I happily dialed the number of the Rogers firm. Three hours and a few other phone calls later, I laid back on my bed, completely stunned at what had just happened and the remarkable turn my life had taken.
I jumped up and ran out into the living room to share the good news with my son.
Chapter 21
Brenna
I anxiously looked down at my phone for the hundredth time that afternoon, wondering why on Earth Josh had not called me back yet. I knew it was going to take some time for him to have the conversation he needed to have, but this was taking far longer than I had expected. My mind kept running through scenarios, each one more stressful than the last.
I was so thankful that I found the courage to call him that morning and had been able to get in touch with him in time. I had fallen asleep the night before feeling heartbroken and sick, unable to come up with a solution that made sense. But when Iwoke up, it all hit me. What if we could find a way to make it work?
I had thought back to how I had left things with him and realized that I had made it seem as if I didn’t want to even try. I had closed the door before we even had the chance to consider anything. Once I opened my mind to the possibility of working things out and finding a compromise, it all became crystal clear.
As I checked my phone, I walked out of my bedroom and onto my private deck. It was one of my favorite features about the property, since it gave me my own space. Guests did not have access to this part of the deck, and there was a side gate where I could come and go without having to interact with anyone. I loved talking with the guests and hearing their stories, but there were times when I was in a hurry or when I just wanted to be quiet, and it was nice to know I could do that.
I sat down on my deck chair and started to pull out my phone when I heard someone walking up the path towards my door. Very few people knew about this entrance, and I was curious to see who had come to visit. I leaned over the railing and was surprised to see Rylan walking towards me, smiling, and carrying a small grocery bag.
I looked around but didn’t see Josh, so I figured that Rylan must have come over on his own. “Hello,” I said, opening the gate and letting him onto the deck. “This is a nice surprise.”
“Hello, Miss Brenna,” he said. He reached out and handed me the bag that was in his hand.
“What is this?” I said, taking the bag from him.
“You can look and see,” he said, once again smiling.
I opened the bag and saw a toothbrush, some toothpaste, and a comb inside. I looked up at him, confused. “What is this for?” I asked.
“Well,” he said. “If I am going to be staying here for one week a month or so, I should probably have my toothbrush, don’t you think?”
“What?!” I said, feeling my eyes widen in surprise as my heart started pounding. “You mean…”
“He means we are working things out.” I turned around and saw Josh standing behind me, holding a bouquet of beautiful pink roses.
I walked towards him, and he pulled me into a hug. “Here,” he said, handing me the flowers after holding me close for nearly a minute. “The toothbrush is Rylan’s, but these are yours. And they’re from me.”
“Thank you,” I said, my hands shaking. “What does all of this mean?”
“It means I get to stay with you once a month,” Rylan said. “It means I get to stay here and go to high school with all of my friends, and go surfing every day if I want.”
I looked at Josh, and he smiled. “Yes,” he said. “It means all of that. It also means that I am staying here as well. I will travel to London once a month, and travel to some of the other locations a few times a year, but I will work based out of our Los Angeles office.”
“Your Los Angeles office?” I asked, confused. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around everything that I was hearing, but I didn’t think the Rogers group had an office in Los Angeles.
“Oh, yes,” Josh said, grinning. “That is one of the reasons that it took me so long to get back to you. You see, I talked with Paul Rogers this morning and proposed the idea you came up with. The more we discussed it, though, the more he mentioned that rather than me leaving my company and going to work for him, he wanted to partner with our company and bring Greg and I on as junior partners with the Rogers Group.”
“What?” I said. “But your name isn’t Rogers!”
Josh laughed. “That is exactly what I said when he mentioned it, but he said that it didn’t matter. He wanted to expand and knew that by partnering with both of us it would happen even faster.”
“That’s amazing!” I said.
Josh nodded. “I know! So I called Greg right away and we discussed the idea, and of course, he was immediately on board. It won’t be quite the pay raise it would have been if I had gone to work for them directly, but in the long run, it will be much better.”
“Absolutely,” I said. “This is almost unbelievable!”
“I know,” Josh said. “I almost feel as if I am in a dream. But it’s really happening. We talked with our lawyer and accountant, and they are going to get started on all of the logistics of making this happen. Paul and Wyatt Rogers are coming out here in a week, and Greg and I will go to London next month, but it’s all happening. And it’s all thanks to you and your idea.”
“Wow!” I said. “I am so happy for you!”
