Her Dirty Builders (Men at Work #10) - Mika Lane Page 0,50
afford the mortgage on the house? And that I could potentially stay in it, improving it, little by little?
I needed to call my dad.
And Charli.
But I had to finish my day at the office and hear what the paper’s owners were up to.
Then, straight to the hospital to see the guys.
I had news. Big news. And they were going to be thrilled for me.
Because I was theirs.
And they were mine.
34
ESME
“Case, I’m on my way back. Don’t leave.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked. “Did you have that talk with your boss about the Ty story?”
I jogged to my car. “Everything is fine. Actually, everything is great. I’ll be there in a few.”
Poor Case. I could see it now. He’d jump to the conclusion that I’d been fired by Adam. He’d tell the other guys, and they’d look at me sadly when I came in. They might already be talking about ways to cheer me up and help me out.
Because they cared about me.
But my good news might let me do something nice for them, for a change. If what Matt promised was true, I’d no longer be living on ramen noodles and shopping at thrift stores.
Actually, I loved ramen noodles and thrift stores. Those two things were going nowhere.
So what would change with my new job and raise?
Pretty much nothing except that I might be able to afford the house I lived in.
I had so much to tell Charli. But that would have to wait. Same with Dad.
When I arrived, I ran down the hospital corridor just like I had earlier, passing the staff I’d seen before, who did a double take.
When I got to Ty’s room, I was breathless.
“Esme,” Alden said, throwing his arms around me, “you just missed Ty’s parents.”
My mouth dropped open, and we all turned to Ty. “Yeah? How’d it go?”
He removed the cool cloth from his eyes and squinted at us. Poor guy. “Better than I thought. My dad wants to invest in me. Help me get my furniture produced.”
No. Fucking. Way.
My eyes filled with tears. Again.
“Oh, Ty, that’s amazing.”
He tried to smile. “I know,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’ll be naming the company after my sister.”
Then he cleared his throat hard, the way guys did when they wanted to cover up their emotions.
Why did they always do that?
“What does that mean for McKinney Construction?” I asked, sneaking a glance at Case.
A nurse stuck her head in Ty’s room. “Let’s wrap it up, people. Your friend needs his rest. You can socialize when he’s better.”
“We’re just about done,” Alden called after her.
“Well, we haven’t talked about this yet,” Ty said, looking at Case, “but I’d like to invest in the company, Case. Help you guys get out of debt so you can properly grow.”
Case’s eyes bugged out. “Are you serious? Bro, you don’t have to do that. You have things to spend your money on.”
Ty shook his head slightly. “I know I have things to spend my money on. And McKinney Construction is one of them.”
Case looked down at his feet, shaking his head. When he was ready to look at us again, he was beaming.
Like, seriously beaming.
Jesus, was he going to cry now, too?
“You’re crazy, man,” Case said.
Ty reached for my hand. “Esme, did you have something to tell us? Please don’t say you got fired from the paper.”
I bounced up and down in my sneakers, giggling. “After I hung up with Case, I realized you guys probably thought I was coming over because I’d lost my job.”
Alden grimaced. “And…?”
“Quite the contrary. You won’t believe this, but when I got back to the office, Adam had been fired. My friend Matt is now editor-in-chief, and….” I paused to look at each of the guys, “he’s making me his second in command.”
Case picked me up and swung me around the room. “That’s fucking incredible. So, you’re not getting fired, you don’t have to do the story on Ty’s family, you’re getting a promotion—”
I cut him off. I couldn’t help it. “And a raise,” I squealed. “Matt said he’s getting me a raise. I might be able to stay in the house.”
Okay, now I was really jumping up and down.
“That’s amazing, baby,” Ty said, pulling my hand to his lips and kissing it.
“Esme, we haven’t told you all of our good news,” Case said.
“What? There’s more?” I asked.
What else could there possibly be? Things were so perfect.
“I offered to let Alden run the company while I finish my degree,” he said.
Alden nodded, smiling. “The competitors tried to lure me over, but I just couldn’t do it.”
“That is just incredible.”
Everyone looked a little dazed, like they couldn’t believe their good fortune. Of course, I was choking back tears.
So I decided to lighten the moment.
I looked at Case guiltily. “Does that mean I have to finish Infinite Jest?”
He dropped his head back and laughed. “You know, I’ve never kicked anyone out of my book club, but I think I may start with you.”
He put his arms around me and ruffled my hair.
Holy shit. How could there be so much perfection in one day?
How could there be so much perfection in one room?
I looked at my guys, each having worked hard to pursue what they wanted, and they looked back at me, equally proud.
It seemed dreams really could come true.
I was hugging and kissing the guys yet again when the nurse returned. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, trying to look mean.
She didn’t fool any of us.
She smiled. “C’mon guys. You have to leave now. You’re going to get me in trouble.”
I grabbed my bag and planted a quick kiss on Ty’s cheek. “Okay. Okay. We’re out of here. Be back tomorrow, sweetie.”
Case and Alden did the guy handshake thing with Ty, and we hustled out the door with me holding each of their hands, heading into the night and into our new lives.
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Dear Reader:
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Writing has been a passion of mine since, well, forever (my first book was "The Day I Ate the Milkyway,” a true fourth-grade masterpiece). These days, steamy romance, both dark and funny, gives purpose to my days and nights as I create worlds and characters who defy the imagination. I live in magical Northern California with my own handsome alpha dude, sometimes known as Mr. Mika Lane, and an evil cat named Bill. These two males also defy my imagination from time to time.
A lover of shiny things, I’ve been known to try to new recipes on unsuspecting friends, find hiding places so I can read undisturbed, and spend my last dollar on a plane ticket somewhere.
I have several books for you to choose from including perennially favorite Billionaire and Reverse Harem romances. And have you see my Player Series about male escorts who make the ladies of Hollywood curl their toes and forget their names? Hottttt.... And my Anti-hero/Mafia books are now out in audio.
Check out my latest series, The Men at Work Collection, about hot men and the professions that make them successful masters of the universe... and the women they love.
I'll always promise you a hot, sexy romp with kick-ass but imperfect heroines, and some version of a modern-day happily ever after.
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Mika