The week had flown by.

I’d had the breakfast meeting with Jasmine, held meetings to let the employees know where we were at with the expansion, and had the meeting with the board. I was pretty well caught up and was feeling satisfied. It always felt good to be ahead of the game.

I was looking at my calendar… I had Chloe and Reardon’s housewarming, a callback to San Francisco, and my trip to Chicago coming up … when my phone buzzed and Carol’s voice came over the speaker.

“Ms. Turner is here,” Carol announced.

“Send her in,” I replied, shutting my calendar as I thought of the last time I’d seen her. At Gabe and Zoey’s brunch.

I’d just asked her if she was okay, curious over the hints Reardon and Serena had been dropping, and Laurel had sighed, a myriad of emotions crossing her face, before she’d replied, “Yes, I’m fine,” then walked away.

It had irked. There I was, holding out an olive branch and trying to make sure she wasn’t in any trouble, and I’d been rebuffed. That’s what I got for forgetting, even for a second, who Laurel was to me and all of the things she’d done.

Resolving to keep this meeting strictly business, I sat up straight in my seat and put on my business face.

Laurel knocked softly, then opened the door and peered around it.

I lifted my hand and gestured for her to enter, then watched as she moved gracefully to the chair she’d occupied on her previous visit, clutching a file to her chest.

“Let me see what you’ve got,” I requested, holding out my hand.

If she flinched at my brisk request, and lack of greeting, I chose to ignore it.

I took the file and opened it, reading through her notes and writing comments in the margins. After a few minutes of reading, and rereading, I looked up into her expectant face, then allowed a small smile of approval.

“This looks great,” I assured her, watching her face light up and her body sag with relief. “Very thorough. Your reasoning is sound and your request feasible. It sounds like it’ll be a successful business and a great addition to Cherry Springs.”

“Really? I was worried it wouldn’t be enough,” she replied, sitting on the edge of her seat.

“This is a great start,” I said, reaching for a folder marked, Laurel Turner, and handing it to her. “Here’s a template for a business plan. Input what you’ve got here and flesh it out until you’re satisfied with it.”

“Great, thank you.”

“That’s not all. We still have to talk marketing. Once you’ve finished the first step, I want you to do some research, asking yourself the following questions: What is your message? Who is your audience? What media outlets will fit your business, and what is your marketing budget? Then, once you have all of that together, we will meet one last time to finalize your plan. By the time you leave our next meeting, you will have a solid plan to take to your loan officer.”

“And, my parents.”

“And your parents,” I agreed, and although I thought her parents were being unfairly selfish, I kept those thought to myself. It was obvious she only wanted my business advice, not anything personal. “So, I think that’s it…”

Laurel took her plan back and placed it on top of the folder I’d given her, then hugged them both to her chest.

“Thank you so much, really. It’s hard to do something like this when you don’t know where to start, and don’t have someone who knows what they’re doing, to find out if you’re heading in the right direction. This means the world to me, Dillon, thank you.”

“It’s not a problem, now Jasmine owes me one and it’s always good to have her on the hook,” I replied.

Laurel’s face fell and she nodded, which was confusing. The girl had always sent mixed messages and seemed to often flip the switch on her moods quickly, but I had no idea what was going on with her lately.

Since she’d been back I’d found myself feeling disconcerted around her. And after that moment at the bar, when I’d thought she was hot, before I knew it was her, I was even more unsettled.

Which was why I’d gone to her, trying to forget about the past and get to know her, and how she was doing now, as an adult, but she’d shut me down.

“Right, well, thanks anyway. I do appreciate it, and I’ll make an appointment with Carol and get this information to you,” Laurel said softly, her posture stiff once more.

I was usually pretty good at reading women, having been tied to Jazzy since conception, but Laurel had always been a bit of a mystery, and it looked like that hadn’t changed over the years.

“Just tell her to make sure it’s before my Chicago trip. I’d like to leave knowing you’re squared away and your plan is perfect, that way you’re not waiting around for me to get back.”

I rose from my chair and walked around the desk as Laurel stood as well, then I walked her to the door and said, “And I’d like you to tell me when it’s all approved.”

“Okay, Dillon,” Laurel said softly, tilting her head back to look up at me. “And, I meant it, I really do appreciate your help, no matter how it came about. It feels great to have someone say my idea is a viable one, especially you.”

Her voice trailed off at you, and she scurried out the door before I could reply. I watched her stop at Carol’s desk, mentally berating myself for checking out her legs and ass to see if they looked as good as they had the night at the bar, then shut the door and returned to my seat, shaking my head at her bizarre behavior.