Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
I relaxed in my chair, glad that we’d progressed to the shooting-the-shit talking portion of what might have been a nerve-racking meeting. Reliving glory days was a good sign. And when Ralph thanked us for our time and advised us that the final contract would be sent to our law firm within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, I sighed in relief.
“We fucking did it! We did it!” Hank jumped to his feet, tossed his Stetson in the air, and whooped.
We embraced and exchanged bro punches, giddy with a big win for the town. Layla and Hank’s secretary, Emily, peeked into the office.
“Should I uncork the champagne?” Layla asked, fingers crossed.
“Hell, yes!” Hank hugged both women, then strode through the office and into the mill. Someone handed him a megaphone, and within a minute, the entire warehouse echoed with cheers and applause.
Mill Depot was coming soon.
This was a big win for Wood Hollow Mill. Huge. It was a well-conceived answer to corporate enterprise that would ensure Wood Hollow’s growth for decades to come. To be on the ground floor, making this happen was…well, it was my version of a Super Bowl.
Hank and I eventually returned to his office to iron out a list of to-dos.
“We can get those permits by next week,” I said, my gaze flitting from my boss to the photo of him and his husband, Denny on his desk.
They were grinning into the camera, two horses flanking them, and a dog at their feet. They looked happy and carefree, but I knew they’d fought for the life they’d created, balancing Denny’s NHL career in the public eye with a quieter existence in Vermont. And of course, I thought of Silas and found myself wishing for the impossible.
I’d love to have a photo of us on my desk. It would be nice to put an arm over his shoulder, kiss his cheek and not worry about scandalizing the kids, or hold his hand on Main Street because he was mine and I could. But that was a dream so far out of reach, it was unthinkable.
Silas belonged to another world entirely. And it wasn’t the kind of world that made space for a male lover who also happened to be a divorced dad with complications of his own.
Hank pulled the framed photo toward him and smiled before moving it to the other side of his monitor. “Great. Obviously, this is going to take a lot of teamwork to stay organized. Someone has to interface with Wood Hollow Construction, and you know Glen Ackerson and I don’t get along.”
“I can handle him.”
“Yeah, you’re good with assholes,” he huffed. “But you’ll still be running the mill. Is it too much? Probably. You’re going to need another assistant or—”
“I’ll be fine. We’ll cross that bridge if we need to.”
Hank nodded. “Okay, but…you have a family to think about. I don’t want you to be overwhelmed. I know that on weeks you have the kids, the commute to Fallbrook can be rough.”
“Sometimes. But I’m not sorry I moved to Wood Hollow. I love it here, and so do they. We have a great house on the lake and—”
“And a hot football player neighbor,” he intercepted, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “How come you didn’t mention that you live next door to Silas fucking Anderson to Ralph? That would have scored a few points for us.”
“We didn’t need the points.”
“True, but—”
I stood abruptly and paused at the door. “Congrats, Hank.”
Hank inclined his chin thoughtfully, and just as I wondered if he was going to call me out for being a cryptic weirdo, he smiled.
“To you too. It might not be tomorrow, but eventually this is gonna make you a very rich man, Coop.”
CHAPTER 22
COOPER
Spirits were high at the mill with the promise of a successful venture on the horizon. We were on the verge of putting Wood Hollow on the map in a big way. It wouldn’t be an overnight sensation, but this was happening and the whole town buzzed with excitement.
Or maybe everyone was just having a good summer.
I knew I was. The weather had been near perfect for weeks—nothing but blue skies and sunshine. I’d taken the kids out on the boat to fish or go swimming in the lake with Reg and his kids a few times. And Silas.
Ivy and Chase had insisted that he join us, and I was all for it. I wanted to spend as much time with Silas as possible. With all of them. I had no idea what autumn would bring, and it seemed smart to hoard memories like a squirrel preparing for a long winter.
“Be careful,” Reg had warned, watching Silas lead the kids in a cannonball competition off the side of the boat.
“I’m always careful,” I’d replied, jumping feet first in the water.
That was the fucking truth. I was painfully cautious and had been for years. I just wanted to have a bit of fun before hard decisions threatened the peace. It was coming, and I knew it.