Well Built (Book Boyfriend #3)(37)

"You won't have to worry about any of the physical stuff, but this business is yours, and I want you to make it everything you've ever wanted," he continued. "That means, while my crew and I are doing the interior and exterior construction and build-outs and putting everything in that's required for a working bakery and venue business, you're going to need to be in charge of the design and decorating of both places and hiring the people you trust to work for you."

"Oh." She blinked at him, her expression suddenly overwhelmed by it all. "Well, I'm not sure where to begin."

He smiled, because he'd already handled that aspect of things. "First, you need a name for the place."

"That I've had for years." Her green eyes sparkled with a glimmer of excitement that warmed Kyle's heart. "I'd like to call it Celebrations Bakery and Events."

"I love it." He sat up and folded his hands on the table. "I'll get all the business paperwork, permits, and licenses started for you, and we'll get a custom sign made for the place that is exactly how you'd like it to be."

A slight frown pulled between her eyes. "I really don't know much about design and decorating. I do have a few ideas, but I'm not sure where to even begin to make it all happen."

The last thing Kyle wanted was his mother being stressed over this new venture. "I've already hired a design consultant, a woman I've known for a while who works with restaurants, hotels, and other businesses to assist with concepts, themes, furnishings. She'll help you envision what you want both places to look like."

"Okay," she said with a nod. "I really can't believe this is happening, and so fast."

"It really is," he agreed. Ten weeks would go by in a snap. "There's one more thing I need you to do." And he knew this wouldn't be an easy request for her to accept.

"What is it?" she asked.

He drew a deep breath. "Quit your job at the diner so you can focus your time on the new business."

Her eyes opened wide in surprise and her lips pursed ever so slightly, that rare stubborn side of hers making an appearance. "I don't see why I can't keep working while you're doing the renovations."

"Mom," he said, addressing her gently but firmly, trying to be sympathetic to the fact that the diner was all she'd known since getting married, that it had been the one steady, consistent thing in her life, and it was difficult for her to walk away from it after all these years. "This is why I bought the building for you, so you don't have to work at the diner anymore. So you can do what you want to do, not what you think you have to do. You're going to have to quit the diner at some point, and quite frankly, I can't do this all on my own. I'm going to need you to be my eyes and ears during the week when I can't be here, and you've got decisions to make about the venue and bakery that are going to need your attention."

He watched her take a deep, fortifying breath. "You're right. I just . . . "

"I know, Mom," he said softly, because he didn't need her to explain what he already understood. "You've got this. And if there's anything that seems too overwhelming for you, we'll figure it out together."

"Okay. I'll do it." She sat up straighter in her chair, her green eyes turning more serious than he'd anticipated. "But there's something I need to ask you to do for me."



       
         
       
        

"Anything. You know that."

His mother hesitated a moment, then said, "It has to do with Ella."

Just the mention of her name made Kyle's chest hurt, because ever since they'd gone their separate ways last weekend, as fucking friends, he'd felt as though someone had carved out a piece of his heart that was now missing. One night with Ella, and she'd made an indelible mark on him once again, forcing him to remember all the reasons he'd fallen in love with her all those years ago. Because she was sweet and kind and selfless. She made him laugh and feel happier than he had in a long time. He wanted to protect her, care for her, and be the guy she turned to when she needed someone to lean on. Even in their short time together, she made him want to be a better man for her.

And she'd insisted they be nothing more than fucking friends. Yeah, he was still more than a little peeved about her ultimatum, because when she'd issued her "friends or nothing" deal, there was no way in hell he would have chosen nothing. Having Ella in his life, even as a fucking friend, was better than not having her at all.

He knew the odds were stacked against them. That the smart thing to do was to be friends as she'd requested and let the idea of them go. But what he'd realized this past week was that he'd never let her go in the first place. Not in his mind and not in his heart. For ten years, he'd lived with the pain and regret of losing her, of wishing that things had ended differently, of comparing every woman he'd been with to her, only to find each and every one lacking.