“—to tell him the woman he really wanted to work with isn’t coming back, but he should still choose our company,” Nick finishes. “Yeah. I think it would be good to have someone take notes, and Paige worked with Grandma on the designs. She’s our right hand—and maybe the left one too.”
Paige flutters her lashes like he’s just bowed at her feet.
Damnation.
In the last five minutes, my playboy brother has made her laugh, and now he’s telling her what to do with her time. She’s technically his assistant, sure, but I don’t like it.
My gaze falls on her.
“If it won’t impact your workload to be here and take notes rather than reading a summary later, you’re welcome to stay. If you have things you need to do, that’s fine too.”
She shrugs. “I’ll stay. I’m not anxious to get back to the morgue.” She returns to where she sat before Nick came in and leans over my desk for a pad and pen.
Fuck me.
The way her neckline bobs into her cleavage isn’t going to be helpful at all. It’s a colossal distraction that roils my blood.
For a scalding second, I’d like to find another wall to push her against rather than make this call.
Too bad duty calls.
I suck it up, pick up the phone, and start dialing.
“Ross Winthrope here,” a very English voice answers a second later.
“Hi, Mr. Winthrope, this is Ward Brandt. We’re on speaker with Nick Brandt and Paige Holly.”
“Of course. I was going to call you boys today. I just haven’t had the time yet. I’m so dreadfully sorry to hear of Mrs. Brandt’s abrupt retirement and her recent health problems. I hope she’s doing well.”
“Thanks for your wishes. She’s recovering well and soon she’ll have all the time she always wanted to travel,” I say.
“Thank God. Losing Beatrice Nightingale Brandt is truly the end of an era. Godfrey’s passing was bad enough. The way she picked up and kept going after her husband died was amazing. No one wants to see her out to pasture. She’s a wonderful lady. I looked forward to working with her. I truly wish I hadn’t dragged my feet so long without having a Brandt designed property, and now I fear it might be too late.”
My gut bottoms out.
“Mr. Winthrope, there’s no need to lament her retirement or worry you’ve missed out on anything. We still have the same outstanding opportunity to build Chicago’s finest hotel.” I pause, dreading the silence on the other end. “That’s what we wanted to talk to you about today, sir. She’s formally handed over operations to my brother and me. We wanted to assure you that you can still expect Brandt quality, Brandt perfection, and Brandt ideas. We’ll meet our previously discussed timeline. Everything will work just as it would if Beatrice—” It’s weird calling my grandma by her first name, but this guy already thinks we’re kids. I can’t refer to her as Grandma. “—hadn’t retired. I assure you, Mr. Winthrope, Nick and I are already down to brass tacks with the design phase, supply quotes, and schematics—”
“Hold on, son. Before you get too far in, you have to know your grandmother’s departure from Brandt Ideas was rather unexpected. We’re on a tentative contract, I’ll remind you. I think it’s best if we allow a certain grace period for everyone to reassess before going any further. Don’t you?”
No, I fucking don’t.
I hit the mute button on the phone and stare across my desk. Nick wipes sweat from his forehead. Paige’s mouth twists in horror.
Again, I’m surprised she feels our pain.
This isn’t her dream to derail, but her sympathy stabs me in the chest.
If I don’t nail this, I’m not just letting down my family. I’m letting down Paige Holly.
For the first time since Iraq, I hope there’s a hero in me somewhere, and I’ve got to find him fast.
“Of course, Mr. Winthrope. I want you to be completely comfortable moving forward,” I say, unmuting. “If you need a few days to think it over, no worries. You won’t find anything better than Brandt Ideas in this industry. No matter what happens, I’ll prove to you the finest Winthrope hotel ever built was always meant to be a Brandt design. I’ll check back in two weeks, and if you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to give me a call.”
“You talk with confidence, I’ll give you that,” he says. “It’s the experience factor I have to wrestle with, but