Every Way (Brush of Love 4)

“Too much money in the end?” I asked.

“No. Not enough. Her bottom line is just shy of twenty thousand dollars for the summer. We approved her at thirty-two thousand.”

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked.

“I just want to make sure she’s not cutting corners she doesn’t need to cut. We’re here to help her give a service to the community, not loom over her head financially. These funds are hers. They’re in her designated account. Just talk with her. Make sure she understands there’s still money for her to use if she needs it.”

“I can do that,” I said. “Anything else?”

“I’ve got three new projects that have been proposed and approved for budgets. I’d like you to take a look at them and run the numbers in play. Compare them to what you can find with your research. You know, the whole nine.”

“When are they due to go in front of the board for budget approval?” I asked.

“Not until the beginning of next month, but I wanted to hand them to you now because I’m not sure they all fit with the foundation’s mission. I don’t want to say anything other than that because I don’t want to sway you. But give them a good overlook and give me your thoughts,” she said.

“I can do that. I’ll get started on them now.”

“You’ll get started after lunch,” she said. “Go eat, Bryan. I don’t run a sweatshop.”

“Then I’ll start on them after lunch,” I said.

“And Bryan?”

“Yep?”

“If you’re sitting there questioning whether you gave your mother the right ultimatum, you did.”

I sighed as Ellen gave me a final nod before she left my office.

I set the folders down in front of me and picked up my office phone. I had this sub place down the street on speed dial and put in an order for my usual lunch. I looked at the files on my desk and reached for one of them, flipping it open to take a look at the numbers.

“Shit, Bryan, there was one last thing.”

Ellen poked her head around the corner just as I flipped the folder closed. She narrowed her eyes at me.

“I’ve got lunch ordered, but I need something to distract me,” I said.

“Then don’t clock out for lunch and leave an hour early to go home,” she said.

“What was it you forgot?” I asked.

“The foundation wants to do something for you, Hailey, and the baby. We were thinking about throwing a baby shower, but we thought it might be better to do something else. Like a food chain or something.”

“A food chain?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s where people sign up for specific meals on specific days and then they drop food off to you guys. You know, so you don’t have to worry about cooking for yourselves with a newborn around.”

“That actually sounds really nice,” I said.

“Good. I’ll let them know. Thanks, Bryan.”

“No. Thank you, Ellen.”

Chapter 14

Hailey

I was sweeping up the floor and eyeing my easel as I cleaned down the gallery. It had been four days since I’d had a chance to paint. The gallery had been so busy with interviews and people coming in to purchase pictures that I hadn’t had a chance to finish the painting I had started over a week ago. I swept the dirt out the back door and sighed, taking a breath of fresh air as the wind kicked up a bit. It swirled the leaves around and rocked the trees as it ushered in the warmth of summer. I couldn’t wait to dig my toes into the sand and take my newborn child to view the expansive beauty of the ocean.