It was the same advice Tom had given him at the start of his career, and yet he wasn’t following it himself—personally or professionally. Did he really want to sit behind a desk, pushing paper, reading financials, and running a company with people who didn’t think of him as an equal? Was his self-worth so intrinsically tied to his job that he couldn’t walk away without feeling less of a man? Was he really going to give up the woman he loved because he couldn’t accept that she wanted him just the way he was?

The bottom line was that he loved Daisy. It hit him suddenly and painfully, that he wanted, no needed, Daisy in his life, with her plans and lists and charts, her trivia facts, her kind heart, her big family, and her dry sense of humor. Not just as a girlfriend, or a fake fiancée. He wanted her in his bed and in his home and in his heart forever. And if that meant giving up a partnership to be with her, then that’s what he would do. Besides, James wasn’t going to make it on his own. Unicorns weren’t found in ocelot poop or Heashes. Just as love wasn’t found when you were hiding in New York.

He needed a plan to get her back. Or maybe he already had one. He pulled out his phone to check Daisy’s spreadsheet. Dates #7 “Family” and #8 “Wedding” were still outstanding.

After all they’d been through, it would be a shame to leave things undone.

* * *

• • •

“I think I might have a way to save Organicare.” Daisy pushed Tanya’s card across Tyler’s desk, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. It had taken her a full hour to work up the nerve to leave her cozy workspace and meet with Tyler, and that was after the sweat-fest that had been the telephone call to Tanya that preceded it. But she believed in Organicare, and more than that she believed in herself and her ability to make a change. Her father had told her to go after what she wanted. She wanted Organicare to survive, and she had the tools to make that happen.

“Empower VC.” He studied the card. “Never heard of them.”

“They’re an all-female venture capital company that invests in diverse female-run businesses. I met Tanya on a motorcycle trip. I called her this morning and asked if she would be interested in hearing our pitch.”

“It may have escaped your notice that I am neither diverse nor do I identify as a woman.” Tyler leaned back in his chair, making no move to take the card. “How do you get over that hurdle?”

“Restructure and bring on some female executives. Convince Kristina to come back.” She had spent the night on a group chat with Mia, Zoe, and Josh, talking things through. Mia and Josh were still interested in helping the company, especially if it meant they might be able to come back.

Tyler shook his head, apparently not convinced. “I don’t think—”

“You’ve run yourself ragged trying to do everything,” she continued, cutting him off. “I read Evolution’s report. They recommended hiring an executive team so you could step into a chief development officer role and focus on product development, which is what you love to do. Over ninety-eight percent of Organicare’s employees are women. You have a good pool to choose from.” She handed him a document folder. “I made a plan for a revised pitch. I also e-mailed you a spreadsheet with . . .” She trailed off when Tyler leaned his elbows on the desk and dropped his head into his hands.

“I can’t handle any more.”

She stared at him, aghast. “What are you talking about?”

“Hope.” He sighed. “Every pitch, every meeting, every day I kept hoping things would work out. And just when I had given up, Liam walked in the door. When even that didn’t work out, I resigned myself to the fact that this was the end. Now you’re asking me to hope again, and I just can’t do it. I can’t stand up and give the pitch again because I’ll be wondering how I’ll make it through when it fails.”

“You won’t have to do it,” Daisy said, thinking quickly. “Get your new executive team in place and they’ll handle it for you. It doesn’t have to be a one-person show.”

“I thought you were a one-person show.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Come in. Do your work. Slip out the back. Don’t socialize with your colleagues . . . I was surprised you weren’t the first one out the door when things started to go wrong. When I hired you, I knew you never stayed in one place for long. It worked for me because things here were so uncertain, but now . . . What’s changed?”

“I’ve changed,” she said. “I was afraid to commit to anything, afraid to open myself up to making friends or become involved in the companies I worked for. I was afraid of getting hurt if things didn’t work out. But over the last few months, I’ve been forced to step outside my bubble. I met people who invited me into their lives and their hearts, who believe in me and like me for who I am. They made me realize that I have a lot to give besides being a coding genius.” She grinned, and Tyler responded with a halfhearted chuckle.

“I’ve realized that being ‘weirdly smart’ doesn’t make me less; it makes me more. I want to help Organicare be all it can be, and I’m willing to take risks to make that happen. And if it doesn’t work out, I know I’m strong enough to move on and keep taking chances. Because that’s how I’m going to live my best life, and that’s how you can live your best life, too.”

This wasn’t just about work, she realized. It was about acceptance and forgiveness. It was about love.

“That’s quite the speech.” Tyler pulled the folder toward him and flipped through the pages. “And this is quite the proposal. But there’s one big problem.” He sucked in his lips, ran a hand through the tangle of his hair. “Kristina won’t come back. She’s totally committed to the work she’s doing to raise awareness in third-world countries.”

“You could hire a new CEO.”

He stared at her for so long, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Had she gotten this wrong? Overstepped? Or maybe he’d already sold the company and . . .