Lena placed a hand on Gabe’s chest. “I’m so glad we don’t have to worry about that.”
Gabe stared hard at Grae, darkness swirling in his gaze. “And what about you, Grae? How are you spending your summer?”
She kept her smile light. “This is our busy season, so I’ve been out on the trails and the lakes quite a bit.”
“It must be wonderful to spend so much of your time outdoors. The foundation keeps me pretty cooped up these days,” my mom said.
“I do love an excuse to get out there and enjoy what’s all around us.”
My father cleared his throat. “What will you do about that job of yours as you and my son get more serious? Lena has devoted herself to supporting Gabe and making sure she’s present whenever he needs her.”
Lena practically preened under his praise, and Gabe shot me a sharkish grin.
Grae’s spine stiffened. “We support each other in all our endeavors. But I’d never give up the things that make me happy to wait by the phone. Caden wouldn’t want me to. When he needs me, we’ll figure out a way for me to be here.”
My hand landed just above Grae’s knee, her skin silky-smooth beneath my palm. My thumb tracked in circles. “She’s right. I love that she has a full life, all her own. She’s worked incredibly hard for everything she’s achieved.”
“And that’s beyond admirable,” my mom said with a smile. “I’d love to go on one of your hikes someday.”
“I’d be happy to take you anytime. Maybe you, Caden, and I could go next week on one of my days off.”
My mother beamed. “I’d love that. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
Grae and my mom lost themselves in planning, discussing options for where we might go and some of Grae’s favorite places in and around Cedar Ridge. My mother came alive in that conversation with Grae, becoming more animated than I’d seen her in years.
Gabe tipped back another swig of scotch, his eyes bloodshot.
Dad studied us both, his gaze finally zeroing in on me. “Have you talked to Clive about finalizing the retreat details?”
Gabe stiffened, his knuckles bleaching white as he gripped the glass tighter.
“We had a call yesterday. I’m getting more of the pieces into place.”
“I can’t believe you’re signing off on this farce,” Gabe clipped.
My dad arched a brow in his direction. “The client made their choice.”
“And what happens when Caden’s woo-woo, kumbaya plan doesn’t work, and the retreat’s a disaster? We could lose Clive’s business for good.”
My father’s eyes flashed. “If that’s the case, then retreat planning will fall to you from then on.” He turned to me. “You take a risk; you have to know there could be a cost.”
My jaw popped as it clenched.
Grae took my hand under the table, her delicate fingers weaving through mine. “And what happens when it’s a tremendous success?”
She asked the question as if it were a foregone conclusion. That was the depth of her belief in me. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever had that before. My mom loved me but steered away from any talk of business and achievements. Maybe because my father was so obsessed with them. Gabe certainly hadn’t supported me. And my father seemed to relish my failures. Clara was the only one who’d ever really believed in me. Until Grae.
My throat tightened as I looked down at her. She met my father’s stare dead-on, not cowed in the slightest.
He gave her a placating smile. “You seem so sure.”
“I am. Caden has a way of seeing to the heart of people.”
Gabe scoffed. “Heart has no place in business.”
Grae shifted her focus to him. “If you know what makes people tick, not just what they want but what theyneed, you can create a solution that will go beyond any expectation they could’ve dreamed up.”
My father leaned back in his chair. “She has a point.” A grin spread across his face. “We’ll just have to see which of my sons has what it takes to lead the company into the next generation.”
