“I’m impressed with your first week,” Ryan said.

“Is that why you’ve invited me out to lunch?” I asked.

“More or less. I also wanted to congratulate you personally on the step you and Adam are taking together. I take it he spoke with you?”

“He did, finally. I take it I have you to thank for that?” I asked.

“More or less,” he said with a grin.

“So where are we headed to eat?”

“A small café I enjoy. It’s quiet and discreet, tucked away from the busy Portland streets.”

“Sounds quaint. I enjoy places like that,” I said.

“Then I’m glad I chose it.”

I rode alongside Ryan in the back of his blacked-out town car. The buttery leather seats underneath my thighs reminded me of the decadence he surrounded himself with, that filled my office every day. I watched the muted world pass us by before the driver pulled off the main road, rolling almost to the end of an alleyway before taking a sharp left.

The confusion must have been evident on my face, as Ryan chuckled.

The second the car turned the corner, however, I was stunned at what I saw: a small brick porch with wrought-iron furniture set around a swinging front door. Lights hung from railings strung between buildings, illuminating the dark alley even though it was the middle of the day. I stepped out and gawked at the simplistic beauty of it all.

It was not something I would’ve ever associated with Adam’s father.

“Like it?” he asked.

I turned my gaze to him as a smile crossed his cheeks.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, let’s get some food and talk about your first week.”

He held the door open for me as he always did, and my shock didn’t dissipate when I walked inside. The restaurant was just as beautiful and graceful on the inside as it was on the outside. He led me to a corner table before someone came up and took our order, my eyes scanning the beauty of the small space all the while. Twinkling lights hung from the rafters and the windows were open, filling the space with a fresh breeze I hadn’t thought existed in Portland.

“Not a place I would’ve associated with you, Mr. Tucker.”

“Then it’s nice to know I can still offer somewhat of a surprise,” he said. “So, let’s talk about your first week.”

“That is the reason for this lunch.”

I felt the need to state that for some reason. I just didn’t know why.

“It went great. I noticed you combed through some previous files and corrected some things my prior CPA didn’t catch. Those errors would have gotten my company into serious hot water had you not taken the initiative.”

“It’s always good for a new CPA to go through old logs. I took notes on what your prior CPA did—the methods he used and the notes he regularly took, how he used the software, things like that. The way CPAs do things is just as unique as the CPA themselves, despite the fact that they use the same software. But it became painfully clear that he missed a lot of things in the process. That’s what prompted my digging.”

“You’ve gotten a lot accomplished this first week, so I’m relinquishing any files you need to look through. They’ll be accessible from your desk come tomorrow morning, so you don’t have to keep getting my permission to access them.”

“I appreciate that. Thank you. Some of those errors are glaring, and I don’t want the company getting into trouble for sloppy work,” I said.

“Trust me, I don’t want that either. I knew I hired the right woman for the job. Sometimes having a pair of young eyes in a world of old men brings a stark truth to life.”

“You’re hardly old, Mr. Tucker.”

“I’m old enough,” he said with a grin.

Our food and drinks were set in front of us, and everything smelled delicious. My stomach growled, and I prayed no one heard it. Ryan picked up his glass of water and held it in the air, so I grabbed my kiwi-melon spritzer and did the same thing.

“What are we doing?” I asked.

“Toasting to your new move,” Ryan said. “Congratulations on finally taking that next step. I hope it serves to make the two of you happy beyond your wildest dreams.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tucker. That means a lot.”

We clinked our glasses and I took a sip before a thought crossed my mind.

“Oh, and don’t worry about that check you sent over. I’ve already outlined a payment plan for Adam and me to pay you back for it,” I said. “With interest.”

“Nope,” Ryan said.

“What?”

“There’s no need to pay me back.”

“With all due respect, Mr. Tucker, I need to pay you back.”

“Why?” he asked.

“I don’t like taking charity from people. I don’t like owing people things. It doesn't sit right with me.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“My parents used to hold a lot of stuff like that over my head as a child. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I choose to make my own way and not accept help because I don’t want people using it in an attempt to manipulate me in the future.”

“I’m sorry you had to endure that.”

“Don’t be. It made me strong. It made me want to strike out on my own as quickly as possible. But now you understand why I need to pay you back.”

“You still don’t,” he said. “I took that four thousand dollars from Adam’s trust fund.”

“His what?” I asked.

