Change My Mind Read online

  “What am I going to do?” she whined.

  “You are going to keep doing your job and do it well. This is going to be okay.”

  She let out a sigh. “I hate this.”

  “I know. Me too. I’m sorry.”

  “We need a drink. This day has been hell. I never want to see another candy cane or box of nuts. Let’s go out.”

  “I’m so tired,” I complained.

  “One drink. It will help us both unwind. We deserve a drink. Hell, we deserve like ten drinks.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  We left together. I didn’t miss the looks from the employees that saw me carrying my box of things. It was pretty obvious what it meant. I couldn’t bring myself to care. I was far too exhausted. I put my things in my car and walked across the street to the bar we often visited after work.

  We ordered our Moscow Mules and settled in for a little relaxation.

  “God, my feet are killing me,” I complained.

  “Mine too and I didn’t work half as long as you did.”

  “It was a wild day. It was a good day.”

  “Yes, it was, and crotchety Bob is going to regret his decision to fire you.”

  “I hope so.”

  “So, who was the Herculean god who caught you? It was clear you guys knew each other.”

  “He’s no one.”

  “Liar,” she said with a laugh. “I almost got pregnant watching the two of you look at each other. There was some serious heat there.”

  “There used to be heat. He’s someone I knew back in high school.”

  “There is clearly still something there.”

  “Regret. Hurt. Anger. That’s all there is left between us.”

  She popped out her lower lip. “Aww, don’t ruin it for me. You guys make a cute couple. He’s the light to your dark.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ve heard that before.”

  “Seriously, he is a modern-day Adonis. I do have a thing for the dark haired guys, but he takes it to a new level. And those eyes? Lord have mercy. I’ve never seen such a clear blue color before.”

  Chase was gorgeous, but that didn’t change what happened. It didn’t make him a good guy. “Just because he is hot doesn’t make him good.”

  “You admit he’s hot.”

  “Yes, I can admit that, but he is my past, and that’s where I want him to stay.”

  She sipped her drink, swirling the little red straw. “He dumped you?”

  I didn’t want to admit to anything. “Basically, yes. Things ended badly, and it is a time in my life I don’t like to revisit. Like I said, he is in the past and that is where I want to leave him. I have no intention of opening that old, healed wound.”

  She sighed. “That’s too bad. It’s always the hot ones that break your heart.”

  “I agree, which is why it is better to just leave men alone. I don’t have time for heartbreak.”

  “But it isn’t always going to end in heartbreak.”

  “Most of the time, it is.”

  “You’re right. It’s better to be alone and miserable.”

  I didn’t miss the sarcasm. We finished our drinks, and before she could convince me to order a second, I bowed out. I needed to go home and fall into bed. Now that I didn’t have to work tomorrow, there was nothing I needed to get out of bed for. I was going to sleep in.

  When I got back to my empty apartment, I was no longer all that tired. I was stuck in the past, thinking about those days when Chase and I were happy together. I did something I told myself I wouldn’t do. I went into my closet, got on my tippy toes, and pulled out the old cedar box my father had given to me on my sixteenth birthday. I carried it to my bed and opened it up.

  Memories flooded me as I stared down at the contents. It was my life with Chase all wrapped up and tucked away in a pretty box. I reached for the dried rose and smiled. He’d given it to me just because. I gently put it down before reaching for one of the cute little notes he’d slipped me in class. It was him professing his love for me.

  The picture of the two of us at prom really stirred things up. I stared at it for a long time. He looked so handsome in his tux. I looked so young and hopeful. Everything seemed so perfect that night. I loved my dress. I found it on a clearance rack at Banner Brothers, which was just a little ironic. I remembered it was three sizes too big, but with the help of Cori and my mother, we took it in and made it fit me.

  Chase hadn’t been able to take his eyes off me. He told me all night how pretty I was and how much he loved me. I was on top of the world that night. I had stars in my eyes and was convinced nothing could ever bring me down. I had been a young, naïve fool. I hated that I let myself get caught up in the teenage dream of getting a happy ever after with my high-school boyfriend.

  I put the picture back and closed the box. Chase ruined me. I had never been able to find a man that measured up to him. I never cared for anyone the way I cared for him. I tried to say I didn’t have a boyfriend because I was too busy working and building my career, but deep down, I could acknowledge it was because I knew I would never find another man like him.

  I could admit I never really got over Chase Adams. I didn’t want to. Those were some of the happiest days in my life and I was afraid if I got over them, they would be gone for good.

  I wanted to remember the way I felt when he kissed me for the first time. I wanted to remember how good it felt to be held in his arms or the excitement I felt when I saw his name on my caller ID. They were good memories. I just couldn’t see myself ever getting that excited about seeing another man’s name on my caller ID.

  I tried several times throughout college, but none of the guys I went out on dates with really sparked that little flame I knew I had within me. It was like it only burned for Chase. When it became clear I couldn’t have him, I decided I didn’t want anyone else.

