The Best Girls Sweet Romance - Five Book Boxed Set

11. High Flying

Anne was too excited to sleep. Her first time flying in a private jet. Her first time going to another country. Her first time using her passport. Her first time visiting Switzerland. Her first time to be a part of a huge business presentation involving millions of dollars’ worth of assets. As if that wasn’t enough, she was traveling with Steven Gherring, whose soft cashmere sweater only enhanced the appearance of his broad shoulders and hard muscles. She was grateful Jared Hanson was on the trip with her. He was almost as excited as she was, tempered only by having to leave his wife and new baby daughter behind. Despite the fact this was his first big presentation, he seemed more eager than nervous.

“This is great, isn’t it?” Jared explored the spacious main cabin. “These chairs are so comfortable. And they recline. And look, this part pulls out and it will lie flat, like a bed.”

“You should sleep now,” said Gherring.

“But it’s only eight o’clock,” said Anne. “I thought we’d work for a while.”

“We’ll sleep on the plane, and work when we get there tomorrow. We’ve got an eight-hour flight and we’re losing six hours. So it’ll be ten o’clock when we get to Bern. Sleeping now will cut down on jet lag.”

“There’s no way I can go to sleep now. I’m way too excited.” Indeed Anne felt adrenaline pumping through her veins. She needed to go for a run to expel some excess energy.

“Not me,” said Jared. “I’m perpetually tired. I love Emery, but she still doesn’t sleep at night. I can fall asleep any time I want, and sometimes when I don’t want to.” He stretched his seat into a bed, grabbed a blanket, lay down, and promptly began to snore.

Meanwhile, Anne started reclining her chair, but Gherring stopped her. “Let me give you a sleeping pill. You really need to sleep because I need you sharp tomorrow.”

“I don’t know. I’m kind of sensitive to drugs. I might overreact.”

“I remember the Benadryl incident. How about half a pill? That should just make you relax.”

“Okay, I’ll try it. But don’t leave me behind on the plane if you can’t wake me in the morning.”

“I promise. I’m taking a whole one. I need it.”

“What if we oversleep?” She swallowed the proffered half-pill with a swig from a bottle of water.

Gherring laughed. “The pilots would wake us up, but I’ve already set my phone alarm to go off forty-five minutes before we get there. Come with me, and I’ll give you a quick tour first.”

Anne followed him from the main cabin through a small area with a compact kitchen on one side and a table and seating area on the other.

“There’s a bathroom here. Even has a small shower in the back. And the master bedroom is back here.”

“Wow—this is amazing. I can’t believe there’s room for this on the plane. And you have a flat screen TV in here. Why am I not surprised?”

“We’ve got a great selection of movies and shows to watch. Not very good television reception on overseas flights.”

“And do you have black lights in here and mood music? The world’s richest playboy’s private love plane?”

“The music starts automatically when I say the words, ‘You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.’” He reached his hand over and felt for a button on the wall. The room was immediately filled with the sound of bagpipes. Anne giggled hysterically.

“Oops, I must have said the wrong words.” He fumbled with the buttons while he spoke. “I think the correct phrase is, ‘Oh baby, you’re the best.’”

The music changed to soft jazz.

“Much better,” she said. “You’d better remember what to say. What if someone said, ‘Stop it! Stop it!’?”

He flipped the channel back to the bagpipe music.

She started giggling again. “Oh baby, you’re the best.”

She was rewarded with the soft jazz again, and she lay back on the bed. “What? No mirror on the ceiling? What’s a love nest with no mirror on the ceiling?”

He lay down next to her and locked his fingers behind his neck. “The mirror is actually hidden under that padded panel.” He pointed at the ceiling. “I’ve forgotten the magic words, though.”

“Hmmm, let’s see… Gosh, you’re really kind of fat.”

He grinned. “Nope, that’s not it. You don’t believe in shaving? Not anywhere?”

She chortled noisily. “Ooo! Have you seen a doctor for that?”

He laughed and quickly countered. “So you actually paid good money for those?”

This time she laughed so hard she snorted, and he cheered. “I scored—I made you snort.”

They both laughed until there were tears in their eyes.

“That’s Norah Jones,” said Anne as the music changed. “I love her voice. So smooth. I used to listen to her all the time. Who’s your favorite singer?” She relaxed, absorbing the music, letting her tension melt.

“I like listening to the Beatles, James Taylor, and old classics like Frank Sinatra. Really, I like jazz, rock and classical too. Just depends on my mood.”

They studied the ceiling in silence. “You know, I hope everything goes well with this meeting. I’m so afraid they’ll hate it, and it’ll be all my fault for not making a good PowerPoint.”

“I’m not worried at all. If they don’t go for it, I’ll just buy them out and do what I want anyway. It’s simply more profitable for me this way. Anyway, your presentations are great. And I’m really impressed with your grasp of the concepts. I think you’ve been hiding something from me. Maybe you secretly have an MBA you didn’t mention. I bet you’re some kind of corporate spy.”

