Page 56 of Loving Carter

“I haven’t heard anything. I know it’s only been a few days, but how does he like the job?” I keep my expression calm and refuse to look upset.

Ryker looks at me with obvious pity. “His new job is perfect. Big office, helpful staff, amazing company car, lots of bonuses—”

“Stop.” I hold up one hand. In other words, it’s everything I feared it would be, but I want him to be happy. “So he loves it, right?”

Ryker shrugs. “What’s not to love? It’s everything Carter has ever wanted.”

And that’s the problem. The job is everything Carter has ever wanted. I love him, so I’m happy for him.

“That’s wonderful. I’m glad it’s everything he wanted,” I say, amazed that my voice is so steady. But then I realize I mean this. I truly want him to be happy, even if it means I can’t be happy. Well, happy with him.

I know I will be happy again. I still have the business I want, and I live in the town I love. I have many amazing things in my life, for which I am very grateful.

“You’re nice to say that.” Ryker pats my arm. “Everything will be okay.”

“I know,” I say, and I do. I’ll need time to get over this heartbreak, but I’ll go on. I’m too tough to give up.

But I’ll need some time. Whenever I failed at something in the past, I usually only needed a couple of weeks to recover. Not this time. This one is a tough failure. I’m going to need a lot of time.

***

Carter

ILOOK AROUND MY CORNERoffice with a view and realize, this would be so much easier if I hated the job. I could simply tell them I’m miserable working here and that I quit. Viola! Problem solved.

But that’s not the reality. In reality, this job is fantastic. I’ve been here a couple of weeks, and it’s amazing. Great clients, terrific employees who report to me, supportive upper management. I’ll also get huge bonuses, and my company car is spectacular.

This job is everything I could possibly ever want. It’s the culmination of a long-held dream. If I had to design the perfect job, it would be this.

The only problem—I’m miserable.

It’s easy to bail on a job you hate, but how do you walk away from a job that’s your dream? A job that you’ve wanted for years? A job that makes you unbelievably happy?

I’m an idiot, I know. Because all of that is true. That’s exactly how I feel about this job.

And I have never been more miserable in my life.

I’m sitting at my desk, looking out the impressive window. When I finish work today, I’ll head back to the temporary luxury apartment I’m in while I look for a permanent place. And once I’m there, I’ll probably find another window to look out of. That’s kind of my thing these days.

When my phone buzzes, I answer. I might as well. I have nothing else to do. The department I lead runs very smoothly and rarely needs my help.

“Mr. Warren, your brother is on the line,” my assistant says.

She’s very good, and she has an assistant, too. That young man just started, but he shows a lot of promise. I’m surrounded by helpful, effective people.

“What?” I say when I answer the call.

Ryker laughs in my ear. “Hello to you too. I thought I’d call your work line since you don’t always answer your cell phone these days. I wanted to say hi. You’ve been gone long enough to get settled in the job. What do you think?”

“It’s fine.” I’m not happy about talking with Ryker. He makes me think about all I’ve given up for this job.

“Oh, I see. It’s fine. Isn’t that what everyone wants to find—a job that’sfine? Your company can use that on its recruitment brochures. Come work here. People say it’s fine, but not in the slang fine way, but in the normal, bored brother way.”

“Funny,” I say. “What do you want?”

“I love it when my dear brother is delighted to hear from me,” Ryker says.

His teasing tone is doing nothing to settle my cranky mood. “Talk fast, or I’m hanging up.”

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