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“Okay.” Hannah had eclectic tastes, often with bright colors. It would be interesting to see what she’d pick out. “I have this.” It was the same dress I wore to the club, and I wondered if Ash would notice.
Hannah made a face as she shook her head. She looked in my closet. “How about this dress?” She gripped the bottom of a professional navy dress with white stripes crossing to make a diamond pattern. Since this was a business meeting, it seemed apropos. The only problem was that it was form-fitting on every curve from my breasts, to my waist and hips and down my legs.
“How about this jacket?” Hannah said pointing to a blue coat that was also tapered to fit close and belted. I’d never worn it with the dress, but when I put it on, it actually looked really stylish and chic.
“You should be a fashion designer,” I said to her as I looked over the outfit in the mirror.
“I want to be a ballerina and a fireman when I grow up.”
I smiled and hoped I was able to make a decision that would let her become anything she wanted.
I went into the bathroom to decide how to do my hair. There was a time when I used to spend a lot of time on my hair. Since becoming a mother, it had gotten a little shorter, although I still wore it past my shoulders, I mostly let it do it’s own thing. Fortunately, I had a little natural wave and so even when I let it dry on its own, it had some style. But since I was having a professional business dinner, I decided to put it up in a loose twist with a few tendrils hanging down. It was professional without looking prim or uptight.
“What do you think?” I asked Hannah.
She grinned. “You’re so pretty, Mommy.”
I bent down and scooped her up. “Ah thank you, baby.”
She pressed her little fingers to my cheek. “I hope I’m pretty when I grow up.”
“Ah baby, you’re beautiful now.” I hugged her, reminding myself that I was going to this dinner for her future. If I could control my hormones, in a few hours, I’d have a good chunk of cash that should go a long way to securing our finances. Because my father helped fund the startup of the club, Ben agreed that the sale of his portion would go to paying off my father’s debts, as well as helping all of us get in a better financial situation. I supposed, much would go into catching up on the mortgage for the townhome. Then we’d be able to sell it because, with this deal with Ash done, I’d be in a situation to move. Hannah and I would start over and all the drama with my family and Ash would be behind me.
9
Ash – Friday
I was incredibly annoyed with how nervous I felt about seeing Beth. If she didn’t want to see me, why was I butting my head against the wall trying to rekindle something that clearly died six years ago? I was a glutton for punishment. Or maybe I hoped that when I’d explained what happened, she’d forgive me. What I knew for sure was that any hope of love in my future resided with her. My brothers would likely accuse me of going after her to protect my inheritance, but I didn’t give a shit about that anymore. I wondered if my father realized that his actions had the opposite effect. Now I had no reason to invest my time and effort in the company because chances were, I’d never get married, which meant no kids and no inheritance. Why bother working at all? I had my own club and my own investments.
I’d been pretty sure Hunter thought the same, so it was a surprise that he not only fell in love with Grace but also planned to marry her. Kade was a committed bachelor, so I wasn’t sure why he hung around anymore. It suggested that he enjoyed his work, which he must have because he was good at it. Chase was the only one of us that drank dad’s Kool-Aid. He married Sara for the money, but in the end, he fell for her and she for him. I was happy for them and the baby they’d soon have.
I waited for Beth at the bar of Kade’s most private restaurant with a vodka tonic in hand. The contract was ready for Ben’s signature unless Beth could show me that she had the legal right to sign it. The whole situation with the two of them hadn’t made sense and so I’d done a little digging and what I found was unsettling. The McAdams empire was circling the drain. No wonder Beth was so eager to sell. While Jet was Ben’s baby, his father had put in the initial funding, which made his part in the club partly a McAdam’s venture. Perhaps that was how Beth was able to negotiate this deal. Years ago, I told Ben to pay back his father to avoid this, but I guess he didn’t. My father might be able to tell me what to do with other clubs, but not Jet. She was my baby. She’d be all my baby once this deal was done with Beth.
