The Wish Maker (The Billionaires 0f Silicon Forest Book 2)

by Melissa McClone

  The excitement of having a new friend.

  That was all.

  Speaking of which… Wes hadn’t heard from her this morning. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Okay, it was only ten o’clock, but they’d been chatting and calling each other a few times a day. Paige usually sent a text by now. She must be busy. But he hoped she was as excited for tonight as he was. Wes had planned a special holiday surprise for her.

  Sadie said something. Wes should pay better attention to what she was telling him.

  Wait. He had been earlier. Maybe he’d missed a text or call notification while Sadie had been going over the report.

  Wes flipped over his phone and saw many messages. As his pulse kicked up a notch, he unlocked the screen. Scrolling through the texts, he didn’t see one from Paige. He slumped in his chair. All were from his chat group. That surprised him, given everyone was at work. Maybe hump day meant they were having slow mornings.

  Dash: New Year’s Eve party at my place. 8:00 PM. RSVP to me or Iris.

  Mason: Woo-hoo! Does this mean we’ll be celebrating your engagement to Raina?

  Dash: Seriously, dude. How does Rachael put up with you?

  Adam: What do you need us to bring?

  Dash: Nothing. Iris is taking care of everything.

  Adam: Cambria and I need an Iris to run our household and cook for us.

  Dash: Iris is awesome. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

  Kieran: You have the best housekeeper/chef, Dash. Selah and I want Iris.

  Blaise: You’d better give her a big year-end bonus or one of us will steal her away from you.

  Dash: I will, but she would never leave me.

  Henry: Never say never, Wonderkid.

  Kieran: Yeah, don’t jinx yourself.

  Brett: No, keep talking and jinx away, because Laurel and I want to hire Iris.

  Blaise: First in line. Hadley loves Iris, too.

  Brett: Get behind me and Laurel. Iris is a natural with kids.

  Adam: I want in. Cambria and I love Iris’s cooking.

  Kieran: After me. Selah and I need Iris more than any of you.

  Mason: Nope. End of the line. Rachael and I need help.

  Dash: Dream all you want, but Iris is all mine.

  Blaise: Hey, Wes is missing. Where is he?

  Mason: Being examined by his sexy doctor.

  Dash: Careful, dude, Wes is stronger than you.

  Henry: Respect, Mason. Dr. Regis saved Wes’s life.

  Adam: They’re just friends according to Cambria who spoke with Paige.

  Kieran: Selah said the same thing to me.

  Mason: Seriously? Just friends after the smoldering glances and hot kiss?

  Every family had that one kid who needed to keep his mouth shut. In their group, that was Mason. The guy had revolutionized the way people communicated digitally, but he could be annoying, saying whatever popped into his mind. Sometimes, that was a good thing.

  Not today.

  Wes hadn’t planned on joining in the conversation, but he had no choice unless he wanted the texts about him and Paige to continue. He didn’t, so Wes typed a reply.

  Wes: JUST FRIENDS.

  Wes: If I thought for a minute, I could lure Iris away from the Wonderkid, she’d be working for me already.

  Wes: Dash - I’ll be there on New Year’s Eve. Thanks for the invite!

  Mason: Will Paige be your plus-one again?

  Mason’s question didn’t deserve a response. Especially when Wes didn’t know the answer.

  Paige was on call over Christmas. He hadn’t asked her about December thirty-first, but he wanted to ring in the New Year with her at his side. In his arms wouldn’t be bad, either. With her lips against his.

  His temperature shot up.

  No big deal.

  Kissing when the clock struck midnight was a time-honored tradition. That was all they’d be doing. Keeping a custom going. A kiss to usher in the new year was no different from a kiss under the mistletoe.

  Maybe she would be up for one.

  Did friends kiss that way?

  He tried to remember Henry’s New Year’s Eve party last year. Iris had been there to help as she usually was when they had a group event. Wes didn’t think Dash and Iris, who’d been best friends since they were kids, had kissed then or ever.

