Epilogue
Willow
This is it. I look over at Katherine and Brielle as we stand outside the boardroom at Sebastian’s company.
“Are we ready?” I ask, my heart thudding.
“I’m ready,” Brielle says. She looks pretty and smart, and we’re all wearing our best suits.
“I’m more than ready,” Katherine says. “We’re going to kill it. Plus, I know we really need this, and our idea is kick-ass.” She smiles at me.
“By the way, congratulations again on you and Sebastian,” she adds.
“Thank you. He’s a really good guy. I mean, he’s crazy and overprotective and takes things too far sometimes, but he’s my guy, and I love him. I’m just really happy.”
“I know. I can tell,” she says, eyes twinkling. “You radiate positivity and happiness, and that’s going to carry us through this presentation.” She grabs my hand and then Brielle’s. “We got this, girls.”
“We’re going to kill this presentation. We’re going to get the biggest funding offer anyone has ever gotten for a bed and breakfast… or at least, hopefully.” I laugh.
The boardroom door opens and Sebastian walks over to me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, Katherine. Hi, Brielle.”
“Hi, Sebastian,” they chorus back, smiling.
“You girls ready?” he asks.
“Absolutely,” I say.
“Okay, well, head into the boardroom. The gentlemen are seated. I’ll introduce you all, and then we can get started.”
“Perfect,” Brielle says.
I walk in behind Sebastian, then Brielle follows me, and Katherine comes last. All the men are seated at the table—except Jack, who’s standing with his back to us, looking out the window.
“Hey everyone, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Willow. These are her business partners, Brielle and Katherine.”
“Ladies, I’d like you to meet Santiago Diaz, Levi Probst, Flynn Alexander, Nate Howard and…” At that moment, Jack turns around.
His handsome, stoic face is framed by a blue pinstriped suit. His eyes are light, his facial hair dark, and I can see tattoos under the sleeve of his shirt on his arm.
Katherine gasps next to me.
“He’s cute, right?” I whisper.
Her jaw drops, eyes wide.
“Jack Heathcliff,” she says, disdain in her voice, and my heart sinks.
Jack’s eyes narrow. He walks over to us, stopping in front of Katherine.
“Katherine…”
“No, no,” she groans loudly.
He stares at me, then Brielle, and then finally Sebastian, who looks confused.
“What’s going on here? Is this a… joke?” Katherine groans.
I take a deep breath, not liking where this is going.
“Remember my ex?” she asks, voice turning shrill. “The jackass who broke up with me because his family didn’t approve?”
Brielle shoots me a nervous glance. This is not going as planned.
Katherine points at Jack. “Well… that’s the big brother who called me a skank and ruined my relationship. Mr. Jack Heathcliff. How’s Zac, by the way?”
“Oh… shit,” I mumble under my breath. Zac Heathcliff was Jack’s brother? How had I not figured that out? Zac had been the biggest asshole and I knew he’d really hurt Katherine. This was a hot mess.
Jack shakes his head. “Well, well, well, Katherine, Katherine, Katherine. We meet again.” He looks her up and down and there’s a smug expression on his face. “Still walking those Victoria Secret runways?” He asks and I wonder what he’s talking about.
“I’m not doing this,” Katherine mutters, glancing at me before stalking toward the door. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing a business presentation to that prick.”
I lick my lips nervously. Sebastian hurries over to me.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“I don’t know why she’s so mad, but I think Jack may be her exes older brother,” I admit. “I have a feeling he’s not going to be offering us any seed money for this bed and breakfast.” I look at Jack to see if he looks pissed off. He looks back at me, a tight smile on his handsome face.
“I didn’t realize she was your best friend.”
“I didn’t realize that you were related to her ex.
” I shake my head and try not to make any rude comments.
I liked Jack and didn’t want to admit I despised his brother.
“The world sure is small.” I look away because I feel awkward.
Jack is Sebastian’s best friend and I want him to like me, but I don’t know how we can ever be friends, knowing he had indirectly hurt Katherine.
I look over at Sebastian and he gives me a questioning look. I shake my head in response.
“Everything okay?” He leans forward and whispers and I press my lips together.
