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Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. “And what big gesture are you planning to woo her back?”
Big gesture? “I haven’t really thought that far yet. First we’ve got to find her.”
“We’ll find her, sir. I have no worries about that. But when we do, it’s crucial you know what you’re going to say. Screw that up and we might as well save ourselves the time of tracking her down.”
Carson swallowed hard. She was right. This was one of the most important things he would ever do, and he couldn’t wing it. Georgia deserved better. “What do you suggest?”
“For one, apologize. No caveats, no justifications. Just apologize. Two, give her flowers. It’s a cliché, but that’s because it works. My husband can make me absolutely insane and then walk in with a handful of lilies and I melt. Do you know what kind she likes?”
“No.”
Rebecca twisted her lips in thought. “When you get to the florist, pick some that remind you of her. You can’t go wrong with that tactic. Then tell her you love her and see what happens. From there, it’s up to her.”
“That’s it?” That sounded far too easy.
“Well, it depends.” Rebecca arched a curious eyebrow at him before she laid down her challenge. “Are you wanting to go all the way? Pull out all the stops?”
Yes. Yes, he did want to go all the way, and he knew exactly where to take it from there. “You’re right. All the way it is. I’ll take care of that part this afternoon. Now we’ve got to get her back, you and I. The problem is, she’s vanished. We’ve got to figure out where she’s gone. I just went by her building and her doorman says she’s got a hold on her mail with no expected return date. That’s not a good sign.”
“Does she have family nearby or friends she would stay with?”
“I don’t think so, at least not family. I’m not so sure about friends.”
“Would you like me to look in her office? Maybe she had an address book or something? I could also get the IT department to log into her laptop, and we can see who’s in her contact lists.”
Alarm bells started going off in Carson’s head. Yes, that was probably the smartest, most direct choice, but he remembered the look in Georgia’s eyes when she realized he’s looked into her purse. She had very strong personal boundaries, and understandably so. Technically her office was company property and he could do what he liked, especially since she’d quit, but if he could avoid that, he wanted to.
“Let’s start with talking to her assistant and coworkers first to see if they have any ideas. Maybe we can strike gold without digging too far into her personal things. I know she doesn’t like that. Let me know the minute you find anything.”
Rebecca stood up, tapping at her screen. She was almost to the door when a name popped into Carson’s mind.
“Rebecca? Let me know if you find any references to a Sheila. That’s the only person she’s ever mentioned. She probably lives, or at least lived, in Detroit.”
“Sheila. Got it.” With that, she disappeared to start the hunt.
With her on Georgia’s trail, Carson started on the next task—going all the way. He called to make an appointment at Tiffany and Co. and headed there about an hour later. By the time he returned to the office with a tiny blue bag and a stomach full of nerves, Rebecca was sitting at her desk with a bright smile. “What?”
She handed over a piece of paper with a name, a phone number and a Detroit address for Sheila. “Georgia’s assistant had this information. Apparently she sent flowers to her on Mother’s Day. That sounds like the place to start.”
“You’re amazing,” Carson said with a wide grin. “I’m going to give her a call right now.”
Carson went into his office and shut the door. He had a feeling that Sheila would know where Georgia had run off to. He’d follow her anywhere she’d gone. He just needed to know what flight to take.
The phone rang for what felt like a lifetime. “Hello?” a woman’s voice finally answered.
“Hello. Is this Sheila?”
“Yes, it is. Who’s this?”
“My name is Carson Newport. I’m—”
“Hold on a second,” Sheila said, interrupting him. He sat waiting silently, his heart pounding in his throat as he heard her shuffling around and then doing something that sounded like closing a door. “Okay, that’s better. I don’t want her to hear us talking.”
Her? “Is Georgia there with you?”
“She is. She’s been here a few days.”
He’d hit the jackpot on the first try. Thank you, Rebecca. She was getting a raise. “Thank goodness,” he said. “I didn’t know where else to look if you didn’t know where she’d gone. I’ve got to get her back.”