“That’s it. You found me out—I’m a pie. I mean I’m a spy.” She giggled. “And you too—you’re Double-O Steven!”

“Have you been drinking?”

“Hmmm? What’d you say?”

“Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not…” She turned on her side. “It’s kind of cold…”

* * *

Anne feltsomeone shaking her arm. “Anne… Anne, you need to wake up now.”

She stretched and pried her eyes open. She felt warm and cozy under her blanket. “Mmmm, I think I’ll just sleep here tonight. It’s a really big bed.” She chuckled, reluctant to move in her relaxed state.

“Anne, you did sleep here. You’ve been asleep here for seven hours.”

“What!” She jerked up, frantically looking around. She’d slept in a bed with Steven Gherring. And he didn’t have a shirt on. What else had she done? She tried desperately to remember.

“I thought you might want to go pretend to be asleep out there before I wake Jared up. Not that it matters to me—being the world’s richest playboy and all—but I know you worry about these things.”

Blood pulsed in her ears. “We didn’t… we didn’t… did we?”

“You’re still dressed, aren’t you? So am I.” Her eyes fell on his bare chest. “I’m mostly dressed. I still have my pants on.”

“Why didn’t you make me move?”

“Really? Are you kidding? When you go to sleep, nothing will move you.” He shook his head. “At least when you take a sleeping pill of any sort. Even half a pill. Anyway, do you want to go protect your reputation?”

“I do.” She hurried toward the main cabin where Jared was still snoring softly in the same position. Anne lay down on her reclined chair.

He walked up behind her with a pillow and blanket and whispered, “You’ve got about ten minutes, if you want to snooze a little more.”

“I don’t think I can sleep now. My heart’s beating kind of fast.”

“Mine, too.” His breath on her ear sent a chill down her spine.

* * *

Anne unpackedin her room at the Bellevue Palace, pausing long enough to admire the accommodations. She hadn’t done a lot of traveling, but this was by far the nicest hotel she’d ever seen. Her room was small, but nicely decorated and furnished with pieces that looked custom rather than mass-produced. A relaxing blue color coated the walls, and the queen bed was covered with a lovely duvet. There was marble in the bathroom, and a guest bathrobe hung in the closet. Anne thought she’d be quite comfortable here, noting her view was similar to that of her New York apartment. She quickly freshened up and changed clothes, preparing for a long day working with Jared and Gherring in his suite on the top floor.

When Anne knocked on Gherring’s door, Jared opened it with a broad smile.

“Wait ‘til you see this room—it’s awesome. It’s even got bullet-proof glass. There’re two bathrooms. And there’s a view of the Bernese Alps over the Aare River. Come see.”

Anne followed Jared through the suite, allowing him to give her the grand tour. His enthusiasm was contagious and Anne had the same sensation she’d gotten when visiting Gram at her estate. It was rather dream-like and surreal. She observed Gherring’s amused expression as Jared exclaimed about all the great features of the Presidential Suite.

“The view is gorgeous,” she agreed. “But I really love the chandelier and all the furniture. Are you sure it’s okay to sit on this stuff?”

Gherring gave her a bemused smile. “We could order up a metal folding chair for you if you’d be more comfortable.”

Anne had already stretched out on the couch with her laptop in her lap. “Nope, I’m fine right here.” Then a terrible thought occurred. “Oh no—did Katie change the reservation for the meeting room to tomorrow?”

“Ms. Carson has taken care of all those changes with the hotels and the companies. You need to concentrate on the presentation. We can’t go to sleep tonight until we’re done.”

“So, I guess we’re working through lunch and dinner?” Jared asked.

“No worries. The room service here is amazing. We’ll have to hold back so we don’t eat ourselves into a stupor.”

The three started working in earnest, stopping for a quick lunch around two thirty. Anne had finished Jeff’s PowerPoint and was entering the last of Jared and Gherring’s information on slides. They were planning the logistics of the actual presentation at the meeting.

“So I guess I’m free to wander the city tomorrow.” Anne was excited about the chance to explore Bern, even by herself.

“Actually, I think I want you to be in the meeting tomorrow,” Gherring said. “I’ve found through experience a team presentation is more easily accepted. Somehow, if it seems the ideas are just coming from me, people feel defensive. So it’s very important you don’t come across as my PA. You’re a team member in the Contract, Merger, and Acquisition department, just like Jared.”

“But you and Jared will do all the talking, right?” Anne felt a little lightheaded.

“I think you should have at least a small part,” Gherring said. “Nothing to be nervous about. You can just give the introductory information, and then I’ll take over before we get to the parts where there can be questions.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I have this fear of public speaking. Not a tiny little fear. It’s like the size of a planet. Maybe a solar system.”

“There are several female executives who’ll be present tomorrow. They won’t like it if you don’t say anything at all. They’ll see me as being anti-feminist and repressive. I would’ve brought Shanna Matheson if she weren’t out on maternity leave. So this could actually be a lucky thing for us.” His blue eyes bored into hers. “I won’t force you to speak if you really don’t want to.”

