Keep It Together - By Lissa Matthews Page 0,21
He wanted to keep her there. He wanted to immerse himself in her life, and he wanted to bring her into his.
He took a sip of his beer. “You said you had a busy night?”
“Yeah. It’s not hunting season, but sometimes around here it doesn’t have to be. These people stock up year-round.”
“Do you find it hard to sell to men?”
“I don’t find it hard, no, but I think some of them find it hard to buy from a woman. They don’t seem to believe I know what I’m talking about. They often want to speak to a manager, and when they find out that I am the manager, that I can load and unload, that I can take apart and put together again any gun we have in stock better and faster than they can, they generally listen.”
“You’re a show-off.” He hoped she could hear the pride and admiration in his voice, as the statement it was meant as and not a question for her to defend or justify herself.
“When it comes to something I know, yes.”
The waitress chose that moment to appear beside their table. Chrissie ordered a basket of fried shrimp with a side of fries, and he followed suit. They each ordered more beer, and Colt settled into his seat a little deeper, relaxing with her in a way he hadn’t with a woman in a long time.
“What do you do?” she asked. “For work, I mean. You know I work in an outdoor store, but I don’t know what you do. Russ never talked much about you, other than you being a businessman of some sort.”
“He wasn’t very forthcoming about you either.” Colt had to wonder if Russ had just been going through the motions in his relationship with Chrissie. He didn’t know why that would have been true, but something seemed off in how Russ had handled things. His brother wasn’t stupid nor was he irresponsible. “Oh boy. Now it’s time for me to make you promise not to laugh.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“I’m the CEO of Corners Cookies.” It took a few seconds, but as per the usual reaction of people he told, her eyes widened.
“Corners Cookies? As in the pyramid cookies with the cream in the center and the sprinkles on top? That Corners Cookies? The soft, chewy cookies with the artery-clogging creamy filling? That Corners Cookies? Are you serious?”
Colt nodded, and Chrissie moaned. The sound made his cock jump. Maybe he could cover her in the creamy filling and eat her. “That’s the one.”
“Oh my God. I love those cookies. I have three boxes in my pantry. Chocolate on chocolate. Chocolate with vanilla. Vanilla with chocolate. Russ never said a word about it. Your last name isn’t Corners, though.”
“No. My father owned a company that bought smaller businesses that were headed for bankruptcy. Some were liquidated, some were re-branded, some simply need some fresh capitol and new management strategies that they couldn’t afford to supply on their own.”
“Which one was Corners?”
“In need of money and strategy. It was my favorite cookie growing up, and I couldn’t let them die.”
“Makes sense. Why doesn’t Russ work with you? Amber does, though, right? That’s what Russ said. Damn, I’m a bit selfish for not having asked either of you when I met you what you did or really anything.”
“You had other things on your mind at the two different parties we met at. Your mother throws an incredible party, by the way; however, I do believe my father and his wife threw one just as audacious. I don’t think I saw you sit at either gathering for longer than a couple of minutes. As for why my brother doesn’t work for me, I offered, but he wanted to remain with his law firm. He enjoys what he does too much to be hemmed in by corporate politics. Amber is the CEO of the family holding company. She shares in some of the responsibility of Corners Cookies, but I no longer work the family business. It’s all hers.”
“Russ enjoys being a defense attorney. He loves the research, doing the work himself. He worked so hard all the time.” Chrissie looked toward the river. “He liked to play hard too, I guess.” She looked back at Colt, and whatever shadow might have been in her eyes was gone, replaced with a twinkle of delight. “And you make cookies.”
Colt laughed. “Well, I don’t actually make the cookies, but I do love them. Do you want to know a