30. Valerie

30

VALERIE

Chief Financial Officer

Will is considering me as the Chief Financial Officer for his startup.

I still can’t believe it.

When he told me he wanted to discuss hiring me, I thought it would be for an average accounting job. Not the highest level position I could ever hope to reach in my career.

The possibility is surreal.

I tried to tell Will I wasn’t qualified. I told him that while I consider myself a skilled accountant, I have no idea how to manage the financial portfolio of an entire company.

Sure, I learned the theory behind developing strategies to meet a company’s goals in college, and I may have put the theory to practice on a small scale while working in Houston, but I’ve never shouldered the responsibility without someone higher up to guide me. The thought of doing so now is daunting.

But, if I’m being perfectly honest, it’s also a little exciting.

I unwrap the newspaper from the flat object in my hands, careful not to drop it on the ground. I sit in the middle of Carter’s office, unpacking the last two boxes that have been stacked in the unused room for months, desperate for a way to try and take my mind off the incredible potential opportunity that’s just fallen into my lap.

Isn’t this the sort of thing I was looking for? An opportunity to do something exciting?

If I’m going to be working my butt off for a job, it would need to be worth it. And being the CFO of a company could definitely be worth it. Especially if the company takes off.

And from what little I heard Will say, I believe he and his partner are more than determined to see their idea succeed. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. At the age of twenty-four, I could do something in my career that most accountants never have the chance to do.

Slow down. You still need to interview for the job.

I look down at the picture I just unwrapped. It’s of Carter and Corey Johnson. If I had to guess, they can’t be more than ten years old. They’re sweaty and wearing matching Little League uniforms with dirt stains on the pants. Carter smiles widely at the camera with his arm slung over his best friend’s shoulder. Corey’s smile is more reserved, but there’s no denying he looks happy.

“You know you don’t have to do that.”

I look up. Carter’s hands rest on the top of the door frame as he leans into the office. An inch of toned skin is exposed above the waistband of his shorts.

I wipe my chin to make sure to hide any drool. “Do what?”

Carter was in the middle of helping the twins get ready for bed when I returned from my run half an hour ago. Not wanting to intrude, I came into the office to keep busy.

“Unpack those boxes.” He waves a hand at the stack of picture frames to my side.

I shrug. “I don’t mind.”

He drops his hands and walks towards me. He bends down and picks up a picture of him and his sister from when they were toddlers. His lips twitch as he takes in her floral dress and his matching vest. It’s very nineties.

“I’m sorry about Abby,” he says without meeting my eye.

“Don’t be. With everything she’s gone through, we should have seen it coming.”

“You’re right,” he sighs. “I wish this custody stuff was over already. I think the unknown is affecting Abby and Andy more than I realized.”

I nod. He’s probably right.

“I was worried you were upset,” Carter adds, lifting his gaze. “Your run took longer than usual.”

I take a breath and prepare to tell him about my call with Will, but I hesitate.

I’m not sure why.

Because this job means moving to California which means this relationship will have an end date…

I dismiss the thought.

Carter and I are taking things slow.

I can’t make my life decisions based on our relationship.

That would be foolish.

But I have to admit… that’s exactly what I’m doing.

When Will was telling me about the job, I caught myself wondering if there was a way I could do the job from Texas. Not because I wanted to stay close to family and friends, but because I wanted to stay close to a certain linebacker and his kids.

“What are you thinking about?”

I lift my gaze from where it’d fallen to the picture in my hands. Carter watches me with a furrowed brow.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “A friend from high school called me while I was out.”

“Oh?”

I nod. “Yeah. He… he offered me a job.”

Carter stiffens. He tries to hide it by relaxing his shoulders immediately. But I still notice. “A job?”

“Yeah. Well, actually, he offered to interview me for a job,” I correct myself.

But based on what Will said, he’s already done his research on me and my job experience and thinks I’m up for the job. The interview is more of a formality so his partner, Henry, can meet me and decide if I’ll be a good fit for the work culture they’re trying to establish. As long as I don’t come across as completely incompetent, I’m pretty sure the job is mine.

“That’s… wow.” Carter clears his throat. He sits down across from me, leaning his back against the wall. “Tell me more. What’s the job?” He props up a leg and rests his elbow on his knee, watching me expectantly.

I don’t know if his casual demeanor is an act for my benefit. In case it is, I approach my explanation with caution.

“It’s for a startup.” I tell him what I remember about the company’s product, making a mental note to research what I can about supply chain product optimization before my interview.

His long dark lashes fan his face as he blinks at me in surprise. “They want you to be CFO. Really?”

“Yeah,” I laugh weakly. “Crazy, right? I’m so not qualified.”

“Don’t do that.” He frowns. “You’re smart, Valerie. If anyone could step into the role of a CFO and kick ass, it’s you.”

The compliment makes my stomach flutter.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He dips his chin. “So, when is the interview?”

“Friday.”

“This Friday?”

I nod. “At five o’clock. Since this week is a home game, I assumed you’ll be back home by then.” The Rough Riders coaching staff take it easy on players practice-wise in the days leading up to a game. “I can still pick up the twins from school and bring them home before I head downtown for the interview. Is that okay?”

“Of course, it’s okay. I’ll make sure I’m back. Or, if not, I’ll have one of my parents come look after the twins so you can leave when you need to.”

“That works, too.” Carter seems supportive. That’s a relief. At least, it should be.

I can’t help but feel like we’re dancing around each other—neither of us is willing to call out the elephant in the room. If I take a new job, I can’t be the twins’ nanny. He knows that. But he doesn’t know that this job in particular could put a heavy strain on our relationship. A strain that’s almost fifteen hundred miles of distance.

