Chapter 21
Logan
Monday and Tuesday following my weekend with Penelope are filled with demanding prep work for the upcoming fundraiser.
Every time we cross an item off the list, another gets added, but she doesn’t complain. In fact, not that she’d ever admit it, but we actually make a decent team.
Despite the hours of work we’ve put in to pull this thing off, tonight we get to relax, cut loose, and I finally get to introduce her to some of the most important, influential people in my life.
I give Javier and Declan an awkward smile when I step out of the discount store.
“Well, how do I look?” I ask, sweeping a hand down my monstera leaf shirt, and a pair of khaki shorts covered with nicks and holes that are, according to the woman behind the counter, ‘intentional.’
Javier smirks before moving to open the back door of the SUV. “Like twenty bucks, sir.”
“I think you mean ‘a million bucks.’”
Declan steps aside, answering for him when he catches sight of my flip-flops, “Believe me, he doesn’t.”
“Get in the car, dammit.” He swats at me when I shove him into the back, and Javier snickers as he takes the driver’s seat.
“Be straight up. Do you think she’ll like this?” I ask my friend, tugging at the bottom edges of my shorts once we’re seated.
He flashes an arrogant grin. “Is someone feeling vulnerable?”
“I’m being serious, dickhead.”
“You’re asking me if the woman who refuses to wear shoes and shops exclusively at stores just like that one will like your bargain-brand outfit?” He pats my knee before relaxing back in his seat. “Probably not. But hey, at least you tried.”
“It gets tiring calling you an asshole all the time.”
Declan offers me a wink. “What do you mean? This is our love language.”
True enough.
My fingers drum on my knees when Javier pulls onto the main road that leads to the eastside apartments.
“You’re really nervous about this, aren’t you?” Declan asks.
Fuck yes, I’m nervous. Penelope doesn’t know I’m coming to pick her up, but I’ve been planning this whole thing since we left the group home on Saturday.
“I just want tonight to be perfect.”
Ida is setting up dinner in a private cove near Honey Hollow tonight, and a lot of strategic planning has gone into the surprise I’ve got waiting for Penelope.
She’s never cared about grand gestures or material possessions. She craves action, not pretty promises or empty words, and that’s exactly why I’ve decided to speak with my father about the future of Seaside.
Declan’s genuine for once in his life when he says, “It will be.”
“Dad should be calling any minute. Once I get that out of the way, it’s smooth sailing.”
He pops the top of the candy container with Pen’s cinnamon chews and funnels a handful into his mouth. “Good fucking luck.”
When I told Declan my ideas this morning, he was cautiously optimistic, but supportive. We both know what a hardass my father can be.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. “Right on time.”
I get more nervous each time he calls, and hiding from him has become an agonizing feat. As it stands, he holds the key to my future with Summit Estates. It’s too new of a business to survive without his funding, and I’ve been paranoid that if he finds out about Penelope, or even that I’ve been sneaking off to Honey Hollow, he’ll strip me of ownership completely.
But my conversation with Pen yesterday was like a cattle prod to the ass.
It’s time to make some CEO moves.
My palms sweat as I raise the phone to my face. “Hey, Dad.”
He squints, bringing his screen closer. “What the hell are you wearing, son?”
Fuck.
I shift in my seat, scrambling for an excuse for my attire. “Oh, this? It’s nothing. Just fucking around with Declan.”
Across from me, my friend waggles his brows, and I flip him off behind the screen.
“I see. Is that what you were doing Saturday when you weren’t at the office?”
My pulse flatlines for half a second before recycling. I haven’t heard from him much since we saw him at the market. “I took the day off.”
“I didn’t realize you were taking Saturdays off now.”
I’m not sure why his annoyance surprises me. Working weekend days wasn’t ever a hard and fast rule, but an expectation I felt obligated to meet. But that was before Penelope’s sudden reappearance, and to be quite honest, I hope I never work another weekend again.
“Was there something you needed from me?” I ask cautiously, wishing he’d end the torment of guessing whether we’ve been caught.
“Actually, I know you said there was something you wanted to speak to me about, but I’ve got some fortunate news I need to tell you first.” He’s typing quietly in the background, dividing his attention between me and his task.
“I won’t be attending the charity event this weekend.”
Funny, I could have sworn he said this was fortunate news.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve got business matters to take care of elsewhere, so I’m putting you in charge.”
I pause, choosing my words carefully. “Any potential investors are going to want to speak with you, not me.”
“And that’s precisely why I’ve made this decision. I want you to get in front of these people. Give the Anderson name another face for them to recognize. We need their trust in our companies to provide for this island.”
Provide.
I’m curious what his definition of that word is while he’s busy piling more onto my overflowing plate.
“But you said I wasn’t ready?”
His eyes are sharp when they flick from his computer to me. “And now I’m saying you are.”
That sliver of doubt burrows through me, breeding an intense bout of anxiety I’m desperate to squash.
Noting my hesitation, he gives me his full attention. “What are you thinking?”
Seaside is my property, not his. Summit Estates bears my name, not his.
But the need for his acceptance lingers, and I want to prove I have what it takes to run this business without his constant, incessant handholding.
More than that, I’m desperate to show Penelope that he may have made mistakes in the past, but he’s not an inherently bad person. He trusts me.
“Nothing, I just…” I turn my gaze to Declan, who’s watching me intently.
He slowly shakes his head–a warning to back down. But when I think of Penelope’s fire and her passion for those she cares about, I cling to the flame building within me.
I didn’t see it before now. I’ve been going through the motions, doing my father’s bidding, and lying low in fear of opposing him for so long, that I haven’t considered how taking his place at the fundraiser could benefit me.
Penelope and I could work toward the same goal. She won’t like it at first, but putting up properties in Seaside would not only revitalize the area, but it would give Dorthea, Ricardo, and all those kids’ safety and an opportunity to thrive.
We’ll start with the space my father bid on, then we’ll make our way down the strip, together, as a team, all while keeping my father satisfied and our business thriving.
The hair on my arms pricks with a building wave of adrenaline, but for the first time in years, I feel a sense of purpose.
“I think you’re right,” I say finally. “But I want to invest in Seaside as a whole with Summit. I want my name on the contract for the building you bid for, and the freedom to branch out to the other spaces.”
I’ve got my father’s undivided attention now, and my heart pumps hard, heating the back of my neck as I wait for his answer.
After several tense beats, he cracks a slow, proud smile. “Just when I thought I might need to keep a closer eye on your developments in Keerah, you prove me wrong.”
I sit a little straighter as relief courses through me. “I mean it. I’ve got a vision for the entire area, and I want to make it happen. I know you have your doubts with what happened before, but I can do this.”
He wags a finger at the screen excitedly. “You and me both, son. This is going to be huge. All you gotta do is get some deep-pocketed partners, and that area is yours. Nathan Reid is our target, and I’ve already spoken with him. We just need to seal the deal.”
Fucking hell. Of course he wants Reid.
But that’s not happening. The guy’s as shiesty as they come. He doesn’t give a shit about the locals or surrounding communities, and many of his businesses are contributors to the destruction of the island’s natural habitat.
I’ve got a better idea, and best of all, he won’t be there to change my mind.
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“I believe in you.”
Those four words shouldn’t affect me as much as they do, but with them comes a wave of confidence. This is what I’ve been waiting for. A chance to make a change and do something with this company for the greater good.
I can make something great of my father’s legacy and make him proud at the same time.
I offer a parting nod before ending our call, feeling more in control than I have in years.
I’ll show Penelope that it’s possible for me to do good things with the resources I’ve been given. I’ll show her that this is our purpose.