Chapter 2
Isaac
Tip #2: Never confess your work-romance problems at a family dinner unless you’re ready for twelve contradictory solutions and a guilt trip for dessert.
I stepped into the dining room of my mother’s lakeside mansion, the scent of roasted garlic and rosemary inviting me in. My family was already seated around the massive mahogany table, platters piled high with what looked like enough food to feed a small army.
My twin brother Samuel’s jaw dropped when he saw me. With his perfectly styled hair and persistent five-o’clock shadow, he looked like he’d just stepped off a GQ cover. “Holy crap. Isaac? I didn’t know you knew how to leave the office before midnight.”
His wife, Natalie, elbowed him sharply, then beamed at me. “Ignore him. It’s great to see you, Isaac! You’ve been so busy the past few months.”
Logan, my cousin who was built like a linebacker and about as talkative as a stone statue, gave me a silent nod.
Grandfather Warner’s face lit up with a warm smile. “There’s my boy! Come, sit down and eat before the food gets cold.”
Mother glided over to me, the epitome of grace in her salmon-colored dress. She wrapped me in a hug that smelled of Chanel No. 5 and home. “Darling, what a lovely surprise! I thought you said you couldn’t make it tonight.”
I awkwardly patted her back—I wasn’t the best with physical affection. “Yes… surprise?”
Mother pulled back, studying me with shrewd blue eyes. “I assume this means you finished work early for once?”
I snorted. “Not even close. However, I couldn’t focus anymore, so I thought I might as well come here instead of wasting my time staring at my computer screen.”
The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but every syllable of it was true. When Charlotte had announced her resignation before leaving, it had so bothered me I couldn’t focus. I knew Mother was hosting a family dinner, so I’d opted to leave the office to join my family in the hope that they hadn’t completely finished eating yet.
Mother’s perfectly plucked eyebrows shot up. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, thrown off balance by my admission. “Well,” she said after a beat, recovering her composure, “no matter the cause, I’m delighted you’re here.”
A soft padding of paws drew my attention. Chuck, my mother’s beloved canine companion, waddled into view. He was a peculiar pooch: part pug, part wirehaired terrier, and entirely ridiculous with his bulging eyes and snaggletooth grin. Tonight, he sported a jaunty bow tie, because God forbid the dog be underdressed for family dinner.
Mother scooped Chuck into her arms, cooing at him. “Look who’s here, Chuck! It’s Isaac!”
I nodded at the dog.
Chuck wheezed in response.
“Sit down, darling.” Mother gestured to an empty chair. “Make yourself comfortable.”
I sank into the empty seat next to Logan and across from Samuel and got a look at the mouthwatering delicacies Mother had selected for dinner: herb-crusted rack of lamb, roasted rosemary potatoes, and asparagus spears drizzled with hollandaise sauce. The aroma was intoxicating, but my appetite had taken the night off.
As I mechanically loaded my plate, Grandfather turned to Natalie. “Nat, my favorite granddaughter-in-law, how’s work at city hall these days?”
Natalie’s face lit up. “Fantastic! We’re organizing a food drive for the Fox Creek Pantry and put out an announcement to the community. There was a bit of a problem when Joe McBride misunderstood the flyer and brought four live chickens into city hall....”
I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept drifting back to Charlotte’s resignation. The shock of it still hadn’t worn off. It felt like a bad dream. Any minute now, I’d wake up and find her at my side, narrowing her eyes at me in one of her wordless warnings to be polite.
How the hell was I supposed to oversee Warner Print’s finances without Charlotte? I had never been in a management position without Charlotte at my side.
I needed a drink. Or ten.
I stabbed at a potato, my fork scraping against the china. Samuel shot me a concerned look, but I avoided his gaze and did my best to smile when Natalie charmed a work story out of the usually silent Logan.
I robotically shoveled food into my mouth, barely tasting the gourmet meal.
“Earth to Isaac.” Samuel’s voice cut through my fog. “You OK there? You look like you’re trying to murder the asparagus.”
I glanced up. “I’m fine.”
Grandfather chuckled, his wrinkles deepening. “Isaac, please. You are typically reserved, but right now your gaze is hot enough to char your plate.”
I set my fork down with a clatter, unable to keep it in any longer. “Charlotte quit.”
Samuel chuckled as he saluted me with his water goblet. “That was a good attempt, Isaac, but no one would fall for that joke.”
“I’m not joking,” I said. “She handed me her resignation letter before leaving for the evening.”
Samuel had been in the middle of sipping water. He choked at my news and started violently coughing.
Natalie patted his back, her brow furrowed with concern. “Did something happen to upset her? Is Charlotte alright?”
I paused, trying to make sense of it myself. “She said she wasn’t unhappy with her work or coworkers. She just wants a job with fewer hours.”
Natalie tucked a lock of her wavy brown hair behind her ear, her lips curving into a sympathetic frown. “I see. Isaac, I’m so sorry.” Her gaze flicked between Samuel and me, worry etched across her face.
I glanced at Logan, catching the telltale signs of concern on even his usually stoic face. His eyebrows were furrowed so much they cast shadows over his eyes, and he was gripping his fork like it might run away if he let go.
Great, even my tough-as-nails cousin thought this was so bad he was showing emotion.
