Page 55 of Paradise West
“Evan’s jumpy as hell and every time he opens his mouth, he’s screaming at his staff.” Annette smirked. “I’m guessing that douche canoe is in a little over his head.”
Charli snorted a laugh at Annette’s pejorative for Evan and replied, “The kiddie section would be way over the bastard’s head.”
Annette gave a sharp nod. “Exactly. There’s a lot of whispering going on right now, and I’ll probably have a better idea of what’s going on in a few days. Want me to call you next week?”
Charli stopped in the middle of the room and released a rough breath. “Actually, I’m wondering if I should just head back up there tomorrow and see it for myself.”
“No!” Annette practically shouted. “Charlotte Dorothea, you are not coming back to this office to fix their monumental fuck up after what they did to you. Listen to me—you are going to stay in paradise with that incredibly hunky partner of yours and finish the job your aunt left you. That is your priority right now, not this shit storm. These assholes made their bed—let them lay in it.”
Charli groaned. “Annette, you didn’t hear Alan this morning. He was panicked, scared, and absolutely livid—I’ve never heard him this upset. Honestly, it’s not the firm I’m worried about. I can’t leave Alan like this.”
Annette’s lips pursed. “From what little I’ve gathered, Alan’s case has already progressed to a trial. I don’t think there’s anything you could do to change that, especially with the board pushing Evan to take an aggressive track.” She paused and glanced around discretely, then leaned in toward the screen. “Honestly, the best you can do for Alan right now is help him find a new attorney and then back him up when he decides to sue this firm for malpractice,” she whispered urgently.
Charli funneled her fingers through her hair and sat at the desk. “I don’t know what to do,” she groaned.
Annette was quiet for a moment before she asked, “What does Jack have to say about this?”
Charli huffed. “Of course, he wants me to stay. If I leave, it puts our ownership in jeopardy,” she added sourly.
“Oh my god. Are you serious right now? Because if you are, I will totally come down there and slap you silly.” Annette finished that line with a severe look. “That man is completely obsessed with you, and it has nothing to do with the property you two inherited. Of course he wants you to stay, but the operative word there isyou.”
Charli stared at the phone, wishing beyond words that what Annette said was true. But it was tough to dispel the little, nagging inkling of doubt that what she had with Jack was just too good to be true.
“And since we’re talking about that gorgeous handsome stud, how is he?” Annette asked, switching the subject.
Charli shrugged a shoulder. “He’s fine, I guess.”
Annette’s eyes squinted and her head tilted to the side. “Just fine? You guess??”
“Well, yeah,” Charli deflected, unable to meet Annette’s gaze on the screen. “He’s...doing okay.”
“Oh. My. God! Yes! You totally slept with him, didn’t you?” Annette crowed in the background.
“Shhhhhhhhh! Keep your voice down, people will hear you,” Charli urged. “Rumors like that are the last thing I need floating around that firm.”
Annette scoffed. “Who cares what these pencil necks think? And stop trying to change the subject.” She smirked. “You two had sex, didn’t you?” she added, waggling her eyebrows.
“Nope,” Charli replied firmly. “I am not having this conversation with you right now.”
Annette chuckled, her expression victorious. “That’s all right, sister. You don’t have to say a thing. I can see it on your face and in the glow you’ve got, and I’m so freaking proud right now that I could pop.”
Charli huffed. “Annette, focus. I need to figure out a way to get Alan out of this mess.”
“No, Charli, you don’t.” Annette insisted, her gaze firm. “Right now, you need to focus on that property you’re restoring and that incredible man you’re working with,” she added, using parentheses as shesaid ‘working’.
Her expression became stern. “I’m serious, Charli. There’s not a damn thing you can do for Alan other than what I told you. And you can do that comfortably from Key West with a few phone calls. Stay down there and see what happens between you and Jack, because you two have something special. You have the chance of a lifetime with what your Aunt Dottie set up, and I’m not talking about the properties and trust.”
Charli inhaled deeply and gave herself a minute to take in Annette’s advice. “You’re right. If I show up there, it’ll only make things worse,” she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper.
Annette smirked. “Of course I’m right. Now get back to work with that hunk and hurry up and finish the renovations on Paradise West because running that place is my next job,” she added with a cheeky grin.
* * * *
The next week passed quickly as repairs throughout the compound moved forward at a rapid pace. That Thursday morning, Charli was painting a completed section of the massive wrap-around front porch.
After the incident with Amelia, she hadn’t worked up the nerve to venture inside the old house. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any other reports ofcreepy paranormal activities since construction had begun.
She pursed her lips as she concentrated on moving the brush slowly up and down, enjoying how the antique white paint filled the grains and grooves in the wood, smoothing out all the imperfections. The repetitive motion was perfect therapy and her mind wandered back to the conversation she had with Alan the day before when she’d called with the referral to a new attorney.
