Page 6 of A Newport Christmess

“Perfect. If you could get Peter up to speed on where everything stands this next week, we’ll get you a return flight to Newport for this Friday, the eighth. Does that work?”

“When’s the board meeting?”

“The 13th.”

My arrival seemed a bit premature. “Should I prepare something to present? Or—”

“Nope. Just be there.”

Something felt off. “I’d be happy to take on another project in the meantime.”

“Actually, with Kade and Nikki’s wedding on the twenty-second, we’ve asked Peter to see to any real estate transactions and development issues that arise until after Christmas.”

My jaw hung open. “But, Mr. Carr—”

“We insist, Landon.” His tone was kind but unwavering.

That was over two weeks off of work with nothing but one meeting thrown in the middle. I stared blankly at my office door, trying to think of a response when my blood was now boiling. This wasn’t some well-deserved vacation. This was orchestrated meddling. And I knew exactly who was to blame: Kade. “Thank you, Mr. Carrigan,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m sure my sister will appreciate your generosity.”

“Well then, we’ll see you in Boston ... and for the wedding.”

My hand gripped the phone. “I look forward to it.”

The moment the line went silent, I dialed Kade.

“Hey, Landon. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

I set the phone on speaker and placed it on my desk to avoid taking out my irritation on it. “Did you know your uncle called me today?”

“Really?” There wasn’t an ounce of surprise in his amused tone. “Which one?”

“Roger. But that’s not the point,” I growled. “The point is, he insisted I abandon my current project to return to Newport—until after Christmas—for a single board meeting.”

Kade chuckled. “It sounds to me like you just got yourself a few weeks off, and you’re choosing to be upset about it.”

“What I’m upset about is that my idiot brother-in-law—”

“Soon-to-be brother-in-law,” Kade corrected.

My knuckles turned white where they pressed against the desk. “Sorry. My idiot, soon-to-be brother-in-law pulled his entitled, family-connection card to force me home.”

“I don’t see the problem.”

“You wouldn’t.” My laugh was full of anything but humor. “You’re an idiot, Kade.”

“Three uses of idiot already? You are mad.”

I paced the tight space right behind my desk, shaking my head in disbelief. “Yes, I’m mad.”

Kade cleared his throat. “Okay, I get it. You’re not thrilled with my interfering, but I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Nikki. She misses you. You’ve only come to see us once in the four weeks you’ve been in SoCal. So yes, in hindsight, this probably wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever come up with, but had I asked you, would you have gone home earlier?”

“No! I have a job. You know, one of those things common people do to earn money by showing up at work.”

“Because the prospect of a vacation is obviously a high-stress situation for you, I’m going to forgive you for implying that I don’t work, when, as we speak, I’m on my way to a client meeting.”

“Is this meeting happening on a golf course?”

Kade chuckled again. “Eighteen holes of golf presents a lot of opportunity for talking business.”