but how did you actually meet her?”
Drew groaned. “This is so pointless.”
“I love nothing more than a good story.” Erika smiled. “You know that about me.”
“Boy, do I.” Drew shook his head. “We met at a summer camp, and then we saw each other at a convention. We were like fourteen or something, and her parents were busy at seminars, and so was my mom, so we hung out. The rest is history.”
“Obviously not, if I don’t know about it.” Erika grinned just as Drew’s phone rang.
“Oh, thank God,” he muttered, picking up his phone and leaving the bar.
Daisy giggled. “And that is the last we’ll see of him.”
“Should we look her up?”
“We don’t dare,” Daisy hissed.
But it was too late. Erika already had Vera Roberts and Cloudberry Inn typed into her phone.
“Oh, wow. She’s still at Cloudberry Inn,” Erika informed Daisy. “Same name. Maybe never married?”
“Maybe.” Daisy nodded. “Isn’t it funny how now that you’ve found love, you want everyone else to find it too?”
Erika gasped. “I didn’t. I’m not . . . Fine. Good point.”
Daisy smiled and glanced at the website. “Oh, my gosh.”
“What?”
“Her sister is Samantha Roberts.”
“Who’s that?”
Daisy’s eyes grew to saucers. “Only the best writer in the world. Are you serious? You don’t know who she is?”
Erika scowled. “I don’t get to read as much as I want.”
“Well, you’re forgiven, but I say look her up.” Daisy let out a happy sigh. “Maybe we should see about getting them back together.”
Erika laughed. “I wouldn’t if you want to keep your job.”
“Fine.” Daisy huffed off in the direction of a newly seated table as Erika glanced at the Cloudberry Inn site.
Was that how love worked? Was it contagious? Did she want everyone in the world to feel what she was starting to feel for Slade? She smiled and let out a happy sigh.
Maybe she really was falling in love with Slade Tenison. Maybe this time, it would work out.
Chapter Nineteen
Slade wouldn’t say he felt light as air after receiving multiple offers on his company, but he was pretty damn close. The only times he felt completely light as air had been when he was with Erika, virtual or otherwise.
He’d wanted to share the news with his parents and also get their advice. He knew deep down, he was doing the right thing, but he didn’t know which direction to go.
Some of the offers allowed him to still own a share, and others took him out completely.
He could wipe his hands and be free from it all for good. Slade wasn’t sure that was a bad thing. After all, how could he partly have a say? He didn’t think that was in him. Even though the business had never been his passion, he still had things to say about it.
So, he was sitting in his parents’ living room, trying to decide which offer to show them first.
The amount of money with all the offers was insane.
He still hadn’t told Erika. It was the one thing he felt bad for keeping to himself, but he didn’t want her to get the wrong message. He was doing this for himself, and he knew she’d think it was for her and try to talk him out of it.
He had told Erika he was going to Idaho to visit his parents, though.
“Now, let’s get this settled before the guests start arriving,” his mom said, laughing. “We can’t be talking about this at the barbecue.”
Slade laughed. “I can’t believe you’re having a barbecue.”
“It was pretty hard not to tell people about my son retiring.” His mom winked at him, and he smiled.
Slade shook his head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“The real question is if you hear about this company in the future and it’s doing even better than now, or conversely, worse, would you care?” his dad asked, crossing his leg over his knee and taking a sip of wine. “Would you have regrets?”
Slade sat back and thought about it. Would he be jealous if it did ten times better without him? Would he be devastated if the business tanked without him?
He shook his head. “The only way I would have cared was if Lucas was the one running it. I wanted it to succeed because of him.”
Slade’s mom turned toward the living room window and nodded. “I think that’s your answer.”
“If you don’t care what happens to this company, good or bad, there is no reason to keep a hand in it. You’ll just go crazy with one hand tied behind