The Bachelor's Sweetheart Read Online Free Page B

kids.” Tessa’s attorney was the same one Jared had used to get custody of their orphaned half sister, Hope, last year. “I’m going over to the school to talk to her class about my job for career day when we finish here.”
    â€œLet’s get going then.” The attorney gave each of them a copy of the contract. “Take your time. Read it thoroughly and ask me any questions you have.”
    Tessa skimmed over the two pages and placed them on the desk in front of her, while Josh read every word. He went back to the clause about paying him 20 percent of the Majestic profits until his time was paid for at the rate he and Tessa had agreed to verbally.
    â€œWhat would happen if the profits aren’t enough to pay me my percentage and cover Tessa and her grandmother’s living expenses?”
    Tessa bristled. “Don’t worry, Josh. You’ll get paid.”
    He shook his head slowly. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as he thought she did. He was ambitious, not callous. “My concern is for you being obligated to pay me money you might not have.”
    She pressed a fist to her lips and dropped it to her lap. “Then why did you agree to do the work?” The hurt in her eyes spoke her unsaid words. You don’t think I’ll succeed .
    Now he’d insulted her. But he did have doubts about the project’s viability and didn’t want to put Tessa and her grandmother in financial straits again.
    â€œDo you two need a moment to discuss things?” the attorney asked, glancing at the clock.
    From what Josh figured Tessa had told the attorney, the man had probably thought this was a ten-minute slam-dunk done deal.
    â€œI want to do the work.” Josh looked from the attorney to Tessa. “Can we add a profit threshold where payments to me would kick in? It could be based on the average monthly cost of living for a two-person household in Essex County.”
    â€œI could do that,” the attorney said. “Let me check that figure. Or do you need to think about it, Ms. Hamilton?” He typed into his computer while he waited for her answer.
    â€œI can come back later, after I’m done at the school,” Josh said.
    â€œIt’s fine,” Tessa said in a tone that didn’t support her words.
    â€œI’ve got that figure.” The attorney wrote the numbers on a pad and turned it toward them.
    â€œThe amount looks reasonable to me,” Tessa said.
    Josh thought it looked low, compared to what he brought in as a senior drafter at GreenSpaces and what he knew Tessa must have earned as a civil engineer for the state. He pressed his lips together to prevent any of the brain-mouth disconnect he’d suffered with Tessa last Saturday. “Okay, Tessa will be obligated to pay my cut only after the safety-net amount has been reached. And, as it already reads, if I can’t finish the work for any reason, she’ll owe no royalties and I’ll reimburse her fair rental for any time I’ve been in the apartment.”
    Tessa hadn’t liked that clause, but he had to protect her, both of them, if he received a promotion offer from one of the other GreenSpaces offices.
    â€œCorrect,” the attorney confirmed. “If you have ten minutes, I can type the change in and print out a new agreement for you to sign, unless you have any other questions or problems.”
    â€œNo, I’m good, and I don’t have to be at the school until one.”
    â€œI can stay, too,” Tessa said. She pulled out her cell phone and tapped on the screen while the attorney made the changes. The room was quiet, except for the click of the computer keyboard, followed by the whirr of the laser printer on the other side of the room.
    â€œI’ll get those.” Josh was out of his seat before the attorney could even push his chair away from the computer.
    Taking his copy from the top, he handed the other one to Tessa, sat and reread