to him and started crying. “No, everything’s not okay. My sisters said I’m a burden, so I told them I was quitting. Now they probably think I’m abandoning them when the business is in trouble, but I don’t know how else to help. I’d just make things worse by staying. I don’t know what to do. I thought I had faith that God was going to work everything out, but I don’t know anymore. Why can’t I do anything right?”

There was the meltdown he’d been warned about. He pulled back to assess her condition. With her red-rimmed eyes and pink nose, she looked quite helpless but still beautiful. He wiped away some traces of flour on her cheeks, then held her gaze without blinking. This wasn’t anything some good old common sense couldn’t fix.

“I know things may seem bad now, but there’s a solution for every problem. Nothing’s too challenging to resolve. Believe me, I’ve seen plenty of bad scenarios at work. You just need to think through your options. Figure out what your sisters want and what you want and come to a mutual agreement. I’ll help you fix this. In fact, I already have something in the works that will redeem the business’s reputation.”

Scarlett stared up at him, a mixture of sadness and disappointment reflected in her eyes. A wistful smile crossed her lips when she replied, “I love that you dropped everything to come see me and that you feel so passionately about helping, but I’m not a problem to fix, Devin.”

“I didn’t call you the problem. The problem is with the rumors going around about your family’s business, and whatever is happening between you and your sisters is a simple misunderstanding. I can fix—”

She cut him off with a shake of her head. “I know you can probably fix just about anything, but right now all I want is for you to listen and hold me and pray for me.” She ended her sentence with a questioning tone, as if she were unsure how he’d take her request. Her gaze dropped when he didn’t reply. “Or you can help me knead this dough. If you haven’t noticed, I like to bake when I’m upset. It gives me time to think and vent to God about what’s going on. And beating dough up is a good way to get my emotions out. You should try it.”

Devin watched helplessly as she turned toward the counter. Everything she asked of him was in opposition to what he was used to doing. His body itched to move and react, but all she wanted was for him to be still. He was reminded of a Bible verse his grandfather used to have hanging up in his office.Be still, and know that I am God.Devin gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. He had never been good with inaction.

As simple as Scarlett’s request seemed on the surface, it would take every ounce of self-control within him to follow through. Sure, listening and holding her would be easy—if he didn’t also have to hold his tongue and keep his opinions and suggestions to himself. Harder still would be the act of prayer because that would mean he’d have to ask God for help. In asking, he would need to admit that he didn’t have all the answers and would have to wait on the Lord for a solution.

That was precisely why he didn’t pray.

But Scarlett had asked him to. She was everything he didn’t want to be—vulnerable and dependent—yet she was so much braver than he could ever profess to be. Her intentions were pure and genuine, without any pretenses. She made him long for more than the structured and safe world that he had built for himself. Could he put enough trust in God to let go of his need for control?

He would try.

Devin stepped up behind Scarlett and wrapped his arms around her. She stilled and leaned into his embrace with a soft sigh. Holding her tight, he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Chalky powder dusted his lips from the flour on her hair, but he paid no heed to it. All he wanted was to show Scarlett how much he loved her.

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