Chapter One
Hayden Lynch sat at his large desk, staring out of the window at the city below him. The view from his office was incredible. That was why he choose this building for his company’s headquarters. Who wouldn’t want an office like this, with one wall full of windows to see the world from? It made him feel like he was on top of everything, even on days when he wasn’t.
He’d just come from a particularly stressful meeting. Meetings discussing new takeovers were always stressful, full of strategy and techniques. He needed these few minutes to let his mind unwind before he went on with his next task, reviewing sales numbers from the previous month.
The intercom on his desk buzzed. His assistant’s voice came through. “Hayden? Can you take a call from your sister?”
“Absolutely, Sandy. Thank you.”
The phone rang a second later and he picked it up.
“Little sister. What can I do for you?”
“Well,” Gabrielle said, “Buy out my company so I can travel the world and not have to work another day in my life?”
He sighed. “Your company is already a division of my company. And you barely work as it is. And you travel plenty.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Right. Well, in that case, then maybe you can just do me a teensy weensy little favor.”
Hayden braced himself. Gabby’s teensy weensy favors were usually anything but. Though she may not be asking him for a new acquisition, she was definitely up to something big.
“I’m not buying you a new house,” he said.
“Oh, please. Three is enough. No, it’s really not that big of a deal at all.”
“Right. Let’s hear it then.”
“Do you remember my best friend from high school, Kaelyn?”
“Of course.” How could he forget her? She was around the house constantly. During their freshman year of high school, the only year they were all in the same school together before Hayden went off to college, Kaelyn and Gabby were inseparable. She had practically been a second sister to him. He’d even had a little crush on her.
“Oh, good. Well, she’s just graduated from some huge tech school with a computer science degree. Stanford, have you heard of it?”
He rolled his eyes. “Hmm. Don’t think so. Is it a popular school?” His company sought a lot of talent from Stanford. It was only the top school in the state. She was being ridiculous on purpose. This must be big.
“Didn’t think so. You really should get out once in a while. How is your dating life anyway?”
“Is this your big favor?”
“No. And it’s a little favor, I swear,” she said. “I just need you to let my dear friend Kaelyn use one of the many, many rooms in your huge mansion to sleep and keep her things in when she moves out of her dorm. Only until she can get her own place and get on her feet. She just got a new a job and everything.”
“So you’re asking me to let Kaelyn move in.”
“Only for a few months, I swear. You’re just so close to her new job, and I’m nowhere near her. And I know that you’re the kindest, most generous big brother a girl could ever hope for.”
“You’ve got me confused with someone else. But that’s fine. When is she coming?”
“Oh, thank you, thank you! She’ll be thrilled. She was going to stay in some cheap hotel until she could find a place. She’s moving out of the dorm next week.”
“Email the details to my assistant so I can have everything ready for her arrival.”
“I will,” she said. “Thank you so much. Really.”
“Does this mean you’ll come to visit sometime soon? Maybe bring that nephew of mine?”
“That’s a good idea. Yes, let’s plan for something soon. We all miss you.”
“Miss you, too. You really need to move back to California.”
She laughed. “You couldn’t drag me from Hawaii if my life depended on it.”
“Guess you have a point. I should be the one coming to visit you. It’s been too long.”
“Absolutely. Thanks a million, Hay. Really.”
“Anytime. Be good.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
***
The rest of his week was busy. Anytime a new acquisition was happening, the hours grew long and stress levels rose. He’d lost all track of the days. The city below him was lit up against the dark sky. Evening was creeping to nighttime.
He yawned and glanced at his schedule for tomorrow. He really needed to find some time to workout. He hadn’t all week and was starting to feel antsy from too many hours in the office. He’d even taken to pacing when he could, just to be up and moving.
At the bottom of tomorrow, it said ‘Kaelyn arrives’. He’d completely forgotten. He tried hard not to bother his assistant after office hours. She deserved to have a life and certainly Lynch Corporation wasn’t her entire world like it was his. But this was important and it shouldn’t take too long. He decided to text rather than call so he didn’t interrupt anything.
“Sorry to bother you after hours, but I’ve just realized Kaelyn is arriving tomorrow. Is everything in place for her?”
He received an answer back within minutes. “Absolutely. A small moving van is arriving at 3 p.m. to bring her things from her dorm. There is a new key waiting for her and a list of the codes and passwords for the security systems and wifi, and your home staff has been alerted. Her room is ready and a basket will be awaiting her. I’ve left room in your evening schedule for you to spend time with her if you should desire to.”
“You are the best. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
This was exactly why he had no problem making sure Sandy was one of the highest paid employees he had. He demanded a lot of her and she was always ahead of him and on top of things. She never had a bad attitude and she never missed a thing. He wondered if she was just as efficient when it came to her husband, kids, and home life, or if he stressed her out so much that she needed time at home to do nothing. Although she always assured him the work was not too much, and she never complained.
He looked over his schedule again. Kaelyn was coming at 3 p.m. He had meetings until 4 p.m., then he’d hit the gym and be home by 6 p.m. That should be enough time for her to settle in. Maybe he’d take her out for dinner to welcome her.
He sent a text to his housekeeper, who oversaw all his personal staff. “Tomorrow evening, after Kaelyn arrives, I would like to take her out for dinner, if she’s up for it. Please be ready to have something made if she’s not.”
He got a fast response. “I will make sure we have something available, Mr. Lynch.”
Hayden stood and stretched. Though it had been a long, stressful week, it had been a good week. At times like this, he always felt grateful for his staff and all the hard work they did, both in his company and in his home. They made his life so much easier. They kept his privacy and his secrets.