“His trust fund. I set it up for Adam the day he was born, but he refuses to take it and use it. It was supposed to be handed over to him when he turned twenty-five, but he turned it down, said he didn’t want to use ‘Daddy’s money’ to get him started off on the right foot in life.”

“I didn’t know the trust fund still existed.”

“I’ve kept it around in case Adam ever does want to use it. And if all else fails, I can use it for future grandkids.”

The grin on his face was evident, and a deep blush filled my cheeks.

“Well, then I feel a little less obligated to pay you back,” I said.

“Good.”

“But I am going to have to burst your bubble on the kid thing. Adam and I haven’t even begun to talk about something like that.”

“Has it ever been discussed?” Ryan asked.

“One day, my junior year, when we were lying out underneath the stars one time. We went to this sub place on campus to eat, and then we had lain out on the golf course on the far side of campus and talked.”

“Sounds romantic,” he said.

“It was. It still is. We talked about what we wanted for our futures then, and the idea of kids came up. I told him I wanted children, a house full of them if I could have it. I’m an only child, and after leaving for college I never looked back. I haven’t spoken to my parents in a long time, and they haven't bothered to contact me. I guess the idea of having a large family minimizes something like that happening in my mind.”

“Makes sense.”

“But it was a pretty one-sided conversation. I told him I wanted to settle down and have my career and be a working mother. He nodded along and hummed every now and again, but the only thing he really said that night was ‘that sounds like a dream.’”

“So you don’t know where he stands on it,” he said.

“I don’t. I guess I assumed in my ignorance that him staying with me after that conversation meant he wanted the same thing. But after pulling his teeth over this shared apartment thing, it makes me nervous.”

“Listen to me, Kylie. Cherish one triumphant step at a time. When Adam called me to ask for that money, he sounded happier than I’ve heard him sound in a long time. He wants this move with you, which tells me he wants a future with you. Some people don’t know what they’re ready for until it’s staring them right in the face. I’m sure he will come around to the idea eventually. I know he loves you, Kylie.”

“I know. And I love him, too, Mr. Tucker.”

“I know you do. You’re nothing if not dedicated. I admire that about you. It’s one of the many reasons I offered you the position as my new CPA. Dedication means wading through the uncertain times and the arguments and the heated moments to get to the good stuff. It’s the same way with a career, just like it is with a relationship. Know your worth and no one can ever take advantage of you.”

“Sage advice from an old man,” I said.

“I thought you said I wasn’t old.”

I shrugged and reached for my drink as a chuckle fell from his lips.

“Thank you for talking with him,” I said.

“I didn’t say anything that his best friend hadn’t already said to him—that you hadn’t already said to him. Sometimes it just needs to come from a parent.”

“Well, still. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Kylie. If you ever need anything, personal or professional, all you have to do is ask. Your parents might not be here for you anymore, but I am.”

His words warmed me to my core, and I fought to hide my tears of appreciation.

“That means a lot coming from you,” I said.

“Now, tell me all about this move coming up,” Ryan said.

“It’s not for another month, but the place is really spacious. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, twelve hundred square feet. It’s got a balcony that overlooks the beautiful park it backs up to, which will make for lovely sunsets at night with a glass of wine.”

“So you're a wine girl,” he said.

“Oh, yes. There’s always a bottle in my refrigerator.”

“Then I know what my housewarming gift will be.”

“Your housewarming gift was the check.”

“No. My congratulatory gift was the check. I’ll get the two of you a housewarming gift as well. You’re not winning this argument, Kylie. Back down now before I bury you.”

His joking tone made me giggle.

“It’s a really good space for both of us. And it gives us an excuse to get new furniture, which, let’s face it, Adam desperately needs.”

“Don’t get me started on the shoddy material he has covering the pathetic excuse for furniture in his apartment.”

“Right? I feel like I have to shower after sitting on it.”

“You’re braver than I am. I refuse to sit on it.”

“Is that why we always go out to eat whenever we all get together?” I asked.

“You figured me out. Just don’t tell Adam. He’ll insist on cooking.”

“Please, dear God. I’d rather sit on the furniture.”

The two of us filled the café with laughter as we ate our lunch. It felt nice to get out and hear my boss tell me I was doing a good job. It also felt good to get out and laugh with someone. It had been a long time since I’d felt that carefree and that positive about my future, and I had Ryan to thank for that. Had it not been for whatever conversation he’d had with Adam, I wasn’t sure the two of us would have been making this move.

I owed him a great deal, and I hoped I could pay him back with my expertise and the late nights I would pull to comb through every document he had released to me.