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“It’s not a pullout,” I tell him.

“Yeah, I checked that out earlier.”

“I’d call for a rollaway, but …”

“Yeah, can’t do that. It’s fine. Maybe we can sneak one in tomorrow.”

I grin.

“Maybe we can.”

I stand. I really am ready for bed.

“Night, Grace.”

“Good night.”

I crawl into bed a minute later with one thought on my mind.

Preston and I just had a full conversation without me storming off.

Shit.

Maybe we can pull this off.

Chapter

Nine

PRESTON

The next two days go by in a blur. We managed to sneak in an air mattress. Where Grace found it, I have no clue, but for the last two nights, it’s been much more forgiving to my back than the couch was.

The bickering between us has been at a minimum and maintained at home, but truth be told, Grace and I are getting along pretty well. Having dinner on the table when she walks in the door is a huge plus. We’re not perfect by any means, but we’re better.

Food. That’s how I’m going to stay on her good side. That, plus the fact I requested for my PR team to make it known that Grace and I would like space during this time. So, the fact that we’ve been able to just sit with this news has been nice.

It won’t last forever, though. We’ve had a few reporters try to sneak in and get a comment, but Mason had them escorted out.

Turns out, Grace likes to work just as much as I do, maybe even more. She’s busy all day long, so outside of dinner, we haven’t seen each other much. I can’t tell if she’s made her day busy to spend less time with me or if she truly just enjoys working that much.

“This is very unconventional,” my father says, sitting at the head of the table. While I’m attending by laptop, he’s seated with a few members of the board. Specifically, the CFO, the COO, and the head of legal for King Enterprises. “But it’s wonderful news.”

I don’t have time to respond before Marcus Chapman, our CFO, jumps in. “Setting aside your relationship, this is just another example of Preston’s unpredictable behavior.”

“I’m not unpredictable,” I defend myself. “I’ve been just as loyal to this company as any of you.”

“You gave away an entire opportunity—for what? To win the girl?” Marcus snaps. “Is that why you took Lovers Lodge off the table and gave it back to the daughter?”

My gaze narrows. The last thing Marcus would understand is running this business respectfully.

All he sees are dollar signs, and while money is always a motivating factor in running a business, being known for our compassion is just as important.

Stealing the lodge from the Richfords wasn’t the right move, no matter who was going to run it.

Marcus stares at me.

“Or was it a strategic move?” Anthony speaks up. “This wedding will combine two successful families, ultimately bringing the lodge under King Enterprises in the end.” He’s a lawyer, so of course he’s looking at this from a business perspective.