“What kind of man do you people think I am?” Bryan ranted, throwing up his arms as he spun to pace again.
“I take it Grace broke up with you?”
Bryan didn’t usually unload his personal problems on his employees, or even his friends, with the exception of Donovan. But Donovan wasn’t here, and Bryan needed someone to talk to. “I asked her to marry me.”
“Did you?” Jason didn’t look particularly surprised.
“She turned me down. She accused me of swapping her for her sister. And she called me an arrogant control freak.”
Jason smiled a little. “She does have a temper, that one.”
“Yes, she does. Entirely unlike Chloe, who is very slow to anger. Other than their appearance, they’re almost nothing alike. I certainly didn’t propose to Grace because she reminds me of her sister.”
“Then why did you propose to her?” Jason asked mildly.
That took him aback. Stopping in his tracks, Bryan shoved a hand through his hair. “Why?”
Leaning back in his chair, Jason laced his hands behind his head. “Yep. Why did you ask her to marry you?”
“For the usual reasons, of course. I enjoy being with her. I admire and respect her. I think we’ve very compatible.”
“She fits the list you made up?”
“This has nothing to do with any list,” Bryan growled. “This has to do with Grace, and the way I feel about her.”
“And how do you feel about her?” Jason asked patiently.
“I’m in love with her,” Bryan snapped. And then he repeated it more slowly as the words sank in. “I’m in love with her.”
“Did you tell her that?”
Grimacing, Bryan shook his head. “No.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I just told her I wanted to marry her. And that it had nothing to do with Chloe.”
“And you expected her to accept that without question. Even though you made the newspapers less than two years ago for being engaged to that bathing-suit model. And only a few months ago you were talking to Chloe about getting married. Hell, I can’t imagine why Grace thought she was just next in line for a proposal, can you?”
Bryan groaned. “You’re fired, Colby.”
Jason chuckled, not without sympathy. “For answering you honestly?”
“For making me realize that I have, indeed, been an idiot.”
“I wouldn’t say you’ve been an idiot. A little misdirected when it comes to romance, maybe, but how many men do you know who aren’t clueless when it comes to that sort of thing? I’m divorced, myself, you know. And it wasn’t so long ago that Donovan was swearing he wasn’t ever going to get married, and now he’s off on his honeymoon. So we are capable of changing—with the right incentive.”
Bryan sighed. “I’ve got my work cut out for me, don’t I?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s going to make you crawl.”
Nodding in resignation, Bryan turned toward the door. “I’ve got to do some thinking. I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, sure. Um—you want me to keep going through this report, or should I be looking for another job?”
“Go through the file. You’re hired again—until the next time you show me up for the fool I am.”
“Nice to have job security,” Jason grumbled sarcastically, but Bryan didn’t pause to respond.