For a second, Jane felt like she’d possibly stepped into the 1940s.

The woman looked over just then. “Oh, hi! You must be Jane.” She gave Jane a big smile, setting the watering can down.

Jane blinked and made herself cross the space to the receptionist desk. “Yes. Hi.”

“I’m Piper.” She extended her hand.

“Hi. Jane. Obviously.” Jane took her hand, feeling stupid. She wasn’t used to going to executive offices or introducing herself by handshake.

That just wasn’t necessary when you knew everyone you worked with and had worked in the same place since you’d been sixteen. She’d been hired by filling out online paperwork, showing up at the factory one day after school, saying “sure” when Bruce, the then foreman, had asked if she could work every day from four to eight, and then going to the women’s locker room to change into her Hot Cakes polo shirt with her jeans. She’d trained on the job for about a week, and then she’d been a full, regular employee.

“I work with the guys in Chicago,” Piper explained. “I was technically hired to be Ollie’s executive assistant, but I help all the guys. Between you and me, I keep things organized and on schedule.”

Jane gave her a little smile. “It’s nice to meet you. Did you replace Sandra?” she asked of the former receptionist.

“Oh no.” Piper waved that away. “Sandra is in her own office.” She pointed at one of the doors. “She’s doing everything she normally does. She’s still working closely with Whitney and is helping a lot with the transition. I’m here to… keep the guys in line,” she said. Her pink lips curved into a warm, sincere smile. “No one else should have to deal with them. Especially when they’re in this state.”

“This state?” Jane asked.

“All excited and wound up about a new project,” Piper said. “They’re brilliant, and they all have big hearts and mean well, but honestly, when they get together on something like this, they’re like a bunch of twelve-year-olds with too much sugar and too much allowance money.” Her expression was a mix of affection and exasperation. “They do big things. And to do big things, they have to think big and be willing to take risks. But someone”—she pointed to herself—“has to say things like, ‘That’s going to take three weeks even if we pay triple and call in favors,’ and ‘You tried that four years ago and it was horrible,’ and ‘If you do that, I’m quitting.’” She lifted a shoulder. “I’m the voice of reason.”

Jane laughed. She liked Piper. The woman obviously knew the guys well and cared about them. But she was also clearly under no illusion that these handsome, charming, rich men were perfect.

“So Sandra’s job is very intact. My job responsibilities are very specific—babysit the hot millionaires and keep Oliver’s feet on the ground. At least some of the time.”

“Oliver is the biggest problem?” Jane asked, entertained and intrigued.

“Oliver is definitely the biggest problem,” Piper said. “He’s the dreamer, and he hates the words ‘no’ and ‘can’t.’ The rest of them are at least slightly reasonable.”

Jane couldn’t help herself. This woman clearly knew these guys well, and if she was going to get a scoop, this was the perfect opportunity. She opened her mouth to ask, “Dax too?”

But before she could say it, Piper added, “Well, except Dax, I guess.”

Jane snapped her mouth shut. She should not be this interested in Dax Marshall. She just shouldn’t. Maybe it was because Piper had just filled her in on Ollie a little, and Jane already knew Aiden and Cam.

Of course, she knew nothing about Grant.

And she definitely hadn’t been Googling Grant or Oliver last night. Nope, her searches had all been about Dax.

“Dax—Mr. Marshall—isn’t reasonable?” Jane asked, really hoping she sounded even one tiny bit casual. She didn’t think she did. She was pretty sure she sounded as casual as a little girl bouncing on her toes and asking Santa, “You brought me a puppy? For reeeeal?”

Piper gave a little laugh. “No, that’s not a word I’d use for Dax.” Again, her smile was clearly affectionate. “Dax is an enabler of the first order for Ollie. He loves big ideas. He loves big plans and adventures. All Oliver has to do is say is, ‘Hey, do you wanna…’ and before he’s even done asking, Dax is saying, ‘Hell, yes!’”

Jane smiled. Then frowned. “So he’s a flake?”

Piper looked surprised by Jane’s comment. “No. That’s not the right word. He’s… fun. Spontaneous. Always up for something new. And he makes sure the other guys have fun and don’t work all the time.”

“Ah,” Jane said. “He’s the life of the party.”

Piper smiled. “Yes.” Then she frowned, clearly realizing Jane hadn’t meant that as a compliment. “Dax is the one who makes sure things stay balanced. The guys work really hard. They’re very driven. Without him, they’d all have ulcers and insomnia and no personal lives.”

Jane nodded. Uh-huh. Sure. Dax was their personal party coach.

That was fine. Whatever worked for them. She certainly couldn’t argue with their success. She wasn’t the one he was nagging about working too hard and taking things too seriously. But this was good to know. She couldn’t hang out with a guy who thought life was just one big happy hour. Happy hour was supposed to be just that. One hour. Compared to the eight—or more—hours people spent at work.

“I feel like I’ve given you the wrong impression of Dax,” Piper said, worrying her bottom lip.

Jane met the other woman’s gaze. “Have you?” she asked seriously.

Piper’s brow creased. Then she sighed. “I mean… not really. He is definitely the fun one. But he works…” It was clear she wanted to say that he worked hard. But was unable to.

“He works. He does his part,” Jane filled in.

“For sure,” Piper said adamantly. “I mean, he’s the heart of Fluke. Without him, we wouldn’t have a game at all. The idea and story for Warriors of Easton were mostly Oliver’s,” she went on. “But Dax made it all actually happen. He’s designed every part of it and oversees the team of designers now.”

Jane nodded. She believed all that. Hell, she knew most of it from her online search from last night. “But he doesn’t have to really work at it,” she said. “That’s all really easy and natural for him, right?”

Piper looked like she regretted getting into this, but she nodded. “His greatest gifts are having fun and thinking outside the box and being big and over the top.”

Jane couldn’t judge him for that. Dax had found Oliver, and they’d been given the chance to do something big, and it had turned out amazing.

“So, um… the guys are just finishing up a call with Grant, but it shouldn’t be too much longer,” Piper said. She was maybe feeling the sooner she and Jane stopped talking, the sooner she’d stop saying things that made Dax look bad.

“Okay, I can wait. I guess.” Jane shrugged. “They’re my bosses now. I suppose they can’t yell if I’m not down on the floor.”