  Dash had never implied anything like that ever happened with her. He was the least socially skilled among them, but he never held back. He considered Iris a friend only, and she didn’t appear to have any issues with the women he’d dated over the years.

  Wes had women friends. Sadie was an employee and a friend. His assistant, Eliza, too. But he’d never wanted to kiss them, or any other female friends.

  Until Paige.

  There had to be a reason.

  And then he realized what it was.

  They’d kissed twice, and the second time was better than the first. That explained why he wanted to kiss her again.

  No big deal.

  His phone buzzed, but he ignored it. Wes should focus on—

  “So what did you think?” Sadie held her tablet.

  He had no idea what she’d said. “Can you repeat that?”

  Sadie’s gaze narrowed. “I asked how the visit to the homeless shelter went yesterday.”

  “It was eye-opening, but I enjoyed helping.” Since last week, he’d been going out with employees from the foundation when they visited organizations. The hands-on work made him feel good as if he was paying it forward in a meaningful way. He’d never realized how satisfying community service could be. “I had no idea how much the shelter depends on volunteers. The place was overflowing with those wanting food and to get out of the cold, which got me thinking.”

  “Uh-oh. This sounds like it will be expensive,” she joked.

  “I can afford it.” Increasing the amount he donated had been the plan for this Christmas, but he wanted that to continue throughout the year. “There must be a way to do more. A low-cost housing development, a jobs program, something to get people off the street so they can regroup and start fresh?”

  Her gaze softened. “It’s not a simple fix because of the mental health and addiction issues facing many homeless. There are programs out there—”

  “Assign someone from your team to research them in the new year. Not you,” he said pointedly. “You’re supposed to be delegating these days.”

  “Will do.” She typed on her tablet.

  “I’d like to propose a community service initiative through all of WEL. Have the foundation find volunteer opportunities for employees. Strictly optional, but perhaps offer free food or a meal voucher for those who show up.”

  Sadie grinned. “You enjoy doing more than writing a check.”

  “I do.” And he owed Henry for that. “Others will, too.”

  “I have the perfect person to head this up.” Sadie placed her tablet on the table. “Are you going to tell me why you’re so distracted today?”

  “I just gave you two action items.”

  “Before that on your phone.”

  Busted. “I was answering a text.”

  She raised a brow. “From?”

  “Dash.”

  “You get texts from him every day.” Sadie leaned forward. Well, as much as her pregnant belly allowed her to. “What else is going on?”

  A beat passed. And another. “Nothing.”

  Wes wasn’t ready to discuss Paige. Not that there was anything to tell.

  “It’s not just today.” Concern laced each of her words. “You haven’t been this unfocused since you were sick.”

  “I’m healthy.” He didn’t want her concerned about him. That wasn’t good for her or the baby. His former oncologist was having an effect on him, but not in the way Sadie meant. “There’s no need for you to worry.”

  His phone buzzed.

  Mason was no doubt being a smart aleck again. Unless Paige was between patients and had time to…

  Wes glanced at the screen
. It was her!

  Paige: Hope your day is going well.

  Paige: Excited about tonight.

  She must have a full schedule today if it took her so long to text him, but hearing she was looking forward to his surprise tonight was worth the wait.

  “Who is she?” Sadie asked, her voice full of curiosity.

  Wes glanced up, disoriented. “What are you talking about?”

  “Who sent you the text that made you go all heart eyes?”

  Oops. He hadn’t meant for that to happen. “A friend.”

  “Heart eyes.” Sadie smirked. “Spill.”

  “It’s nothing.” No one would understand his friendship with Paige. He wasn’t sure he did yet. His respect for her as his doctor had grown into something else, something special.

  He enjoyed her company. Hearing her voice brightened his day. But it wasn’t romantic as Sadie’s tone implied.

  A kiss on New Year’s Eve was one thing, and even though he might be tempted, Wes couldn’t cross the friendship line with Paige.

