Chapter 24 Kinley
Over the next three weeks, I managed to sign two huge distributors by using Wyatt’s sneaky tactic.
I had lengthy conversations with them on the phone about our plans for expansion without once mentioning my full name.
But when they came to the office for an in-person meeting, I handled things carefully.
Wyatt would casually drop my last name, and only one had heard of the scandal.
The other hadn’t. Neither seemed to care about it at all, and I began to feel more at ease.
Maybe that incident with the first distributor had been a onetime thing.
Hannah kept her promise and showed up for lunch twice a week. I truly enjoyed her company, and she was whip-smart. I still couldn’t understand how she had the energy to run an inn and work another job, but kudos to her.
On Monday, while she and I finished our lunch, Wyatt stepped in.
“Hannah, you’ve been co-opting Kinley for lunch a lot lately.”
She looked at him and wiggled her eyebrows. I loved the interactions between them. “I have. Why? Are you jealous?”
“Fuck yes,” Wyatt said. I gasped, but Hannah just giggled. Holy shit, this man. “I want her to myself.”
Right on cue, my face was on fire. I swear, Wyatt was going to manage what no man had before him: to make me blush.
“Well, you can have her in the evenings,” Hannah said.
I cleared my throat. “Wyatt, did you need anything?”
He was still looking at Hannah, who said, “I’m going to leave. I’m finished, after all, and clearly someone is about to embark on dirty talking.”
Wyatt’s eyes bulged.
“Ah, too direct,” she said. “Sorry. My filter is way off with the Sterling boys.”
I was pretty certain that same shock was etched on my features, too, but Hannah just laughed, clearly finding it amusing.
“I’ll see you later,” she said.
I nodded. “Thanks for lunch.”
After she left, I put my hands on my cheeks. “Oh my goodness. That was so—”
“Awkward,” Wyatt finished for me.
“Bizarre. You didn’t come here to talk dirty, did you?”
“Maybe...” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“You’ve never done that before.”
“That’s because Hannah was in your office for lunch every day this week.”
I laughed. “Not every day. Hannah’s good at reading you.”
He came closer, and I watched the door because it was still wide open. “Should I close that?”
“Fuck no. The only thing keeping me from having you right here on the desk is that door being open.”
I licked my lips. My mouth suddenly felt dry—unlike other parts of my body. “That’s supposed to be foreplay talk?”
Wyatt groaned. “No.” He took a deep breath and stepped back. “I was actually coming by to ask you to dinner on Friday.”
I blinked. “Why not earlier?”
“Because I need to head to Napa.”
I pouted. “Oh! I didn’t see that on the calendar.”
“It’s a last-minute thing.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m meeting my folks, Elsa, and Emily on Friday. We’re all going to the zoo. Actually, do you want to join us?”
“And crash your family night?”
“Why not? It seems right on par with everything else.”
When he didn’t answer right away, my heart started beating out of my chest. “You don’t have to. Only if you don’t mind. I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”
He frowned, tilting my chin up. “What pressure?”
“You know, meeting my family.”
Elsa couldn’t get together before Friday, and I knew I wouldn’t see her for a while after because her husband was coming home for a month.
“Kinley, your sister already met me, and she wasn’t very convinced that I’m the perfect guy for you. Clearly I need to make some headway there.”
I leaned back in my chair, pushing a bit farther away from the desk. “She was just looking out for me.”
“As she should. Now, let’s talk business,” he said.
I rolled my shoulders. “I’m listening.”
His body language changed whenever he was flirting with me. He was more relaxed, and he had this permanent smile on his handsome face. I felt utterly and blissfully proud that it was because of me. But now he’d gone back to “business Wyatt”—which was still just as hot in my opinion.
Calm down, girl.
“I spoke to the CEO of Premium Wines about listing us.”
“Holy shit,” I blurted. “That’s enormous. I didn’t even want to approach them until we got some other distribution deals.”
“I was about to ask you why you didn’t contact him, but that makes sense. Anyway, I got introduced to him through a friend and asked him to send a rep to come meet us on Monday.”
“I’ll do my homework and impress him by then.”
“I know you will. You’re very good at what you do.” That made me smile. I took great pride in my work and loved that Wyatt didn’t mind complimenting me. “The two of us are a powerhouse together, Kinley,” he said, and there was so much satisfaction in his tone.
Mark had hated that I was successful on my own. He told me quite a few times that he didn’t feel like he was man enough because I was earning so much. I’d never come close to making as much as Wyatt, but I loved being with a man who respected me for who I was.
* * *
I kept hoping that Wyatt’s Napa plans would magically cancel themselves so I could see my sexy man sooner, but no such luck.
