Love Captures the Heart (Sully Point, Book 3) by Nicole Smith Page B

best antidote there was for
what he'd been going through. He felt one hundred percent better than he had
when he'd arrived at her apartment last night.
    He was sitting on the couch thinking while Holly got
dressed. It seemed to him that there wasn't much point in going into the office
this coming week. He had literally no business. He probably should lay people
off. Maybe Holly would have some ideas about how to handle the employees.
Perhaps giving everyone a week's vacation made the most sense. He knew he
needed to catch his breath and regroup.
    "Holly?"
    She answered from the bedroom, "Yes?"
    "I think I want to stay here this coming week."
    "Good idea."
    "Holly?"
    "Yes?"
    "Was this your plan from the beginning?"
    She walked into the living area, dressed in a long clingy
peach-colored dress with a V-neck. She shrugged bare shoulders. "I
wouldn't necessarily call it a plan..."
    He grinned at her. "Just how much managing of me have
you been doing?"
    She came to the couch and sat on his lap. "As much as I
could get away with."
    "You're good for me," he said in some surprise.
    "I know."
    "You know, we've gone beyond our agreement."
    "That has occurred to me lately."
    "Are we still okay?"
    She grinned at him. "Are you ready to declare undying
love and propose marriage?"
    He rolled his eyes. "Undying lust maybe, with a
proposal of sex before the night is over."
    "That's my thinking too. But nothing says we can't be
good for each other, like friends would be. Right?"
    "Exactly."
    "Then let's go to my father's house and run the gauntlet
of well-meaning family."
    "Do you think they think we're together?"
    "Of course. And we are. Just not in the way they
think."
    "Has anyone ever told you that you're imminently
practical?"
    She smiled at him and got up off his lap. "Come on,
they'll be waiting. I think my Dad is doing a major fish fry."
    "I've definitely eaten better food since I met
you."
    She laughed her musical laugh. He wondered briefly when that
laugh had become so important to him. Shrugging to himself he followed her out
the door.
    The evening at the Grainger house was one of laughter,
people talking over one another, tons of fresh seafood, and finally a serious
conversation where Jason laid everything out for the family about just what had
happened. He was completely honest about his lack of judgment in hiring the guy
who had taken the bribe, and he let them all know that his other projects had
cancelled. When he stated that he would understand if they wanted to use
another architect for the Sully Point project, they essentially told him to
shut up and get on with the work.
    "From our point of view this just means you can devote
all your energies to our project," Sam said. "This makes us happy. We
are very sorry about what has happened to your business. But I'm guessing that
once things take off on our project, things will pick up for you in the city as
well."
    "I've decided to stay in Sully Point for the coming
week, to get the project started," Jason told them. "And I'll make
use of Anna's loft if that's okay."
    Anna smiled at him. "It will be good to know someone is
using it. Can we get you anything, like a drafting table? My work is always
done on an easel, so there isn't really anything there for your kind of
drawing."
    "I do a lot of work on my computer," Jason said. "But
yes, I have been known to use a drafting table."
    "I'll have one delivered tomorrow," Anna said
firmly.
    The time spent with the Grainger family left him feeling he
was surrounded by fans of his work. Their optimism lifted his spirits
enormously.
    He spent some time that evening talking to Cody about
fishing and the boat trip tomorrow. Cody was holding a fussy baby on his
shoulder and pacing the front porch. It seemed that as long as Cody was moving,
the baby was quiet. Jason liked the easygoing fisherman and businessman. He had
an air of contentment about him that Jason envied. Of course, you only had to
see Cody look at his wife Julia to become aware