13. Losing Business
CHAPTER 13
Losing Business
A ddy loved the feel of the neighborhood. She’d never visited Roslindale Village before, but it had a lovely vibe. Family friendly, pretty buildings, and parks. “I bet this is one of the walks you took with your grandparents.”
Heath squeezed her hand. They’d barely stopped touching each other since they’d left the condo. She imagined them doing this in sixty years. Like his grandparents.
“Spot on. When I decided to hire people to help with my business, I wanted an area that made me smile. A place filled with good people and possibilities.”
No faceless modern building for her Heath. She knew his dad worked in one of those. She could feel the raw hurt radiating from Heath but he was focusing on the good and the future. He’d need to continue to talk about his feelings to heal but she hoped she and Nina could help with that.
They walked through Adams Park and he showed her where the farmer’s market took place. Even without the hustle of the market, it was a happy, thriving place.
He tugged her to the edge of the sidewalk and gestured to a graceful white Victorian building. The two-story property had a windowed porch and pretty green gingerbread trim. An elegant sign in the window proclaimed WMW Financial.
“This is your place? I never asked what you named your business. Actually, I didn’t know you had employees.”
He laughed. “There hasn’t been much time to talk about it. We’ve been filling up my Nina database. For years, I did work on my computer in my apartment. Eventually, I wanted to separate home and work.”
She watched him frown, then he continued. “I wonder if that’s when I stopped enjoying the condo. Work makes me feel connected to Gramps and Grams. Home is always empty.”
Her heart ached for him. He’d been lonely for so long. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and that frown morphed into a genuine smile. “Don’t be. It’s fine. I’m finally going to have a home in Phail. With you and Nina. I can’t wait.”
She reached up to kiss him lightly. “Me neither. So, why WMW? I assume one of the Ws is for Wilcox? But there’s no H for you.”
That question made him smile and he lifted his eyebrows in challenge. She narrowed her eyes but he didn’t say a word. Her eyes drifted back to the sign. WMW. “Your grandfather’s name? You named it after your Gramps?”
He laughed and hugged her. “Close. Gramps was Walter Wilcox. Grams was Mary.”
Her eyes misted when she smiled back. “Walter Mary Wilcox Financial. Because it’s their advice that helped you. And now you’re using their love and ideas to help others. You’re pretty spectacular, Heath.”
He laughed and slung his arm over her shoulder. “You make me feel that way. Come on inside and I’ll show you around.”
Inside, the open floor plan let her see a receptionist desk to one side and several desks behind it. Each desk was unique and held a computer with several monitors. There were photos of Boston on all the walls. The atmosphere was homey and comfortable.
No one sat at the desk for reception, but everyone at the individual desks looked up as they entered. A diverse group of five people who all smiled at them.
“Hey, boss. You look like you’re having a good day. Thought you were still in Vermont.”
No one jumped to attention. Their demeanours showed her immediately that they liked their jobs and they liked Heath. No surprise. How could this good man ever think he was like his father?
Heath took her hand and led her to the side of the room where he patted the top of a desk for her to sit on. Once she was settled, he rested against the desk.
He smiled at the group. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Addy Syrette. She’s the reason I’m moving to Phail.”
One woman dropped her head back in a groan while a man lifted a fist in the air. “Awesome. I win the pool.”
Heath laughed. “You guys will bet on anything. What do you win, Yoshiko?”
The man waggled his eyebrows. “My choice for dessert Fridays for three weeks in a row.”
The woman who’d groaned rolled her eyes. “You know that means no chocolate for three weeks. What kind of monster doesn’t like chocolate?”
Addy laughed along with the rest of the group. No chocolate for three weeks would be rough.
Heath put his arm around her shoulder. “Addy, please meet Yoshiko, Patty, Marlena, Eric, and Shambhavi with the chocolate addiction.”
Everyone came and shook her hand. She knew her skin was flushed, but she forced herself to make eye contact with everyone. Their friendliness and interest made it easy.
They spent an hour chatting with the group. Heath explained they had a daughter together. He didn’t gloss over what his parents had done to him—to them—and his friends were properly horrified.
Then the group worked together to make a plan for how the office routines would change. Shambhavi had laughed at that, and explained to Addy. “It’s not like we have regular hours. With the startups we work with, we might put in our hours in the evenings or on weekends. We often work on site with the companies as well. We make it a point to be in the office together at least three times a week. That way we can brainstorm and help each other out. Heath can join in with video calls, but he’s not getting out of dessert Fridays.”
Heath laughed. “No problem. I might even make sure there’s something chocolate for you.”
While Heath packed up his desk with all the things he wanted to take, the others kept Addy entertained with some of their bigger successes and tales of how they’d become such a tight team.
“It’s fun to work with a group with similar goals. We like to find the little businesses who have great ideas, but who need a boost of capital and confidence. Best job in the world.”
