Page 77 of Hopeless Romantic
“You could write it in that book of yours as seating arrangement and food sampling. That it happens under the setting sun doesn’t make it any less professional.”
“We do need to arrange a time to pick the menu.” And her week was filling up. She glanced down and groaned. “But I’m dressed like an action figure.”
“If action figures looked like you, I’d have never left my room when I was a teen.”
“Are you asking me to play hooky again?”
With a grin that had her inner bad girl wanting to come out and play, he said, “I can think of some more descriptive names, but for the purposes of this conversation, ‘hooky’ works.”
Temptation zinged. Escaping with Levi, even for an hour, sounded deliciously sinful. Plus, they did need to put a check through those tasks, and soon. The wedding was only a little over a month out.
She pulled her schedule out, flipped to today, and groaned. “I have a client after the hospital, and I won’t have time to swing back here and still pick up Thomas from school on time.”
He shrugged and moved behind the bar. “Paisley’s got her driver’s test later today. I can drop Thomas off when I take her home.”
“That’s a lot of driving around for you. Don’t you have a ton of work?”
“If it means I get to see you again.” He shrugged. “Plus, I’ve hired this company to take some of the load off. It’s run by a brilliant and sexy woman who’s assured me I’m making the right choice by outsourcing my staffing issues.”
He reached under the counter and slid a stack of official-looking papers onto the bar in front of her.
“What is this?”
“I lined out a rough proposal for you to look at.”
A bubble of emotion expanded high in her chest; she felt as thrilled by the gesture as she was when he’d first offered the opportunity.
“You are making the right choice,” she told him, drawing up all her self-confidence so she would sound 150-percent certain. “In fact, I’ve begun planning out my strategy for you to look at.”
She reached into her big bag and pulled out an official-looking proposal of her own. Secured in a sleek folder, it was professional, organized, and, she hoped, impressive.
“Look at you,” he said with the lilt of approval in his tone. “All official and organized.” He opened the folder and turned the glossy colored pages, studying the color-coded tabs, charts, and steps she thought they should take. “You clearly spent a lot of time on this.”
“You’re entrusting your family’s business to me when you had no reason to. I’m going to do everything I can to prove to you that your confidence in me isn’t misplaced.”
“Beckett, you didn’t have to—”
She held up a silencing hand. “But I did. For me, this opportunity is huge. That it’s coming from someone so successful means even more.” The sensations roiling inside her were complicated and difficult to identify. This chance meant so much more to her than she could explain. But, since crying wasn’t exactly professional, she swallowed and went on. “By Monday, I will have a list of solid office-manager candidates for you to interview.”
“Of that I have no doubt.”
“Once you make your choice, I will work with the new hire to address the rest of your staffing issues. My goal is to make sure you are properly staffed by the bachelor party.”
He made a face. “Emmitt and Gray have big mouths.”
“Don’t be mad at them. It was my idea to use them as resources to better understand where you needed the most help.”
“I can only imagine what they said.”
“Nothing I didn’t already know. That you’re a sweet guy with a huge heart who works tirelessly to make sure his family is happy and cared for. At his own expense, even. That man deserves a few days to relax with his friends.”
“I’m sweet?” His brows snapped together. “I can’t picture Emmitt or Gray using that word.”
She smiled, pressed her elbows on the bar, and leaned toward him for a kiss. “Very sweet.”
His eyes hazed over with heat as the knuckles of one hand slid down her cheek. “Go on.”
Her smile grew. “And caring.” She kissed his cheek. “And hardworking.” Then the cleft in his chin. “And deserving of being someone’s top priority.” The final kiss captured his lips and lingered so long it made her belly flip.
