First comes love.
Then comes marriage.
Then comes a-
Unfortunately, life is not a checklist, and there's no white picket fences and baby carriages. After a failed long and stable relationship, Arryn Rivera tries her hand at online dating and gets mo...
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Rhys stood at the back window staring out at his deck and tried to digest the news he'd gotten during his interview with Rolland Media president, Milford Johnson. Eighty-two-years-old and set in his ways, he put more emphasis on a man's marital status than sales performance. The buyout was in the works, and Rhys would be lucky to keep his business.
That had to be a form of discrimination. Hell, he had the stats to prove his effectiveness in landing clients—million dollar deals and long term contracts. Seemed old man Johnson put more importance on a man's personal life.
Rhys had panicked at the news, cast his moral code aside, and told one untruth. He had a serious girlfriend, with impending matrimony. Not a total lie. He could count on Laken. She'd be happy to reconcile, and there'd be no need to tell her the reason. Have her dress up, bring her to company functions until the deal closed, and he'd be home free.
He pushed the worry from his mind, focused on the rack of wood, and wondered if the weather would ever get cold enough to burn all he'd cut during the summer. He'd prepared for it, but Mother Nature wasn't cooperating. It'd be Halloween in two days, and if the warm temperatures kept up, trees would sprout leaves again. Georgia was one crazy state when it came to seasons.
The sound of a car got his attention, but before he could make it to the front porch, Val opened the door and rushed in with both kids and Ace right behind.
"Hey, the girls wanted to fish in your pond, if that's okay," Val said.
"Sure. You know where the poles and bait are, so make yourselves at home." Rhys grabbed his two nieces as they tried to run past and scrubbed their heads. "I'll give five dollars to the one who catches the biggest fish."
"Then, let me go!" Olive screamed.
"No need to hurry, loser, because I'll be the winner," Effy said.
"Elizabeth Jacqueline McDowell! Don't call your sister a loser," Ace said.
Rhys released them, and the girls headed to the back, first taking time to stop and pet Guinivere, sprawled in her favorite spot soaking up the sunshine.
Effy looked at her mother and grinned, then pressed her fingers against her forehead, formed an "L," and pointed toward Olive.
"Hey, no silent name-calling either, Sassy Butt, or you won't get to fish." Ace narrowed her eyes, grimaced for effect, and Rhys chuckled at the warning.
She turned her frown toward him. "You're not helping."
"Sorry. You're so—menacing."
"Shut up. It won't be long until they don't fear me anymore, so I have to get my bluff in while I can. But on the bright side, when that happens, I'll send them to live with you. Give you a chance to use your untapped daddy skills."
"You're funny." The reference to his parent status caused him to ponder the challenge facing him. He considered asking his sister about the possibility of a lawsuit if he got passed over due to being single, but thought better of it. He'd call Laken later to put his plan in motion.