“I’m not refusing. I want to help, but—”

“Great, then it’s settled,” said Gherring with a satisfied smile. Anne felt her heart beating frantically but made no further protest.

Jared, who’d been silently observing the exchange, winked at Anne. “Thanks for the lesson in negotiation, Mr. Gherring.”

When Gherring turned his back, Anne stuck out her tongue at Jared, who laughed and reciprocated in the same fashion.

By five o’clock the group, feeling stiff from inactivity, decided by consensus to take a short break. Anne slipped her coat on and walked onto the balcony to call Henri.

“I’m standing on a balcony, overlooking the river and the Alps.”

“I wish I could be there,” he said. “It kills me to know you are so close. Are you at the Bellevue Palace? That’s where he usually stays in Bern.”

“Yes—it’s amazing. We’re in the Presidential Suite.”

“We? You are staying with Gherring in his room?”

“No, don’t be silly. Jared and I are working in the suite with Mr. Gherring. I have my own room.”

“I still don’t like it.”

“Come on, Henri. There’s nothing to be jealous of. Unless you think I’m the kind of girl who’d be in a threesome.”

“Hmmm,” Henri pretended to think. “No. The girls I’ve had threesome’s with were nothing like you.”

“Henri! You’ve actually—”

“I am teasing you. You are so easy to tease. I cannot resist. You believe anything.”

Anne chuckled for a moment before sobering at the thought of Henri’s niece. “Do you know any more about Anna-Laure? Did she have more tests done?”

“She had a bone scan today. And they’ve scheduled an MRI tomorrow.”

“So when will you know something?”

“Probably not until Friday.”

“We’ll be here until Saturday, I think.” She realized she hadn’t asked Gherring if they would return earlier since the presentation was a day early. Gherring might have scheduled a Friday return. Certainly Jared would be anxious to get home to his wife and baby Emery. “Anyway, you can call me as soon as you know something.”

Back inside, Anne discovered Jared hadn’t yet returned, so she got on FaceTime and managed to connect with Charlie.

“Just look at this room.” She circled the room while aiming the camera outward. “Isn’t it amazing? And that’s the Alps over there. You can see them past the river.”

“Wow, Mom. It’s beautiful. Have you gotten to tour or shop or see anything?”

“No, but hopefully I’ll get to see something on Friday before we leave. We have the big meeting tomorrow so I’m guessing that’s an all-day thing.”

Gherring walked up behind her. “We don’t need to leave early. I love Switzerland, even in November. We can wait until Saturday to leave.”

“Awesome,” said Anne. “I guess I’ll see Bern on Friday.”

“Did you finally get a stamp in your passport?” asked Charlie.

“I did, but we had to ask them to do it. I didn’t know they don’t automatically stamp your passport when you fly on a private plane.”

“So, now that’s off your bucket list. What’s next?”

“I don’t know. I also got to fly in a private jet, and that wasn’t even on the list. Hmmm, maybe seeing my girls married and having grandkids.”

“Oh no—you don’t get to put us on your bucket list. That’s strictly for things you can do.”

“I guess that means you don’t want to go hang gliding with me, then.”

“Heck, yeah. I’m going with you.”

“Either you’re in the bucket with me or you’re not.”

“Fine, I’ll promise to get married and have kids one day in the far, far future, if you’ll take me with you when you go hang gliding.”

“Deal.”

Gherring spoke from across the room. “Emily doesn’t want in on this?”

“Not hang gliding. Not Em,” said Charlie.

Anne said, “Unless maybe I bribed her with a first edition of Little Women or Pride and Prejudice.”

“I used to be able to talk her into anything, but she’s gotten really stubborn lately,” complained Charlie.

Gherring said, “I think she gets that from her mother.”

“Absolutely,” Charlie agreed.

“Be careful,” Anne said. “You’re still partially on the payroll.”

“Just kidding, Mom. No need to play the money card. But even Grandpa says you’ve always been stubborn. He says you got it from Grandma.”

“Luckily for you, Jared is back. So I’m going back to work. Otherwise we’d be having a little talk.”

“Awesome. I’d love to give you The Talk. I thought you already knew about the birds and the bees, but I guess you are a little naive.”

Anne blushed crimson, and mumbled in a low voice, “Charlie, stop it. They might hear you.” She backed into the second bedroom.

“Too late! We already heard!” Jared was chuckling along with Gherring. “So this is what happens when your sweet baby girl grows up... She turns on you.”

* * *

Two hours later,Anne was making a few final changes to the slides. Gherring had Jared practice his presentation, which took about an hour without questions or discussion. The bulk of the PowerPoint slides were devoted to the portion that had been Jeff’s responsibility. Gherring said, “Jared’s part is first, of course. Then we’ll have a short break. Anne, you’ll start at the beginning of part two with the introduction and just keep going for a while. Probably to about slide fifteen. When they ask a question you can’t answer, I’ll step in as if we planned to switch at that point.”

