Chapter 43
WYATT
Grayson and I are waiting in his office for the others to arrive.
I called a meeting earlier this morning because something has been weighing heavy on my chest for weeks now.
When I walked out of Mr. Evergreen’s home, deep down I knew that I’d made a mistake.
I just refused to acknowledge it, but as time has gone on it’s gotten harder to ignore.
The sound of the coffee machine being used in the kitchen down the hallway punctuates the quiet as Grayson reads over some paperwork at his desk, occasionally noting things down.
My body feels like a million bolts of electricity are running through it and I stand to ease the energy that’s setting me on edge. I don’t know why I’m nervous. Maybe it’s because I need them to understand why I want to do this.
They will.
Kade appears on the threshold, a mug of steaming coffee in his hand. His focus bounces between me and Grayson before he enters the room and takes a seat. “Is there any reason it’s quieter than a church in here?” he asks, setting one ankle on his opposite knee.
Grayson sets his pen on his desktop and leans back in his chair. “No reason at all.” He casts a glance in my direction before turning his attention back to Kade. “You not making everyone a cup?” he asks, inclining his head to the mug Kade is in the middle of lifting to his lips.
“You’ve got legs,” Kade retorts.
Shaking his head, Grayson pushes away from his desk with a huff. “It’s like that, is it?”
I snicker when Kade slides his mug onto the tabletop before shooting out of his chair and all but running from the room.
The last time Kade got smart like this, Grayson made it a point, for months, to bring everyone else something whenever he’d get up.
I’m not surprised that Kade doesn’t want a repeat of that.
Grayson chuckles as he sits back in his chair. It creaks under his weight as he leans back and looks over at me. “You okay?”
It’s been a couple of weeks since our talk in my truck.
Since I confessed how lost I’ve felt without Maddie.
I haven’t heard from her, but between Mona and Deacon, I’ve been kept in the loop and know that she’s at least doing okay.
Even though it’s been eating me up inside, I’ve kept that distance.
When she’s ready, I’ll be here, waiting for her, but for now, it’s important that she makes that first move.
I don’t know how I did this before her. How I spent my time alone, content in my own company.
It’s not even like we’ve done typical couple stuff, but I miss her nearness.
Now my house feels too loud in its silence, and no matter where I go, I see her there, even in rooms she’s never been in. It’s like she’s haunting me.
I’m not about to admit to Grayson that I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen for Maddie or that it’s breaking something inside of me to stay away.
Instead, I nod in answer to his question, wishing that the others would hurry up so we can get this over with.
So that I can sulk back to my house and think about her.
As if on cue, Tanner and Reed arrive, taking a seat on the couch that sits against the wall furthest away from my position by the window.
“We’re just waiting for Kade,” Grayson says.
Tanner and Reed pull out their phones, no doubt going over their emails.
When Kade returns, he hands out the drinks and then all attention turns to me.
This feels monumental, and even though I’ve done a lot of things I wouldn’t normally do these past few months, this one feels the scariest. Not because I’m not certain of my decision, but because it’s not entirely my decision to make.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I announce, “I want to transfer the Evergreen land over to Maddie.”
Confusion floods the four faces staring back at me.
Grayson clears his throat, gathering his composure first. He leans forward, resting his arms on his desk as he asks, “As in the one we just bought?”
I nod.
“The one we purchased for close to a million dollars?” Reed chokes out. As our numbers man, it’s no surprise that he’d be alarmed at my request, given it’s his job to track what comes in and goes out. This isn’t exactly a sound business decision.
“One and the same,” I reply.
Kade’s brow is furrowed when he asks, “Why? Because you slept with her?”
I grind my back molars at the insinuation, even though I know he doesn’t mean anything by it.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’d question my motive.
He doesn’t know the extent of what’s been happening with me and Maddie outside of us having sex.
Sure, he might have picked up on something at the funeral, given I watched her more than the service, but Kade’s not the most insightful unless it has something to do with Chloe.
Instead of acknowledging his last question, I focus on the first. “We never should have offered more. I was wrong to suggest that we did, but, stupidly, I thought her plans would do more harm than good. Now that I know that isn’t going to be the case, I need to right this wrong.”
I saw what it did to her. The guilt she felt for losing that land to us when it was tied to her mom. They don’t need to know that, but they do need to know that this was never about her. It was always about me getting one over on the Harts and that doesn’t sit right with me now.
“And you know what her plans are now? You’re okay with them?” Tanner asks.
I nod. “She wants to give an experience of Montana but without any of the modern trappings. Long story short, she’d be offering it as a ‘come and experience frontier living’ kind of thing.
They’d be taking what they can carry on horseback, so damage to our property by vehicles is minimal, and I doubt they’ll be wandering off looking to cause trouble. ”
“That actually sounds pretty cool,” Kade interjects.
“I figured if we aren’t planning anything that far out, it wouldn’t be missed.” I scrub a hand over my jaw as I look around the room, my focus settling on Kade and Grayson. They’re the ones that have all the power in this conversation.
Grayson’s features are a mask when he says, “Are you sure? This isn’t something we’d be able to ask her to give back if you change your mind, Wy.”
“I’m sure.” I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. “Like I said, this is righting a wrong. If money is the problem, I’ll write a check, but she should have the land.”
“Holy shit,” Kade whispers, his eyes wide as he stares at me like I’ve sprouted a second head. “You love her. This is the grand gesture, the shit that happens in the sappy movies Chlo makes me watch.”
“Shut up, Kade. I’m not in love. This is about doing the right thing. Did you not just hear me, or do you need your ears cleaned?”
He presses his lips together, fighting back his grin before holding up his hands and saying, “Shall we put it to a vote?”
“If it’s what you want to do, I don’t have a problem with it,” Grayson says.
I hold my breath as I look at Kade. We’ve never not agreed on our business dealings, but this is different; this one is personal. More personal than when I first set out to take the land out from under her.
“This is insane.” Kade exhales, shaking his head. “Looks like we’re doing it then. I’ll head back to my office and reach out to Max?”
Tension seeps out of my body as they all file out of Grayson’s office.
We’ll get the wheels in motion on our end, but I’ll give it a few days before I let Maddie know.
Hell, I might not even tell her myself. I don’t want her to think that I’m doing this so that she feels obligated to be with me.
That’s the last thing I want; I just want to fix this.
To undo the pain I caused her by taking it in the first place.