“It’s about time you called me, Sweet Pea. I was beginning to wonder if you’d forgotten all about this dapper young man.”

I grin at the sound of my granddad’s voice. With my cell phone at my ear, I exit the café located in the lobby of our office building, my large latte in hand and briefcase strap draped over my other shoulder.

“Now, who is this dapper young man you’re referring to? I can’t say that I recall knowing anyone like that…” I trail off, teasing.

“Ah, my dear girl.” He chuckles softly, and I’m bombarded with exactly how much I miss him.

It’s a blessing he’s in good enough health to fly in and visit me from time to time since I haven’t been back to Mobile since that fateful day. But I miss going to see him at his house, the Haywood Mansion. After my grandmother passed away, he’d opened the mansion up to events, claiming he wanted to see life take over the home once again. My grandmother had loved to entertain and throw parties, and by holding weddings and reunions and such gatherings there, he always said it made him feel closer to her.

Sobering as I near the bank of elevators, I consider the other employees nearby before I lower my voice. “Have you heard who took over?”

The silence that greets me on the other end tells me everything I need to know. Quickly checking the time, I see that I have a few minutes to spare so I step off to the side where there’s slightly less foot traffic and listening ears.

“Granddad,” my tone is hushed, “why didn’t you say anything?”

“It wasn’t my place.”

Heaving out a frustrated sigh, I shake my head. “You didn’t think it was your place to tell me, your own granddaughter, that the guy who ripped my heart to shreds would be my new boss and owner of the company?”

He simply sighs in return. “Sweet Pea. Y’all have to work things out on your own. I can’t interfere.”

Right. We always come back to this. Grandma had always preached about fate and not intervening, letting it work itself out.

Granddad still believes Knox and I will, someday, work out our differences. One would think after eight years, he’d realize it wasn’t going to happen.

“Other than that, how are things? How’s Becket doing?”

At the mention of my best friend, my shoulders feel less weighted down. “He’s great. Working hard as always.”

“Ah, he’s a good man.” I can hear the smile in Granddad’s voice.

My brow furrows as a curious thought dawns on me. “Granddad? Why haven’t you ever asked about me and Becket and whether we’re dating?”

“Because I know you’re not.” His answer comes readily before his tone softens. “And because you’re meant to be with someone else, of course.”

Of course, I muse internally with a touch of sarcasm.

He quickly changes gears, inquiring about my upcoming work projects. Before I know it, it’s time for me to head up in the elevator and I end our call since I’ll lose cell signal.

For the entire ride up to my floor, his words run on a loop in the back of my mind.

“And because you’re meant to be with someone else, of course.”

* * *

“Alissa what?”

This is one of those times when I hear what the other person says—loud and clear—but I’m far too deep in shock for the words to register.

“Alissa went into premature labor so they’re monitoring her at the hospital right now. She’s officially on maternity leave.” Alissa’s friend Jackie, who works down on the eighth floor, offers a sympathetic smile.

Probably because she knows I’m barely keeping up with the workload Knox’s dumped on me as it is. Without my assistant, I’m up a creek without a paddle.

But this pales in comparison to Alissa, of course. Damn. This stress is making me selfish now, too.

“But she’s doing okay?”

“Oh, yes,” Jackie answers. “She’s just on bedrest and they’re ensuring she and the baby are all right.”

“Thank goodness.” Especially since Alissa’s not due for another month.

“Well, I’ve got to get back to work. I just wanted to be sure you knew.”

She backs away hesitantly, as if she senses my growing sense of despair. As if I’ll suddenly decide to hold her prisoner and saddle her with some of this work.

Which isn’t such a bad idea now that I consider it.

“Bye, Ms. Haywood.” Damn. Jackie darts down the hallway. So much for that idea, even if it’s dripping in pure desperation.

The stack of files sitting on my assistant’s desk draws my attention, and my entire body slumps as if recognizing defeat.

Looks like this is going to be a really long Thursday.

* * *

“I know I’m supposed to be on board with the whole, ‘Oh, our boss is the big, bad Grinch,’ thing, but can I please have a quick time-out on that?”

I eye Madison over the rim of my coffee cup as we sit in the company café on what she deemed an “enforced ten-minute break” for me, but begrudgingly heed her request. “Go ahead.”

She nods. “Okay then.” With a quick glance around, she leans in closer and lowers her voice. “If I were on the market for a man—”

I frown in confusion. “Which you are.”

