Recipe for Temptation - Gina Gordon Page 0,72

said. “He wanted us to see what you did.” He looked shocked. “You did all that?” He pointed out to the restaurant.

They all looked shocked. Well fu—

“Of course she did,” Cole responded for her.

“I helped.” She couldn’t take all the credit. This was Cole’s idea. She’d just made the idea a reality.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” His words were warm and heartfelt in her ear.

Not. Playing. Fair.

Wait, why was he standing so close?

What the hell was going on? She was always in the loop. She was the damn loop.

“As you may know,” Neil addressed the crowd. “Our friend, Gloria York, has stepped down from the board of directors of the Vivian Madewood Foundation.”

Oh, God. Was this it? Were they actually going to tell her she was being considered for the job? Maybe it would finally prove to her family that she did more than just answer the phones for celebrities.

“My brothers and I thought long and hard about who we wanted to take her place.” Finn elbowed Neil in the ribs. “All right.” He held up his hand in defense. “We didn’t have to think very long or hard because the answer was a no-brainer.” He smiled and made an effort to meet the eyes of every member of her family. “There is only one woman we want for this job. Someone who already knows how we think, what we like, and can diffuse our arguments, because essentially, she’d be the tiebreaker.”

He turned and stared directly at her. “A woman who constantly one-ups herself with every project because she is the most dedicated, resourceful, and hard-working woman I’ve ever met.” Her breath caught in her throat when her name escaped his lips. “Penn, we’d love for you to join the board.”

Excitement swelled in her chest. She looked over at Cole who gave her a small smile. He’d stayed hidden in the shadows, allowing Neil to be the one to make the announcement. Knowing how much it meant that he not be the reason she got the job.

“Pennie!” Her mother squealed, then held up her finger and waited a beat before correcting herself. “Pennelope. Congratulations.”

Pete immediately walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “I know how much you wanted this.” In a louder voice, he said, “Congratulations.”

Neil pulled out an envelope and handed it over. “The papers are in order. All you have to do is sign.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “You…” How could they have done this so fast? “You couldn’t have gotten these done in a day.”

“You can get a lot done when you throw money at something,” Neil said. “Besides, Cole was the one who wanted us to make the announcement today.”

She looked over at him. He had a sly smile curving at the side of his lips. He had something up his sleeve. He was never this gleeful. Never.

“So what’s your answer, Penn?” Jack winked as he rubbed his hand up and down Sterling’s bicep. That tiny, intimate gesture made her feel lonely. But she shook it off. This was her moment. And she wasn’t going to let regret over her feelings for Cole ruin it.

“I say…yes! Of course.”

She ran up to Finn and gave him a huge hug. Then she did the same with Jack and Neil. Of course, Neil took the opportunity to lift her up, leaving her legs to dangle like a rag doll.

So far the day had been a success, and this was just the cherry on top. And she needed all the happiness she could get.

“Now that the board nomination has been made…” Cole yelled from behind. She whirled around and faced him. When their gazes met, he continued, “I’d like to formally resign from my position on the board.” He handed Neil a white envelope.

“What the fuck is this?” Neil glared at him. “I’m not accepting this.”

“You’re going to have to.” He turned his attention to Penn. “Even though there may not be a formal rule about board members dating, I want there to be no question that Penn has earned every bit of this herself.”

After a moment of hesitation, everyone’s eyes turned to Penn. Nervousness crawled up her neck and set her cheeks on fire.

“I want to set the record straight,” Cole continued. “You earned your spot on the board without any help from me, but let’s remind everyone exactly what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

My family is here, Murphy. If you so much