by Lisa Hughey
“You really like her.”
“Maybe I just like the idea.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about Penny. All he knew was the depth of feeling was too new, too tenuous, too crazy. Too impulsive. He didn’t do impulsive. “But London hates her.”
“So, London Automotive isn’t working out?” Jay asked.
“On paper, it looks great.” Diego finally acknowledged that while the general business merger made sense, he and London were radically different in their management styles.
Jay was nodding. “If you recall, I was hesitant to broker the original meet.”
“Yeah.” Diego had ignored his friend’s reservations because he’d really wanted to take Ramos Classic Auto Restoration to the next level.
“Oh goody.” Courtney tapped her fingers on the tabletop, her rings clinking. “Let’s strategize.”
Diego needed to focus on business but he didn’t really need strategizing. They’d already done that. “About the merger?”
“You’ve totally already made up your mind.” Tracy let go of his hand.
She was right. He had.
Diego blinked. He had. Wow. “Then what are we strategizing about?”
“About the girl.” Courtney grinned, her lip ring catching the light.
“But…she isn’t business.”
“The BBC is past that.” Tracy was always the romantic. “This is more important. It’s life.”
14
Diego wasn’t at the presentation this morning.
Inside she was withering.
But she’d be damned if she let anyone know it. She learned early to smile and persevere through pain and humiliation when her parents skipped town. She could handle one more day of pretending all was well and that his snub hadn’t hurt her.
Penny smiled and joked through her presentation, advising the campers on how to properly plant the small seedlings and espousing the benefits of getting out in nature and working with dirt.
And she concealed her hurt.
She’d woken to an empty bed and the click of the door. Diego was gone.
He’d left.
Just…left.
She was tired, sore, and embarrassed that she’d fallen for someone who didn’t really give a shit. He’d rather bolt from his own cabin than wake up to her. That was rough.
A serious blow to her ego. But even more to her heart.
Even better, Jeffrey London was in attendance this morning. After blowing off most of the retreat, the big boss had put in an appearance.
He’d scowled at her through her entire presentation.
“What’s in this for you?” he sneered, asking in front of everyone.
Her fee was nominal, covering the costs of the nonprofit. Any extra dollar she could pour back into the project was a win for expanding the program beyond Boston. “The project will benefit both the companies and their communities.”
“And you think people should trust you with their money?” He barked out a laugh. He was trying to publicly humiliate her. She got that. But she wasn’t her parents.
“I’m working on getting donations from gardening supply companies to reduce the cost to the companies.” She smiled at Alma, who looked thrilled.
Except Alma’s boss was nowhere to be found. And his absence was like a flashing beacon that he didn’t support the program.
“My counterpart didn’t even bother to attend this…presentation.”
Fuck him. “Mr. Ramos was here a day early and I was able to explain the program to him in detail then. Perhaps he had some business to attend to.”
“Like we’d trust our business to you.” London continued to cut her down. “Look at you.”
Sure, Penny wasn’t really dressed in business attire, but come on, they were in the middle of the freaking woods.
“Thanks, everyone. If you want more information, the details of the program will be available online at my farm website, www dot Pretty Penny Farms dot com slash Agri-philanthropy.” She smiled even though her heart hurt. “Remember to have me initial your bingo cards.”
The campers stuck around, asking questions. Diego’s employees really seemed to be on board with the idea. She signed a lot of cards and chatted with people as Penny packed up the trowels and small shovels and gloves into a cardboard box.
Finally Alma was the last to leave. Penny heaved the box into her arms and headed for her pickup truck. She also still had the Charger here. So she was going to have to get someone to drive the truck home later tonight or tomorrow morning since both her vehicles were here.
Her first instinct was to get the hell out of camp. But she couldn’t just leave. She’d promised to stay through the rest of the camp. In exchange, Michael and Heather Tully agreed to put a lead box to her website on the Camp Firefly Falls website.
She paused for a moment and surveyed the newly planted raised beds. A fierce satisfaction buzzed inside her. She’d had this dream for a while and now the farm was doing well enough for her to channel some of her energy toward this project.
She wasn’t going to let Jeffrey London and Diego Ramos derail her. She was stronger than that.
She lugged the box out to the employee parking lot, studiously avoiding the Porsche at the end of the lot. So he was here. Jerk. He could have at least shown up for her presentation.
Whatever.
Penny pulled down the gate on the bed of the truck and hefted the box in. She turned to go back for the rest of her supplies but Jeffrey London was unnervingly close. She hadn’t heard him follow her.
He loomed over her. “Do you really think you’re going to get away with this?”
Get away with this? “Excuse me?”
“No way am I going to allow you to swindle people and companies out of their hard-earned money.”
Penny flashed back to the last time she’d had a confrontation in this parking lot.
Diego’s angry teenage face as he opened her world to the realities of people who didn’t have her life.
