LITMIR.BIZ

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WW Architectural Design and having a life were mutually exclusive. Now things were more complicated, her time more precious. And having it all seemed to be an impossible idea.

      She thought of the picture in her purse, the dozens more on her phone, and the paperwork waiting on her desk. Waiting not for her signature, but for a miracle. One that would keep the promise she had made in China last year.

      Nearly three years ago, Ellie had been on the fast track at an architectural firm in North Carolina. Then she’d gone to a conference in China, gotten lost on the way to the hotel and ended up meeting a woman who changed her life.

      Ellie never made it to the hotel or the conference. She spent five days helping Sun Yuchin dig a well and repair a neighbor’s house in a tiny, cramped town, and fallen in love with the simple village, and bonded with the woman who lived there. Every few months since, Ellie had returned. She’d been there to meet Sun’s daughter, Jiao, after she was born, even helped feed the baby, and the following year, helped build an extra room for the child. In the process, Ellie had formed a deep friendship with Sun, a hardworking, single mother who had suffered more tragedies than any person should in a lifetime—her parents dead, then her husband two years later, and near the end of one of Ellie’s trips to Sun’s town, the woman finally confided the worst news of all.

      Sun had cancer. Stage four. After she told Ellie, she asked her an incredible question.

      Will you raise Jiao after I’m gone? Take her to America, and be her mother?

      Finn ended the call, then put his cell back into his pocket. “The Piedmont hospital will be quite an undertaking for WW,” he said, drawing her attention back to the topic.

      Was he curious, or jealous? His firm had been one of the few invited to submit a bid. She remembered her father being so sure that McKenna Designs, clearly the leader in experience, would land the job. But in the end, either her father’s schmoozing on the golf course or his more competitive bid had won out and McKenna Designs had been left in the dust.

      Was this true congratulations or sour grapes?

      Ellie gave Finn a nod, then crossed her hands on the table. “I’m sure we’re up to the challenge.” Did her voice betray the doubts she felt?

      “I know a project of that size can seem intimidating,” he added, as if he’d read her mind. “Even for someone with your experience.”

      The dig didn’t go unnoticed. She was sure a methodical man like Finn McKenna would already know she’d built her career in residential, not commercial properties. He was expressing his doubts in her ability without coming right out and saying it.

      He wasn’t the only one with concerns. She’d gone into architecture because she loved the field, and chosen residential work because she loved creating that happy home for her clients, and had been rewarded well for that job. She’d never wanted to be a part of the more impersonal, commercial industry.

      But now she was. And that meant she had to deal with everything that came her way, no matter what. And handle it, one way or another, because her father’s company needed her to. She couldn’t go to her father and risk raising his blood pressure. She’d muddle through this project on her own. No matter what, Ellie would hold on to what Henry had built.

      “We have a strong, dedicated team,” she said.

      “Had.”

      “Excuse me?”

      “You had a strong, dedicated team. As I hear it, Farnsworth quit last week.”

      Damn. Finn really did have his finger on the pulse of WW Architectural Design. Few people knew George Farnsworth, one of the oldest and most experienced architects at the firm, had quit. He’d butted heads with Ellie almost from the day she walked in the door, and eventually said he’d work for her father—or no one at all. Which wasn’t quite true, because it turned out Farnsworth had had a lucrative job offer at a competitor waiting in the wings the whole time.

      She’d been scrambling ever since to find a worthy replacement. And coming up empty.

      “You seem to know quite a bit about my business, Mr. McKenna—”

      “Finn, please.”

      “Finn, then.” She pushed the cup of tea to the side and leaned forward. “What I want to know is why.”

      He gave her a half-nod. “What they say about you is true.”

      “And what, pray tell, do they say about me?”

      “That you’re smart and capable. And able to talk your way out of or into just about anything.”

      She laughed. “The talking part is probably true. My father always said I could talk my way out of a concrete box.”

      “Refill?” The waitress hovered over their table, coffeepot halfway to Finn’s cup. Then she noticed the two still-full cups. “Okay, guess not.”

      Finn paused long enough for the waitress to leave, then his sky-blue gaze zeroed in on hers. “You asked why I have such an interest in your business, and in you.”

      She nodded.

      “I’ve done my research on your career, Miss Winston, and on WW Architectural Design because—” he paused a beat “—I have a proposition for you.”

      “A proposition?” Ellie arched a brow, then flipped on the charm. Two could dance in this conversation. Finn McKenna had yet to tell her anything of substance, and she refused to give away her surprise or her curiosity. He had likely underestimated her as a businesswoman, and after tonight, she doubted he’d do it again. “Why, Finn, that sounds positively scandalous.”

      He let out a short, dry laugh. “I assure you, Miss Winston—”

      “Ellie.” She gave him a nod and a slight smile. She had found that a little warmth and charm, accented by the slight Southern accent that she’d picked up in her years in North Carolina, often served her well in business dealings, and she used that tool to her advantage now. No giving Finn McKenna the upperhand. No, she wanted to know what he was after, and more importantly, why. “That’s the least you can do, considering I’m calling you by your first name.”

      “Ellie, then.” Her name rolled off his tongue, smooth as caramel. “I…I can assure you—” he paused a second again, seemed to gather his thoughts “—that my proposition is business only.”

      She waited for him to continue, while her tea cooled in front of her. This was the reason he’d asked her here—not for a date, but for business. A flicker of disappointment ran through her, but she told herself it was for the best. Despite what her father had asked of her, she didn’t see how she could possibly fit dating, much less marriage, into her already busy life.

      She had her father to worry about and care for, a company to run, and most of all, a home to prepare for the changes coming her way very soon. Getting involved with Finn McKenna didn’t even make it on to that list. Heck, it wasn’t even in the same galaxy as her other priorities.

      “I know that without Farnsworth, you’re in a difficult position,” Finn continued. “He’s the most senior architect on your staff, and you’re about to undertake a major hospital project. The kind of thing WW has built its reputation on, and the kind of job that will bring millions into the company coffers.”

      She nodded. The Piedmont hospital was a huge boon for WW. Her father had worked long and hard to land that project. He was proud as punch to add it on to the company resume, and she was determined not to let her father down. This job would also firmly establish WW’s place as a leader in medical facility design—a smart move in an era of increased demand from aging baby boomers.

      “As the new CEO,” Finn went on in the same precise, no-nonsense manner as before, “you’re already at a vulnerable juncture, and losing this project, or screwing it up, could cause WW irreparable damage.” He’d clearly studied her, and the company, and was offering an honest, if not a bit too true, perspective. He squared his spoon

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