“My cases weren’t reshuffled, Mr. Stewart. They were given to Evan because he’s engaged to Mr. Davis’ daughter, Genevieve.” She released a bitter huff. “By the way, how did that work out for you?”
“Well, Charli—”
“I think it should remain Miss Harris, thank you,” she responded coolly. She glanced and met Jack’s eyes from across the kitchen. His eyes were wide and his jaw tense, silently taking in the conversation.
Mr. Stewart cleared his throat again. “Of course. Miss Harris. I was calling to determine when you planned to return.”
Charli blinked. “Return? Return to what? My cases were removed, remember?”
“Well, Charli—I mean Miss Harris,” Mr. Stewart blustered. “That was just a trial period. We wanted to see if Evan could handle some serious cases.”
Charli felt her jaw drop as she stared at her phone.
Are you freaking kidding me? Trial period?!?! THIS is how he wants to spin it?
“A trial period? Are you seriously telling me that you sandbagged my career to see if Evan could prove himself?” She laughed bitterly.
“Now, Miss Harris, I can tell you’re still upset and I’m sorry about that. But I’d really like you to consider my offer.”
Charli ground her teeth for a moment, the professional in her warring with her childish side that wanted to tell him to jump off a cliff. But she had dedicated over a decade to making partner and that made her pause...the professional won out for a moment. She took a deep breath and moderated her tone before replying, “Okay, Mr. Stewart. What’s your offer?”
“We’d like to have you back in the office on Monday. You’ll have your cases back and we’ll make you a full partner with no buy-in required. And I’ll have you know that’s the first time we’ve ever made this kind of offer. I think you know that our buy-ins sit at five hundred thousand dollars.”
Charli released a long, slow breath. “That’s an interesting offer, Mr. Stewart. May I ask where those cases stand as of today?”
Mr. Stewart cleared his throat yet again, and Charli could practically picture him adjusting his collar in discomfort. “Mr. Parker’s cases have gone toanother firm and he’s currently suing us. Now, I think you may be able to persuade him to drop the lawsuit.”
Charli grunted noncommittally. “And the rest?”
Mr. Stewart sighed. “We’ve lost three of the clients, but we’re hoping you can get them back.”
“Just so we’re perfectly clear about your expectations surrounding this deal. Evan ran everything into the ground and you want me to come back and clean up his mess? This includes convincing Mr. Parker to drop his lawsuit and reacquiring the three other lost clients,” she deadpanned.
“Well, to be blunt, yes, we do.”
Charli stared at her phone for a long moment, her mind going in a circle like a roulette wheel. Suddenly everything settled into place, and she knew her answer. She pressed her lips together and looked up, meeting Jack’s gaze. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were wild. His hands gripped the edges of the table until his knuckles were white. He was clearly as emotional about this call as she was, but for entirely different reasons she suspected.
God, I love this man. I could never leave him to go back to this nightmare.
“That’s quite an offer, Mr. Stewart.” She held Jack’s gaze. “But my answer is no. I don’t believe that I could or should succeed under those terms, and I honestly have serious ethical concerns with the waythe firm favored a male associate over myself. I’ve relocated to Key West and plan to open my own firm down here.” She grinned when her answer registered with Jack. His mouth dropped, and he seemed to deflate like a balloon.
“But, Charli—” Mr. Stewart shouted.
“Thanks for calling, Mr. Stewart. You’ll have my resignation letter first thing in the morning.” Holding Jack’s gaze, Charli ended the call and tossed the phone on the counter.
“God, that felt good,” she said, feeling a literal weight fall off her shoulders.
Jack still stared at her, not saying a word.
“Are you okay, Jack?”
“Are you serious?” he whispered, his voice cautious. “You’re staying? He offered you the partnership you’ve been working so hard for. Are you sure?”
Charli tilted her head, and her eyelashes fanned down. “Is that all right with you? That means I’ll be underfoot all the time and driving you crazy. But I really think we can do great things with Paradise West and I want to help make that happen.”
Jack stood from the table and slowly walked over to her, the look on his face incredulous. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely thrilled that you’re staying. It’s what I’ve wanted since the moment I saw you in theterminal. I just can’t believe you quit your job, and I want to make sure you’ve really thought it through.”
She reached out to him, her hands lacing together behind is neck. “I quit in my heart a long time ago. My mind just had to catch up.”
