Page 43 of Saving the CEO

“All is forgiven,” Amber declared, “including our bet.”

The knot in Scarlett’s stomach loosened. “Thank you!”

“Although, I think you technically won,” Capri stated. “Youwerethe first one to find your client a match. We never specified who the match could or couldn’t be.”

“Which means the three of us would need to shave our eyebrows,” Emerald admitted with a grimace. “So, I agree that all is forgiven.”

Amber nodded. “You’re more than welcome to come back to work, Red. Business is bound to pick up after this news segment airs, and we could really use your expertise. How sure are you about this career change that you’re making?”

“It’s the only thing I’m sure about right now. I love matchmaking, and I’ll probably come back to it someday, but for now, I’m really enjoying narration. I get to work in my pjs all day and bake whenever I want to. And Devin set up a recording studio for me in his house, too, that I can’t wait to use,” she added with forced enthusiasm.

“Why do you sound so unhappy then?” Emerald asked, picking up on the strain in her voice. “What are you not telling us?”

Scarlett’s chest tightened. Hearing that her sisters approved of Devin meant so much to her, but what would they think if they knew the whole story? Wringing her hands together, she sighed. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to figure this out on my own, but I could use some advice. You guys are always good at steering me in the right direction.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Amber insisted, “so you don’t have to make the same mistakes we did. So, spill. Is this about you and Devin?”

“Yes.” She filled her sisters in on everything that had happened in the past couple of weeks, including the clause in Devin’s grandfather’s will and Devin’s marriage proposal. The more she talked, the quieter her sisters became. By the end of her sharing, they had all stopped eating in favor of listening. She raised her palms up and shrugged. “Do you guys see my dilemma now? I just want to know if Devin wants to be with me for me and not because he needs a wife to save his job. How do I know for sure?”

Capri spoke up first. “What does your heart tell you? How do you feel when you’re with him?”

“Amazing. I feel loved and respected and supported.” Scarlett’s words sprung forth without effort. “Devin makes me happy, and I think I make him happy, too. It just feels right when we’re together.”

“That sounds great and all,” Amber remarked with her no-nonsense attitude, “but feelings are the last thing you should be relying on. Forget feelings. Let’s consider the facts. How do you know Devin is committed? What has he done to show you that he is?”

“He’s done so much. He stood up for me in front of Conrad. He put the studio together for me to use anytime I want to. He left work early to come see me when I was in the middle of one of my baking meltdowns. And he literally wants to spend the rest of his life with me. I don’t know how much more he could do to show me his commitment.”

“Don’t forget the part where he may be single-handedly saving our business,” Emerald added.

“The interview!” Amber and Capri both exclaimed and jumped to their feet, quickly stuffing the last bites of their food into their mouths.

“Sorry, Red, we need to get ready.” Capri gave her a hug and an apologetic smile. “Don’t think too much about this. Just go with your heart.”

“But do try to use your head more.” Amber arched one brow with the unspoken authority of an older sister. “Take your time. You’ll figure it out.”

“That’s it?” Scarlett protested, waving her hands in the air. Her sisters were halfway down the hall when she tried one final attempt. “You guys don’t have any more advice for me?”

Emerald walked over and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. “You’ve got this, Red. If you can hold your ground with a guy like Devin, you don’t need us to tell you what to do. I promise to pray for you, but right now I really need to fix my lipstick. Thanks again for lunch!”

In a matter of seconds, Scarlett found herself alone in the waiting area. She sighed loudly as she considered her options. Part of her felt like she was in the middle of one of those choose your own adventure books she used to read as a child. Go to page 23 if you trust Devin or go to page 76 if you don’t. If only she had the option of peeking at both pages to see which path was safer. Without the ability to look ahead, how could she be sure she was making a wise choice?

Lord, please give me wisdom to make the choice that’s safe and right and the best for me—

Her prayer abruptly stopped. The best—that’s what she’d asked God for. But what didthe besteven mean? Would she be spared from trouble or hurt? Not a chance. Every marriage had its share of disagreements and challenges—even the wonderful one her grandparents had had.

Scarlett’s heart thumped in her chest. She realized she’d gotten it all wrong. It wasn’t Devin she didn’t trust, it was herself.

The reason why she kept second-guessing him was because of her past experiences. She still judged herself harshly for everything that had happened with Conrad. For her foolishness in ignoring all the red flags she saw and her naivety in thinking that she could change him—she hadn’t let herself off the hook for any of it. As a result, she didn’t trust her own judgment. That mistrust had colored her view of Devin and made her jump to conclusions about his motives. But when she took everything into consideration—from her sisters’ input to the peace she felt when she was with him—there were no red flags to speak of. Aside from her grandfather and dad, Devin was the best man she’d ever met.

The best—that’s exactly what she had prayed for. And God, being all knowing and all loving, had answered her prayer before she’d even asked.

Thank You, Lord!

“Are you still here, Red?” Emerald emerged from the hall wearing a fresh coat of lipstick and mascara. When she spotted Scarlett, a bright smile appeared on her face. “Oh good, you haven’t left yet.”

“You look great, Em. Do you need help with something?”

“I wanted to tell you that I had an a-ha moment when I was praying just now. I thought there was something different about you, and I realized what it was. It’s your eyes.”

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