Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
“That infuriating, hateful man!” Kat snapped the second her office door shut behind her. She slapped her paperwork on her desk and paced. She’d felt his judgmental stare from the moment she’d entered the room. His eyes practically burned holes into the side of her head.
What right did he have to make her feel small and uneducated?
Kat bit back a screech of frustration and it came out in something that resembled a dying cat.
She’d done her best to direct her questions to Jane and Noah.
They were the showrunners for this project, after all.
And Reese? He was striving to put the actual therapy program together with his plans for additional education.
There was no reason for Leo to come to this meeting besides the fact that at some point Jane and Noah would be unreachable. They had more important things to do than to fill her in with updates as the project progressed.
She growled again as she stopped at her window and stared down at the street.
Four familiar figures exited the building and climbed into a limo that had been brought around.
She watched though narrowed eyes. Leo might have pointed out the obvious, but what he didn’t understand was how important it was for her to ask all the questions.
Clearly, he didn’t know how businesses like her father’s worked.
“Idiot,” she muttered.
“Who’s an idiot?”
Kat whirled around to find Chaz standing in her office. He was the epitome of smug competition.
“Am I correct in assuming that this project of yours isn’t as easy as you thought it would be?”
Her lips curled into a snarl. “What do you want Chaz?”
He frowned at her, but it was as fake as the leather of his shoes. “You know, I was really looking forward to signing on the dotted line with you. Your father’s idea might have been a little… archaic, but why mess with something that has worked in the past?”
She folded her arms, giving him a once over.
Chaz was handsome enough. He knew how to dress to accentuate his form.
His suits were always top of the line, but then they both came from high society.
His hair was the opposite of Leo’s. Where Chaz was blond and his cut was shorn close to his head, Leo’s hair looked like he’d spent hours making sure it was perfectly mussed.
Chaz had remained clean shaven, while Leo wore scruff like he was the next James Bond villain.
And he was muscular. Man, the way those muscles rippled…
Kat shook her head to clear it.
Leo might have looked like Adonis reincarnated, but his personality left much to be desired. Chaz at least didn’t talk down to her. He might be smug when he got his way. He might flirt even when there was no invitation to do so. But all in all, he was a decent guy. She could do worse.
She could have ended up with someone like Leo.
Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled at him. “The project is just fine. The meeting went perfectly.”
“Didn’t sound so perfect.” His expression softened and he shot a glance over his shoulder at the open doorway before shutting the door behind him. Then he moved farther into the room. Are you sure you don’t want to entertain an…”
“An arranged marriage?” she scoffed. “Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
She frowned. “Why would you want it? I’ve met your parents.
They love each other. Don’t you want that?
Don’t you want to fall in love with someone who makes your heart stop beating just because they walk into the room?
Don’t you want to find someone who is your perfect match in every way?
” Kat was fully aware the way she sounded in this moment.
She wasn’t a romantic. Not really. Even though she’d brought up love to her father, that wasn’t the biggest reason.
Kat didn’t need love.
She needed to make something of herself.
Happiness came from setting goals and seeing them come true. Hard work. Fighting for a future that she found worthwhile.
Startled when Chaz suddenly appeared before her, she forced herself to focus on what he’d been saying.
“I think love isn’t what they talk about in fairytales, Kat. Love is a deep form of respect that a man can give a woman and vice versa. Love is two people reaching for the same goals. That’s what we would be. And I’d be happy for it.”
Just the thought of tying herself to someone who might have the power to snuff out her light felt suffocating.
She would never allow herself to become dependent on another person for her sense of self-worth or successes.
She’d clawed her way to the top of her class, and she’d do the same at her father’s company.
Kat shook her head. “I disagree. Love might include those things, sure, but love is more than that, too. One day you’re going to see a pretty girl walk past you on the street or enter a room where you’re standing and you’re going to lose all sense of time.
You’re going to wonder what it would be like to reach out and graze your thumb along her lower lip.
You’re going to feel the sizzle in the air just by being close to her. ”
As if against her will, her thoughts turned to Leo.
There was definitely a little sizzle there, but it was the wrong kind. He made her blood boil to the point it might bubble over and burn anyone within spitting distance.
“Have you considered that woman could be you?”
That simmering in her blood immediately cooled. She gaped at Chaz. “What?”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and shrugged.
The dress shirt he wore tightened around his own frame, hinting that just because he worked behind a desk didn’t mean he didn’t take care of his body.
“I would be lying if I told you that I hadn’t considered asking you out over the years.
Came close to doing just that several times. ”
Still she stared at him slack jawed. This was insane.
Chaz was… well, he was Chaz. He only took things seriously when her father was within hearing distance.
He was good at his job, which infuriated her more often than not, because this kind of work came so naturally to him. It was like he didn’t even have to try.
And if he did?
Well, then she might actually be bumped from the candidates vying for the job she so desperately wanted.
Realizing her mouth was still agape, she snapped it shut.
“While I appreciate your willingness to play the ‘what if’ game, I’m sorry to have to inform you that my stance on the subject hasn’t changed.
