The Contract (The Contract 1)

“Five,” I corrected.

He grinned a little, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I guess I missed one along the way. The point is, to him nothing is more important than money. He hates me because I chose to have a life outside of work, and I still became a success. He knows, as well as anyone who knows me does, to me the most successful thing I have, the thing I hold the dearest, is my family. I would give it all up as long as I had them—without even blinking an eye.”

Graham met my gaze steadily. “He has no solid reason in his life to give it up for. That’s why he hates me.”

“I was fast becoming like him until Katy entered my life.”

He nodded. “I’m glad it changed.” He rapped the top of the box with his knuckles. “Which is why I had to end your contract, Richard. It was signed under false pretenses.”

“I appreciate your honesty and bringing my things, Graham.”

“I’m not done yet.”

“Oh?” I asked, confused.

He sat back, an almost amused expression crossing his face. “I find myself down a very talented staff member. I’ve seen your work, Mr. VanRyan, and thought, perhaps, you may fit in with my company.”

I frowned, certain I had heard him incorrectly.

“I’m sorry?”

“I think you are, now, exactly the sort of person I would like on my team.”

“I don’t . . . I don’t understand.”

“I am offering you a job, Richard. With a clean slate.” He reached in his pocket, bringing out a new contract. “We’ll start fresh.”

I swallowed, hardly believing this was happening.

“Why?” I managed through tight lips.

“Because, like Katy, I believe in second chances.” He took Laura’s hand. “We both do.”

Laura nodded at me, tears in her eyes. “You could have kept silent about your relationship with Katy, Richard. You could have continued to deceive us. We may have suspected, but we would never have known if you hadn’t been honest. We both saw how deeply you cared for Penny. We know how kind you were to Jenna. That is the Richard we want in our company. The one who wants to grow with it—be part of it.” She smiled. “Be part of our family. Because that is the way we think of the two of you.”

Katy made an odd noise in the back of her throat. Angling, I saw the tears sliding down her face and the way her body shook, trying to keep her reaction in check. I slid closer, drawing her head to my shoulder. “Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay.”

I turned back to Graham. “You believe me? After everything, all the lies, you believe me?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“We do, because of that.” Graham indicated the way I was holding Katy. “You can’t fake that, Richard. We can feel the love you have for your wife.”

“Give him a pen!” Katy burst out. “He’ll sign! We want to stay—we both want to stay!”

Graham and Laura both grinned at her words and I had to bite my lip to stop my laughter. She would make a lousy poker player, but she was right. We did want to stay.

Keeping my arm around her, I extended my hand. “I would be honored to work for you, Graham. I won’t let you down again. I promise, I will make you proud.”

He took my hand, shaking it firmly. “You already have.”

I had to look away to make sure Katy was okay. It had nothing to do with the way my vision blurred or the sting of tears behind my eyes.

Nothing at all.RICHARD

I CARRIED THE TRAY TO the kitchen, leaving Laura and Katy talking. Graham followed me, carrying the box and waited so we could go into the den and talk more. He glanced at the papers on the counter, picking up the job listing for Calgary.

“Really, Richard?” He smirked. “You would have died of boredom there.”

“I couldn’t take Katy to Toronto. She’d be miserable.”

He studied me for a moment, a smile crossing his face. “How you’ve changed.”

“Grown up, you mean.”

He nodded, clapping me on the shoulder. “It’s good to see.”

I glanced over his shoulder to where Katy was standing, hugging Laura. “It feels good,” I admitted. “I never thought it was something I would experience.”

“The right person can open our eyes to many things, Richard.”

He was right.

He held out my new contract. “Let’s go sign some papers.”

“Why did you bring my things if you planned on rehiring me?”

A strange look crossed his face, and he flipped open the lid. “The box is empty, Richard.”

I gaped at him. “What? Why then?”

“The same reason we showed up unannounced. I wanted to see how you would act if you thought it was over. I wanted to see your real, gut reaction. Not one you had planned in advance.”

“And?”

“You looked shattered.”

“I was. I wanted to keep working for you. When I saw the box, I knew I’d fucked it beyond repair. I wasn’t surprised, but it hit me right then, how much I wanted it. I knew there was nothing I could do to fix it. I had done it to myself after all.”