Free Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) by Jillian Dodd Page A

checked in. ”
    “ Will you come help me christen my new place tonight? ”
    “ I ’ ll try, ” I tell her, not wanting to commit, but knowing I ’ ll be there with fucking bells on.

Captive Films - Santa Monica
    DAWSON

    I took the girls to the airport this morning and got them on a plane back home.  
    It was not fun.
    Harlow hung on me and cried, saying that she didn ’ t want to leave. That she didn ’ t care if Ava liked the school. That she wanted to be with her daddy and her soon-to-be-adopted pony.
    I ’ m not sure what to do. Harlow loved the school when they visited yesterday. She and Carder seem thick as thieves, and I know if she came here, she ’ d do well. But she ’ s more easygoing like me.
    Ava is tougher. She said she had a good day, but that she didn ’ t know yet if she wanted to move. My mom says it ’ s because she ’ s almost a teenager. That they are moody and don ’ t know what they want. She says at some point, I ’ m just going to have to tell her she ’ s moving, and that ’ s it.  
    But I don ’ t think she ’ s right. Ava is a lot like her mother. She knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it. Where Harlow is reckless abandon, Ava is a well-orchestrated plan. I think if I back off, she ’ ll come to the right decision.
    I blink away my thoughts and focus on the marketing calendar in front of me.  
    Tyler ’ s voice comes over the speaker. “ Keatyn is on line three. ”
    “ Hey, Keatyn, ” I say, picking up the receiver. “ What ’ s up? ”
    “ I have some news I need to share with you. This is top secret, okay? We ’ re calling a special board meeting this week, where we will announce the sale of Captive to Front Door Films. ”
    “ Oh, wow, ” I say, shocked. I know how these things work. When one company sells to another, most of the executives are fired. And that means me. “ I probably wouldn ’ t have come out here had I known. ”
    “ Most of the employees will have the option of taking a buyout or moving with the sale. ”
    “ I see. ” Shit, what are the girls going to say when I tell them I ’ m coming home?  
    “ Riley and I want you to run our new company. ”
    “ Run it? ”
    “ Yes, it will be a much smaller Captive Films. One that only takes on a few special projects at a time. We ’ ll be taking Daddy ’ s Angel with us, along with all my scripts that haven ’ t been optioned by Captive — which is everything that ’ s not currently in production. And Knox and I have a project in the works that we hope to run through the new Captive, as well. ”
    “ What ’ s Riley going to do? ”
    “ Produce movies. It ’ s what he loves. Really, this sale will allow us all to get back to doing what we love. What we started out doing. Things won ’ t be quite so hectic, you know? ”
    “ That sounds nice, actually. ”
    “ How did the girls ’ visit go yesterday? ”
    “ Harlow loved the school and is ready to move. Ava isn ’ t so sure. ”
    “ She ’ s at a hard age. I ’ m sure she doesn ’ t want to leave her friends. Have you tried bribing her? ”
    I laugh. “ That ’ s the other reason Harlow is so gung-ho about California. She wants a pony, and Vanessa said she could adopt one of hers. ”
    “ Vanessa must really want you to stay. ”
    “ She ’ s redoing her whole house. The girls seem to affect her. She showed us a playroom that she ’ s kept locked up and told me about how she can ’ t have more children. ”
    “ She what ? ”
    “ You didn ’ t know? ”
    “ No. Oh my gosh. No wonder she took the miscarriage so hard. I thought it was because of Bam ’ s cheating but — oh, it all makes more sense now. ”
    “ Don ’ t tell her I told you. I shouldn ’ t have said anything. I didn ’ t mean to betray her confidence. I assumed since you are best friends that you knew. ”  
    “ I won ’ t tell her, Dawes. So, back to your new job. I guess the first question is, would you be interested in being