“What about introductions and opening the meeting?” asked Jared.

“I’ll do all the prep work and introduce the two of you. Jared, you’ve met about a third of these people, but Anne won’t know anyone. I’ll know all but a few.”

“And they’re all going to speak English?” asked Anne.

“Yes,” said Gherring. “French will be their primary language, but all of them will understand English. Most will be pretty fluent, and I’m pretty fluent in French as well. Most of these people speak at least three languages.”

“I didn’t know you could speak French,” Anne said.

“Oh yeah, he speaks French, German, and Spanish too.” He looked at Gherring. “Do you speak anything else?”

“I’m passable in Italian and Portuguese. I know some Mandarin Chinese, but I’d never try to conduct business in it.”

Anne wondered what else she didn’t know about Steven Gherring.

“I guess I should try to practice.” Her hands were already sweaty. With her irrational fear of public speaking, she’d avoid taking speech class in both high school and college.

She started the presentation, reading from her slide notes in a tentative voice.

“Look up,” said Jared. “You wrote that stuff. I know you mostly know it.”

Anne tried to look up, but Gherring’s stare made her incredibly nervous. Her mouth was so dry, and she couldn’t process her thoughts properly.

Gherring said, “I don’t think that’s right. Are you sure your notes are correct? Maybe you were a little careless copying from Jeff’s notes. We may have to start over and double-check everything.”

Her temper flared. How dare he accuse her of being careless after all those hours she worked. “I double-checked and triple-checked. Look here on the next slide, you can see how the numbers changed from year to year. That’s exactly what I said. And on slide five, you can see the totals averaged over five years. I didn’t make any mistakes.” She fumed with indignation. She’d poured her heart and soul into that presentation, and she knew there weren’t any errors.

“All she needs is a little emotional distraction, and she’s fearless.” Gherring grinned at Jared.

Jared’s eyes were wide. “No doubt. I’ve never seen you so mad before, Anne.”

Chuckling, she felt the tension leave her body. “Promise you won’t provoke me on purpose tomorrow. If I really lost my temper, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight.” After that, she kept going through the first hour of the presentation.

Gherring held up his hand. “Okay, that’s enough for tonight. I’ll probably take over long before we get to that point. There’ll be a lot of complicated questions on section three.” He stretched. “Eight o’clock—not bad. I say we go out to eat instead of ordering in. We’ll go someplace casual. Let me call the concierge, and we can meet downstairs in, say, fifteen minutes?”

A short drive brought them to Restaurant Meridiano. Anne was happy to let Gherring order for her, as long as it was “something good I can”t get in the United States.” She had a four-course meal with a matching wine for each course. She started with Vietnamese spring rolls, followed by redfish and then Simmentaler veal with a basil mash. Dessert was a chocolate bombe filled with ice cream, Grand Marnier, crunchy crisps and cream. She was absolutely stuffed, but refused to leave a morsel of the delicious dessert on her plate, no matter how miserable she felt. Both men ordered a tasting menu with twelve different entrees, and appeared equally sated and wretched.

On the way back, Jared asked, “Did you ever see that really old Alka-Seltzer commercial? I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

“I’m just glad I didn’t try to actually finish all that wine. Y’all would be carrying me to my room,” said Anne.

Gherring rubbed his belly, which didn’t protrude despite the amount of food he’d eaten. “I always eat too much at that restaurant. Every time. I should be more judicious, but it’s too good to resist.”

“There won’t ever be a next time for me. I’ve got to eat everything I can on this trip,” Anne said.

“You don’t know you won’t ever be back. You didn’t even know you were coming here until two days ago,” said Gherring.

Anne smiled. “You have a point. My life has changed so much in the past six weeks, I guess I really can’t predict my future.”

“I hear you might be living in Paris someday,” teased Jared.

“That’s not true,” said Anne, grateful for the darkness to hide her crimson face.

“It’s all the talk in the break room. All those women have evidently been after Henri DuBois for a long time. They’d only heard rumors until someone saw you talking to him the other day when they were getting coffee. It’s true, isn’t it?”

“We’ve become friends. That’s all.” Anne glanced at Gherring as he scowled out the window, his jaw muscles flexing.

“Whatever you say…” Jared smirked. “That’s not what I heard. I heard—”

“I hate to interrupt,” Gherring said. “But we need to plan tomorrow morning. We’ll meet in the suite at eight o’clock. I’ll have a light continental breakfast there. The meeting starts at nine.” He spoke with an edge of sarcasm to Anne. “Do you think you’ll have trouble waking up?”

“No, sir. I’ll be fine. No need to worry.”

Seemingly oblivious to the tension between them, Jared said, “I’m gonna sleep like a baby. No, not like a baby because they wake up all night. I’m gonna sleep like the parent of a baby on vacation.”

He chuckled to himself, while Anne kept her gaze trained in her lap, somehow sensing the heat of Gherring’s murderous glare.