  Yes, he was making amends for past wrongs and paying back the second chance he’d been given with his remission. But he was still capable of hurting others.

  He would not hurt Paige.

  And that would happen if he pushed things between them because he couldn’t give her what she wanted—what she deserved.

  But he would have fun spoiling his new friend.

  Thinking about tonight, Wes smiled.

  “Oh my goodness.” Sadie’s mouth dropped open. “You met someone. A woman.”

  He startled. He’d forgotten he wasn’t alone. “Why do you think that?”

  “The heart eyes were the first giveaway, but you have that dazed, slightly confused, totally infatuated expression that guys get when they’re in love.”

  “We’re not… I’m not…”

  Sadie grinned smugly. “So there is someone.”

  “I…” Wes sighed. “Between you and Henry, I don’t stand a chance.”

  “Henry is the master. I’m but an apprentice.” Sadie’s complexion glowed. “Who is she?”

  “We’re just friends.”

  Sadie wiggled her shoulders. “That’s how it begins.”

  Wes leaned back in his chair, trying to be nonchalant. “There’s nothing more going on.”

  “That’s what they say, too.”

  He sighed. “I don’t want to discuss this.”

  “Fine, but I’m here when you’re ready.” Sadie sounded almost giddy. “I’m happy for you. You’re one of the best men I know. If anyone deserves to find a friend and love, it’s you.”

  His heart sank because he knew better. He deserved nothing.

  “Thanks.” He croaked the word from his dry throat.

  Sadie was one of the smartest people he knew, but she was wrong about him. Even if he wished she wasn’t.

  * * *

  That evening, Paige sat in the back of Wes’s SUV. Craig knew their destination, but she was clueless about “the surprise.” She could tell they were heading east near the Columbia River. Wes had mentioned having dinner and said to dress warm, so she had.

  Paige fought the urge to tap her feet to the Christmas music playing in the car. She forced herself not to ask any questions. Wes’s pleased smile was enough to stop her from trying to spoil his surprise. Still, she was more excited than she should be for a meal out with a friend.

  A friend.

  She was trying to think of him as nothing more than her friend. Their daily texts and calls weren’t out of the ordinary, but his occasionally starring in her dreams—romantic ones—was weird for a burgeoning friendship. Random thoughts of him popping into her mind didn’t make much sense, either.

  Leftovers from her crush?

  Or maybe she was still crushing even though she tried hard to think about Wes as nothing more than a buddy or a pal.

  Craig stopped at a well-known seafood restaurant. White lights hung around the roofline and doors. A life-size nutcracker sat out front.

  Wes opened the back door. “We’re having dinner here.”

  She’d had brunch there once. It was delicious food with a lovely view. “This is a wonderful surprise. Thank you.”

  He led her inside. The interior screamed Christmas with lights and decorations all over the place. They removed their hat, gloves, and coat before they started sweating.

  “Lockhart, party of two,” Wes said to the hostess.

  A few minutes later, they sat at a table with a lovely view of the river and southwest Washington in the distance. The other tables were full. The din of conversation and laughter filled the air.

  She studied the menu. “This is a seafood lover’s dream.”

  “They have other items like steak or pasta.”

  “Seafood is fine.” She set her menu on the table. “I know what I want.”

  “That was fast.”

  She shrugged. “A cup of clam chowder and the seafood cioppino sound good.”

  He lowered his menu. “I’m having a harvest salad and the grilled king salmon.”

  As if on cue, their server arrived with glasses of water and took their orders.

  “So how was your day?” Wes asked after the server left.

  She sipped her water.

  Protecting her patients’ privacy limited what Paige could say. She wanted to tell him that Mr. Chaffey’s nineteen-year-old grandson had been at her patient’s appointment. She and Lydia had cheered after the two men left, but Wes didn’t know the man or the backstory. Paige, however, was thrilled. A sprinkle of Christmas magic from Hood Hamlet must have made its way to Portland and the Chaffey family. She hoped this was only the beginning of the family getting closer.

