Merger to Marriage (Boardrooms and Billi - By Addison Fox Page 0,19
conscious choice so much as it was a necessary choice.”
“Necessary? I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”
As was he, Holt thought. He took in the soft swirl of hair that framed her face and the bright, vivid interest shining in her dark eyes. “Working in real estate gives you an opportunity to leave a mark. Some tangible proof you’ve walked this earth and left something lasting in your wake.”
“What a feeling. To know you’ve left a mark that way. Like that building in Dubai.”
Holt wasn’t sure where the words came from, but now that she’d asked the question, he found he was loath to ignore them. “Exactly. There’s always been something there for me, and I caught the bug early, while still in college.”
“What was your first project?”
“A small condo renovation in Brooklyn. Bought it and flipped it in two months. It’s still one of my favorite projects. I’ve been known to drive by from time to time, just to take a look at the bright lights shining in the third floor windows.”
“What followed from there?”
“A few more condos along with a degree, then a move out west for a few years. Brick by brick it just all came together.”
“You may be a real estate maven, Holt Turner, but I think you’ve got the soul of a poet. It’s such a shame your family never got a chance to see it.”
…
Mayson saw the light go out of Holt’s eyes before she’d even finished her statement. On an inward curse, she berated herself for bringing up his family. Damn it, he’d already put up the no trespassing signs on that one. So why’d she walk clean through the yellow caution tape?
Her voice unnaturally bright, she forked up one last bite of her omelet. “How’d you manage to get away this weekend? From the sound of it, you keep a pretty busy schedule.”
“An executive I’ve been trying to strike a deal with is here, so I thought I’d take advantage of the invitation. I also thought I might have a shot at seeing you again.”
“Oh.” Her fork clattered against her plate and she rested it against the ceramic. His sweet words were the opposite of the tense moment over his past, and she scrambled to keep up at the change in direction. “You could have just asked Keira.”
“Would she have known a mysterious woman named Elizabeth? Especially since you weren’t wearing a bridesmaid dress.” His gaze faltered at that before his eyes narrowed in deeper confusion. “Why weren’t you wearing a bridesmaid dress? I assume you were in the wedding?”
“I had a run-in with the delicious Bordeaux I was so thrilled you had a bottle of. I had just come back down from my room when I ran into you.”
“So this explains how you became a bridesmaid incognito.”
“Blame it on the wine.” Among other things, her conscience taunted.
Before she could give in and blurt out the news of what that night had produced, Holt pointed toward the windows. “You up for that walk on the beach I promised you?”
“Sure.”
It didn’t take them long to navigate the small downtown area until they came upon the beach. The heavy waves of the Atlantic crashed against the shore as Mayson and Holt walked along a small path that wove through the edge of town. Where she usually found the heavy pounding of waves soothing, her emotions were more roiled up than the foaming ocean.
Tell him.
“You clearly have fond memories of your grandparents, but you didn’t say much about your parents.”
Thoughts of the baby faded as images of her mother’s face filled her mind’s eye. “We lost my mother to breast cancer almost a decade ago.”
“I didn’t know.” He reached for her hand and gave it a slight squeeze before lacing his fingers with hers.
She took in the subtle offer of comfort before turning toward him as awareness dawned. “And since you never made it in to the wedding to hear the lovely toast my new brother-in-law made to her memory, how would you?”
“I was waylaid.”
A sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “So you were.”
“And your dad?”
“We don’t see much of him.”
“Oh?”
“He’s never been all that interested in the family business, which means he’s had very little interest in us since we’ve become so invested in it.”
“That seems awfully selfish.”
“I’d say you just pegged my father to a T.”
Mayson knew it was petty to talk about him that way. She did love her father—had worked hard to come to grips with her feelings on his