“You have a beautiful hotel, Garrett,” Charlotte McKenzie compliments as she enters my temporary office here at Nirvana.

“Thank you. I think so too.” I grin as I move around my desk to join her on the sofa.

Once we’re both sitting with a cup of steaming coffee in our hands, she asks, “So, why did you want to see me without me mentioning it to Sirena?”

Chuckling, I admit, “Your sister is very observant and this needs to be kept on the down low.”

“I’m intrigued.”

“We’re getting married on Saturday.”

She chokes on her coffee, and quickly slams the cup and saucer back to the coffee table, her eyes wide with surprise. “Married.” She coughs and clears her throat. “Sirena doesn’t know that she’s marrying you on Saturday?”

“She knows that she’s marrying me as soon as it can be arranged. She just doesn’t know that it’s happening on Saturday . . . at our home.”

“Oh, wow!”

“I need you to make sure that all your family are invited and I need to know numbers on Thursday so I can give them to the caterers. It’s nothing formal and will just be a buffet with the short time frame. Think you can help me?” I grin at her hopefully.

Charlotte blinks a few times and then giggles. “I’ll help. In fact, let me really help you. I can liaise with caterers and whatever else you need doing. Does Sirena have a dress?”

“Um”

“I’ll take that as a no.” Charlotte raises a brow and pulls out a notebook. “So give me a list. I’m good at this.” She grins.

“Mmm, Sirena might have told me that.” I chuckle at her surprise, which turns into amusement.

She coughs and holds her pen over the paper, giving me a questioning look. Shaking my head, I start giving her the list she wants . . . twenty minutes later, I finish with, “Harry’s parents want access to the baby.”

Her pen hesitates over the paper. “Can they after Harry signed his rights away? And how is Sirena taking this? You?”

I’m thoughtful for a few minutes and finally admit, “It’s become more complicated than it needed to be.” I sigh. “I love your sister, Charlotte, so whatever she decides I’ll go along with.”

“Even if you don’t like it?”

Sitting forward, I lean on my desk and hold Charlotte’s gaze. “At the end of the day, I don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to spend time with their grandchild? I feel sorry for them, that because of Harry’s actions, they could loose that right.” I run my hand through my hair. “I don’t think they will though. Sirena is softening toward letting them be part of the baby’s life. We just need to talk it through and make sure no stone is left unturned.”

“I’m having lunch with Sirena, but why don’t you meet her instead and get the decision over with. I know my sister and she’s going to be worrying about this until it’s solved.” She gives a wry smile.

“I agree, but I think you need to meet her for lunch. She was excited this morning.”

“Okay.” She smiles. “I’m looking forward to seeing her too, and now,” she glances at her notebook, “I’m more excited than before because we have some shopping to do and I know just the store where Sirena will be able to relax.”

Rubbing her hands together Charlotte jumps up and quickly shoves everything into her purse. When she’s ready to leave she smiles and quickly gives me a hug. “In the end you’ll both make the right decision toward Harry’s parents.” She squeezes my biceps as she steps away.

“Thank you, Charlotte. For everything.”

She grins and then she’s gone—a whirlwind in such a small package.

Laughing, I step away from behind the desk and look out through the window and toward the city of Lexington. There really is no place like home and it fills me with so much joy to have a hotel in my hometown. I’ve finally accomplished what was my original goal. It really does make sense for me to take a step back and handover the reins to my managers. I’ll never be able to completely let go, but now I’m about to have a wife and child, maybe more children in the future, I want to be around to enjoy my life with them.

Staring at the picture on my desk of Sirena and me, which was snapped by Charlotte at the opening of the hotel, I smile and trace a finger along her beautiful smiling face . . . a light knock to the door distracts me. “Come in.”

“Um, there’s a Michael McKenzie to see you,” my nervous assistant announces. “He doesn’t have an appointment, but he said you were about to be family, so . . .” she trails off.

“Show him in, please.”

I’m not sure why Angela is so nervous around me. I’m used to it with being ‘the’ boss, but I’ve tried to put her at ease. So far nothing seems to be working.

Expecting Sirena’s father, I’m surprised to see her brother striding into my office.

I shake his offered hand. “This is a surprise,” I comment.

He offers a shaky smile before he takes the offered seat. “You’ve just missed your sister.”

