Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Right, but you wouldn’t get final say on that.”
“I just want to be part of the discussion. If it’s our family legacy, I want to feel like I’ve contributed.”
I’ve worked so hard for so long, I’m not sure how I feel about my sisters working alongside me. Everyone I work with is dependent on me for a paycheck. It means what they tell me gets filtered into acceptable form. Working with family would be different. It could be a good thing. It could be a great thing. But I need to think carefully before I make a decision. This hotel could bring us together, but it also could tear us apart.
“I understand,” I say. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I can ask. I already have an appointment in your calendar in two weeks. You can give me your decision then. In the meantime, we’re going to lunch. Let’s find somewhere to eat.”
TWENTY-THREE
Sophia
I’ve always loved New York so much that leaving for the weekend has never been a priority. Even in the height of summer, I shun the Hamptons and spend the weekends playing tourist and enjoying the empty park. All to say, going to the Catskills at the end of November isn’t at the top of my bucket list. But that’s exactly where Worth and I are headed. He wants to show me his cabin, and honestly, I want to see it. I want to know every part of him. Getting to know him the last few weeks has been like being on some huge treasure hunt. I keep uncovering more and more great stuff about the man I’m married to.
“I’ve learned that the drive up is important,” Worth says from the driver’s seat. He’s wearing an open-necked plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. It’s not a version of Worth I’ve seen before, but Mountaineer Worth is hot. His five-hundred-dollar haircut and unshaven jaw don’t hurt, either. I plan to appreciate the hell out of the side-profile view I have of him for the next hundred miles or so.
“Important how?”
“Important because it takes time to leave the city behind. I’ve used a helicopter a couple of times, but it’s not the same.”
“It’s not the same as going by car? Because it’s going by air and it’s quicker?” I ask sarcastically.
“Wow, you’re funny,” he says, his mouth twitching at the sides.
“It’s nonstop jokes with me,” I reply. “But seriously, tell me why a helicopter is a bad idea, other than it’s terrifying and bad for the environment.”
“Because in a car you’re forced to move through the landscape at a slower pace. You see it change. First the high buildings disappear, then the houses get bigger and more spread apart, and in among that is the greenery. More and more trees appear. It’s like they’re welcoming you in, urging you forward.”
“It feels like you’re about to break into song. Please can you warn me if you’re going to start singing?” I grin at him.
“Interesting idea. I might just want to surprise you.” He slides his hand over my thigh and I snake my fingers between his. His hands are so large and strong, just like the rest of him. He’s the anchor in my personal storm at the moment. He’s keeping me safe and sane. “It’s a gradual change,” he says. “It gives you time to let go of what’s in the city and embrace what’s in the mountains.”
I’m silenced by what he’s saying. It’s thoughtful and profound and just so entirely him. I squeeze his hand. “And what is it you want to leave behind?”
“Just the usual,” he says. “Work and stuff.”
“And you want to leave work behind because…?”
“I love my job. But it’s a lot of… work.”
“Because you have employees and they’re looking to you for direction and paychecks?”
“Yeah. Partly that. And because a lot of the time I’m investing in people’s dreams. In passion projects. That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“Do you get very caught up in the individuals?”
“I did at first. I have to separate myself a little more now.” He pauses and I don’t speak. Worth is a thinker, and I don’t want to interrupt that. “I separate myself, which makes it easier, takes some of the pressure off, but it also takes away some of the sense of purpose. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah. So the sense of purpose comes from helping people realize their dreams, but that comes with huge pressure.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s a conundrum. It’s the same for your sisters as well, I suppose. Except the stakes are higher.”
“What do you mean?” He blinks. I’m mesmerized by his long lashes and the way he shifts in his seat. If we weren’t going fifty miles an hour, I’d straddle the guy and make out with him for a week.
“You help them realize their dreams. You must feel huge pressure for them to succeed.”