Page 108 of Meant to be Mine

I glanced around his setup. “The booth also looks great.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” He grinned. Then his expression shifted to something more serious. “Hey, Kensey was looking for you earlier.”

My heart kicked up. “She was?”

“Yeah.” He gestured vaguely toward the crowd. “Stop hiding and talk to your woman.”

“I’m not hiding.”

“Finish your drink. You look like you need it.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll came back around later.” I made my way through the crowd in search of Kensey.

I was so damn glad she showed up. Now I just had to find her. My parents were near the Blackwell backdrop, posing for pictures with fans. Sebastian and Bernadette were browsing the jewelry section. But no Kensey.

Finally, I spotted her. She was standing near the edge of the plaza, away from the main crowd, looking up at the sky like she needed air. Even from a distance, I could see the tension in her shoulders.

I walked over, my pulse hammering in my ears. “Kensey, finally.”

She turned, and the expression on her face nearly broke me. Relief mixed with anxiety mixed with something else I couldn’t quite read.

“Drew,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve been looking for you. Every time I spot you, you fade into the crowd like a damn spy.”

“It’s been a crazy day.” I glanced around, making sure we had enough privacy. “Can we talk? Away from all this?”

She nodded and followed me away from the noise and the crowd. We stopped in front of a closed storefront that was out of the way.

“I talked to Briggs this morning,” I started. “About Edith.”

Kensey’s face went pale. “Oh God. Drew, you got the lawyer involved! You told him!”

“Stop.” I held up my hand. “It’s not like that. Just let me explain, okay?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Explain quick.”

“Edith didn’t tell anyone what happened,” I said. “But she quit. Sent a resignation email to Briggs this morning, effective immediately.”

“She quit?” Kensey looked stricken. “Because of us?”

“Yeah. But I couldn’t let her go. Not like that.”

“Well, yeah. It wouldn’t be right.”

I nodded and met her gaze. “I agree. And that’s why I’m leaving the store.”

She stared at me like I’d just told her I was moving to Mars. “What?”

“I talked to the family this morning. Sebastian, Adrian, all of them. They’ve agreed to bring Edith on as manager. She’s more than qualified. So I went to her place and offered her my job. And my sincerest apologies.” I ran a hand through my hair. “She’s sitting out today’s event, but she’ll be coming back. The store will be in good hands with her. Better hands, probably.”

“Drew, you can’t quit.” She shook her head. “You can’t give up your job because of what happened. That’s insane.”

“I’m not giving it up because of what happened. I’m giving it up because I don’t want to be here anymore.” I looked at her directly, making sure she heard every word. “This was a fun challenge for a while, but I think I might go back to my investment roots. The cousins even asked if I would help them out with the broader Blackwell investment portfolio. It’s something I can do from anywhere. New York. LA. New Jersey.”

The last bit hung in the air between us. Understanding dawned on her face, and tears sprang to her eyes. “I was looking for you because I need to tell you something.”

“Wait, please,” I said.

“But the store⁠—”