“Do you have everything all packed up and ready to go?” My father’s voice echoed around my office from the phone speaker. I was running out of time to get to the airport for my flight.

I stared at my desk, covered in paperwork. Once I sorted it out, I’d be on my way across the country to Asheville, North Carolina—my hometown. “I’m almost done.”

“And you think your partner will be able to handle the load on his own?”

I chuckled. “No doubt at all. Noah puts in more hours than me, and that’s saying something. I bet he’ll be working on Christmas day.”

“Like you?” my father countered. I could hear the disappointment in his tone.

“Oh, come on. You used to do the same thing. I remember countless Christmas mornings where you were shut up in your office, while Trent and I opened presents.”

He blew out a sigh. “And not a day goes by when I don’t regret that. I don’t want to see you follow in my footsteps, son.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway.” I sorted through the paperwork. “I’m not married, and I don’t have any kids. Working over the holidays isn’t a big deal.”

“Just make sure to take time out of your schedule to come over for dinner. Your move back to Asheville means a lot to me and your mother. I know you have a life you’re leaving because of me.”

Even through the phone, I could hear his pain. I’d moved to California seven years ago to expand Blair Realty, and it was now one of the top firms on the West Coast. The East Coast used to be the same way, until all those years of working endlessly caught up to my father. He wasn’t able to keep up with the times.

“It’s not a big deal, Dad. I’ll stay for a few years and get Blair Realty back on the map, then I’ll move back to California.”

“All right, Son.” He sounded tired and worn out.

My mother had told me his health was slowly deteriorating, but I never paid attention to it until now. It was sounding more and more like a smart idea for me to go home. My father might not have been around much when I was a boy, but I still had a lot of fond memories.

Looking around my office, I’d be lying if I said I spent less than ninety percent of my time inside these walls. Then the realization that I’d been acting just as my father had was like a slap in the face, and reality set in hard.

“Dad?” I sat down at my desk and fiddled with a paper clip. “Remember when we used to play cards?”

“How could I forget?” Even though I couldn’t see him, I could tell there was a smile on his face.

“After Trent’s wedding, I’ll have to fly to California for a couple of days to get the rest of my things, but when I move back, I want us to have a poker night.”

He chuckled, and it was the first time I’d heard him laugh in weeks. “Sounds good, Son. I look forward to it.”

“Good. I’ll see you tonight for the rehearsal. My plane will be in around six.”

“Be safe, and we’ll see you then.” We said our goodbyes and I finished cleaning out my desk. Once everything was settled, I stood in front of the windows and stared out over the San Francisco Bay. I was going to miss California, but a part of me couldn’t wait to get back to Asheville; even if I did try to convince myself otherwise.

“Mr. Blair?” Jeanine’s voice came through the speaker.

I walked over to the phone and pressed the button. “Yes?”

“You have a phone call on line one. It’s your brother.”

“Thanks. I’ll get it.” Line one flashed and I pushed it. “Trent, what’s up?”

“Hey, man. I wanted to make sure your flight was still on schedule.”

“As far as I know,” I said, closing my briefcase.

“Great. So, how does it feel leaving the awesome Cali life behind you?”

I glanced back out the window at the bay. “I’ll miss it. San Francisco is much larger than Asheville. It’ll take some getting used to when I get home. But the biggest question right now is, how do you feel, knowing you’re getting married tomorrow?”

He burst out laughing. “Not too bad. You should try it yourself someday.”

I scoffed. “Doubt it. I haven’t had a relationship last longer than a month.”

“That’s sad, brother. You should get out more and put yourself first for once.”

“So I’ve been told.” I’d tried dating and that was exactly what numerous women had said to me over the years.

“Is that Will?” Jessica asked in the background. She was Trent’s fiancée. I’d met her several times over the years, when they’d fly out to California to visit me. I was happy to be the best man in their wedding.

Trent chuckled. “Hold up. Jessica wants to talk to you.”

Moving away from the window, I sat back down at my desk.

“Hi, Will!”

Hearing her excitement made me smile. My brother was a lucky man. “Hey, Jess. What’s up?”

“First off, I’m super happy you’re moving back to town. But it got me thinking that you might be interested in meeting some of my people when you get here. That way, you’ll have a friend or two to hang out with when you move back for good this week.”

Judging by the sound of her voice, something was up. I had a feeling I already knew what it was. “Who is she?”

She cleared her throat. “My best friend, Adeline. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of her.”

“Doesn’t she have blonde hair?” If I remembered correctly, she was a beautiful woman.

“Yep. I’m texting you a picture of her.”

My cell phone buzzed, and I opened the text. It was a picture of Jessica and Adeline, with their arms around each other’s shoulders and the same red scarf wrapped around them. How in the world was a woman like her still single?

“I’m surprised she’s not dating anyone,” I said.

Jessica snorted. “The same could be said about you.”

“Time is my problem, Jess. I never have enough of it to date anyone.”

“That’s going to change. Christmas is coming up. You’ll have plenty of time to spend it with family and friends. Besides, when it’s the right person, you’ll make time for them.”

“You’re not going to win this, Will,” Trent spoke up. “Might as well say you’ll meet Adeline and see where it goes.”

Truth was, I wanted to meet her. “Fine. When I get into town, you can introduce us.”

Jessica squealed. “Yay. I can’t wait to tell her.”

Glancing down at my watch, it was almost time to go. “All right, you two, I have to get off here, so I can get to the airport.”

“Go,” Trent said. “Text me when your plane lands and I’ll drive up to the gate to pick you up.”

“Will do. See you in a few hours.”

I hung up and a soft knock sounded on my door, followed by Jeanine’s muffled voice. “Mr. Blair?”

“Come in.” She opened the door, looking sheepish. “Is everything okay?”

She closed the door and lowered her voice. “There’s a man here who wants to speak to someone about selling his land, but Noah’s in his office with Peter Drake.”

Peter Drake was one of our top clients. I wasn’t about to interfere on that meeting. I looked at my clock again; I had about twenty minutes before I needed to leave. “No worries. I’ll talk to the guy and see what all is going on. I can probably get it done before I leave for the airport.”

She cleared her throat. “I’m not so sure about that.”

My head jerked up. “Why?”

“Because it’s Stan Whitfield, owner of Whitfield properties.”

The man owned twice the land Peter Drake had; this account would be massive. My conscience warred within me. A part of me knew I had to leave for the airport, but the other part knew that taking on Stan Whitfield would be huge for Blair Realty. It was a tough decision, but it had to be made.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up straight. “Please send him in.” She nodded and started for the door. “And if you don’t mind,” guilt settled in my chest, “will you please find me another flight to Asheville? It doesn’t look like I’ll be making it in time.”