* * *

Anne was terrifiedas she sat in the meeting room, waiting for the group to arrive. She’d been unable to eat any breakfast, instead pushing a crescent roll around on her plate, tearing it into pieces. Jared seemed unaware of her anxious demeanor. He chatted happily and showed her a picture of his baby his wife had emailed the night before. She tried to act interested in the photo, but her heart was pounding so hard she thought she might have a stroke. She kept her hands clenched in her lap to hide their shaking, but Gherring was not fooled. She knew he was counting on her, and she couldn’t let him down. Unfortunately, this thought made her even more nervous. Why hadn’t she simply refused when he told her she needed to speak? She was going to make a fool of herself and Gherring as well.

When the group arrived, trickling in, she fought the urge to run to the bathroom and throw up. She’d decided that was exactly what was going to happen, when Gherring pulled her aside and spoke in an urgent tone. “I’m worried about Jared.”

“Why? What happened?”

“It’s just that once before, during a previous meeting, he said something inappropriate. You know how he is. He speaks without thinking. And then he panicked and blanked out. He couldn’t even finish.”

“Oh no! Why did you even bring him? You should have left both of us at home.”

“I just had to give him another chance. You know, with a new baby and everything.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Just stick with him while we’re mingling and make sure he doesn’t stick his foot in his mouth. Then be prepared to bail him out if he blanks during his presentation.”

Anne nodded and hurried to guard Jared, who appeared totally at ease. Perhaps he was too at ease. She listened carefully as he talked. Whenever he seemed to be getting a little too casual in his conversation or seemed ready to tell a story, Anne jumped in and asked questions, steering the talk back toward business.

Several of the female board members came to join the group, asking Anne about herself. She bypassed the questions about her work experience but talked readily about her children. The other women were older and had grown children as well, and soon they were sharing pictures of children and in some cases grandchildren. She tried to listen in on Jared’s conversation as well, but so far, he seemed to be pretty tame. She wondered just what Gherring meant by inappropriate. She breathed a sigh of relief when the time came for the presentation to start.

Gherring stood up and addressed the group in fluent French. Anne caught a few words, but mostly just laughed when everyone else laughed, as did Jared. She’d never seen Steven Gherring speak to a group before. Even though she couldn’t understand what he was saying, she was drawn to him. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. His blue eyes were so clear. It was like looking at the sky. His voice was powerful, his presence magnetic. Everyone in the room was hanging on his words. It was an amazing thing to experience and observe. Finally, Gherring began introducing Jared and Anne. He switched to English for their benefit.

“So you will hear first from Mr. Jared Hanson, and later from Ms. Anne Best. As I said, this is informal. Please feel free to ask questions at any time. If your particular question will be answered further along in the presentation, we can let you know. But otherwise, we want to answer your questions as they occur.” He turned the podium over to Jared.

Jared began his presentation. Although he was only thirty years old, he was smart, confident, and well spoken. Was he overconfident? Perhaps that’s what got him into trouble. Anne listened carefully, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble. She was so concerned with Jared she forgot about her own upcoming presentation. She’d worry about that later. There were a number of questions Jared fielded easily. He hadn’t shown any sign of going blank up to this point. Then someone asked a question Anne knew was answered on an upcoming slide.

“I believe that’s on slide forty or forty-one. Am I right, Jared?”

Jared looked ahead on the presentation. “Yes, you’re right as usual, Anne. That answer is coming up three slides from now.” He sent her a grateful smile, but he didn’t look particularly stressed. She wondered what it took to make him forget everything. Or perhaps he’d already figured out how to prevent that from happening again. She had to make sure he did well. He needed this job to support his family, especially since his wife had chosen to stay home with baby Emery.

Finally, Jared got to the end of his section and answered all the questions, with Gherring fielding a few and putting off some questions until after the next presentation. Gherring declared a fifteen-minute break and refreshments were served in the back of the room.

Since Anne no longer felt the need to worry about Jared, she began to get nervous about her presentation again. She felt the blood drain from her face and her tongue felt as if it were sticking to the roof of her mouth. Gherring approached her with a glass of water. She took it with trembling hands, and he watched her take a sip.

“Thanks for helping. He did quite well this time. Much better than before.”

Anne nodded her head, but her mind was racing along with her heart. She was starting to feel a bit faint again, when Gherring suddenly grabbed her hand. Startled, she turned to look at him and noticed his face looked pained.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” He let out a slow breath. “I have a pain in my abdomen. But don’t let anyone know.”

“What if it’s appendicitis?”

He gave her a strained smile. “It’s going to have to wait. I’m going to sit down right over there next to you.” He took another deep breath and grimaced. “Walk with me, okay?”

She followed and watched him sit down gingerly. “How are you going to be able to finish the presentation? You’re in pain. This is ridiculous. We should cancel—”

“No, this is important to me. Please… I’ll be fine. Just go as long as you can with the presentation. Maybe if I rest a bit, the pain will ease up.” He bit his lip and breathed slowly. “It’s time. You’ve got to do this… for me.”