“My goal is to create gardens to help feed people.” Penny’s temper simmered but she held back. Maybe Jeffrey London didn’t realize that plenty of people go hungry at night. “People, kids go to bed hungry all the time.”
Be polite. Be polite. She chanted in her head. She couldn’t afford to piss off the London Automotive CEO for multiple reasons. First and foremost, she needed good word of mouth, not bad press.
“Right.” He sneered at her again. “You think once people find out about your parents they’re going to invest with you?”
“This is about doing something good and paying it forward.”
“After you pay yourself, right?”
Penny had had enough. “This is a nonprofit venture. If you listened to my presentation—”
“Like anyone will believe a Hastings.”
“My family name is hardly—”
“No one is going to support you.” London spit out the words. He clenched his fist and his face turned bright red. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Why did he hate her so much? This couldn’t be about her, could it? “What do you have against helping people in need?”
“You keep peddling that. But I know better. I’ll make it my personal mission to destroy you.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“You think I don’t recognize a con when I see it,” London said. “Everyone is out for themselves.”
“FEED Together isn’t a con, it’s a 501c nonprofit organization.”
“Bullshit.”
Penny’s heart pounded as his animosity battered at her. So filled with hate. And lack of compassion for others. “I’m sorry you feel that way. But my goal is to feed people using corporate sponsorship.”
“I’ll bet you want to be sponsored.” London’s gaze was fixed behind Penny. “You keep trying to sell this, I’ll pull my agreement to the merger.”
Penny frowned. “I have nothing to do with your business with Diego Ramos.” But if he threatened Diego’s business,
she would have to back off. She’d never take his dream away from him.
A rustling behind her was her only warning. She turned around and Diego was there.
Penny had been so focused on Jeffrey London she hadn’t even realized that Diego had been there all the time. He stood between his open car door and the body of the Porsche, watching and listening to the exchange between her and London.
“Ramos might have fallen for your bullshit. But once I’m in charge, there’s no way we’ll move forward.”
With that he stopped her cold.
While she wanted to tell him where to go, she wouldn’t do anything to negatively impact Diego’s future. She understood how long he’d been working toward his goal. Even if he was a dick.
She didn’t look at Diego. He’d already rejected her once today. Her humiliation factor was pretty much at two hundred percent right now.
But in that moment, she wanted him to stick up for her. To defend her to London.
His absolute silence said it all.
Devastation hollowed her out. But her heart was still there. Still beat in her chest, the thud echoed in her ears.
Penny lifted her chin, narrowed her gaze. “You are a horrible human being.”
No one said anything.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Penny tilted up her chin and swept out of the parking lot, holding on to her anger and her frustration. But as soon as she was out of sight of the parking lot, she began to tremble with a combination of rage and sickness and a crushing sense of hurt.
She’d been abandoned once again.
Diego watched Penny go. Her back straight, shoulders stiff.
He’d seen the moment she’d given up defending herself. As soon as Jeffrey London threatened Diego, she stopped pushing the asshat.
He’d been trying to give her room to defend herself. But he thought maybe he’d fucked up. The look on her face….
He needed to go after her. But first, he had one last piece of business.
Diego stalked toward London. “What was that about?”
“There’s no way I’m giving that girl a penny,” London said. His animosity burned in his eyes.
Diego asked, “What do you have against her?”
“Her family are cheaters. Liars. The worse scum around. Her parent’s stole over a hundred thousand dollars from my mother. She paid in advance for furnishings, decorations and they skipped the country with her money.” A trail of spittle edged out the corner of his mouth. “My mother was humiliated, not to mention the financial loss.”
Diego studied him. “You shouldn’t judge her for her parent’s sins.”
Jeffrey London’s lip curled. “She’s no innocent.”
Huh. He was tired of weighing every word he spoke. Tired of the sheer mental energy expended by saying the right thing, the right way, to the right people. “You have a wife.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Did he not see the hypocrisy? “You’re—” banging, “—sleeping with your assistant.” Maybe Diego wasn’t quite ready to completely throw out his penchant for political correctness.
“And?” His face reddened. “That’s hardly your business.”
“True. But it makes you a cheater,” Diego said.
“What?” London hissed, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red.
“I like the program.”
“Forget it.” London slashed his hand down. “No way is our company going to give her a dime.”
“You’re right about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Our company won’t give her any money.”
A rustling on the path startled him. Fuck. Penny was quickly heading back toward the lodge. He had been so intent on Jeffrey London he hadn’t noticed she’d returned.
London smirked. Why had Diego never noticed that smarmy edge to him? “I’m glad you see it my way.”
Diego wanted to run after Penny. But he needed to take care of this first. “Nope. There isn’t going to be an our company.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” London sputtered.
“I’ve decided not to proceed with the merger.”
“You aren’t serious.”