Eric’s words had Addy’s heart swelling with pride for Heath and what he was accomplishing. She didn’t say it, but it would be a terrifying job for her. They all interacted with so many people. They also dealt with huge amounts of money. Her monthly budget was more than enough for her. She’d happily stick with being a writer.
Back on the street, she carried a messenger bag, while Heath toted a large box. “I like your friends. They’re a great team.”
He nodded. “They are. And they liked you as well. No one bitched even a little bit about me pulling my weight from another state.”
“You’ve built something amazing here. The building is wonderful and the people are even better. You’ve done so much good with this business. I’m so proud of you.”
“You’re making me want to ditch the surprise I planned and head right back to the condo so I can show you what your words mean to me.”
Addy laughed. “We can do that all night. I want to see this surprise.”
Heath opened the trunk and they put the box and bag inside. Then he yanked her into his arms for a kiss. When her knees wobbled, he pulled back, and they both sucked in some air.
“Okay, that should hold us. Surprise it is.”
H eath wondered if he’d ever experienced this many powerful emotions in one day.
Trepidation about seeing his parents. Anger and disgust at finding out their deceptions. Despair at the genetic history living within him.
Lust, like, and love. All for Addy.
Relief over meeting with his team and finding they all supported him. Happiness at their quick acceptance of Addy. Marlena had let him know the entire team approved of her. They would do anything to help him out and keep the business going strong.
Pride filled him at Addy’s words. More lust.
And now, excitement at taking her to a moment from their past. He took a circuitous route so she wouldn’t realize where he was taking her too quickly.
He drove through several neighborhoods and pointed out more places he’d visited with his grandparents.
As they drew closer to the MassArt area, she recognized a few buildings. But it had been more than a decade since she’d been here, and he wasn’t using the same route her bus had taken.
He pulled into a parking lot, and she smiled. “I’m not sure where we are.”
“Then my surprise is still intact for a moment.”
That moment didn’t last long. When they turned the corner, her laughter filled him up. “Our café. This is perfect.”
Inside, they found that not much had changed. The booths were now covered in red fabric instead of the checked pattern he remembered. The countertops had been refreshed but the layout remained the same.
Addy grabbed his hand and tugged him to an empty booth. She pointed to a side for him, then took the one opposite. “This is exactly where you sat when I first spotted you. You were so cute and sexy, I almost dropped my tray. Then you looked at me with that twinkle in your eye, and I thought I’d stumbled into my very own fantasy world.”
That filled him up. “You wore that horrific neon-green uniform shirt, and you looked like you could be on a runway in Paris.”
Her cheeks heated, and she ducked her head. Hiding behind her hair. He reached and brushed her hair back. “Don’t hide from me, Addy. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, and you should hold that head up no matter what.”
She smiled softly as her eyes misted. “I love you, Heath.”
“Love you right back, Addy.”
A server came over and they ordered a plate of nachos to split and lemonade, just like they had many times before.
“Tell me about the heart condition.”
She leaned back in her chair, eyes wide. “It’s fine.”
He rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t. I want to know it all. Even the tough stuff.”
For a long moment, she was quiet. He hoped she was gathering her thoughts and not avoiding the topic. When she looked up, her deep eyes were serious. “You’re not allowed to feel guilty about any of this.”
“I already do. I should have been there. If I’d known, I could have paid for medical treatments and visits, even if I’d been deployed. I know you wouldn’t have had excess money.”
“I had enough.”
That had him smiling. “You did. And from everything I’ve seen, all the photos you’ve shown me, I know Nina has always had everything she’s needed. I also know that she comes first for you, and she always has. I’m betting you had incredibly difficult choices to make regarding money, and that Nina’s needs won out every time.”
Her eyes misted, and her smile was soft. “I couldn’t afford my asthma medication all the time. I tried to only use the inhalers when I was desperate, but it wasn’t enough. The asthma developed into preeclampsia.”
He nodded. “I wondered about that. I’ve been reading up. Did you develop cardiomyopathy?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You have been reading up. No, I was lucky. When Nimii and her grandmother dragged me to the doctor, she said I was at risk for cardiomyopathy, but the condition never worsened.”
“I’ve noticed you always have inhalers with you now. Do you have to take any medications for your heart? Is there any lingering worries with it? What other meds do you need?”
Addy patted his hand. “I’m fine. Preeclampsia generally disappears when you give birth. It did for me. I have regular checkups now and my heart is healthy.”
“No long-term effects?”
“No. With help from Nimii and her grandmother, I could afford the medications. They made sure Nina and I were safe and healthy.”
That made his heart thump. “I’m so glad you met Nimii. She is an amazing friend.”
Addy nodded. “The best. She, her grandmother, and Ginny are family.”
“The best kind.” Because some of his own family sucked. Big time.
As if reading his thoughts, Addy squeezed his hand. “You’ve got your grandparents in your heart, you’ve got your people at WMW, you’ve got your buddies from the army, and you’ve got Nina and me.”
His heart thumped even more loudly. He wanted them to be his family. Officially. Forever. “That’s more than enough. I’m a lucky man.”