Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(65)

She squared her shoulders. “I take that back. I’m not asking a question, I’m making a statement. He should want that for me. He should want me to be happy and it sure as hell doesn’t say much about him that the first time I stand up for myself he runs home like a little boy.” She paused. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

“So?” Kristine said. “What do you think? Am I horrible?”

Ruth studied her, then slowly shook her head. “You have to do this. You have to be determined. If you’re not, if you give in, you won’t just lose your dream, you’ll lose a piece of yourself. For the rest of your lives together, he’ll know he can bully you and in the end, that will destroy your marriage. I love Jaxsen. He’s my only child and I would die for him a thousand times over, but he’s wrong. And Paul’s wrong, too.”

She pulled an envelope out of her pocket. “I never thought to want something other than what I have. I regret that now. I can’t change my path, but I can help put you on yours.”

She passed the envelope to Kristine, who opened it and stared at a check for fifteen thousand dollars.

“You can’t,” she breathed. “Does Paul know?”

“He doesn’t. So you need to go to the bank right now and cash it before he can stop payment on it.”

Kristine dropped the check on the counter. “Ruth, no. I don’t want to come between you and Paul. He’ll be pissed.”

“Let him be. He needs a wake-up call and this is the best way to remind him that despite what he thinks, he’s not the boss of me.” She smiled as she spoke. “Kristine, I want to do this. I admire you and I believe in what you’re trying to do. Take the money, for my sake. Lease the building. Be a success. It will be a good lesson for all the men in our lives.”

Kristine hesitated. She didn’t want to start trouble, but Ruth was insistent. And the check meant she didn’t have to use the line of credit, freeing her from that concern.

“Are you sure?” she asked again.

“I am. Do this for me. Please. And for yourself.”

Kristine picked up the check. “I will,” she promised. “Right now.”



Chapter Eighteen


Washington State had a couple of mountain ranges, but they were fairly pathetic things when compared to the mountains around Denver. Sophie told herself to focus on her driving. She could mountain-gawk later, after she’d accomplished what she’d come for.

In a move that had absolutely nothing to do with what Dugan had told her about herself, she’d decided to convince Maggie Heredia to take the job. To that end, she’d called and set up an appointment, promising to only take thirty minutes of Maggie’s time and offering to fly to Denver so Maggie wasn’t the least bit inconvenienced.

“It’s your nickel,” Maggie had told her. “I’m not going to come work for you.”

“Then your time with me can be a huge boost to your ego and nothing more.”

“I don’t need a bigger ego.”

“But you’ll still meet with me.”

“If you show up, sure.”

Sophie had taken the six-thirty a.m. flight out of SeaTac. Her return flight, that afternoon, gave her enough time to drive to Maggie’s house, convince her to take the job and then drive back to the airport.

Maggie and her family lived in a nice subdivision in an upscale suburb of the city. The air was crisp and clear. When Sophie parked in front of the two-story house, she paused to admire the mountains surrounding the valley. Denver was what—a mile above sea level—and the mountains soared well above that. Sometimes, when she bothered to notice, nature could be impressive.

Maggie opened the front door before Sophie could knock. The two women looked at each other.

“Like I said,” Maggie told her. “You’re wasting your time.”

“And yet you agreed to meet with me.”

“I’m a sucker for a lost cause.”

Maggie led her into a study on the first floor, closing French doors behind them.

“Where’s your family?” Sophie asked, sitting across from the large desk by the window.

“Out.”

“So I won’t be meeting them.”

“No.”

That was clear enough. Maggie looked relaxed in a sweater and jeans. Sophie genuinely had no idea what she was thinking and wondered if this really had all been a waste of time.

No, she told herself. If she wanted something, she did the work. She might screw up but it was never because she didn’t put in the effort.

“CK Industries needs you,” Sophie began. “I need you, as well. As you might have noticed or heard, I have some difficulty when it comes to my management style.”

Maggie’s expression stayed carefully neutral.

“I can get a little too involved in the process,” Sophie continued. “It’s because I love my company. When those first videos took off, I couldn’t believe it. I saw the potential right away but everyone told me I was ridiculous for believing a few videos about my kitten could be anything.”

“How many of those naysayers were men?” Maggie asked.

“A lot of them.”

“Tell me about it.”

Encouraged by the comment, Sophie went on. “I built something good, but I can only go so far by myself. I need help.”