  There was something she could share. “I received a Christmas card from Dalton today. He was—”

  “The little boy you colored with at Henry’s party,” Wes finished for her.

  “You remembered.” That surprised her given how busy he was running a company.

  He nodded as if it were nothing, but it was, and her affection for him grew.

  “How is he?” Wes asked.

  “Dalton wrote he’s feeling much better. He’s also happy to be home with his family.”

  Wes leaned back in his chair. “Looks like he’ll get his Christmas wish.”

  “Yes!” She lowered her voice. “His family has recovered, and he’s so excited for the holidays. He said ‘Santa is the man.’”

  She agreed with the sentiment.

  Wes’s smile crinkled the corners of his eyes—the result had Paige taking another drink of water. “That’s wonderful.”

  “It is.” Thinking about the card surrounded her heart with warmth. “He sent me an ornament he made. It’s hanging on my tree.”

  “Each one has a story.”

  “They do.”

  “I’d like to see your new ornament.”

  Her heart raced. “Anytime.”

  The server returned with their wine, soup, and salad. “Enjoy.”

  She scooped up a spoonful of chowder. “How was your day?”

  “About the same as always only I had two meetings scheduled at the same time so that made things interesting.” He half laughed. “Since I haven’t found a way to clone myself so I can be in two places at once, I told Dash to work on that for me.”

  “Sounds like his kind of project.”

  Wes grinned. “He probably has a project like that going.”

  She laughed. “The chowder is tasty.”

  “So is the salad.” He set his fork on the plate and sipped his wine. “I’m glad we could find time to get together tonight.”

  They’d both been busy yesterday and on Monday night. “The holidays make schedules even crazier than usual.”

  “I have our company holiday party tomorrow.”

  “Will you be playing Santa there?”

  “No, I gave the suit back to Henry, but I will announce the bonus for the year so I’m sure there will be some ho-ho-ho-ing.” He raised
his glass in a mock toast. “People should be pleased. At least I hope so.”

  “Rewarding employees must feel good. Giving money away how you choose. Bidding outrageous sums of money for a good cause. Making a donation that can change lives.”

  “It does.” A thoughtful expression crossed his face, but the intensity in his eyes drew her in. “Unfortunately I didn’t appreciate the ability to do that as much as I should have. I should have done more sooner.”

  “What changed?”

  “Lymphoma.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. An odd mix of hope and fear gleamed in his eyes. “It was a big wake-up call to do better.”

  The emotion in his voice sounded sincere yet raw.

  She covered his hand with hers. “You’ve done great things.”

  Lines creased his forehead. “And some not so good ones, too.”

  His regret tugged at her heart. She wanted to wipe away his sadness and put a smile on his face.

  “No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, some larger ones than others, but all we can do is our best and be kind and caring and generous. You’re all three, Wes Lockhart.” She squeezed his hand, hoping to add her strength to his, because everyone needed a little extra sometimes. “Please don’t think otherwise.”

  As an invisible cable seemed to connect them, the corners of his mouth lifted. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Paige should stop touching him, but she had the feeling he needed the contact. So did she.

  “Dinner is served,” their waiter joked, but his appearance left Paige no choice but to raise her hand so her arm was out of the way. He set plates in front of them. “Enjoy.”

  The food was delicious. Conversation flowed as easily as the wine. Time seemed to fly, and the server was soon removing the dishes. He returned quickly with two peppermint hot chocolates in disposable cups. “It’s almost time.”

  “Time?”

  “Thanks,” Wes said to the server before looking at Paige. “The Christmas Ships will be passing by. I ordered warm drinks. We can watch from inside or go outside.”

  An easy choice. “Let’s go outside.”

  “The hot chocolate will keep us warm.”

  “You thought of everything.” Paige smiled at him. “I thought dinner was the surprise. I had no idea there was more.”