“Yeah, she was just getting off one elevator as I stepped into another.” He shrugs and runs his hands through his hair. “I’m in need of some advice that can’t go beyond this room.” He holds my gaze and the worry etched into his face makes me agree.

“Whatever we discuss, as long as it doesn’t involve Sirena, won’t leave this office.”

He smirks. “I admire how true you are to my sister. Thank you.”

“I love her, so no need of thanks.” I wave it off.

“Right.” He yanks his tie free from the noose around his neck and sighing heavily, asks, “What do you know of Mitchell Jordan?”

Groaning, I lean back in my chair and take a closer look at Michael who looks as though he has the world on his shoulders—for such a young man that shouldn’t be the case. He has me curious, so I’ll humor him for now. “Mitchell Jordan is an astute business man. We’ve done business in the past and he was a straight shooter. I’ve never heard anything negative about him or his business dealings.”

Michael nods his head, not saying anything.

“Why are you asking?” I lean forward and wait.

“He says he wants me—not the company—but me to spend the summer on an Island in Greece. He wants me to get a feel for the area, and he then wants me to design him a holiday complex that will cater for the rich and famous. It will be a place of luxury without the intrusion of the press.” He sits forward and rests his hands on his knees. “The project is something that I want to take on. I know I’m young and not as experienced as most, but I know that I can do this project justice.”

“So why do I sense a but in there?” I query with a frown.

“I’d be spending the summer at his villa with his family. I’d have my own apartment, which he apparently uses for business associates, but . . .”

It suddenly hits me and I start laughing, which draws a frown from the other man. “He has two daughters.” I grin.

“It gets tricky. Mitchell has hinted that if something was to happen between his daughter, Carrie, and me, that he’d be more than happy.” He holds my gaze. “I got the feeling that the deal might depend on my, um, association with his oldest daughter.”

Relaxing back in the chair, I wonder what Mitchell is playing at because this is certainly new. “Look, I think you need something in writing from him that your lawyer looks over before you agree to head out to Greece for the summer. Also, are you free to spend the summer overseas?”

“Alexander is going to work on the project with me, but from the states. Charlotte and Olivia will also be around in the office here. As long as I have an Internet connection then I can pretty much work from anywhere.”

“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”

“I want to do this. It’s a huge challenge that I’m desperate to get my teeth sunk into. I’m even wondering whether or not I’m imagining his intention with his daughter.”

“You’re a businessman, Michael. Trust your judgment.”

“Hmm.” He rests his head back against the chair and stares up at the ceiling. “If my sisters knew about my quandary they’d be having a field day.”

Chuckling, I add, “I can imagine. Those two when they’re together could probably cause a whole boat load of trouble.”

“God,” he groans, “you have no idea.” He laughs. “But you’ll find out soon enough.” He eyes me. “What’s this I hear about a wedding at the weekend?” he changes the subject.

“Charlotte sure didn’t waste any time in spreading the word.” I chuckle.

“She doesn’t. When she has something to do, she does it like you’d imagine a commander in the navy.” He smiles. “I hope you know what you’ve let yourself in for with asking Charlie for help.”

“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you call her Charlie.”

“Probably. She hates it now that she’s ‘grown up’ but she’ll always be Charlie. It just slips out every now and again. Just don’t let on that you know she has a nickname. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Your secrets are safe with me.”

He does have me worried about Mitchell Jordan though. The man is a businessman first and foremost, and others would give their right arm to be able to say they’ve worked with or for him. So I offer, “If Mitchell says that he wants you over there and heading up this project, then, my personal opinion is that he’s serious. He might just be trying to encourage something with Carrie, but I don’t seriously believe that he’d go back on a business decision because you haven’t followed anything up with his daughter.”

Michael loudly exhales. “I hope you’re right.” He stands. “Thanks for listening.”

I take his offered hand and tug him into a hug, hitting him on the back. “You’ve got this, and I’m only going to be a phone call away.”

“I appreciate that.” Michael steps toward the door.

“Should I expect a visit from your brother next?” I joke.

Michael laughs. “I think you’re safe. He isn’t in Lexington right now.”

“Good to know.”

Michael leaves as I drop back onto the sofa.

It’s been a strange day so far, and nothing that I’d come into the office to do has been done yet. At least I know Sirena will be distracted for a good few hours.