She believed God would lead her to the person she was meant to marry. Even after her relationship with Daniel ended in a horrid manner, that left her broken and in despair, she believed God remained in control. How could she reconcile that witha legend she’d find love for simply attending a ball? It wasn’t possible.
All those couples were merely coincidence. That was all.
But if not….
It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to Finlovia for love. She was going for a vacation, and if love happened along, then who was she to deny it.
Chapter Two
“Nothing like a last-minute change of plans,” James Warren muttered while staring at the email on his phone.
His flight to London was scheduled to take off in two hours, and now his flight had been changed to Finlovia? Where even was that? He’d never heard of the place before.
A quick search from the mobile browser told him it was a small country in Europe with a capital city of the same name. Why on earth would Grant Palmer, his boss, send him there? His firm had no business there. If they did, or were thinking about building connections, he would know.
He dialed Grant’s number.
“You received your flight change, I’m assuming,” Grant said, answering the phone before James could say a word.
“I did. What’s going on?”
“You’ll find out when you get there. I’ve already arranged for a car and driver to meet you at the airport. More instructions will be in your email later.”
James scowled, not appreciating his boss’s vagueness. “What about the summit in London?”
“I’ll attend in your place. Brownstone will be there shmoozing and promoting their new security systems for defense aircraft.”
“Brownstone? I thought their tests on the new systems failed.” His brows knit in confusion. Why would Grant pull him from London when their top competitor would be there. “Shouldn’t I be there with you if Brownstone is making an appearance?”
“Palmer Securities is my business. While I have no doubt of your capabilities, I want to see for myself what Brownstone is up to. Our systems have held up to every obstacle we put them through. Not only do we have the superior product, but Brownstone’s faulty systems could spark international unrest if implemented.” Grant sighed. “At minimum, I’ll make it known that Palmer Securities holds its product to the highest standards. Let them see the real deal.”
“I still think I should be there. We could double our efforts, and I’d be another set of ears.”
“No, you’re needed in Finlovia.”
“About that.” James shook his head, still trying to figure out what was going on. “I’ve never heard of this place. Why can’t you tell me why I’m going?”
“I need you to trust me on this,” Grant answered. “I promise you’ll get the answers you want shortly upon arriving.”
“All right.” There was no point arguing. Grant had a stubborn streak, good for making deals and creating leading edge security systems, but bad for James in this moment. “Call me when you get to London. I’ll see what I can dig up online.”
“I’ve got this covered. Your official duties for the flight are to sit back and relax. If I know you, you’re already at the airport. Have a nice dinner on the company before your flight takes off. You have plenty of time.”
The call ended, leaving James with mounting frustrations. He despised the unknown. His coworkers teased him, saying he had contingency plans for contingency plans. He’d always been that way, but admittedly, he’d become more obsessed with planning since Crystal’s diagnosis.
Cancer. He never saw it coming until it was there. She was only twenty-six when diagnosed. Twenty-nine when the disease claimed her life.
How did one prepare for widowhood at thirty years old?
In the two years since, he’d been determined to never be surprised again. He had labs run every six months for any potential change in health markers. Deep in his files, he had a business plan to start his own company should anything happen to Palmer Services. Not a single bill came out on autopay, so that he could make the manual payment and avoid any unexpected charges coming from his bank. Never mind that he kept a comfortable cushion that would cover them. He ate at the same restaurants on the same days so the same staff would be on duty, thus alleviating any reasonable deviations from his normal meals.
The lengths he took to avoid surprises and the unexpected bordered on quirky. He understood that. Grant did as well, or so James had thought. His boss had been extremely supportive during Crystal’s illness and had given James all the time he needed for bereavement leave. He’d been an ideal boss until now.
James’ stomach turned. He drew in a calming breath and refocused. All he could do was move forward and plan for what he could. After a quick glance at his phone for the time, he adjusted his carryon over his shoulders and made his way across the airport.
Few of the restaurants had crowds. James chose the French bistro based solely on the fact he’d most recently eaten there before his trip to Dubai last month. He ordered the salmon, the same meal as last time, and a glass of ice water.
Taking advantage of the hours before his new flight, he pulled out his iPad to research Finlovia but not until he set an alarm for the time he’d have to find his gate.