She holds up a finger. “If I were on the market for a man who’s crazy handsome, has a sexy broodiness, and can rock a suit like nobody’s business, I’d be all over Knox Montgomery like white on rice.”

At her extended pause, I raise my eyebrows in expectation. “But?”

Madison scowls. “Well, obviously I can’t because he’s off-limits since he gets all Grouchy Smurf on you.”

As it turns out, she’s never witnessed an interaction between Knox and me, so she only has my account to go by.

Amused, I tip my head to the side. “Are you finished?”

She scrunches her nose in consternation. “I think so.”

“Well…” I exhale wearily, covering my face with my hands after noting the time. “I have to head back upstairs and get to work.”

“That would be a wise choice, Ms. Haywood.” The deep voice causes me to jerk in alarm, and my hands drop from my face to land in my lap.

The instant my gaze locks with his, I find myself drowning in the same pair of green eyes that were once filled with love.

Now, however, they’re filled with cool disdain. And even after all this time, there’s a sharp pinch in the center of my chest, as if my heart still recognizes the man who broke it.

Mentally shaking off the melancholy, I rise from the chair and push it in and Madison follows suit, her eyes volleying nervously between Knox and me.

I force myself to maintain cool confidence as I stride past him without a word.

As Madison and I toss our empty coffee cups in the trash bin at the door before exiting the coffee shop, she whispers, “Never mind. I get it now.” She lets out a disgruntled sound as we head to the elevators to take us to our designated floors. “Another corporate suit without a personality.”

We enter the empty elevator car and press the numbered buttons for our floors. She looks over at me with an odd expression, as if she wants to say something but is unsure.

“Go ahead. Say whatever you’re thinking.”

Her lips twist in hesitation before she exhales loudly. “I just swear I felt something else in that interaction back there.”

Instantly, my spine stiffens in alarm, but I don’t respond, and Madison presses on.

“Like there’s a tension that isn’t simply dislike. Like it’s se—”

The sound of the elevator arriving at her floor interrupts, and I can’t withhold the tiny breath of relief that spills past my lips.

Unfortunately, my friend catches my little tell as she exits the elevator. She places her hand on the doors to stop them from closing and eyes me curiously.

“You’re not telling me something.”

I press my lips thin to contain the words practically fighting their way out. But now is not the time or place. So, all I can offer my friend is a simple, “Later.”

Understanding, she nods with an encouraging smile. “Go show Grouchy Smurf how Haywood rolls.” She backs away and the elevator doors begin to close.

Laughing, I smile. “Will do.”

Once I’m enclosed within the quiet confines of the elevator and it begins ascending, I sag against the wall as weariness washes over me.

I should have gotten a few extra shots of espresso in my coffee.

* * *

“I owe you big time, Tim.”

“Enough to get me box seats to the Super Bowl?”

I can’t restrain a smile. “I’ll see what I can do. Fingers crossed the Jags make it that far.”

“Ah, don’t doubt our boy’s team now,” Tim says playfully. “Anyway, I’ll get everything taken care of, Emma Jane. And don’t work too late tonight.”

“Thanks, again.” I press the button on my desk phone to disconnect the speakerphone. I can’t, in all honesty, promise not to work too late because, as I take account of the vast number of files on my desk, I know I’ll be here far too late.

I’d contacted Tim in our legal department, because I’d needed some assistance with a few of these contracts. He’s been helping me out, going above and beyond.

I think he could hear in my voice, when I called him earlier, that I was on the cusp of becoming a blubbering mess if I didn’t get a little assistance with everything. But I can’t let Knox find out I’m struggling because I know he’ll take that as me not being able to hack it and immediately dismiss me from being eligible for that promotion. Or worse, he’ll fire me.

Walking around my desk, I petulantly grab the daisy from the vase sitting on my table, and give in to my childish urge. While plucking the white petals one by one, I murmur beneath my breath, “Stab him in the junk, don’t stab him in the junk, stab him in the junk, don’t stab…”

When the final petal drifts to settle with the others on my table, I’m not satisfied with the verdict.

With a weary sigh, I return to the chair at my desk, massage my temples, and take a sip of my now-tepid coffee to try to give myself a necessary jolt of energy.

It’s nearly five o’clock and I’m nowhere near where I need to be, progress-wise. Knox has enforced a weekly update each Friday morning to prove I haven’t been slacking. I still have a dozen more proposals to finish, yet I find myself dragging, mental exhaustion beginning to take over.

There isn’t enough coffee in the world for today.