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Chapter One
Emily Best always did the right thing. The smart thing. The safe thing. So why on earth had she moved to New York City? She’d had a nice, secure job in Fort Worth, Texas. She’d had a small, but comfortable apartment and a few good friends. Granted, she didn’t have a lot of excitement in her life. But that’s because she didn’t want excitement, not because she couldn’t find it. She’d had no good reason to move to New York City.
She was stubborn and independent; no one told her what to do. But her new stepdad was adept at getting into her head. He’d argued how her mom would be so happy to have her in the city. And he’d reasoned his company, Gherring Inc., could provide a lot more intellectual challenge than the small tax firm where she was employed in Fort Worth. He’d also flattered her, exclaiming over how smart she must be to have her Master’s degree and a CPA by the age of twenty-four. Now, on her way to her first day at Gherring Inc., she was second-guessing her decision, and that wasn’t like her, either. She obviously wasn’t herself today.
A quick stop in the ladies room on the first floor revealed nothing out of place. Her long brown hair was confined to its usual braid. Dark lashes, unadorned by makeup, framed her large, blue, almond-shaped eyes. She had on a skirt, blouse, and sandals with a low heel. At five feet nine inches, she didn’t need heels to make her legs look long. She was dressed stylishly, but not too trendily, since she didn’t like to waste money on clothes that would go out of fashion quickly.
Satisfied with her inspection, she squeezed onto the crowded elevator full of Gherring Inc. employees. Most of the occupants chatted together, but Emily remained quietly to herself. She was never pleased when people labeled her as shy; she preferred to describe herself as quietly observant. She learned a lot about people by listening instead of talking.
Emily arrived at her cubicle, which was about the same size as the one she’d had in Fort Worth, but it looked sad and mundane. She’d never be satisfied until she’d put her personal touch on it. She began to organize her things, adding photos and paintings. Most of the artwork was her own, although she never signed it. Soon the cubical walls were decorated with wistful watercolors in pastel shades, hinting of imaginary worlds. In painting she found her adventure, letting inspiration take her to places no one had ever seen. With paintbrush in hand she found adventure and explored new realms—all from the safety of her home. Not that she was unwilling to take a risk—she simply needed an extremely good reason to do it.
“Hey, Sweetie,” said a willowy attractive woman with a thick mane of brown hair. Her brown eyes crinkled in a broad smile as she regarded Emily.
“Hi, Mom.”
“I’m so excited you’re here. It’s too bad we have to work so we can’t just visit all day.”
“Shhhh! You don’t have to talk so loudly.”
“Oh, it’s okay. No one’s actually started working yet; it’s still early. Do you want me to introduce you to everyone? I don’t know all the people in Accounting, but I do know a lot of them. Sam works in this department.” Emily recalled Samantha as one of the Gherring Inc. employees her mom had successfully matched with a boyfriend—now fiancé.
“No, that’s okay, Mom. I don’t really want to meet a lot of people all at once. I’ll meet them all eventually.”
“Hey, Anne.” A cute young woman with perky blond curls joined them at the cubicle.
“Sam,” said Anne, “We were just talking about you. How’s Tanner?”
“He’s great—just great.” Sam smiled, holding out her hand to admire the diamond sparkling on her hand. “And how’s married life, Anne? I can’t believe you’re still working, to be honest.”
“Married life is wonderful, if you’re married to the most wonderful man in the world, like me. And I’m working because I like it. I told Steven, ‘Work brought us together, so now it can keep us together.’”
“Mom, where’s your engagement ring? Why are you just wearing your band?” Her mother’s hand sported a simple eternity band, encircled with small round diamonds. The ring was beautiful, but not what you’d expect for the newly married wife of the billionaire owner of Gherring Inc.
“I just can’t get used to that huge diamond he bought. I prefer the simple band. But I wore the engagement ring every day for five months, and today’s the first day I left it off.” Anne’s face reddened as she hid her hand at her side. “I was hoping no one would notice.”
“Are you excited about your first day?” Sam asked Emily.
“Uhmm, sure.”
“Are you going to let your mom find a match for you, like she did for me?”
“Absolutely not.” Emily cast a stern look toward her mother. “I know we’ve teased about that in the past, but I really don’t want you to interfere in my love life.”
“I’ll try not to, but it goes against my nature.”
“Mom, I mean it. Anyway, I have no time for the complications of a relationship right now. Maybe in a couple of years...”