On Friday, though, I was super happy as I met my clan at the zoo.
Dad was carrying Emily even though she was a bit heavy for his bad back.
I’d told him that once, and he replied that his love for his granddaughter was bigger than his backache.
Upon noticing me, she wiggled out of his arms and ran toward me. “You came, Aunt Kinley!”
“Of course. I can’t miss a zoo trip. Besides, we haven’t been in quite a while.”
I kept my hand on her shoulder as we walked to the group.
“Hey, everyone,” I greeted them.
Mom looked around. “Where’s Wyatt?”
My eyes bulged, and then I looked at my sister, who smiled sheepishly. I’d told her that Wyatt was coming, too, and I hadn’t explicitly mentioned that she shouldn’t say anything to our parents. I assumed she wouldn’t. Clearly I was wrong.
“Not sure. Let me check.”
I took out my phone and smiled when I saw the message from him.
Wyatt: I’ll be at the entrance shortly.
“Someone’s got good news,” Elsa said.
I looked up to find the whole group staring at me.
“Yep, Wyatt’s here.”
I turned around, and just a few seconds later, I noticed him. He was coming with Jeremy.
I waved at him even though I was certain he’d seen me, and they quickened their pace.
“Hi, everyone,” he said once he’d joined us. “I’m Wyatt Sterling. This is Jeremy, my nephew.”
“Hi, Jeremy,” I greeted him. “Nice to see you again.”
He smiled at me, but only long enough that I knew he just did it to be polite. His eyes fell on Emily. Ah, these two could become friends. They were close in age.
Wyatt shook hands with Mom and Dad.
“We already know each other,” Elsa said, smiling at him. I was grateful that she’d seemed to warm up to the idea. She hadn’t cautioned me again at least.
“I finished today’s meeting earlier, and I’d promised Jeremy that we would spend some time together this weekend. Figured the zoo is right up his alley,” he said, mussing up his nephew’s hair.
“I love the zoo,” Jeremy said.
“So do I,” Emily added.
“Where shall we go first?” Mom asked.
“Oh, let’s look at the map,” I said.
I’d been here a few times, but I couldn’t remember the various routes. A few minutes later, we decided to take the main one. Jeremy and Elsa walked a good few feet in front of us.
“Well, those two are already fast friends,” Dad exclaimed.
“Seems like it. I figured he’d be thrilled to meet someone new,” Wyatt said.
“So, Wyatt, our daughter tells us that you like setting up new businesses.”
He nodded. “I began doing that a few years ago. I love breaking into new industries.”
“And yet you’re still working with your brothers in Sterling Investments?”
“Yes, but it runs like a well-oiled machine. A bit boring, to be honest.”
“It’s very exciting to set up new businesses,” I added.
“Our girl speaks highly of you,” Mom told him.
She was watching him with a scrutinizing eye, which was unlike her. She wore her heart on her sleeve—hell, she’d practically considered Mark her son for the whole duration of our relationship—but I hadn’t expected her to be reticent. She’d warm up to Wyatt in no time at all, though.
We made small talk with my parents and sister as we walked around. Neither Jeremy nor Emily seemed to care that we were a few feet behind them. In fact, one or two times, I could swear Jeremy looked back to check and see if we weren’t too close.
They want privacy, huh?
Wyatt kept telling my parents about his family and what each brother was doing.
At some point, he put an arm around my waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
No one noticed except for Mom. She glanced down at his hand and then back up at me.
Her eyes were warm. Oh yeah, I knew she couldn’t stay suspicious of him for too long. It wasn’t in her nature.
She touched my arm lightly, as if to say, “Well done,” and I swear, my heart gave a mighty sigh. I liked having Mom’s blessing.
“Who wants ice cream?” Wyatt asked loudly as we reached a stand selling all sorts of snacks. I swear to God, Jeremy instantly turned around.
“Me!”
Elsa turned around as well, and Wyatt looked at my sister. “Shit. Forgot to check what your sugar policy is.”
Elsa threw her head back and began to laugh. “Oh, I like you, Wyatt. Honestly, I have no policy whatsoever. My girl doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so when she wants something, she gets it.”
“Anyone else want ice cream?” Wyatt asked, looking at my parents and then at me.
“I never say no to ice cream!”
“Nothing for me,” Dad replied.
As Wyatt put in the order, I stepped next to him.
“I have my card,” I began, but he just cocked a brow and shook his head.
I opened my mouth, but he said, “No. I asked. My treat.”
I caught Mom’s smile out of the corner of my eye. She did like a gentleman.
After we ate the ice cream, Emily began to yawn. It was starting to get late for the kids.