“Let me tell Jared to call a doctor…”

“No,” he hissed. “Don’t say anything.” He frowned at her, but she returned the glare.

“Okay, but I’m watching you. I’ll put a stop to this whole thing if I think I need to.”

“It’s easing up a bit. It may just be that twelve-course meal from last night.”

She could see the pain etched on his face, even though he said it was getting better. He was probably lying to keep her from calling off the meeting. She needed to hurry this thing along and get him some medical treatment.

“Excuse me. Excusez-moi! If we can gather again, please. Feel free to bring your refreshments with you.”

The board members obediently returned to the table. Anne glanced at Gherring, who was studying his handout. At least he wasn’t clutching his abdomen. She forced herself to focus on the presentation. Gone were the nerves that had plagued her earlier. She pulled up the first slide and started speaking, while keeping Gherring in her side vision. Anne proceeded through ten slides before the first question came up. She glanced at Gherring, but he averted his eyes downward. He must be feeling worse. She fielded the question and continued on.

She was so preoccupied with concern for Gherring that she went through the presentation on auto drive. With so many hours spent on the preparation and study to understand the concepts, she didn’t really need to think about what she was saying. She noticed Gherring moved slightly and sat back in his chair. From the corner of her eye, he almost appeared to be relaxed and smiling. But when she glanced his direction, the smile dissolved into a grimace and his right hand pressed to his side. Anne tried to recall which side the appendix was on. Wasn’t it the right side?

Someone directed a question at Gherring, but Anne rushed to protect him. “I believe the answer to that question is coming up here on the next slide.”

She proceeded far past the point she’d originally aimed for. When the door opened, she noticed with relief it was one o’clock. Time for lunch. She could check on Steven and get him to a hospital if need be.

To Anne’s surprise, when Gherring stood, he appeared to be pain-free.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it seems lunch is served next door. We’ll take up where we left off after we eat. This door will be locked, so you can leave your things at the conference table.”

As all the board members filed out the door, Anne grabbed his arm and forced him into his chair.

“You shouldn’t be standing. Should I call the doctor now?”

“Oh no. I feel quite fine now.” He grinned.

“I don’t believe you could suddenly feel fine. You were in pain the entire time. You can’t risk your health for a meeting, no matter how important you think it is.”

He gave a hearty laugh. “I assure you, I have no pain whatsoever. It must have been indigestion.”

But Anne was trembling now. “I know you’re covering something up. No one recovers like that. You were holding your side five minutes ago—your right side. Isn’t that where your appendix is?”

Gherring stood up and grabbed her shaking shoulders and forced her into the chair. “I’m sorry. I lied to you—”

“I knew it—” Anne tried to jump up, but he kept pressure on her shaking shoulders to keep her seated.

“No, I lied to you when I told you I was hurting.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You were just so nervous. I had to appeal to that selfless nature of yours and get you worried about someone else. I knew you’d be great if you weren’t thinking about it.”

“But… but I saw you… I watched you the whole time.”

Gherring immediately demonstrated a pained look and pressed his hand to his side. Then he changed back again to his smiling, smug demeanor.

“I can’t believe you! I can’t believe you’d let me worry about you for two hours!” Now Anne was trembling from anger rather than fear. “You let me go twice as far as I was supposed to go—I was worried sick about you!”

“But can’t you see I did it for your own good? Look what a great job you did. You weren’t nervous at all, right?”

“You manipulated me!”

“What’s up, guys?” Jared approached the pair.

“Mr. Gherring lied to me to distract me. He made me think he was having an appendicitis attack.”

“Really? Awesome job, Mr. Gherring. You must be a great actor. I’m learning a lot from you.”

“It’s not funny at all! He probably said something to you as well. I noticed you didn’t have any trouble suddenly going blank this time.”

Jared seemed confused. “I’ve never gone blank before. This is the first time I’ve done something this big, so I guess—Ow!” He looked at Gherring. “Why’d you kick me?”

“Mr. Gherring told me that last time you…” Her voice faded and she skewered Gherring with her eyes.

“Now Anne, can’t you see it was for the best?” He folded his hands.

She whipped around and stomped out the door, slamming it behind her.

* * *

Anne was angry.Furious, even. But she was also hungry, and that feeling won out. Having skipped breakfast because of her nerves, she wasn’t about to miss lunch because of Gherring’s antics. She clomped into the adjacent room, searching for a table with one empty chair. She certainly wasn’t going to let Gherring sit by her.

This is just what Henri warned her about. He’d told her Gherring used people. How had Henri phrased it? Has he ever done something to control you? Has he made you feel foolish? Yes, Gherring had done those things, and this was not the first time.

Someone called out her name. She twisted to find Henri standing in the doorway.

“Anne, there you are.” He reached her in three steps, picked her up in a bear hug and swirled her around, to the delight and entertainment of the company board members.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, breathlessly.

