Cowboy’s Christmas Bridesmaid (Trinity Falls: Icicle Christmas #8)

22. Valentina

22

VALENTINA

V alentina headed into the wedding reception feeling joyful and excited.

Emma had been beyond thrilled at the sight of her bridesmaids riding in on horseback, just like the sisters in The Princess and the Stable Boy. Between that and her obvious joy at being married after a year of waiting, the atmosphere in the bedroom where the girls all huddled to touch up their hair and lipstick and rehash the ceremony was beyond joyful.

Now they were all climbing the steps to the ballroom together. And Valentina couldn’t help the happy anticipation she felt at the idea of seeing Tanner.

We’re just friends, she tried to tell herself. But it was getting harder and harder to believe it.

At last, she followed Emma and the others through the big wooden doors and into the ballroom.

The floors were black and white checkerboard, just like in the foyer below. But that was where the similarities ended .

Huge windows went from waist-height all the way up to the two-story ceiling, each surrounded by what had to be a foot and a half of beautiful original moldings, with a gorgeous vista of sky and trees. Three big crystal chandeliers sparkled above, and a group of familiar men and women played an acoustic guitar cover of “Here Comes the Sun” as Emma walked in.

“Oh, wow,” Caroline sighed at the sight of it, and Valentina couldn’t think of a better reaction.

But her excitement was cut short when she looked to the other side of the ballroom. Guests were just beginning to arrive, but Radcliffe was already there, talking tensely in the corner with an angry-looking Tanner. Valentina headed over automatically, worry in her heart.

“You say you love this town,” Tanner was saying, loudly enough for everyone to hear. “But you won’t even listen to the person who is in the best position to know what it needs?”

“I’m not going to have this argument with you, Tanner,” Radcliffe said calmly.

“So you want to do good for this town, but only when you’re the one who gets all the credit?” Tanner asked.

A murmur went through the room.

“Tanner,” Valentina said softly, hurrying over. “This isn’t a good time.”

“Is there ever a good time for a man to take advantage of a woman’s good character and years of hard work?” Tanner demanded, turning back to Radcliffe. “Treating her like a secretary when she should be a CEO?”

“Tanner, that’s not fair to Mr. Radcliffe,” she said .

“She deserves better, Baz,” Tanner said. “And you know it.”

By now the rest of the ballroom had gone silent. And Valentina’s cheeks burned as tears prickled at her eyes.

“You’re right,” Radcliffe said suddenly. “Valentina, you’re fired.”

There were gasps and whispers of horror.

“I-I’m sorry—” she stammered as Tanner looked on with panic in his eyes.

“No,” he said. “This has been a long time coming. And I wasn’t going to do this today, but I guess like Tanner says, there’s no time like the present. Come with me, please, Valentina—just you.”

Head down, she followed him through the ballroom, and into a much more modest room with a desk and two chairs.

“This is going to be my office when we move in,” he said after closing the door, his voice softer now and strangely friendly, given the circumstances. “It used to be where the servants waited for someone to ring them, when they were needed.”

It might be a while before someone needs me again, she thought to herself darkly.

“I have good news and bad news for you, Valentina,” Radcliffe said, seating himself and gesturing for her to take the chair opposite his.

She seated herself, wondering what could possibly be considered good about her current situation.

“I was going to wait until after the wedding to tell you,” he said. “I wanted it to be a little more formal. But that hot-headed admirer of yours forced my hand.”

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“The truth is, I’ve already sold that land without restriction to a corporation,” he said. “And I cleared enough on it that the whole project is in the black.”

It was the opposite of what he said he wanted, but at least she would be leaving with a successful project on her resumé. That was the good news. What it meant for the town was another story…

“I thought you weren’t going to sell to anyone who needed commercial zoning,” she said.

“I trust this buyer,” he told her. “And I know they won’t do anything with the land that I wouldn’t do. They’re already invested in the community.”

The only person in Trinity Falls Valentina knew of who had that kind of wealth, besides Mr. Radcliffe himself, was the tech genius who was new to town, Angel’s brother.

“Julian,” she said thoughtfully, wondering what the man would do with all that land when he already had another community project going.

“Not Julian,” Mr. Radcliffe said, shaking his head.

“Forgive me, sir,” she said. “But I think there are only two people in Trinity Falls with those kind of resources.”

“Now there are three,” Radcliffe said simply, pulling an envelope from the desk drawer and handing it to her.

She gazed at him, wondering what on earth was going on.

“Go on,” he said. “Open it.”

She opened the envelope, pulling out several pieces of paper and studying them for a moment. They catalogued a large land sale to a company called The Valentine Corporation at a price that seemed more than fair.

