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I can make out Boone’s voice, although not the words.
“Yes, we can. Did you yell?” She glances at me with an enigmatic smile. “You were good? Okay, give us a minute.” Maddie beams at me. She bounces with energy. “I have something for you.”
Oh, no. “If this is a surprise going away party, please don’t.”
“It’s better. Way better, I promise.” She grabs my arm and pulls me into the hallway. “It’s in the conference room.”
I blindly follow and blink several times when we enter. “Jake?” I don’t understand.
He leans against the far wall, one foot propped against it, and smiles wide at our entrance.
Boone sits in a chair, watching us, and he isn’t smiling—he never does.
“What’s going on?”
Please tell me because this doesn’t look like a surprise party.
40-Sarah
They’re going to fight right in the middle of headquarters, and I’m being called in to act as a referee. Worse, I’ll be asked to pick between them all over again. I brace for yet another go-kart race.
Jake’s confident smile is reassuring. Naturally, I respond to all this by standing like an idiot. My arms dangle, leaving me feeling gangly and unsure.
Maddie chews her lips, but that doesn’t prevent them from curling upward. She knew Jake and Boone were together. She knew it before we spoke.
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” I ask because this whole thing is excruciating. Also, Boone’s dour expression isn’t working on me today. I’m done feeling guilty. “If this is another conference room brawl, I’m leaving.”
“Nah, princess. Why would you think that?” Jake asks and smiles his cocky smile. “Your brother and I are best friends now, right, Boone?”
My brother doesn’t respond. “We’re talking a business deal, and it doesn’t seem right to proceed without you.”
“I told him everything,” Jake says. “About our new company with Bert and plans for next year, especially the part aboutTop Rowand how we’ll be moving away soon.”
That’s the only part of the plan that makes me miserable.
I consider and sit at the head of the table. It’s a superficial gesture, but damn, I kind of like it.
Jake notices and winks before sitting next to me.
“Am I the only one in the dark?” Maddie asks.
“They need another company to help with manufacturing. Jake wants us to do it,” Boone says.
My throat seizes up, and I choke.
A hand slaps my back, and Jake’s eyes meet mine. “Are you okay?” He sets a bottle of water down in front of me.
I drink and instantly feel better. I’m also embarrassed. “You surprised me, that’s all.” My cheeks burn. “Never do that again.”
“That’s a challenge.” Jake wags his brows. “Because we both know I will.”
Surprises worse than tiramisu dessert and rainbow clown wigs are coming my way, and nothing will stop them. He’ll start doing song and dance numbers when we’re in public. Jake is too confident to recognize embarrassment.
“What aboutTop Row?” I ask him. “We’re set to sign the contract. We have press releases drafted and ready to go.”
“Toss them in the trash.” Jake takes my hand, and our eyes meet. “Everything you did still applies. All those financial numbers and plans still work. The only difference is our contract is withRivers Motorsports.We stay here. I know this is where you want to be.”
Asking Boone to help never occurred to me. The conflict between him and Jake has lasted two years and shows no sign of changing. I begged Jake to try last year, and that failed. Then I tried the same with Boone, and he decided I was incapable of understanding Jake’s motivations. I gave up after that.
