Denver and Seattle had been much the same as Chicago but with less drama. It was a constant barrage of meetings and note-taking, and everyone in both locations respected and deferred to Nate in all things, and he was considerate enough not to roll in and start changing everything.

One thing was definitely the same in every location, and that was the women who flirted with Nate at every opportunity. Shay had heard on multiple occasions about how lucky she was to get to work with him on a daily basis.

Shay was aware that he was a very considerate person and did his best to ensure that she had all that she needed to do her job. She barely had time to realize a need before Nate had answered it.

But they still, by mutual and silent consent, avoided elevators.

Ellen had texted to say that she had had a boy, and they named him Sebastian. Shay was happy for her, but at the same time, it made her feel sad that she was just past thirty with no chance of ever having a child in sight.

Now they were in Los Angeles, and she had the challenge of trying to get some time off so that she could see her family while she was in town. Sawyer had asked her again about the party, and she thought that she might be able to make it since it was on Saturday night, but as the week progressed, it seemed as if it might not happen.

"Shay, I need you!" Sawyer said into the phone as she entered the suite that she and Nate were sharing.

"I understand that, but why can't you just go stag? I promise you. You won't be lonely," Shay assured him, knowing that he would have half a dozen women latch on to him as soon as he entered the party.

"That's the point! I don't want to have to fight them off, and you make a great buffer."

"Poor baby, you lead such a miserable life, and I do not appreciate being called a buffer, thank you very much." Shay laid her purse and bag down on the small settee and turned to get a bottle of water from the tray on the table.

When she turned, she saw Nate at the table in the corner in front of his computer.

"I have to go," Shay said and hung up her phone without giving Sawyer a chance to say goodbye.

"Trouble?" Nate asked as he scrolled with his finger.

"No, just my brother. He wants me to go to a party with him tomorrow night." Shay explained. "We'd probably have dinner with my parents beforehand."

"Do you not want to go?" Nate carefully asked.

"Dinner with my parents, sure. A party with my brother's friends, not so much." Shay shrugged.

"You are, of course, free to go. You know that, right?" Nate looked up at her, and his green eyes searched Shay's face from behind his glasses.

"Thanks, but I might play the mean boss card. I haven't decided yet." Shay smiled at him before she made her way to her room. She needed a moment to collect herself before she joined him to work.

In Chicago, he had avoided working in the suite with her, but something changed in Denver, and now they spent most evenings working together. It was much more efficient, and Shay had to admit that something was calming about sitting across from him.

After a brief break, she joined him, and they worked for a few hours before it was time to change for the reception. Shay had heard some whispering about some important guests that would be attending, although exactly who it would be was very hush-hush, so she took more time than usual on her appearance.

Once again, Shay joined the reception on her own because Nate still felt he had to meet her in the lobby and not the suite.

Shay had been at the party for half an hour when there was a commotion at the door, and she turned to see her parents enter the room. A murmur of surprise swept the room as the elegant Reyna Richards and her debonair husband Carson Richards entered the room.

"It's exciting, isn't it?" the young girl standing with Shay whispered. "Reyna Richards has started a non-profit, and she needs a company to help her invest and monitor the funds. I'm betting that Mr. Wright will do it for free and even make a significant donation.

"Mmmmm," Shay said noncommittally as she sipped her drink of water.

Shay watched with interest as the local president of the company greeted her parents and then escorted them across the room to Nate, who was in deep conversation with an older man and had his back to the door. It figured that he ignored the murmur of excitement that swept through the room.

The local president placed a hand on Nate's shoulder, causing him to turn toward him. Shay watched as introductions were made and hands were shaken. If Nate was impressed by meeting such famous people, he didn't show it.

Shay moved farther away from the crowd, toward a dark corner of the room. The last thing she needed was her parents making a scene if they saw her. She knew her mother would most likely play it cool, but her father had always been a wild card with his reactions. Her parents and Nate spoke for quite a while, and eventually, they left the room together.

Shay took the opportunity to sneak away and back to the suite, but she should have known that it was where Nate and her parents would have gone to have a personal conversation away from prying eyes.

As soon as she entered, all three pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

Shay reached up and pulled her right ear, a family sign that not everyone in the room was trusted. Of course, Nate was trusted, but she didn't have another way to tell them to be subtle about knowing her.

"Shay, your parents are interested in having us help them with their non-profit," Nate said with a smile in her direction.

Had her parents already told him that she was their daughter?

"It's news to me," Shay said as she walked toward her parents and hugged them.

Reyna tugged her left and then her right earlobe in question, and Shay tugged at her left ear in return, which meant that she could trust Nate.

Reyna turned to him with a big smile.

"Did Shay tell you we were her parents?" Reyna asked.

"No." Nate shook his head. "It wasn't hard to figure out."

"And here I thought I was incognito. Does Ellen know?" Shay asked.  Her friendships always seemed to change once people knew who her parents were.

"I haven't mentioned it." Nate motioned to the settee and chairs, inviting everyone to sit.

"Momma, why didn't you approach the New York branch about managing the funds?" Shay frowned. It would have made the most sense since she worked there.

"I didn't think you would approve. Your father and I know you are working hard to be independent, and we don't want to interfere with that." Reyna patted Shay's hand.

Shay felt tears prick the back of her eyes. She really did have the most supportive parents.

"Thank you, Momma." Shay gave her mother a wobbly smile.

"You're welcome. Now I want to talk with Nathan, so take your father somewhere and keep him entertained," she commanded.

"Yes, Momma." Shay rose and held her hand out for her father. "Come on, Pops. I have a crossword puzzle with your name on it in my room."

"That's alright. I know your mother and brought my own." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and pen.

"Aren't you working on a movie right now?" Shay asked as she moved with her father to the bedroom.

"I'm taking a few months off to help your mother get this non-profit up and going," Pops said as he settled onto the bed while Shay turned on the television and joined him.

It was sweet of her father to do, but since he was not with her and not part of the conversation in the other room, Shay doubted he was doing much.

"Sawyer said that you are refusing to help him tomorrow." Pops threw out offhandedly as he scribbled away.

"I'm not refusing. I told Sawyer I might have to work," Shay defended herself.

"Help your brother. It's only a few hours, and if we can't depend on each other, who can we depend on." Pops trailed off at the end as he started to scribble again.

Shay picked up her phone.

"Bringing Pops in was an underhanded move!" she texted Sawyer. "And if you knew they would be here, why didn't you warn me?"

"Where would the fun be in that?" Sawyer texted back. "I'll pick you up at your hotel at nine sharp."

"You will not!" Shay shuddered at the thought of all the attention that would draw. "I'll meet you at your fugly apartment."

"It's not fugly. It's in transition."

"Whatever!" Shay texted and threw her phone down.

"Good girl," her father patted her leg. "I like your Nathan."

"He's not my Nathan," Shay denied.

"Give it time," Pops said with a secret smile.