CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“I’M GLAD EVERYTHING worked out and we were only missing part of our shipment,” Lee Madaris said, entering Nolan’s office. Trailers were set up on the job site and Nolan and his staff had their own.
“So am I.” They had been quick to rectify the problem so they could remain on schedule.
Lee eased into a chair across from Nolan’s desk. “Sorry I had to get you here quick. I hope I didn’t mess up your plans with Ivy.”
Hearing her name made his heart ache. He missed her so much and would admit she had got under his skin in a way no other woman had before. And that included Andrea. He honestly didn’t see that changing and to be quite honest, which he was finally being with himself, he didn’t want it to change. He had talked to her several times since arriving in Paris, but every time he heard her voice, it made him regret calling. His heart was actually aching for her. For that reason he’d begun limiting the number of times he called.
There was no doubt in his mind that he had fallen in love with her, although he hadn’t wanted to and had fought it like hell. In the end love had won. Just the thought he could love the woman his great-grandmother had selected for him was definitely something he hadn’t counted on happening. Honestly, he hadn’t believed that it could. He was more than ready to accept in his heart that Ivy was the woman he wanted, needed and couldn’t even think of living without.
“Nolan?”
He glanced over at Lee. “Yes?”
Lee smiled. “I said I hope I didn’t mess up your plans with Ivy.”
Nolan met his cousin’s gaze. “There aren’t any plans with me and Ivy. Not anymore. At least not on my end.” Lee was a smart man and Nolan knew his cousin was catching on to what he was saying.
“So that’s how you’re going to roll, Nolan?”
Nolan drew in a deep breath. “Yes, that’s how I’m going to roll. Now I have to work hard to make sure Ivy wants to roll right along with me.”
* * *
“I’M GLAD YOU were able to join me for dinner, Tessa,” Ivy said after taking a sip of her wine.
“No need to thank me. You miss Nolan. I understand that. Besides, I look for any excuse to come to Sisters. Especially the nights they have a live band. Hope it will cheer you up.”
Ivy doubted anything would cheer her up. It had been a week already. Nolan had contacted her to let her know when he’d got to Paris and had called a couple of times since then. Although he hadn’t mentioned anything, she wondered if his calls were to remind her she was supposed to be working on a reason for their breakup.
“Hello, Ivy. I thought I might find you here.”
Ivy stiffened at the unexpected—but immediately recognizable—voice. Damien Fargo. What on earth was he doing back in Houston?
“Damien? You remember Tessa.”
He glanced over at Tessa like it was bothersome to do so. “Yes. How are you, Tessa?”
“Fine.”
Ivy wasn’t surprised Tessa hadn’t asked how he was doing. She had never liked Damien. “What are you doing in Houston, Damien?”
“I came to see you. Can we talk privately?”
A frown covered Ivy’s face. There was no reason for him to come to Houston to see her. “We have nothing to talk about. Privately or publicly.”
Ignoring what Ivy said, Damien Fargo said, in a voice that was a little demanding. “We need to talk, Ivy.”
Ivy’s frown turned to a look of anger. “I said we have nothing to talk about, Damien.”
“Is everything okay, Miss Chapman?”
Ivy glanced up and saw Ashton Sinclair had approached their table. Evidently he had observed the encounter, saw her frown and figured Damien was being a nuisance. “Yes, everything is okay, Mr. Sinclair. Mr. Fargo was just leaving.”
Damien Fargo glanced at Ashton and, as if deciding the man was not one he would want to tangle with, he said, “Yes, I was just leaving.”
Ashton nodded with a stern face. “In that case, I’ll escort you out.”
* * *
AN ANGRY DAMIEN entered his hotel room. The nerve of Ivy, embarrassing him that way in the restaurant. Not only had the man escorted him out, he had stood in the parking lot and made sure he left.
At that moment his phone rang and he didn’t have to wonder who was calling him. Whitfield had tried reaching him twice today already. Damien knew it would be wise to take this call.
He pulled the phone out of his jacket, answered and said, “Yes, Whitfield?”
“I assume things are moving as planned, right? You’ve got that woman to go along with our arrangements.”
“Yes,” he lied. “I told you I had things under control. She was happy to see me tonight and within minutes I had her eating out of my hands again.”
“Good. Keep me informed. We need to get the job done before the end of the month.”
“No problem,” he said, rubbing the top of his head, knowing he had to put pressure on Ivy. There was a man on standby, just waiting for his call, and he intended to make it tonight.
Moments later, after ending the call with Whitfield, he made a call to get things rolling. Ivy would regret the day she’d begun giving him a hard time.