Brandon (Anderson Billionaires #3) - Melody Anne Page 0,4

people out there, but maybe because they’d said no, they were nowhere to be found, sinking in their careers that had never gotten a chance to take off.

But that brought him right back to Chloe.

Maybe she was the first to say no to Joseph who truly could do it on her own. It made him like her even more. She was confident and talented, and she didn’t need anyone to back her name. She just needed her skills and raw determination.

But then again, he knew in the end she would say yes, and they’d be working together very soon. Joseph was pretty irresistible. Brandon hoped he was as well. He’d win the girl. There was no doubt in his mind. He just wondered how long it was going to take.

CHAPTER TWO

There was a pleasant smile on Chloe’s lips as she refilled Sal’s coffee and asked how his miniature Chihuahua’s vet visit had gone. He answered with a grin, his dog tucked safely inside his jacket, her little eyes peeking out at Chloe. Sal Abrams slipped the dog a small bite of his doughnut, and then she disappeared back into the safety of his coat.

Sal was their small-town attorney, and he came to her place daily for coffee and pastries. She’d always adored the man. The entire town did. He was set in his ways, and he’d give his shirt to someone in need. He’d helped Brooke and her sister a lot, and that meant he’d get to drink coffee for free as long as she owned this place.

Of course, he left her such ridiculous tips, which she’d tried to fight him on, it wasn’t actually free. Someday he might just accept her gift with a smile. But Sal was one of those people who liked taking care of women. She loved that about him. She didn’t mind having a wonderful father figure like him in her life.

Chloe had two amazing parents. There was no doubt about it. She didn’t talk about them to anyone, because she was determined to make it on her own, without their influence and certainly without their help.

Yes, they were amazing, and yes, the world absolutely loved them. Her mother was a food critic, and she could cut someone down to shreds, all with a professional smile on her face. Chloe had seen people rant and rave and also break down and sob, basically curling up in a ball and giving up, because of the power her mother held.

Her father was the best chef she’d ever known—and his own worst critic. He accepted only perfection in all aspects of his life, including from his daughter. And she seemed to never get it right.

When her parents had begun their cooking school, which had received national and international awards, she’d once dreamed of working there. That had quickly faded as she’d grown. She occasionally taught there, but whenever she worked around her parents, she was a hot mess.

They might not have even realized they did it, but they had never once in her life told her she was doing a great job without adding an aside that would make her feel small. The solution to that was to just not work with them. She loved her parents and didn’t want to stop, so she kept as much from them as she possibly could.

She’d heard other people say it was a parent’s role to shape and mold their children. She’d been told that the parents who didn’t care wouldn’t say anything. But she wasn’t sure she agreed with that sentiment. Wasn’t it good to make your children feel good about themselves? She’d never have kids of her own, but if she had chosen to go that route, she’d decided long ago she’d raise them with love—and zero criticism.

Her relationship with her parents was definitely complicated. But she’d give her last breath defending them as well. Maybe it was why she was her own worst critic. She wanted to be the best, and she never felt as if she was. It was a never-ending cycle.

“Are you still with me?” Sal asked.

She laughed as she shook her head. “Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts for a moment,” she told him as she grabbed the pot of coffee and topped him off. “Try this cookie. It’s a new recipe I’ve been working on for a while.”

He accepted it and took a bite, his eyes sparkling. “I want every one you have in here,” he immediately said before polishing it off in