“As a heart attack.” Diego smiled. A huge weight lifted from him. His body already felt lighter, freer, happier. Holy shit, did this feel good.
“But—but, you need me.” London wasn’t smirking any more. “You need me far more than I need you.”
“That might be true if I expanded. But turns out I don’t need to expand to get what I want.”
London couldn’t seem to wrap his head around what Diego meant. “What do you want?”
“The girl.”
15
“You’ve got to be kidding.” London’s face was full of outrage. “You can’t do this to me. To your business.”
But he was wrong. Diego could and would. Happiness lit him up from the inside. The same joy he felt in Penny’s presence. Except based on the way she’d hustled away, she clearly didn’t think he would stand up for her.
“Nope. Not kidding. And yep, I sure can.”
“You’re going to let that piece of trash—”
Bam. Diego’s fist hit London’s jaw before he even registered he was going to swing.
The older man rocked back. His eyes wild, his face already swelling. “You aren’t going to get away with this. I’ll sue.”
“I’ll be sure to send all the details to your lawyer, and your wife.” Fuck it. London wanted to play hardball, Diego would play.
That shut the guy up.
Damn, that punch felt good. Diego shook out his hand, rubbing his knuckles. “Don’t fuck with me.” He leaned against the trunk of Penny’s Charger and waited for the guy to leave.
“You’re going to be sorry.” London stomped off.
His first instinct was to run after Penny. Fall at her feet and grovel. But as he calmed his racing heartbeat, he knew he needed a solid plan. He’d failed just now, but no way would he just give up. But he had to come up with a way to turn this into a success.
Stupid. She’d been stupid to linger in the shadows hoping that Diego would stick up for her. Penny raced back toward the lodge.
Diego’s words echoing in her head. You’re right about one thing. Our company won’t give her any money.
She was a total fool. When Jeffrey London threatened Diego, she’d immediately backed off to save him. To save his business deal.
And what had he done? Agreed with that asshole London.
She was gutted. Like someone had taken a plastic spoon and scooped out her insides. A big gaping hole opened inside her and threatened to swallow her. She rubbed her breastbone, trying to massage away the ache.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
She needed to close off, shut down, and not give London or Diego the satisfaction of knowing how much they had hurt her.
Penny’s steps slowed, and she trudged toward the lodge, thinking about how much could change in such a short time. She’d been so happy. So thrilled to be back here.
So hopeful for the future.
The farm was doing well. She was finally about to launch her dream project. She had her life together.
And then for a short bit, she let Diego Ramos derail her.
Screw that.
She refused to let Jeffrey London and Diego Ramos scuttle her plans. Every step away from him, her hurt diminished and her anger grew. By the time Penny got to the lodge she was fuming.
No man was going to ruin her dreams. He was the one missing out. He was the one who left. But she was a survivor. She’d survive this. And somehow, some way, she’d turn the failure into a success.
“Zin.” Diego jogged toward his cousin. She was on an Adirondack chair, out by the lake, watching the rest of the CAR employees swim in the sparkling water.
For a second, his brain stuttered. Penny had rocked his world on that chair. And he was damned if he’d let that go.
“Why are you stil
l dressed for your interview?”
He glanced down at his suit and muddy shoes. “I need you.”
Zin frowned at him. “I just saw Penny. She didn’t look very happy.”
“I fucked up.”
“Typical.”
“I need your help,” he said impatiently.
“By all means, let me drop everything.”
“Please.” He didn’t have time to argue with her. “It’s for Penny.”
“Well since you asked so nicely.”
“Zin.”
“What are you planning?”
“I have part of it down. I want to fix her car,” Diego said.
“That’s romantic.” The eye roll was exaggerated. And if she could reach him he was pretty sure she’d have hit him upside the head.
“C’mon Zin. I need the parts. Can you take care of it?”
“That’s not going to be near enough to fix how upset she was.”
“I know.”
“So what else you got?”
“I’m working on it.” But his stomach rolled. It needed to be epic so there would be no question he chose her. Diego thought over what she’d shared with him.
“I hurt her.”
“How?”
“London criticized her, said something, and I didn’t immediately jump in.”
“Yeah. He was pretty harsh during her presentation this morning.”
Shit. “Fuck him.” Diego wanted to punch Jeffrey London all over again.
Zin shoved upright, finally really paying attention. “What about merging?”
“I’ll find another way.” Or maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he and his company were just fine where they were at.
“Oh, thank God.” The relief on her face made him pause.
“Really?” Diego drew back from her. “What about the money we would have made?”
“You were the one who was so set on more money.” She brushed her palm against his cheek. “When is more than plenty too much?”
According to his friends, the billionaire part of the breakfast club was really just more of a guideline. His worldview had shifted at that realization. He’d been so focused on the end result he hadn’t been paying attention to the present. Always striving for that elusive number, he hadn’t taken the time to appreciate right now.