  Chapter 6

  Chase

  I had the plan, but now I needed to figure out how to make it happen. How did I convince Harper to come and work for me? It was clear she wasn’t happy with me. She’d been polite but in a way that said she was only doing it because she had to and not because she actually wanted to.

  I heard the doorbell and got up to answer the door. Cori had come home a bit ago and was in the shower. I had ordered dinner for us. When it arrived, I tipped the delivery driver and carried the bags of delicious-smelling food into the kitchen. With just the two of us in the house, we didn’t need to be formal. We could sit at the kitchen bar and stuff our faces.

  “That smells amazing,” Cori said, breezing into the kitchen.

  I held up my fork with noodles draped over it. “It is amazing.”

  “Hey, you could have waited for me!”

  “I was hungry, and I didn’t know how long you would be.”

  She dished up a plate and grabbed a fork for herself. If our parents were there, we’d use the chopsticks. But they weren’t there. We could eat like we wanted.

  “What’d you do today?” I asked her. It wasn’t that I truly cared. It was all part of my plan. I would ask her and then she would ask me.

  “I did a little shopping and caught up with some old friends. What about you?”

  “I was going to do a little shopping at Banners. Guess who I ran into?”

  “Who?”

  “Harper Lincoln.”

  Her eyes widened. “Is she in town?”

  “Yes. She lives here. She works at the store as the head of marketing.”

  “No kidding!”

  “You should see the displays,” I said, not mentioning the one that had tumbled to the floor. “As usual, Harper is amazing at whatever she puts her mind to. That store looked incredible, better than I have ever seen it. She did a really, really good job.”

  She took another bite, looking thoughtful. This was the benefit of being a twin. I knew what she was thinking. I also knew how to get her thinking what I needed her to think. I waited, pretending to
be totally casual as I ate my own meal.

  “You know what?” Cori said in that voice that said she had a good idea.

  “What?”

  “We need to get Harper to work for you at the resort!”

  I pretended to think about it, but inside my heart, happy fireworks were exploding. “I don’t know,” I said, adding just the right amount of hesitation. “I’m not sure she’d want to work for us.”

  “She might not want to work for you, but if I talked to her, I bet she would be willing. You’d have to beat her salary at the store and give her benefits she can’t get at Banners.”

  Oh, I had plenty of benefits I was willing to offer her. Unfortunately, I didn’t think she’d be all that willing to accept them. That was why I needed Cori to talk to her. “Maybe. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask her if she’s interested. If we can get her on board to do the Vail resort, I would love to talk to her about taking care of the other resorts as well. That could be a perk. It would be like an all-expense paid vacation to some of the best resorts in the world.”

  “I’m not sure she would see it as a vacation if she has to work,” Cori pointed out.

  I waved a hand. “We could work out the details. Maybe a week of work followed by a week of vacation. She could stay in one of the suites while she was there.”

  “We could give her a stipend as well,” she added.

  “Absolutely. And use of the company jet.”

  Cori slapped her hand on the counter. “Yes! She’ll get to fly to each of the resorts in the lap of luxury.”

  I liked where this was going. I wanted to make sure we put together a package she couldn’t refuse. Cori looked thrilled by the prospect. I knew my sister well and I saw the excitement in her eyes.

  “Do you think she’d be interested?” she asked. “I mean, you guys aren’t exactly pals.”

  “But you two are.”

  “I haven’t talked to her in years. We’re Facebook friends but she never posts. I didn’t even know she was working at the store.”

  “You guys were really good friends in high school. You stayed in touch throughout college, right?”

  “Yes, but that was a long time ago. We’ve both changed a lot, I’m sure.”

  I was losing ground. “You won’t know until you reach out.”

  She took another bite. “Why didn’t you offer her the job when you saw her?”

  “Because I don’t think she would appreciate her ex-boyfriend asking her to work for him,” I answered honestly. “You know Harper. She’s stubborn and fiercely independent. Working for me or the family in general is probably not high on her list of things she wants to do.”

  “You make a good point. Maybe we should keep looking for a marketing manager. You do need one. I don’t mind stepping in and doing this one thing, but I’m not looking for a full-time job.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Are you looking for a job at all?”

  “I’m looking for my future husband and the father of my three children.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “What if he only wants two children?”

  “Then he isn’t my future husband,” she answered matter-of-factly.

  “I like how you have this all planned out.”

  “I do. Now, let’s figure out how we can convince Harper working for you isn’t going to be akin to being in hell.”

  “Hey,” I protested. “I’m not a bad boss.”

  “No, but obviously, you aren’t a good boyfriend.”

  She had a point. “That was then. This is now. Promise her carte blanche. Whatever she says goes. I will trust her judgment.”

  She put her fork down and leaned forward, looking me directly in the eyes. “Is this a ploy to get her back? Are you using me and the need for a marketing person as a way to get back in her good graces?”

  “No, definitely not.”

  “I don’t know,” she said, giving me the side eye. “This would be just like you. I don’t want to be part of your little scheme. I didn’t really like the two of you together in high school.”

