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“I don’t have time for regrets.” He stood and smoothed his tie. “I’ve got a plane to catch. Why don’t you take this opportunity to get away from the business? Spend time with Mom and Dad since you’re so close.”
I canted my head.Get away from the business?He knew me better than that.
“We’ve always stuck together, and now’s no different. After the holiday, I’ll meet you in New York.” I had to speak to my team. They would be shell-shocked.How many of them would be able to make the move?
His expression dropped, and his tone went flat. “Perfect.”
“We’ll get through this.” We had to.
“You do realize not everything works out.” The bitterness behind his words came from broken dreams of long ago, ones he had every right to still be angry over.
“Yeah, I know.” Business wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t worked out for me, though. Thoughts of a stubborn brunette who refused to acknowledge our truth invaded my head. Who was I kidding? She was always there. I seesawed between pissed off and hot as hell with no in-between when it came to her.
Drew rapped on the doorframe twice. “I gotta run.” He hesitated, half in and half out of the office. “I’m glad you’re coming. See you Sunday?”
“Sunday,” I confirmed. He was gone before I could express further disappointment he wouldn’t be in Burdett for Christmas.
I picked up the family photo from my desk. It was taken three years ago at Lake Okeechobee. Usually only Dad, Drew, and I went, but that particular trip, Mom and Grandma Carter tagged along. The annual fishing trip was the only week each year I took off. I’d vowed to change that, to change a lot of things, yet here I was putting work ahead of everything again.
I set down the photo, opened the middle desk drawer, and stared at the wrapped box inside. The bow was crooked where I’d tied it, and the shiny paper didn’t look much better. The contents were too important to have it professionally giftwrapped, even if it would have looked better. She needed to know it was from me, needed to see the thought I’d put into it. If this didn’t bring us to the table to talk again, I didn’t know what would, but I couldn’t give up.
I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaker beside my computer. Within seconds, “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” by Tame Impala began to play.
What I wanted would have to wait a little longer. If Carter Energy had failed because of me, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I picked up the box and retied the red ribbon. Once I straightened out where things went wrong with CE, I could fix my own life. This gift would go a long way toward doing that. I just had to get Mulaney to accept it first.
Chapter Three
Mulaney
“Fuck.”
I slammed the phone into its cradle.
Sandie Reynolds had worked for Carter Energy for twenty-four years. She was a year away from retirement, one I couldn’t promise her because I didn’t know if it was still there. The woman could barely speak through her tears, and though I distinctly remembered the last time I’d cried, and it was a long time ago, I’d been damn near letting the floodgates open along with her.
I was twelve calls into delivering the news to our employees that Carter Energy had been sold, and it wasn’t getting any easier.
“Thought you’d be gone for the holiday.”
Easton leaned in the doorway, his tie gone, the top two buttons of his white dress shirt open. Images of my fingernail marks on the back of his neck flashed through my mind. I swallowed hard, refusing to allow my eyes to wander down the hint of tanned chest taunting me. There was no point in going down a road to nowhere.
“I’m the Grinch stealing a lot of great people’s Christmases,” I said bitterly.
I yanked on my ponytail now piled high on my head. With no one around, I didn’t have to keep up appearances. I’d changed into my jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved Jacobs Ranch T-shirt.
Easton came across my office and around the desk. He rested his rear on the edge, and I rolled the chair back slightly to put some distance between us. I couldn’t have him in my space. After years of doing this very thing, he’d finally whittled me down, and I couldn’t lose control again.
“What are you doing?” He crossed one ankle over the other and all his attention focused on me.
I squirmed in my seat and prayed he didn’t notice. I pushed at the phone. “Calling our people to tell them the truth. They don’t deserve to be blindsided like I was.”
His brow furrowed. “That’s several hundred people.”
“I know. I won’t be able to get it done before the news spreads, but I have to try.”
He nodded as if he’d expect nothing less from me, and once more he bolstered my confidence. Instead of telling me I was crazy or that it was too many people, Easton picked up a stapled stack of papers from the mess on my desk.
“Is this the list of employees?” I didn’t have to answer when he saw the X’s beside the names I’d already called. “I’ll order some food and start from the back.”
