Chapter 20 #2
Seb went over and over what had happened, from the moment she showed up at his office in Clementine until the ledger fell out of her briefcase.
Every single time it came back to one thing— his gullibility.
The past rolled through his mind, including their relationship ten years ago.
Jade was extremely independent and could be aloof.
But once he got to know her, he saw her vulnerability, and that was his Achilles’ heel.
Not just with her. Giving Logan a place to stay without knowing anything about him.
Hiring Kalista because Bo asked a favor, not because she was the best qualified.
He’d only fired two people in his life, but there were a few others he should have given a pink slip to, and he kept them on, costing him time and money.
Even now, despite his dangerously low bank account and every single cent he’d made on his book going to the paper, he was trying to figure out ways to keep The Times in business.
If he didn’t stop, he’d go completely broke.
“There you are.”
Seb groaned but didn’t turn around. Evelyn Margot. Of course.
She plopped herself right next to him on the semi-grassy patch of embankment.
“You’re supposed to be at work,” he muttered.
“So are you.”
“What, I can’t have a vacation?”
Evelyn scoffed. “Sure you can. But Sebastian Percival Hudson—”
“For the love of—”
“—never, ever takes a vacation. What gives, bro?”
“Mind your own business.”
She did a double take. “Wow. It must be bad if you’re almost growling at me.”
He should apologize, but he didn’t have it in him. He tossed a couple more stones into the water.
“You’re scaring me a little,” she said. “I called you five times. You didn’t answer.”
“Phone’s off.”
“Yeah, I know. Talk to me, Sebastian. I know you hate doing that, but I need to know that you’re okay. Because right now you’re definitely acting like you aren’t.”
Seb turned from her, pressing his palm to the back of his sun-warmed neck. “I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Do what?”
“Keep The Times going.”
“Sure you can. I know things are bad, but you’ve always found a way.”
“Not this time.” He turned to her. While he never wanted to see Jade Smith again, she had done one thing for him—snapped him back to reality.
For years he’d been riding on hope that things were going to get better with The Times .
That he could save it. “The press is down again,” he said.
Paul had called him on the way to the cabin yesterday and given him a dismal report on Ol’ Bessie.
“I know. He and Cletus are working on it. They’ll have it fixed for Thursday’s edition.”
“What if they don’t? Or what if it breaks down permanently? I don’t have the money to buy a new one.”
“We can farm out the printing.”
“Right. And then we go to digital. Better yet, let’s just put the whole thing on the internet.”
“Why not?” She held up her hands. “Lots of newspapers are going in that direction.”
“Then it wouldn’t be The Times !” He stared at the river. “Not Buford’s anyway.”
“Or yours.” Evelyn looked at her lap and tugged on the fringed hem of her sixties throwback top. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“Because I thought I could handle it.” He grimaced. He remembered the first thing he told Buford when the man offered him the paper. “I’m not a businessman.” He sure proved that. He also proved that he couldn’t trust his own judgment—professional and personal.
“What are you going to do?”
“Sell.” He scrambled up off the bank. When he finally got around to turning on his phone, he was sure he’d find a voicemail from Miles.
Jade had accomplished her mission. But he wasn’t selling it to Harrington.
No. Way. There were other media companies that had wanted The Times over the past couple of years. He’d contact one of them.
“And that’s it?”
He went to the cabin, ignoring her.
“You can’t do this!”
Halting his steps, he turned around. “It’s my paper. I can do what I want.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair. What about your employees?”
“I’ll make sure y’all stay on. That will be part of the deal.”
“Sebastian—”
“It’s done, Evelyn. I’ve already decided.
” The fact that he’d decided just this moment didn’t matter.
She might be right about moving to digital, and that might keep the paper in business.
But he couldn’t bear to see Buford’s lifelong work, and his own too, go through such a drastic change. Not when he was at the helm.
She jumped in front of him, her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “This isn’t like you. Something else happened. Something... Where’s Jade?”
“She’s got nothing to do with this.” He stalked toward the cabin again.
“Now I know she does.”
He opened the sliding patio door, resisting the urge to slide it shut in Evelyn’s face.
His sister didn’t do anything wrong. Not this time anyway.
Actually, not in a long time. Their relationship had always been solid.
But part of being her brother was to let her have her say, no matter how long it took, or how much he didn’t want to hear it.
“Where is she, Seb?”
“Atlanta.” He went to the kitchen counter, grabbed his phone, and turned it on. Might as well start making calls now.
“She really left? I thought—”
“What?”
“Well, Mabel saw you two kissing in the parking lot. She told Clyde, and you know he can’t zip his lips for nothing—”
“Stop,” he said. Fantastic. Now most of Clementine had gotten the news that he and Jade were making out. “Just... stop.”
“When are you going to see each other again?”
“We’re not.”
“But I saw how you two were—”
“What?” he shouted. “ Looking at each other? We’re not googly-eyed teenagers. We’re not...” His chest felt like a concrete block had fallen on it. “Anything.”
Evelyn grew quiet. Tilted her head. “Oh, Sebastian,” she said, her expression filling with sympathy. “She was something to you.”
He gripped the phone, not looking at her. This was painful— not just Jade’s betrayal, but that Evelyn Margot had figured out his feelings so easily, with an assist from Mabel and Clyde. Painful and humiliating.
She went to him and put her arms around him.
Against his will, he hugged her. After a few minutes, he pulled away. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.
She nodded. “Anytime.”
He didn’t feel better, but it was good to know Evelyn had his back. “Don’t say anything to the staff,” he said. “I don’t want them to worry while I find a buyer.”
“I won’t.” Her voice sounded thick. “I wish there was another way.”
Seb did too. But there wasn’t, and it was past time he accepted it.