Honor

Chapter 70

CHAPTER SEVENTY

E vie

I haven’t had a moment to myself since I overheard Reid’s conversation with Baden and Vance two days ago. That’s because after spending no more than ten minutes in one of the uncomfortable chairs in my apartment, Lottie announced that she would be a much better nurse for me if we went to her place.

Not one to turn down a few hours in the lap of luxury, I agreed with that plan. It turned into a two-night sleepover. Lottie called someone about giving us a ride from my building to hers. A few minutes later, a man came up to my apartment and carried down everything Reid had brought over, including the roses and the soup.

I spent most of my time since then in Lottie’s guestroom with tears in my eyes as I tried to come to terms with the fact that the man I’ve been spending most of my time with the past few weeks and the man I overheard talking business to his partners about the soon-to-be bride and groom are one and the same.

The fact that Reid agreed to be Randall’s best man to secure a deal to buy Azelius Spas was surprising enough, but knowing he plans on buying Emmel’s sent me into a tailspin.

Lottie’s never mentioned selling her family business, but I know Reid. He has connections in every corner of the business world. Still, I’m curious about her intentions and whether what I overheard is indeed a possibility.

“Do you think you’ll run Emmel’s at some point?”

Lottie’s head pops up. We’re at her dining room table, sharing a breakfast spread delivered just a few minutes ago. There are enough pastries to feed ten people. So far, I’ve finished a buttery croissant. I don’t know if I have it in me to shove another bite of food into my mouth.

She taps her chin. “Why? Will you come to work for me if I do?”

That question catches me so far off guard that I almost choke on the sip of coffee I just took. I cough my way through that before I smile. “Are you offering me a job?”

She pinches her chin with her fingers. “I actually have considered selling.”

There it is. Reid did indeed have some insider information. That doesn’t excuse the fact that he’s using his role as Randall’s best man to increase the value of Vidori Capital Partners.

“Have you talked that over with anyone?” I ask, curious how Reid stumbled on that information.

She nods. “A couple of people back in California. One is a guy who wanted to buy the business even before my granddad died. The other is the owner of a big name grocery store. They want to take Emmel’s under their umbrella. If I went that route, every Emmel’s in the nation would undergo a name change.”

I can tell that upsets her by the way she’s ripping the cheese Danish in her hands to shreds.

“What do you want to do with it?” I ask softly.

“I want to run it the way my granddad did,” she confesses. “I want families to find good bargains there, and feel a sense of community when they walk in. I want them to know they’re always welcome at Emmel’s because we’re like family to them.”

“You want to keep it,” I condense what she just said. “You want to make it your family’s legacy again.”

She sheds a single tear. “I talked to Randall about it over dinner one night.”

I take a sip of coffee as I consider what to say.

“He said we should run it together.” She laughs. “I thought he was joking at the time, but I kind of love that idea.”

I can tell. The tears have given way to a brightness radiating from her. “Maybe you need to give it some careful thought.”

“I’m going to live in Queens, though,” she reminds me. “Emmel’s head office is in California.”

“You can relocate the head office to New York City. Offer the employees who currently work there a moving incentive they can’t resist.”

She nods. “That could work. We’d need a marketing expert, though. My granddad didn’t devote a lot of effort into that aspect of the business, but I see myself taking things in a different direction.”

I can’t tell if she’s just tossing ideas out or if there’s merit in her mention of needing someone who understands the ins and outs of marketing. I take a leap because I need her to know I would be seriously interested in a position like that. “If it comes to that, I’d like to apply.”

“If it comes to that, the job is yours,” she says without any hesitation.

“You don’t know my background that well,” I explain so she understands. “I’ve worked in marketing and have a degree, but I’m not sure I qualify as an expert yet.”

“I trust you,” She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “That matters, Evie. It matters a lot to me.”

It matters a lot to me, too.

“Reid might stomp his feet if I stole you away from him, but he’ll get over it.” She grins. “You need to look out for yourself.”

She’s right. I do. I may feel things for Reid that complicate everything, but at the end of the day, my future is mine to chart, and a job in the marketing department of a company like Emmel’s is a career move in the right direction.

“Do you feel up to going to Queens today?” she asks, shifting the subject with ease. “I asked Callie to frame an extra print of the picture she took of the house. I want to drop it off for the current or is it the now former owner of the house?”

I can’t contain a smile. “I’d love to.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she says for the third time since I woke up. “You can stay here for the rest of the week if you want. It would give us time to check all the last minute wedding details. We could do some lunches and a little light shopping. I promise I’ll give you plenty of time to rest.”

“I’d like that,” I blurt out because her apartment is a lot more comfortable than mine.

“Good.” She nods. “Let’s finish breakfast, and head over to the house to drop off the photograph. Do you need to check in with Reid?”

My gaze catches hers. “Why would I?”

She gestures toward the vase containing the pink roses he brought me two days ago. “He seemed very worried about you when he stopped by your place before we came here. It wouldn’t hurt to send him a short text message telling him you’re feeling better.”

Yes, it would.

I know Reid, and he’d view it as an invitation to talk about what I overheard. It’s not a big leap for me to reach that conclusion since he’s been sending me texts and emails asking me to call him.

I will once I know what I want to say to him.

“Cleo, a co-worker, texted me earlier asking how I am. I told her. She’ll pass it along to Reid.”

Lottie seems satisfied with that. “Onto more important things. Let’s get our asses to Queens to take another look at my new old house.”