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“Instead of us?” Marci asked, though her question carried a touch of anger.

“It sounded like he wanted Kian’s opinion, since he always dealt with Lorelei and she’s gone now. I’m not going to argue about how or why he reached out. If Kian can woo him into signing on the dotted line, can we complain?”

“Kian? You’re not going?”

“No,” she said, noticing Marci’s frown immediately. “It’s on Monday, and we’re in the middle of the Christmas season. I can’t leave you here alone without help.”

“Without help? We have managers for every department. I’ve got this. What do you think I do on your days off? Let the place fall apart? No, I do the work that comes with my title. I manage it.”

“Not what I meant,” Joy said, knowing she’d offended her friend, even though that wasn’t her intention. “But I’d be hours away if anything happened.”

“Again, I can handle it, and you know I can, so I wonder what the real problem is.”

“Nerves?” Joy asked, hoping her friend would understand and drop it.

“About going away with Kian or about securing Harrington and Vale for the mall?”

There went that hope.

“Probably both. The meeting is at four at the country club with Mark Stanton. He called it an early dinner and chat. Then Kian wants to stay for the tree lighting at Riverlight Park. We’d stay over and return Tuesday morning.”

“Stay over?” Marci asked, a brow raised.

“Separate rooms!” Joy exclaimed, shaking her head.

“Well, if you ask me, it sounds like a bit of business and a bit of pleasure. I do believe Kian Van Adler asked you out on a date. The question is, will you go?”

The answer to that question might end up being the most important of her life, both professionally and personally. Did she want Harrington and Vale to anchor her mall? Yes. Did she want to go to a tree lighting with Kian? Also yes.

“We’ve seen one hundred tree lightings,” Joy answered, as if that would appease Marci. “In fact, we have one on Saturday. We could go to the meeting and come right back so you wouldn’t be alone for long.”

All Marci did was give her the death stare. She knew it well. It was the stare that suggested someone rethink what they’d just said, or Marci would say words that would make her grandmother gasp.

Sighing, Joy toyed with the cup on the coffee table. “Fine. This has nothing to do with you being incapable of running this place. You’re more than capable, or you wouldn’t be within ten feet of it.”

“This has everything to do with you realizing that Kian isn’t the same person he was when you were kids, even as you wonder whether you can trust him.”

“That,” Joy answered immediately, pointing at Marci. “I’ve never had a reason to trust him before. There was never any need. He did what he did, and I did what I did. Occasionally, we crossed paths. He’d hurl insults at me, and we’d be on our way.”

“But he’s all grown up now. All I’ve heard him do is hurl compliments your way, care about your mobility needs, and, oh yeah, kiss you!”

“Looking at it that way, I guess trust is earned, and he has earned a good portion of mine, especially because he came to me immediately about the Harrington and Vale situation before setting up the meeting.”

Marci waved her hand. “Wait, he talked to you about it before agreeing to it?”

“This afternoon,” Joy agreed. “While I was there, he called Mark to set up the meeting.”

“Then, duh!” Marci exclaimed. “You have to go! Do you realize how much this mall’s profits would skyrocket with an anchor store like them?”

“Of course I do!” Joy jumped to her feet, wobbling before righting herself. “If we got Harrington and Vale, it would be the closest outlet store of theirs in three states. People would pour in here, which would, in turn, help everyone else in the mall. From a business perspective, this is a home run.”

Marci stood and grasped Joy’s shoulders. “But from a personal perspective, letting your guard down with Kian is terrifying.” Joy nodded. “Here’s a question to consider,” Marci said, holding up a finger. “If you had no history with Kian before he walked into this mall ten days ago, would you question whether you could trust him?”

“No, but I also can’t pretend the past didn’t happen. It obviously did.”

“The word past indicates he’s changed and is no longer the red-flag guy you knew in high school. I think it’s only fair to give him a chance to show you his true colors. If they turn out to be black, well, I’ll eat my hat, though I don’t think that’s the case. From my experiences with him, he’s become a green-flag kind of guy.”

“You think the person he is now is someone I can trust.” Joy didn’t phrase it as a question because it wasn’t one. It was a statement. One Marci agreed to with a nod. “I want to believe that too. Maybe Monday is a way to test his true colors in business and pleasure?”