“Are you sure? If you do, you won’t get a penny. Isn’t that what the agreement says?”
“I don’t care.”
Brooke tapped her lower lip. “Well, I do. I don’t want you to be left with nothing if things don’t work out.”
“Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’m just trying to be practical. Make sure you have a backup plan.”
“There’s got to be a way to get around it.”
Brooke snapped her fingers. “There is.”
“There is?”
“Fire everyone.”
“What? That’s a terrible idea.”
“No, it’s not. Remember how he dropped everything and ran to see Catherine when she got hysterical and fired everyone?”
“Yeah.”
“He’ll do the same for you. The terms are that you can’t contact him, not vice versa.”
“But he made it clear he didn’t want to see me.”
“No. He made sure you couldn’t approach him. There’s a difference. Just do as I say.”
Amandine shook her head. “I can’t fire everyone who works here. You’re my best friend, and everyone else is like family.”
“Ohmigod you worry more than any—!” Brooke pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Okay, fine. Give them a paid vacation. A long one, so they won’t be around when Gavin comes.”
The suggestion brought Amandine up short. That was a great idea. Her staff would love a vacation, especially one that wouldn’t eat into their paid time off. But there was another obstacle. “But how is he going to learn that I ‘fired’ everyone?”
“Maybe his spies will tell him. For a guy who’s rarely home, he always seems to know an awful lot about what’s going on in this house.”
Amandine snorted. “There aren’t any spies. He wants a clean break.” He wants nothing more to do with me. He thinks we’re better off on our own.
“The agreement doesn’t mention me, does it?” Brooke gave Amandine a foxy smile. “Maybe a little bird will tell him.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
HILARY WALKED INSIDE the office and handed Gavin a small note. “You’re all moved into the new place.”
He managed a smile. She deserved it after days of working overtime to deal with his domestic situation. “Thanks.”
“What do you want to do about your things at the main house?” she asked. “Should I arrange to have them picked up?”
“Later. It’s not that urgent.” His tailor in Italy had overnighted him six new suits.
“All right. Anything else?”
“That’s it for now. Thank you, Hilary.”
“Okay, then.” She left the office.
Sighing, he slumped in his seat. Getting his things from the house he’d shared with Amandine, emptying it of his belongings, seemed too final a goodbye. He shook himself mentally. Who the hell was he kidding? It was over between them. Craig had reported back af