Page 63 of Book Club Confidential

“I changed because I was trying to—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Devin interrupted. “I ruined my life. You just kind of started a new one.”

Tessa frowned, haunted by his words. “You didn’t ruin your life,” she said. And she hated that he felt abandoned by her. That wasn’t her intention.

He puffed air through his nose in a humorless laugh. “Potato, po-tah-toe.”

“What is with the Michels men and all these vegetable references?” she asked.

Devin was quiet for a long moment. “Hey, don’t worry about what Dad said earlier. You don’t have to help me find a job. I got myself to this point. I can figure out the rest on my own.”

“Devin—” She paused, unsure what to say next. She wanted to thank him, but that wasn’t the right thing to do, and she didn’t want to disappoint their dad.

He shook his head. “You’re off the hook, okay?”

The door opened, and their Dad poked his smiling face inside. “Who wants s’mores?”

Devin was the first to move.

Tessa followed him onto the patio, wondering if this was the start of a healing journey for all of them, or the moment she’d look back on and wish things had worked out.

Chapter Seventeen

By Thursday of the following week, Tessa found her nine-to-five groove. She maximized her time spent in the office by organizing and streamlining her duties. She knocked out the low-hanging fruit over morning coffee, while her brain came to life. Wrapped that up by lunch and concentrated on the more complex tasks in the afternoon. Having a plan and limited time increased her productivity, as did the knowledge that she, too, would leave at five. In fact, she’d completely stopped feeling guilty about working a forty-hour week and looked forward to all the things she could do with her evenings. That new mindset, in turn, created fresh enthusiasm for coming back to work the next day. She wasn’t perpetually exhausted or on the edge of burnout. The rejuvenation cycle was beautiful and powerful. And all week, she’d thrived. She’d even given some thought to local businesses that could use Devin’s help, assuming he stuck around and stayed sober, which she really hoped he would. She’d created a short, solid list. He’d told her not to worry about him, but that was just what big sisters did.

She texted Devin before she changed her mind and invited him to meet her for lunch tomorrow. They could discuss his job search, then visit the businesses she had in mind and see if they felt like a good match for Devin. If one of the shops resonated, she’d reach out to the owner on his behalf. From there, she’d leave it up to him. Regardless of whether he got the job, he’d know she’d encouraged and supported him. And it would make her dad proud.

In an added stroke of luck, Xavier hadn’t been in the office. According to his emails, he was off site, working on strategy and corporate initiatives. According to Millie, he’d set up meetings with corporate attorneys, though he hadn’t specified the reason. Rumor had it, he was preparing Hello, Marketing for another office expansion. Possibly in budget and staff. Landing the Lilacs and Lace account would take them to a whole new level, assuming Peyton could pull it off.

Tessa’s gaze lifted to Peyton. He sat in his new office, making wild hand motions on the other side of the glass wall, apparently arguing with someone.

If anyone had thought for a second that they’d somehow underestimated Peyton’s talent or ability, he’d made it clear this week that wasn’t the case. Anytime Tessa had seen Peyton, he’d been upset, barking at an intern, sweating bullets on conference calls, running late for meetings, or completely missing his appointments.

She glanced at the clock. Only a few hours before the Influencers Ball began, and she’d be dancing on a rooftop with her friends in fancy gowns. Kate couldn’t stop messaging the group about it, and Tessa couldn’t wait to see her in her element.

Tessa’s distracted gaze returned to Peyton, feeling bad as she watched him struggle. Who is he arguing with? she wondered. Hopefully not a client.

Nina exited the ladies’ room and stared at Peyton a moment, then scowled. She caught Tessa watching her and raised one hand, palm up, as if to ask what Peyton was all worked up about.

Tessa shrugged, and Nina headed her way.

“He’s cracking under the pressure, and it’s only been two weeks. You’re still not helping him?” Nina asked. She angled her head in the direction of Peyton’s office.

“Nope.”

Nina pursed her lips, expression pensive. “How are you doing? Need any help with anything?”

“I’m all caught up,” Tessa said. “It’s been kind of mind boggling, actually. I thought I had to put in long hours to get all the work done, but I don’t. I stopped accepting piles of work outside my accounts, which helps, and I started delegating the overflow to the interns, who need the experience.”

“Nice work. Drawing boundaries is hard, especially after you’ve set a precedent.”

Tessa took a deep cleansing breath. “It’s not easy, but it’s still new. I really don’t want to fall back onto the hamster wheel again. It was too hard getting off the first time.”

“Are you ever glad you didn’t get the promotion?” Nina asked. “It’s none of my business, but you seem happier now. And you’re a really cute dresser. I like this.”

Tessa laughed. “I was headed for burnout before,” she said. “Now, I’m heading for balance.” And so far, she was doing pretty well.

“I love that for you. How’s everything else?” Nina asked. “How’s your dad?”