“I don’t understand,” she said at last. “These are deeds.”

“And your letter of resignation, and a document of incorporation,” Radcliffe said. “The deeds won’t mean anything until we both sign them in front of a notary, but Sloane Greenfield is here today. I’m sure she’ll help us out if you don’t want to wait.”

“Why would I sign them?” Valentina asked.

“Because I just fired you,” Radcliffe told her. “And this is your severance package. The land is yours to do with whatever you want. And you can rename your corporation, if you’d like.”

“So, you bought it… from yourself?” she asked. “To give to me?”

“Something like that, yes,” he said with a smile.

“What if I didn’t want it?” she asked, still too gobsmacked to take in what was happening.

“Then I’ll keep it,” he told her. “And you can have your package in cash instead. I’ve told you I’m a wealthy man, Valentina. Did you think I was kidding.”

“How…?” she asked. She knew he was wealthy, but this was still too much, after all, she knew his business inside and out.

“It hit home for me on Christmas day,” he said. “Everything you told me was right. I do want to help the town. But I also want time with my wife and son. So I can’t do it all myself. And I realized that I know one person who I feel completely at peace handing it off to.”

“But, these numbers,” she said helplessly, gesturing to the deed.

“I liquidated another project that I didn’t feel as strongly about,” he said, shrugging.

“The parking lots,” she said, horrified, but knowing she had to be right. Radcliffe had bought up several of the structures in the city over the years. “But they were so lucrative, and their value was only going to skyrocket.”

“Some things are just more important,” he said, shrugging. “I think you’re starting to know what I mean.”

All at once it hit her that he was talking about Tanner and Zeke.

And then the multiple truths of the situation landed. She didn’t work for Radcliffe anymore, she owned the most valuable piece of land in Trinity Falls, and there was no reason at all that she couldn’t fall madly in love with Tanner Williams if she wanted to. And if he loved her back, the three of them might just live happily ever after.

Suddenly, she found herself weeping.

“Hey,” Radcliffe said, getting up from his chair and coming around the desk to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, don’t cry.”

“This is too much,” she sobbed.

“No, it’s just right,” he said gruffly. “The more I thought about this, the more I realize I don’t just owe you for the work you’ve done, I also owe you for the happiness I found with my wife and son.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” she sniffled. “You already pay me.”

“I built an empire, in part because of your ideas and competence,” he said. “And if I hadn’t known you were holding down the fort here, I couldn’t have stepped away long enough to fall in love with Emma. I wouldn’t have learned to spend more time with my son.”

He meant it, and the realization that there was some truth to what he said touched her heart, which started her crying in earnest all over again.

“M-Mr. Radcliffe,” she sobbed.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” he said. “Can’t you finally call me Baz now?”

That struck her funny for some reason, and she let out a yelp of laughter even though tears were still sliding down her face.

“Hang on a second,” Radcliffe said.

He went to the door and threw it open.

“Tanner Williams,” he yelled furiously. “Come in here and get your girl. And Sloane Greenfield, meet me on the stairs, please.”

He marched out like he was angry, which only made Valentina laugh harder through her tears. She was pretty sure he just didn’t like to see her crying.

A haunted looking Tanner appeared in the doorway a moment later.

“Valentina,” he breathed, crouching in front of her chair and gazing at her with real concern, which she figured made sense since she was laughing and crying all at once. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to… Are you okay?”

“More than okay,” she gasped.

He frowned, but he took her hands in his.

“I know this is a difficult time for you,” he said carefully. “And I want to give you all the time in the world to get through it. But remember that rule you had about not dating anyone you work with? Is that the reason…?”

“Yes,” she said quickly.

“Yes?” he asked, his eyes flashing to hers.

“Yes, it’s the only reason,” she said, suddenly feeling shy.

He nodded, his lips pulled up slightly at the corners.

“Valentina, may I take you out for dinner?” he asked, standing and offering her his hand.

“Yes,” she said, standing. “But it had better be in that ballroom, because I’m not leaving this wedding.”

“I really want to ask you why,” Tanner murmured, pulling her close. “But I want to kiss you more.”

Her heart fluttered as she went up on her toes and Tanner wrapped his arms around her, brushing her lips gently with his and then kissing her passionately, like he might never stop.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway, and she pulled back immediately, mortified, but still breathless.

“Ready to sign some papers?” Radcliffe asked.

Sloane Greenfield stood behind him, her eyes sparkling like she wanted to start giggling.

“Very ready,” Valentina said.

She could feel Tanner’s questioning eyes on her, but she knew she didn’t need his approval to sign her name and put an end to the first stage of her career in the most unexpected of ways.

And if everything went like she hoped it would, she would have the rest of their lives to explain it to him.