“It is only three hours on the train. I could not have you this close and not come to see you. Good surprise? I was afraid you would tell me not to come.”

Anne hugged him again, all the stress of the morning causing tears to form in her eyes. “It’s the best surprise ever. Can we go somewhere for lunch? I’ll have to come back, but I really need to get out of here.”

Henri frowned, studying her face. “What is wrong? No, do not tell me now. Wait until we are alone. Come. I know the best place just down the block.”

He took her hand, leading her out the door toward the lobby exit.

“Where are you going?” Gherring’s strained voice called out before they could reach the revolving door. Anne halted in her tracks, cringing at the irritation in his tone.

She remained motionless, but Henri turned around to face Gherring. His voice cut the air like a knife. “I am taking her to lunch. I will bring her back when she is ready. No sooner.” He put his arm around Anne’s trembling shoulders and ushered her out the door.

“What happened? What did he do?” Henri asked when he got her outside.

“I didn’t say it was him…”

“You did not have to say. I could see it. I could see how you reacted to his voice. Did he make a pass at you? I will kill him for hurting you.”

“No, it’s nothing like that. He didn’t even touch me.” Anne searched for the right words. “It’s like you warned me. He manipulated me. He lied to me. It wasn’t a big thing, and I suppose it turned out okay. But I feel like a fool. After I worried about him for two hours.”

“Why would you be worried about Gherring?”

“He pretended to be in pain. He was holding his side and making a terrible face. I thought he had appendicitis.”

“But why would he do that?”

“He did it so I would be thinking about him instead of thinking about how nervous I was. You know… when I was giving the presentation.”

“Gherring let you give the presentation? Why did he do that?”

“Something about needing to win over the female board members. It was all just like you said. He used me to get what he wanted.”

“And how was your presentation?”

“I think it was okay. It was all just a blur to me.”

“I am so proud of you. Did I not say you were worth so much more than just a secretary? Did I not say? So Gherring has finally seen that you are valuable. And now he will try to take you from me.”

“He’s not trying to take me. Believe you me. I’m just a big joke to him. You should have seen him afterwards, laughing because I believed his act.” Anne couldn’t decide if she was more embarrassed that she’d fallen for his ploy, or that she’d been so ridiculously nervous in the first place.

He stopped walking and drew her into his arms. He held her there while pedestrians passed around them, hurrying to their destinations. “You are not a joke to me, my angel.”

Her tense muscles softened until she was barely holding up her own weight. “Thank you, Henri. Today, you’re my angel.” She smiled at him. Then she took his hand and pulled him along the sidewalk. “Now, come and feed me. I’m starving.”

But he stopped her again. “I know he hurt your feelings. But I was so afraid he had… I thought he had hurt you in a different way. I was afraid you were starting to fall in love with him.”

“I’m not in love with Steven Gherring. Henri, I’ve only said ‘I love you’ to one man in my life. You’ve got to understand, love is more than a word or a feeling to me. It’s a commitment. I don’t expect to say those words again unless I’m positive I’m willing to commit to a life-long relationship.” Anne held up her chin and spoke with passion. “I hope that scares you just a little.”

“I should probably be afraid, but somehow I’m not.” He held her face in his hands. “But I have not said the words to you yet, and I will take your pledge to heart. If you hear the words from me, they will have the same meaning.” His gaze was so intense she had to look away.

When the food came, Anne attacked her plate. “I can’t believe how hungry I am.”

“It is from the adrenaline rush. You will get used to it. You learn to let the nervous energy help you to be sharp. You use the nerves to help you think.”

“But I don’t plan to ever do that again. It’s way too stressful.”

“So you say now. But you will see. It is addicting. When you go back and Gherring closes the deal and you know that you had a part in that—you will want to do it again.” He leaned in close. “I am willing to make a wager…”

She was immediately suspicious. “I don’t think I’m very good at bets. I probably shouldn’t.”

“I know some of those people. We have met before. One of the women… Gherring is right… some of the women demand to have another woman playing a role when they work together.”

“They don’t know I’m his PA. They think I’m part of the CMA group.”

“Is that so? I may use that information to my advantage…” Henri raised his hand. “Don’t look distressed. I will not spoil Gherring’s deal. But I think I can bargain for something good.”

“Don’t make him mad at me. I still have to work for him.”

Henri looked at her with a devious twinkle in his eyes. “Trust me, mon ange.”

* * *

Anne and Henriwalked in the conference room door just as Gherring was about to begin the afternoon session. The smile Gherring gave to Henri didn’t reach his eyes. Henri, however, grinned and shook Gherring’s hand, pulling him to the side to speak to him. Gherring’s eyes narrowed, his lips pressing together in a straight line. When he nodded, Anne wondered what Henri had made him agree to.

Anne had taken her place at the head of the table next to Gherring. Henri strolled around the table speaking to his friends and acquaintances before making an obvious point of placing a chair for himself next to Anne’s. Her face hot and her pulse throbbing in her temples, Anne pretended to study her handout.

