“Oh, I know she is quite capable. I have no concerns there. I wouldn’t have hired her otherwise.” Mrs. W. scooted the dog off her lap and stood, walking to the window and looking out across the Lake Michigan shoreline. “I’ve had a good feeling about all of you ever since you first replied to my job posting for this project. The three of you together were exactly what I’d been looking for. Serendipity, one might say.”

“I was thinking the same thing this morning myself,” Luke admitted.

“I commend you on your commitment to the success of this project.” Mrs. W. waved a hand, indicating he should join her at the window. “In fact, I’ve been so impressed by your dedication throughout the development process that I’ve been thinking … maybe I should increase the bonus I promised.”

“It’s already very generous,” Luke said. He hesitated, gathering his thoughts as he watched the morning sunlight glitter on the water. Aside from getting to live and work with his sister and Jay, Luke had accepted Mrs. W.’s job offer because of that bonus. It would provide security for his sister and allow him the opportunity to go after his own dreams. Dreams he’d put on hold since … well, since forever.

He’d always wanted to run his own game company, but establishing a start-up came with a lot of risks—risks he’d been unwilling to take. If it was just himself, if it was only his life and his future on the line, Luke would have gone for it right out of college.

But he had Pen to think about, her life and future to consider. His sister graduated high school the same year Luke earned his masters in computer science. When she decided to get her business degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, he’d set his dreams aside and had gone to work as a developer for a software firm in the same city. It was boring as hell, but it paid the bills and allowed him to be nearby in case Pen ever needed him. He’d told himself it had been enough.

And he’d even managed to convince himself that was true, until Mrs. W. came along with her wild offer. Suddenly the possibility of more was within his reach, and Luke finally admitted to himself how much he wanted to chase that dream.

However, Luke had concerns about the details. He knew his boss was good for the money. He knew she would honor their bargain and pay the bonus if her expectations were met. The problem was, he was still unclear on the precise parameters of those expectations.

The contract only stipulated that the bonus would be triggered if—and only if—Mrs. W. decided she was satisfied with the results of the romantic-comedy experience they created. At the time, he’d been unconcerned about the vague language.