My mind starts turning and spinning. The possibilities are endless, especially if we have someone on hand who can create merchandise that represents the company so well.
“This is . . . wow, Cooper, this is huge.”
“Yeah?” he asks, his eyes bright with hope.
“Yeah.”
“So, can we show Ford?” His eyes plead with me. I can see how much he wants this. How much time and thought he’s put into these logos—from the silhouettes that look like his family to the joyful colors and the endless blue sky, full of possibilities.
But . . .
I shake my head. “No. We can’t bring them to him.”
“What?” He leans back in his chair, deflated. “But you said—”
“I know what I said, but we can’t talk to him just yet.”
“What do you mean?”
I fold my hands and place them on the table in front of me before looking Cooper in the eyes. “I want to make sure when you present this to Ford, he’s in a good headspace. The party, the fighting through emails, the tension between you and your siblings—it’s pushing him away, and even though I know he’s a fair, sensible man, I have a feeling he would not look at this in the right light, if that makes sense. So I think we should wait until after the party, after the tension eases between you three, and once that’s all cleared out, we approach him. I think he will be in a better headspace, more open. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, that’s actually really perceptive. I wasn’t in the best headspace at our so-called brunch, nor did I help the situation. I didn’t make it easy on Ford. My irritation got the best of me, so I can imagine how he might be feeling. I can wait,” Cooper says. “As long as you’re not blowing smoke up my ass.”
“I would never do that. Trust me: Ford needs to see these logos. He’ll be floored with what you’ve come up with. But I think we need to pick our timing properly so he’s more invested in actually hearing you out and not going on the defensive. He’s insecure right now, especially where the company is concerned, so I think if we showed this to him right now, it would only make things worse. Give me a week, okay?”
“A week? Okay, yeah, sure.” Cooper picks up his tablet and stuffs it in his backpack before looking back at me. “Thank you for meeting with me, Larkin. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course. I should probably go order a sandwich and get back to the inn before Ford thinks something happened to me.”
“I’m sure he’d send a search party.” Together we stand, and I feel awkward, not sure if I should give him a hug or a handshake, but when he steps away and offers a wave, I realize that’s probably where we’re at. It’s a little bit sad, actually.
A simple wave. Nothing more.
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Sure thing,” Cooper says before taking off toward the harbor again.
Wow. That was the last thing I expected Cooper to talk to me about, but if I can time this right, I think it could be the solution Ford has been looking for—one that could help Cooper as well.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
PALMER
“I have to get back,” Beau says, leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips as the perfect summer breeze picks up around us, cooling our heated skin from the blazing sun. It was the perfect day for an early lunch outside: not very busy and with beautiful blue skies after last night’s downpour.
“Unfortunately, I know. And my mom texted me; she wants me to grab a bag of ice for her. I swear they’re the only people who still buy ice instead of making it at their house.”
“It’s the old-school things that give them the nostalgic vibe.” He presses another kiss to my lips. “Appreciate those little things—you never know when they might stop asking for that ice.”
“You’re right,” I say, realizing I shouldn’t complain about my parents to Beau, who’s lost both of his.
“What do you have planned for the rest of the day? Maybe telling your parents about your apartment and job?”
“Yeah, not sure I’m ready for that. I think I need to figure out what I’m doing with my life first so when I break the news to them, I’ll have a backup plan to show them that I’m not a complete failure.”
“You know”—he grips my cheek—“sometimes it’s in moments of failure that we lean on family the most. They might be able to help you out more than you think.” He presses one more kiss to my lips, making me sigh. “Got to go. I’ll call you later.”