“A meeting isn’t a plan.” I kept my voice low and pointed to the door.
Brendan smirked and pushed away from the wall. With his hand on the doorknob, he looked over his shoulder. “When will you be back?”
“I don’t know, maybe tonight. Probably tomorrow morning. I won’t know until I’m there and can see Miri.”
He nodded, but the gesture felt dismissive. “Don’t forget we have dinner with my parents Saturday night.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“I won’t.”
Brendan shook his head and walked out of the room. His voice boomed as he greeted our clients but dimmed quickly as the door shut. I gave myself a minute to center myself before leaving the break room and heading toward my office.
On my way, I kept my head down and my phone pressed to my ear as I called the garage attendant and asked him to bring my car around. Most of the time, I left it parked in the garage at the office. It was easier than driving the car to my apartment every night and paying for parking elsewhere. I could park at the office for free and not worry about it. Honestly, Miriam and the kids were the only reason I even had a car. If I had to go see a client, we used a car service.
While I waited for my car, I packed my laptop into the bag the kids had bought me for Christmas last year. Seven-year-old Nova had picked it out, while her teenage brother had wanted to give me the newest electronic gaming something or other. I suspected his gift would’ve been for his own benefit and not so much mine.
With my calls being forwarded to my cell phone, I shut off the lights and headed toward the bank of elevators after letting my assistant, Amaya, know I would be out for the rest of the day but available via phone and email. I didn’t have to worry about her doing her job whileI was gone. She’d been with me for three years now and was a complete asset, taking on more responsibility than she needed, and, in doing so, she took a little bit off my plate.
By the time I’d made it to the lobby, my car was idling out front. The valet saw me walking toward him and ran to open my door for me. He took my bags and set them in the back and told me to have a good day.
Working for Caldwell & Crest was my dream job. I had interned for them during my senior year of college and gladly accepted an entry-level position while I finished grad school. Upon graduation, I was given a raise and had steadily worked my way up the ladder since then.
Brendan and I were able to date for a year before anyone figured it out. We got a little too handsy at one of the company’s Christmas parties, and the cat was out of the bag. No one seemed to care, and we promised to always keep things professional at work. And while I would’ve loved a little office hanky-panky, Brendan would never consider it. He was afraid his father or grandfather would find out and shame him. I told him this was why there were locks on the door and couches in the offices, but what did I know.
I stopped quickly at my apartment, leaving my car double-parked with its flashers on while I ran in to grab an overnight bag, just in case. This wasn’t the first emergency trip I’d made north to Miriam’s, and it wouldn’t be the last, but I knew well enough to bring a change of clothes. Once Nova found out I was in town, she would want a sleepover and breakfast, and denying her anything was near impossible.
Nova was my mini me, despite having zero blood relation. She was inquisitive and had a vivid imagination, creating the most elaborate stories for us to act out. I used to do the same thing and had an imaginary friend when I was younger. A friend Miri hated because they never got along—according to me. Nova was my hugger, attached to my side like glue, and I wouldn’t have changed our relationship for anything. Except when she grilled Brendan and me on when we were going to have a baby. She wanted a baby cousin and wanted one now.
At times, I wondered the same thing and often brought it up with Brendan when we were sitting around on a lazy Sunday morning. His answer was always, “Soon.”
What did “soon” actually mean? Did it have a timeline? I wasn’t getting any younger, and I’d always thought I’d be married for a year before we had children. My clock was still ticking, but not as loudly as it once had.
Two hours later, I arrived in Grove Hill. I asked the AI system in my car to call Miriam. When she answered, I said, “I’ll be there in fifteen. I just pulled onto Main Street, and there’s a tractor in front of me. Slow mooooving.” I said “moving” so it sounded like a cow mooing—something Nova would’ve appreciated.
“I’m in the hospital, Toni.”
I slammed on the brakes and signaled to pull over. In a small town like Grove Hill, there always seemed to be a parking spot along the curb.
“What did you say?”
Miri coughed. “You heard me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this when you called earlier?”
“Because I didn’t want you to worry. I know how you get when your mind is elsewhere, and I needed you to get here in one piece.”
Miri wasn’t wrong. I hated driving because my mind was often preoccupied with work. “I’ll be there in a minute.” We hung up, and I turned around and headed toward the other end of Main Street, where the hospital was. I had no idea what I was about to walk into, but my gut told me it wouldn’t be good.
Chapter 2
Weston
I stood in the middle of the gym and scanned the kids along each wall. They had their toes on the line, waiting for me to blow the whistle. Along the half-court line, rubber balls stretched out in a neat row.
“Are you ready?” I called out.
The kids mumbled a halfhearted, “Yay.”