“Maybe? I don’t know. This is a complication none of us saw coming.” I sigh. “But I suppose what is life without complications?”
Sebastian squeezes my hand. “I love you. It’ll be okay.”
“I love you too and I hope you’re right. Let me go after Katherine and see if I can figure this out,” I tell Sebastian. “I haven’t seen her this upset in a long time.”
“Yeah, you do that.” He kisses me on the lips. “We’ll be here waiting.”
“Okay, thanks.” I hurry out of the room and find Katherine. She’s trembling as she stands there, Brielle’s arm around her shoulder.
“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry, girls. It all came out, and I didn’t expect it, but I hate that man. I’m not asking Jack Heathcliff for a single thing.” She shakes her head. “I hate him. If I ever had an enemy in life, it would be him.”
“I thought he was a nice guy. He even helped me with Sebastian’s situation.”
“I don’t know what he did for you, but that man is the devil.”
She glares at me. “I think about the things he said to his brother about me and it makes me so mad. He’s a spoiled rich jerk.”
“Oh boy.” I mumble, not knowing what to say.
“He’s a jackass, and there’s no way I’d ever want to do business with him.”
“So what do we do?” I ask softly. “We need funding to start this bed and breakfast, and we have the plan ready. Can we still at least present?”
Katherine takes a deep breath. “Oh my gosh… have I overreacted? I’m sorry. They’re probably not going to care what I think. Let’s just go in and kill it. Okay?” She nods slowly as if she’s getting on board with this idea. “Ugh. Let’s do it. But I refuse to have anything to do with Jack Heathcliff.”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her. “You won’t have to. If everything goes to plan, I’ll let Sebastian handle the business side of this for us.”
“Wait, what?” Brielle says. “I thought you didn’t want him involved.”
“I mean… not a part of the business, just the funding. A loan or sponsorship, with a contract we’ll pay back.
I don’t want him thinking I’m using him for his money.
” I smile at their hesitant, yet hopeful expressions.
“Don’t worry. I know he won’t think that, but I want you girls to know I’m willing to do that if this doesn’t work out. Either way, we win. Okay?”
“Thank you,” Katherine says softly. “I really appreciate you being willing to do that, even when I know you don’t want to.”
“Hey, we may still get funding from one of the other men,” I say, smiling. “And I’m sorry Jack ruined your last relationship. That sucks. If I’d known… there’s no way I would’ve agreed to this.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t know,” she says with a shrug. “It’s not like he murdered a family member or anything.”
She gasps as she realizes what she said. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry, girl. I know you weren’t saying it because of David or my parents,” I reassure her, rubbing her shoulder.
“It’s okay. We’ve got this. I love Sebastian, he loves me, and whatever happens, we’re all one big family.
We’re going to make this work. Let’s go back into that boardroom and kill it. ”
We march back in, and I’m pleased when they follow me.
“Hey, sorry about that, everyone,” I say brightly, pausing to give Katherine a chance to speak.
She steps forward. “Yeah… sorry. I didn’t mean what I said, but I’m very honest, and unfortunately, I don’t think I want to do business with you,” she says as she points at Jack Heathcliff, “and if that upsets anyone else in the room, I apologize. I have to be honest.”
Jack sits with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking. “I wouldn’t write off my money just yet, Katherine. Let’s hear what you have to say. Maybe I will want to invest.”
She presses her lips together, taking everything in.
I head to the side where Sebastian is standing. He looks slightly bemused. “No one’s ever reacted like that to Jack before,” he murmurs with a grin.
“I kind of love it,” I whisper.
“Really?” he says. “You know me. I like a little drama in my life.”
“Maybe I do too,” I admit, smiling. “But hey, I have a presentation to give.”
“Good luck,” he says. “I know you’re going to nail it. I love you, Willow.”
“I love you too.”
As I walk to the front of the boardroom and stand next to Katherine and Brielle, I know that no matter what happens, everything’s going to be okay.
I just hope we get through this presentation without Katherine or Jack killing each other.
The way they’re looking at each other? Sparks would be flying if it were possible.
The tension is electric, and I know one thing for sure—they absolutely hate each other.