Mother stood up, her elegant frame moving with practiced grace as she scooped up Chuck and my twin continued to cough. “Samuel, darling, do stop with the theatrics. You’re not choking to death.” She stalked around the table, her steel-blond hair catching in the dim ambience lighting of the wall sconces. “Isaac, sweetheart, are you alright?”
I blinked at her. Was I alright? The question seemed ridiculous. “I’m fine,” I said flatly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Samuel, who’d finished hacking up a lung, let out a hoarse bark of laughter. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because your right-hand woman, who’s been with you since you were just a baby manager in accounting, is jumping ship?” His words dripped with sarcasm, but I could hear the concern underneath.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Grandfather’s gravelly voice cut me off. “I’m disappointed for you, Isaac, truly. Charlotte is an excellent employee, and you two are a dynamic pair who can pull off miracles when it comes to Warner Print’s finances.” He pushed his plate away and rested his clasped hands on the table.
Mother reached my side and dumped Chuck—a warm, furry bundle—into my lap. “Here, hold Chuck. He’ll comfort you.” She patted my back, her touch gentle. “I’m so sad for you, darling.”
Chuck snuggled into my lap, his little body radiating heat. His weight settled against me, and I automatically scratched behind his ears.
Samuel leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Did Charlotte give an end date?”
I shook my head. “No. She said she’d stay for at least a month, if HR approves it, to help transition the job to someone new.”
Logan, who’d been his usual state of silent, finally spoke up. “Are you going to try to convince her to stay?” He leaned back in the chair, his broad shoulders and intense dark eyes giving him a brooding air.
I looked down at Chuck, who was now sprawled across my lap like a snoring throw pillow. “I’ll attempt to. I did offer her a higher salary and an assistant, but it wasn’t my best negotiation. I wasn’t at all prepared—I never expected this.”
“No kidding.” Samuel shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t even picture you as CFO without Charlotte. She’s your perfect balance.”
Grandfather cleared his throat, his wizened face creasing with a mixture of sympathy and understanding. “I can’t blame Charlotte, you know. She’s brilliant, and Warner Print has been lucky to have her. But the hours you two work? Insane. Especially for Charlotte, since she doesn’t have family ties to the company like you do, Isaac. Her decision to work less is a healthy choice. I regret my own lack of a work-life balance when my children were growing up.”
Was it really so bad for Charlotte? Did the hours make her so miserable?
Natalie gripped her empty wineglass. “Isaac, could you offer Charlotte a new position? Something entirely different? You could design it to have fewer hours and add more staff to your team. If you give her that work-life balance she’s looking for, you could at least keep her skills in the company even if she’s not your executive assistant.”
“That’s brilliant, honey boo bear,” Samuel said. (He and Natalie had a history of using nauseating nicknames. They found it funny for reasons I couldn’t fathom.) “It’s at least worth a try.”
“I’ll make note of it, but as I said earlier, I did offer to hire her an assistant of her own,” I said.
“Push her harder,” Samuel advised. “Ideally she’ll give in or tell you exactly what you can do to make her stay.”
Mother glided back to her seat, her dress rustling. She left Chuck snoozing in my lap “Now, now. Let’s not pressure Charlotte. She’s made her decision, and we should respect that.” Her voice was gentle but firm, like a steel fist in a velvet glove.
I frowned, surprised she wasn’t fully on my side.
Samuel tapped his fingers on the table. “Mother, are you serious? Charlotte’s practically family—Isaac can’t just let her walk away.”
“Samuel, dear.” Mother sighed, her eyes softening. “I’ll be sad to lose Charlotte. But your grandfather is right. The hours she and Isaac work are… demanding. It is fair that Charlotte wants to build a life apart from Warner Print.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words died on my tongue. A life outside of work. When was the last time I’d had that?
Samuel, however, wasn’t having it. He tossed his cloth napkin onto the table. “Whatever. The point is, Isaac, you should offer her whatever she wants. A raise, a promotion—give her your office if that’s what it takes. Charlotte’s worth her weight in gold.”
Natalie thoughtfully peered from Samuel to me. “I don’t get it. I’ve always admired Charlotte, and I knew she was unbelievably competent, but I had no idea she was this”—she paused, searching for the right word—“indispensable.”
“She’s amazing at her job, sure.” Samuel waved his hand dismissively. “It’ll be hard to find someone as skilled as she is since Isaac had her get a ton of extra certifications and a master’s in business administration. But what makes her truly invaluable is that she can handle Isaac.” Samuel pointed at me. “She’s the only one who can get this stubborn mule to behave and use all the manners our parents taught us.”
Natalie looked to me, apparently waiting for a reaction.
I nodded to show my agreement.
Natalie made a noise in the back of her throat and looked to Logan for confirmation. My quiet cousin just shrugged.
I barely noticed, as my mind was starting to whirl. Samuel was right. Charlotte was the only one who could keep me in line, who understood me as well as my family.
In my shock, I’d barely tempted Charlotte. I could try again tomorrow—I just needed to figure out the right offer, the perfect combination of perks and promises that would make Charlotte stay.
For the first time since Charlotte handed me that resignation letter, I felt a flicker of hope.
I would do whatever I had to, to keep Charlotte at my side. No matter the cost.