“So, the interview is downtown. Is that where their headquarters will be?” Carter asks, unaware that the question is going to lead down a path to bad news.

I lick my dry lips. “No, I’ll be meeting Will and his partner at their hotel downtown. They booked one of the conference rooms for the interview.”

“Hotel? They don’t live in Dallas?”

Here we go.

I take a deep breath.

“No.” I pause and press my lips together briefly before adding, “The company is going to be based out of California.”

His eyes widen. “California?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” He drops his gaze. “Oh…”

Guilt pierces my chest. But it shouldn’t. I have nothing to feel guilty about.

Right?

“It’s just an interview,” I find myself saying. The need to reassure Carter is undeniable.

His expression is carefully neutral when he raises his eyes, but I can see his apprehension. “Yeah… just an interview.”

Silence hangs between us, filled with unspoken thoughts and questions.

I hate being the cause of Carter’s unease, but I don’t know what else to say.

We’re together, and I’d like to remain that way, but I can’t tell him I’ll turn down this job if it’s a good fit. I can’t promise to prioritize our relationship over my career. I know Carter. He wouldn’t want me to do that.

But I can’t deny there’s a strong feeling twisting my stomach, telling me to reassure Carter I’m not going anywhere—that I care more about our budding relationship than the opportunity to be a CFO at the age of twenty-four.

And that terrifies me.

I clear my throat and stand. “Well, it’s late. I should get to bed.” I grab my tennis shoes that I’d tucked against the wall. I’d been so lost in my head, I’d forgotten to take them off the moment I walked in the front door.

“What happened to your back?”

I straighten and look down at Carter, confused. “What?”

He gets to his feet and walks over. His eyes are focused on my back as he reaches out. His fingers trail over my skin. “You’re bleeding.”

Bleeding?

I look over my shoulder to try and see what he means when it hits me. “Oh, yeah. Some jerk ran me off the road when I was walking. I had to duck under a barbed wire fence to make sure they didn’t hit me.”

“What the hell? Barbed wire? Have you cleaned it?”

“Not yet.”

Carter curses and then grabs my hand. Without a word, he pulls me to the bathroom underneath the staircase.

I gasp when he picks me up by the waist and sets me on the counter.

My skin tingles from his touch even after he releases me to dig in the medicine cabinet by my head. I clear my throat. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the healing ointment.” He pushes aside a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and finds the yellow and red tube he’s searching for. He takes it and the bottle of rubbing alcohol from the cabinet before closing it.

His arm brushes against my thigh as he reaches for the glass container beside me. He takes out two cotton balls, unscrews the rubbing alcohol, and then soaks the cotton balls. “Lean forward.”

I do what he says.

Carter steps to the side of the counter and gently dabs the cuts.

I hiss at the sting.

“Sorry,” he whispers. “I’ll be quick.”

“It’s fine.” I bite the inside of my cheek and force myself to keep quiet as he continues cleaning the scratches.

The stinging subsides. Carter grabs Q-Tips and gently applies the healing ointment over the scratches before covering them with bandages. “There. That should help them scab overnight. You probably won’t need to wear bandages in the morning.”

“Thanks.” I look back at the mirror and examine his work.

“You’re welcome.” He clears off the counter, avoiding my searching gaze.

“Carter?”

He lifts a brow when he looks up. “Yeah?”

“It’s just an interview,” I repeat my words from earlier. “I haven’t gotten a job yet.” Not officially, anyway.

His smile is sad. “But you will.”

“You don’t know that.”

His hand cups the side of my face. “Yes, I do.”

I don’t know what to say. Carter looks so… sad. Almost as sad as I feel at the thought of moving away for a job and causing the inevitable end of our relationship.

I wait for Carter to say more—to tell me he doesn’t want me to do the interview. But he doesn’t. I should’ve known better than to think he would. He isn’t that selfish.

“We should go to bed,” I murmur. The quiet around us feels delicate. And tenuous. “You have practice in the morning.”

His thumb brushes my cheek. “I’m not tired.” He leans forward and captures my lips in a kiss I’m more than eager to return.

My hands dive into his hair, and our tongues dance. Our bodies respond to the spontaneous kiss without restraint. I scoot forward on the counter so my center is pressed against his torso. The pressure spikes my desire.

“Come to bed with me,” I pant against his mouth, immediately biting my bottom lip in anticipation of his response.

We haven’t slept together since my birthday. We didn’t want to risk the twins catching us.

But Lord knows I want that to change.

And after tonight’s realizations, I’m eager for that connection.

Who knows? It may be the last.

I shut down the depressing thought and wait for Carter to speak.

His eyes search mine. They flare with heat and an emotion I’m not sure I want to name. Finally, he says, “Hell yes.” He seals his lips with mine once more.

Carter lifts me by my ass. I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me down the hall to the guest bedroom I’ve claimed as my own. Our lips don’t separate until he gently lowers me to the bed.

I stare up into his warm brown eyes as he hovers above me on his elbows. His gaze travels over my face with reverence.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmurs.

I crack a smile and give a small shake of my head. “I’m sweaty.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He brushes a strand of hair off my cheek. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, Valerie Palmer.”

My heart squeezes.

“And you’re mine.”

I press my lips together to try and hide how happy his words make me, but I can’t fight off my giddy smile. “Yes, I am.” I grab the front of his shirt and pull him down so he has no choice but to kiss me once more. “And you’re mine.”

For however long we have together… Carter Jones is mine .