AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If anyone can, it’s you. But I don’t want you burning out. One of these days you’re going to find someone that you want to spend time with.”
“Nope,” she said. “I’m married to my job.”
“Elise. Your brother said the same thing and look at him now.”
“That’s because he knocked up Chloe,” she said, giggling.
Her father shook his head. “I know you’re joking and you love Chloe.”
“Of course I do. And it’s not a joke but a fact. He knocked her up, but he loves her as much as we do. And I’m going to have a niece to play with and spoil, so yeah, I’d like to have some time to help out.”
Her father smiled. “You’re a good kid, Elise. You don’t show it to many that you’ve got a heart of gold, but it’s there.”
“And I’m keeping it locked up in a safe too,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows. “It’s my only treasured possession.”
He picked his keys up on his desk. “Why don’t we go now?”
“It’s too early,” she complained. If they got there too soon she’d be stuck standing around making small talk with people.
With Gabe.
If he was there.
He was bound to be there. Not his younger brother, Jayce, who didn’t work for the company or his sister, Jocelyn, who did. Jocelyn did the finances and kept to herself.
Elise only knew these things because her father was always bringing up the McCarthys lately.
She supposed it had to do with the fact of the close relationship the four businesses had.
Fierce Engineering. Kennedy Construction. McCarthy Construction. Olsen Law.
They did make a great team if she did say so herself.
Didn’t mean she had to play nice with Gabe though.
“How about I let you get ice cream before lunch?” her father asked.
Her head went side to side. “That could work. I’ll just get a cone. That’s easy to travel with.”
“Get whatever you want,” her father said. His phone went off and he reached for it on his desk. “Why don’t you give me ten minutes, then we’ll go. I’ve got to make a call.”
She left her father’s office and went back to compose herself in her office. She could play nice. She’d been doing it for years.
But why did it seem to keep getting harder and harder?
“Hi, Grant,”Richard Kennedy said when Grant picked up his phone. He shut his door the minute his daughter was in her office. He didn’t want her to hear this.
“Are you coming alone or with Elise?” Grant asked.
“Elise is coming with me. I had to bribe her. Do you know if Gabe is going to be there?”
“Jim said yes,” Grant said.
“My daughter is in a mood,” he said. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. She really doesn’t care for Gabe for some reason.”
“Sparks,” Grant said. “Lots of sparks. It won’t take much to start a flame.”
“Some flames burn out fast or burn out so hot they create a backdraft.”
