Love Like Her (Against All Odds #3) - Claudia Y. Burgoa Page 0,48
years, I deserve a fucking goodbye.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Olivia
“I’m done unpacking!” I call my fathers once I set the last empty card box in the garage.
“That was fast,” Dan says. “Unless you shoved half of the boxes into a closet.”
“They’re in the basement,” I admit.
Moving isn’t as fun as many presume. I’m thankful that Dad convinced me to hire a moving company. They packed everything for me. The real work began when I arrived at my new place. It’s been a week since I opened the first box. Yep, it took me a week to put everything I need for now away. The rest can stay tightly packed downstair.
“When do you start your new job?” Dad asks.
“This Friday, but if you need anything, call me,” I assure Dad. “Mondays are my free days. I can always work at night—”
“Liv, everything is going to be fine. Holly needs you, and you need to take a break,” Dan assures me.
“I would if your husband wasn’t so stubborn.”
Dan clears his throat. “He knows his limits.”
“Well, as I said, I’ll drop by the offices twice a week to check in,” I promise.
“It’s not necessary,” Dad argues. “I’ve run this company since before you were born. Nothing will happen if you take a few months off, sweetheart.”
This trip isn’t exactly time off. Holly is pregnant with her first child. She was on bed rest during the holidays. The doctor ordered rest and zero stress for the next six months. She can’t just take time off. Her event planning business is on the rise. I offered my help.
How hard can it be to organize parties and weddings?
I’m sure it’s like project management but with tulle, ribbon, and flowers instead of wood, nails, and blueprints.
Helping my best friend and her spawn comes with a price, though. I’m leaving Dad to run the company by himself. What if he has another heart attack because he can’t take a chill pill and he loses track of time easily?
“You say that now, but—”
“Let’s compromise,” he says. “You run your weekly meeting with all the branch managers. We do our weekly call every Friday.”
I sigh. “Fine. Please, just promise me that you won’t overdo it. The last thing we need is another visit to the hospital.”
“I’ll be watching him, Liv,” Dan says. “Why don’t you relax too? After this, we’re all taking a long vacation.”
“Maybe,” I say vaguely.
“What are your plans for today?”
The doorbell rings. “Holly is here. We’re having lunch, and she’s going to walk me through a day in the life of an event planner. I’ll call you tonight.”
“You’re here!” Holly says as I open the door.
“I am.” I hug her. “Look at you, all beautiful and glowing.”
She smiles. “Wait until I start showing. Then, I’m going to look like a shiny snake who ate a mouse.”
I roll my eyes. “Exaggerating much?”
“I’m serious. Everyone says that their boobs grow, their hips widen… I’m still flat as a pancake.” She fondles herself.
“Should I leave you alone?” I point toward the staircase. “There’s a guest room if you want some privacy.”
She looks around the house. “This is pretty. Why did you choose a house instead of an apartment?”
“Unlike my apartment in Boston, there aren’t any places here with an upstairs terrace—unless I leased a penthouse. After discussing it with Dad, buying a house was the best choice. It’s an investment. I can set up a garden like the one I had in Boston, plus there’s a patio.”
“If I’m lucky, you’ll stay for a long time,” she says excitedly.
“Unlikely, but I’ll have a place in Colorado. When I come to visit you and the spawn, I won’t have to worry about hotels, Airbnbs, or sleeping in my car.”
“There’s always a couch in my house.” She gives me a tight smile and begins to nibble her thumb. She has that habit of biting her nails or the skin on the side when she’s nervous.
“What’s wrong?”
“Calvin is worried about his job security,” she says.
“Why? Is there something happening in the branch that he hasn’t reported?”
“No, but you’re here. Why would you need him?” She takes a deep breath after speaking too fast.
“I’m helping you, not him. I’ll be in and out of the branch just to check on everyone—not just him,” I explain to her. “Once you’re ready to go back to work, I’m taking some—”
“Let me guess.” She interrupts me. “Some time off to think about what you want to do with your life?”