  “Why not? We all got along great.”

  “Because my best friend dating my brother is weird. Whenever we did stuff together, I always felt like the third wheel. It was you and Harper, and I was the tagalong. Even on trips to the mall where it was supposed to be me and Harper and you tagging along.”

  “You were not and will not be a tagalong.”

  “Ha! I knew it! You are trying to get back together with her.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m just saying, if that were to happen, you would not be the third wheel.”

  She gave me another look that said she didn’t believe me. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to cash in my friend card for you. Whatever you did to her is on you to fix. I can’t help you.”

  “I didn’t do anything. Come on. This is to your benefit as well. You like your allowance. You like the name and the doors it opens for you. I’m not asking you to put in a fifty-hour work week. I’m just asking you to reach out to an old friend. She could take us from being good to great. It isn’t about me and her. It’s about the family business.”

  I was going to appeal to her in any way I could. This was important to me, to all of us.

  Cori frowned. “What if she says no?”

  I shrugged. “Then you will have tried. That’s all you can do.”

  “If I find out this is all about you getting back with her, I swear I will cut you off at the knees. I want no part of your love life.”

  “It isn’t that,” I insisted.

  “Fine.” She started to eat again.

  I stared at her, waiting for her to look at me.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Are you going to call her?”

  “Now?”

  “The grand opening is in less than three weeks. I don’t have a lot of time here. The sooner the better.”

  She groaned, dropping her fork once again. “I hate you.”

  “You could never hate me.”

  “I’m learning how.”

  I flashed her a cheesy grin. “But imagine the profits. I’ll give you a recruitment fee if you can get her on board.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  I watched and waited while she typed out a text. “Don’t you think you should call? Wouldn’t that be more personable?”

  She frowned at me and put the phone down. “If you know how to do it, why don’t you ask her?”

  “Because you’re asking her.”

  “Can I please eat now?”

  “What’d you text her?”

  “Oh my god,” she groaned. “You are not going to let this go.”

  “I’m just asking what you texted her.”

  “I feel like we are in the sixth grade again. Remember? You did this when you had a crush on that one girl. What was her name?”

  “I don’t know who you are talking about.”

  “Liar. You hounded me until I invited her for a sleepover. Then you made a complete fool of yourself trying to impress her. I told you then I was not your matchmaker. I’m still not.”

  “You aren’t matchmaking. You are helping the family business.”

  She didn’t look convinced. I went back to my dinner. I hoped their friendship was enough to pull Harper in. Yes, I was trying to cash in on their friendship and use it to our advantage. And yes, maybe I was hoping there was a chance we could have some kind of relationship as well. I wasn’t foolish enough to think she would welcome me back with open arms, but it didn’t hurt to try.

  When her phone beeped, I lunged for it. She slapped at my hand. “What are you doing?”

  “I want to see what she said.”

  She pried my fingers from her phone and got up from the stool. “I will beat you if you read my messages. Remember that.”

  “Just look, please.”

  She shot me a dirty look before unlocking her screen. I watched her smile and type a return. She put the phone back on the counter and sat down. She star
ted eating again.

  “Dammit, Cori! What did she say?”

  “How do you know it was her?”

  “I swear I’m going to shove your face in that plate if you don’t tell me.”

  When she didn’t answer me, I grabbed for her. She burst into laughter and hopped out of my reach. “Damn, someone is testy.”

  “Cori, I’m not playing.”

  “We are having lunch tomorrow,” she finally answered.

  My heart soared. “Really?”

  “Yes. There. Are you happy now?”

  “I will be once you convince her to come work for us.”

  “No promises,” she warned.

  I didn’t need promises. I was convinced with enough money, I could persuade Harper to come to the resort. To come back to me. I had to play it cool. Things would be tenuous at first. I would need to be just a little aloof or she would think I wanted her to work there because I was hoping there would be something between us.

  One step at a time. Cori was a charming young woman. I knew she was hard to resist when she asked for something. She would bat her eyes and play up that innocent look she had. She’d been using that tactic for years. I just hoped it was enough to convince Harper. If Harper turned down the offer, I would come up with another plan. I needed her on board.

  I knew she was exactly what the grand opening needed.

  Chapter 7

  Harper

  I should have known Cori would be in town if her brother was in town. It was a little weird to get a call from her after not hearing from her for years. I got the occasional birthday message from her or a Merry Christmas but never anything more than that. I figured I had nothing to lose having lunch with her. I would very casually ask about Chase. Was he married? Engaged? I didn’t care. At least that was what I was telling myself.

  Mild curiosity about an old friend. It didn’t mean anything. We’d catch up and go our separate ways again, probably never to see each other for another five years. It wasn’t like I had a job to get to or anything else to do besides worry about paying rent next month. It would be a nice distraction from reality.

  I walked into the restaurant that was way out of my price range, but I agreed to meet Cori there because I knew it was what she would be accustomed to. I gave my name to the hostess and was escorted to a quaint table for two. Cori was already seated.