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“Stay for two weeks?”Sterling muttered as he drove over the bridge and away from Sanctuary. “That’s even more ridiculous than the other demands.” As if he could take a couple weeks away from his job on a whim because Katarina Hopa disapproved of his lifestyle and might listen to him if he indulged her crazy idea. It wasn’t possible. Not with his boss, Eli Lockwood, having moved from central Auckland to the lakeside town of Itirangi in the South Island to be with the woman he loved. Someone needed to keep the employees under control.
Sterling swerved into a parking lot near the beachside pavilion and wandered across the road, where he sat on a wooden bench. He withdrew his phone from his pocket and dialed Eli’s number.
“How’s it going?” his boss asked, upon answering.
Sterling scowled. “It’s a bust, unless we want to take drastic action. The woman won’t sell. She won’t even listen to my full proposal unless I agree to stay at the lodge for two weeks with her.”
Eli chuckled. “Are you saying she propositioned you?”
“No,” he replied sharply. “Of course not.” Although the idea appealed more than it should. Kat was a striking woman.
“Then what?”
“I think she got it in her head that I need saving from myself, and that she’s the woman for the job. She’s strikes me as a do-gooder.”
Eli made a noise in the back of his throat like he was thinking. “Is she a sweet old lady?”
“Hardly.”
“A pretty young lady?” Now Eli definitely sounded interested.
Sterling stifled a groan. Ever since Eli had put a ring on the finger of a lovely woman, he’d been seeing happily ever afters everywhere he looked. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t take two weeks off work without any warning.”
He expected Eli to agree immediately, but his boss hesitated. “Actually, you have several months’ worth of leave you’ve never taken. Perhaps some time away would do you good.”
Sterling couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “But what about the staff? The projects I’m managing?”
“I’m sure you’ve kept a detailed log of everything you’re working on.”
“I have.” But no one else was equipped to deal with it.
“I’m due to spend some time at headquarters,” Eli told him. “Aria, Lauren and I can come up for a while. Aria wants to try bonding with my parents again. They’ve been getting along better since the baby came.”
Sterling cringed. This was not going according to plan. He’d wanted to prove he could handle everything himself, and now Eli was going to have to leave his home to hold things together. “I’d hate to put you out.”
“You won’t be. Take the time off and do what you need to convince her to sell. If you’re successful, we can talk about attributing some of your hours to work. If you’re not, you can take it all as leave.”
Sterling considered it. If anyone could take care of things in the office, it was Eli, and he’d packed an overnight bag before he left Auckland in case the negotiations took longer than expected, so he could easily stay a while. But in that madhouse?
You could handle it. For job security and a good sum in the bank, he could handle anything.
“Okay, I will.” Thankfully, he sounded more certain than he felt. “But I’ll take the entire time as leave regardless of the outcome. I’m never going to use it otherwise.”
“All right. Now go convince that woman to sell.” Eli paused, then added, “But keep an open heart.”
Keep an open heart? What did that mean? Sterling ignored the cryptic advice, said goodbye and ended the call. He stared out at the waves rolling onto the sand until the churning in his stomach eased, then went back the way he’d come.
Though he’d been gone less than half an hour, Sanctuary had been thrown into chaos. Half a dozen people loitered in the foyer, lined up to speak to a petite blonde who looked completely overwhelmed, and Kat was nowhere in sight. He skirted around the group and made his way to her office, rapping on the door. No answer. He tried the handle. Unlocked. Easing it open, he peered inside, but she wasn’t there. Then one of the hall doors swung out and she strode into the corridor like a woman on a mission.
“Katarina,” he said as she drew near and gave him a distracted smile. “Can I talk to you?”
“Not now,” she replied, passing by him and into the foyer.
He hurried after her, and found her exchanging words with the blonde, but before he could reach her side, she took off again, through an open doorway that led to the dining hall.
“I’d like to discuss making a deal,” he called as she powered through the room.
