Once Ash closed—slammed—the door, Jill held her head in her hands. Fear, frustration, and anger threatened to overwhelm her. She had been working so hard over the years to get where she was in the company. And she was so close to her goal of taking over once Harrison retired. If she took over his position, she would be able to dictate the amount of hours she worked. Sure, there would still be long nights at the office, but she’d have more freedom, which meant more time for Reagan. While it might hurt now, it would benefit them in the future. She just needed Reagan to see that.

And if she was going to have a productive meeting with these potential clients, she needed to ignore the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.

After the second raffle drawing of the night, Reagan took her time making the rounds with the guests. While there were a good number of people she didn’t know, most were people that she was at least acquainted with or who had known her dad. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and after checking in with Gwen, she was satisfied the kitchen staff didn’t need anything.

When she returned to the main room, she found Sam and Ash standing by the bar. She smiled as she took in Ash, looking dapper in a purple bow tie and suspenders combo. They stood with their hands behind their back, and Sam stood just behind them. “Hey, you two. It’s great to see you again. Glad you could make it. Did you come with Jill?” she asked, looking around for her, but understanding hit her as she took in the stricken look on Ash’s face and the anger radiating from Sam. “She’s not here, is she?”

“I’m sorry, Reagan. No, she’s not. She sent me with these,” they replied, holding out flowers and an envelope. “Boss called her to take a meeting. She said she’d try to stop by afterward, though.”

Reagan took the items from Ash and opened the envelope. Inside was a personal check for ten thousand dollars, and a handwritten note that said, “I’m sorry. — J.” Tears burned, but she refused to let them fall. She closed her eyes to gather her composure before plastering a forced smile on her face.

“Thank you for delivering this, Ash.” She nodded at Ash and Sam. “Please enjoy yourself tonight. There are plenty of great items up for auction. If you’ll excuse me.” Not waiting for a reply, she turned in the direction of the kitchen and threw the flowers into the first trash can she passed. As her emotions bubbled to the surface, she bypassed the kitchen and headed straight into the office.