Page 4 of The Last Goodbye

And now I’d been banished to Blue Sky Bay until I got Bass Bennett’s signature on that contract.

It’s what I did for a living.

I closed deals that would make my father a shit ton of money.

Well, a shit ton more money than he already had.

I’d checked into the cute rental I’d reserved for the weekend earlier today, and I had a feeling I’d be extending my stay after my meeting with the grumpy bastard who was standing in the way of the approval I so desperately craved from my father.

Winchester Investments was a private equity firm that found diamonds in the rough and turned them into big, shiny, profitable businesses. Blue Sky Bay had been named the most popular tourist town on the West Coast this past year, so it had been on my radar for a while. I’d presented the opportunity to my father, and for the first time since I’d accepted the position working for him two years ago, he’d given me the thumbs-up to go after it.

My stepmother, Tabitha Winchester, had done her best to crush every idea I’d had since coming on board. She’d started the company with my dad almost three decades ago, and she knew the business well.

And for whatever reason, she despised my mere existence, which was why I’d hesitated to take the job.

Unfortunately, I was still chasing my father’s approval.

Hell, maybe I was just desperate for his love.

He didn’t give either freely.

But Blue Sky Bay was going to be my big moment, and everyone in the office was excited about it.

We had big plans to build a boutique luxury hotel, which this town would benefit from, and it would include a restaurant, a gift shop, and a spa.

Tourists would love it.

Locals would benefit from it.

I’d secured every single signature we needed aside from one.

Bass Bennett had proven to be a stubborn man. He was arrogant and condescending, but what he’d failed to take into consideration was that I was familiar with men like him.

I knew exactly how to handle him.

I’d break him down slowly. Get him to see that this was a good deal—because it was.

He just needed to take the time to actually look at the offer, and then he’d change his mind.

I had the authority to up the price, if he wanted to be difficult, but I didn’t think I’d need to.

This was a good offer. He should take it and run.

I continued to glance in the windows of the cute boutiques before noticing a grassy area with trailers surrounding it and a sign arched over the entrance that read Down by the Bay Container Park.

I stepped in, taking in multiple trailers in different colors surrounding a bar in the center. This was definitely not something I ever saw in the city, and I liked the vibe.

The heel of my stiletto hitched into the grass, causing me to lose my footing.

A woman rushed over, a dog chasing behind her, and reached for my arm, just before I stumbled to the ground. “Are you okay?”

I tugged my heel free from the soil and stepped onto the little dirt path beside us as I brushed myself off. “Yes. Thank you so much. I probably should have changed shoes before wandering off to explore town.”

Her long dark hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she was effortlessly pretty in that unstudied, small-town way that probably took zero effort. The kind of pretty that didn’t need Manhattan lighting or a team of professionals to maintain it.

Her dog looked up at me, panting heavily, drool dangling from its mouth like it had no shame whatsoever.

“Sorry,” she said with a laugh. “This is Meatball, and I’m Gracie.”