And it never will. I want this promotion.
It’s all I’ve wanted since I was nine. If that means putting up with some ill-mannered cowboy from Montana, sobeit. ”
A smile tugged at the corners of Chaz’s lips. He lifted a shoulder. “Then I guess the only thing I can do is wish you good luck.”
He turned to head for the door but before he reached it, she called out, “I don’t need luck.”
Chaz paused but he didn’t glance back at her.
A low, rumbling chuckle filled the room.
“You know, I’ve never seen you this flustered over someone you’ve met.
In all the years we’ve worked together, you’ve kept a clear head.
Then this cowboy waltzes in, and suddenly you’re shooting steam out of your ears. ”
“I was not—”
“Like I said, Kat. Good luck.” With that, he disappeared out the door and out of view.
“I need updates on the equine therapy project. The contractors were supposed to have broken ground already.”
Kat sighed but then she realized her father probably heard her discontent.
Zero weakness.
She couldn’t afford to let him see how frustrated or worried she was about their current timeline.
He was right. They were supposed to have broken ground already.
If they waited much longer, then the build would be going into the fall and if Montana was anything like she expected it to be in the winter, that would present problems.
Kat sat up taller in her seat. “The contractors they insist on using were booked out and there was a problem with scheduling—”
“Have you offered them more money to bump our build up in their schedule?”
“Of course I have.”
“And?”
She shut her eyes briefly and prayed for patience.
“These contractors are from a small town, dad. They have plenty of work, but there’s not enough work for there to be two firms. We could attempt to request someone from Billings, but Noah was adamant that the people from this particular company are who they wanted to go with. ”
He slammed a palm down on the table. “It isn’t their money they’re spending. After the build is done, we’re taking a percentage of the profits. We need this project up and running or our numbers aren’t going to look good come year-end.”
She should have taken some pain killers before she came to this meeting. “They have every right to pick the contractors. You permitted it in the contract they signed.”
Her father sighed then pinched the bridge of his nose. “So what’s the timeline? When are they going to break ground?”
She dug through her notes despite knowing the date already.
At this point in time, they anticipated the end of July if not early August. There was even a chance for a start date of early September if they got really unlucky.
Her father wasn’t going to like it, and she didn’t want to tell him because she knew he’d blame her somehow. This was her project after all.
Kat cleared her throat. “Looks like late July at the earliest.”
“What?” he snapped.
She closed her eyes briefly again.
“And there are no other options? What if we discuss terms with the Chambers Foundation to see what we can do about changing them?”
“You can try…” she murmured, though she’d gotten to know Noah well enough over the last couple of weeks.
He played hardball and so did his wife. They weren’t going to bend on this one.
Everything they did was for the people they cared about and if there was even one person on the crew of this construction company that meant something to them, they’d only dig in their heels harder.
“When are you scheduled to meet in person with them again?”
“In two weeks.”
He scrubbed at his jaw, his eyes growing distant as he contemplated her answer. Then he shifted his focus to her once more. “I’m going to need you to add myself and Chaz to the list of people sitting in on that meeting.”
Kat’s jaw tightened and her fingers dug into her palms as she fisted them tightly in her lap.
Still, she forced her voice to remain calm and collected despite knowing exactly what this was about.
Her father didn’t trust her to seal the deal.
“Oh?” she asked quietly. “Is there a reason you’d like to sit in with them? ”
His eyes narrowed and she fought the urge to shrink back into her chair.
She had every right to be here. She might be his daughter, but she was good at what she did.
Kat could give him a grocery list of everything she’d tried to get this project started sooner.
She’d considered every option both legal and in the grey area.
Nothing was going to help them push this project to start sooner.
When her father finally spoke, his words sent a cold chill down her spine.
“I need to see you in action. I want to make sure you’re representing this company in the best way possible.
” Not only did he not trust her, he was implying that Chaz would be better suited.
It felt like her heart was fracturing just a little.
“And Chaz?” she questioned. “Why does he need to be present?”
“He’s in the running for the promotion,” he said it like it was obvious. “I’d like him to see you in action.”
She bit back a snort. Yeah right. Her father would likely drill Chaz after the fact to ask him how he would handle the group differently.
Her heartrate ticked up. This didn’t seem fair.
Why was her father so willing to dangle this carrot in front of her only to allow his supposed favorite to do a sneak attack from behind and snatch it away from her?
She clutched her hands together tightly. “In that case, I’ll inform your secretaries of the schedule change.” Kat didn’t allow herself to focus on his face. She didn’t want to see the triumph he probably sported from simply winning this little conversation.
Everyone knew she was too similar to her father.
They butted heads more often than not, but at least they kept it behind closed doors.
She’d never be caught dead having an argument in front of clients or other business partners.
Her father had earned his place as the head of this company, and she wouldn’t be the one to make anyone question it.
Still, it was moments like this one where she had to pick her battles. And that was why she headed off to her office with her tail between her legs.
Maybe Noah and Jane would be willing to speak to Leo. If he could manage to keep his mouth shut for the duration of the meeting, then she just might come out of it unscathed.