He pulled a stack of papers from the front of his jacket and adjusted the mic. I shifted my chair closer to hers. She was expecting this promotion, and I had the feeling her ex would do whatever it took to make sure she didn’t get it.
He ran through a list of names and new titles, pausing while attendees clapped for their colleagues who were being recognized for their work. When he read off the position of Director of Purchasing, Blakely squeezed my hand.
Her chest rose and fell as she took in a deep breath. Gio sought her out in the crowd. His lips curved up at the edges, and Blakely’s whole body tensed.
Then he shifted his gaze to the table sitting directly in front of the riser and his smile widened. “Our new Director of Purchasing is Candy Helman.”
“Oh no, he didn’t,” Blakely mumbled under her breath. Her lips curled up in a gracious smile, but I could sense the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Gio went on to thank everyone for coming and announced the gaming tables were open in the ballroom next door.
“What can I do for you?” I stroked my palm over her bare back. It was rigid, stiff as a board.
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” She picked up her water glass and downed a large gulp. “Never let them see you sweat. Isn’t that some bigwig’s mantra?”
“I think that was a deodorant tag line.”
“Whatever.” Blakely waved a hand in the air. “Let’s go play some poker.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to get out of here?” I would support her no matter what she wanted to do. Even though this was her night and her battle to fight, she wasn’t going to take on her ex and his family alone.
“Yes. I want to win every single prize Gio and his dad have on the auction block.” Blakely linked her arm through mine and smiled. “Where do you think we’ll have the best odds?”
“That’s easy. You’re my lucky charm. No matter what game we play, as long as we stick together, I have a feeling we’ll win.”
15
BLAKELY
Kellan had been downplaying his skill when he told me he knew how to play poker earlier. Within an hour, he’d chased everyone else off the table. When we got up to leave, we had to get an ice bucket from a waiter to carry all of our chips. He must have been right when he said we were each other’s lucky charms. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Gio’s face when I outbid everyone else at the party for that all-expenses paid trip to his family’s compound in the Dominican Republic.
“Should we try our luck at blackjack next?” Kellan asked.
“May as well. I’m feeling rather lucky tonight.” I pressed tight against him as we wound our way through the rest of the gaming tables toward the blackjack area.
“You know I’m in this with you no matter what,”—Kellan sidestepped a waiter carrying a full tray of empty glasses—“but I’m wondering if you’re really planning on using that trip if we win it.”
“Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic?” I asked. Gio had promised to take me several times, but I’d always been too busy to leave the office for more than a day or two at a time. If I ever found myself working for someone else, I’d make sure not to pour my heart and soul into my job. Look where that got me… overlooked for a promotion and probably on the cusp of being forced out.
“Not yet.” Kellan tightened his fingers around mine. “But I hear it’s a nice place to spend a honeymoon.”
“Is that so?” My belly tightened at the easy way the comment rolled off his tongue. I hadn’t even known the man for forty-eight hours, yet I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life by his side. I’d always laughed off stories about instant connections and soulmates, but there was no other way to explain it. The feelings I had for Kellan went way beyond infatuation. It was like the cells that knit his body together shared some intimate connection with mine. Like we recognized each other on a level so deep that I’d never be able to understand it, much less explain it.
“I told you, Blakely, I’m serious about you. Serious about us. I know this seems too soon, but I was wondering if you meant what you said about running your own business.”
“Of course I did. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was a kid. I’m the only third grader I know who was able to buy her own bike with the proceeds from a lemonade stand.” Hard work didn’t scare me, but having to depend on someone else did. That’s why I’d been tucking every extra cent I made into savings so I could afford to strike out on my own.
“There’s a commercial space for lease in downtown Broken Bend. It’s where I grew up and I think we could make a go of it if you want to try.”
“Together?” I asked.
He held our joined hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss against my wrist. “Of course. I’ve got some money tucked away that could get us going and there are a few grants we could apply for from the downtown business association. They’re revamping the square to make it more of a tourist attraction. With your retail experience and my knack for the numbers, I think we’ve got a good chance at success.”
I stopped walking and stared at him. “Where did you come from? It’s like you dropped into my life out of nowhere and are offering to make all of my dreams come true.”
His husky laugh sent a wave of heat rolling through me. “I feel the same way. We can go take a look at the space tomorrow if you want. I’d love to show you around Broken Bend.”
“And I’d get to meet your brother?” Gloria had told me a lot about him, but I hadn’t had the chance to meet him in person yet.