“Let’s begin now,” said Gherring, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “We’re delighted to have Henri DuBois visiting with us. I know many of you already know him. If this is your first time to meet Henri, let me just say ‘I’m sorry’ in advance.” Gherring laughed and the group joined in… even Henri, who seemed to relish the introduction.

Gherring continued, “As you may know, Monsieur DuBois’ company, La Porte, has had a cooperative agreement with Gherring Inc. for a number of years. This association has been fruitful and profitable for both companies, as I’m sure Henri can attest. He will be an excellent resource should you have any questions about that option.”

After this introduction, Gherring plunged forward in the presentation. Anne found herself mesmerized by him, even though she’d prepared the PowerPoint herself. The time passed quickly. Questions were answered. The companies deliberated privately and questioned Henri about his association with Gherring Inc. And Gherring closed the deal by seven o’clock, without ever threatening to actually buy out the other two companies, although perhaps they knew he was considering the possibility.

“You were right,” Anne told Henri. “It was exciting. It was fun to be a part of it all. At least it was fun after my part was over.”

One of the female board members approached Anne and Henri. “Henri, someone is finally going to tame you?”

“Only because I asked you so many times, and you turned me down. How is Charles? You are ready to leave him for me?”

“One day, Henri, I might say ‘yes.’ Then what will you do?” She laughed, and turned to Anne. “Ms. Best, it was so nice to meet you. Watch out for Henri! I am looking forward to working with you in the future. Do you have a card?”

“No… I don’t have a card with me. But if you need me, you can reach me on the main line.”

“Excellent. And here is my card.”

Anne took the card, the first of many. Soon Gherring joined their group along with Jared, exchanging greetings and promises of future communication. Gherring kept a close eye on Henri and Anne, until the last person left the room.

Henri clapped his hands with glee. “Well done, Gherring. That should bring a few billion more into your coffers. Where are you taking us to celebrate?”

“Us?” asked Anne.

“Yes,” Gherring spoke with obvious irritation. “Henri suggested he should be allowed to participate in the second half of the meeting and the celebration after, in exchange for keeping his mouth shut about my PA.”

Henri grinned. “Sir Walter Scott said, ‘O what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.’ He was correct—N’est-ce pas, Gherring?”

Gherring narrowed his eyes, and Henri said, “And the other part of the deal?”

“I have already apologized to Ms. Best, but I will say it again.” Gherring turned to Anne and caught her chin with his hand, turning her to face him. “Ms. Best, as I have told you before, everything I do means something to me. I wasn’t making light of you. I simply wanted to make you feel better. I never meant to cause you more emotional stress.”

Their eyes locked together, and for a moment Anne was lost in a blue ocean. She floated into their depths and forgot anyone else was in the room. She regretted her harsh judgment of his actions.

“That is enough apology.” It was Henri’s turn to look annoyed.

Gherring dropped his hand from her face.

“Ahem!” said Jared. “Aren’t you going to apologize to me for making up that story about how I blanked out on a presentation? Only don’t grab my neck—I’m afraid you’ll choke me.”

His laugh was contagious, breaking the tension.

“The more I think about it, the morning was pretty exciting.” Anne cocked her head toward Gherring. “I almost got to mark one more thing off my bucket list—watching an appendix burst.”

* * *

A dinnerthat could have been awkward, with a glaring contest between Gherring and Henri, was instead incredibly jovial. No one was able to maintain a glum attitude for more than a few seconds with Jared constantly entertaining them. One could almost imagine Gherring and Henri were friends. Almost.

“… And we looked everywhere for that pacifier. Finally, at midnight, I was going out to the car to buy a new one from the store. But when I sat down in the car, I felt this hard lump in the back of my underwear…”

Anne had tears of laughter pouring out of her eyes, her mascara long gone after a night of sidesplitting stories about Jared wrestling with newfound fatherhood.

“Stop, Jared! I need to catch my breath!” She giggled and wiped her face with her napkin.

Anne waited until Jared was telling a new story to Gherring. Then she leaned over and whispered to Henri, “When do you have to go back? Tonight or tomorrow?”

“I have to go back tonight. We meet with the doctors tomorrow. They will tell us the results.”

Anne reached out to take his hand. “I don’t know if you’ll feel like talking, but call me if you do. I’m praying. I want to know.”

“I will call you. I’m so afraid. They haven’t said the word cancer, yet. But…” Henri choked a little. “She doesn’t deserve this. I wish it was me.”

Anne squeezed his hand, but Henri excused himself from the table and went to compose himself. Gherring and Jared turned questioning eyes to Anne.

“I don’t know if he’d want me to tell you…” Anne started.

“I overheard the word cancer,” said Jared.

“Please don’t say anything, Jared. It’s not him—it’s a young family member. And they don’t know for sure yet. Just act like everything’s normal.” Anne chewed on her lip, glancing over her shoulder toward the hallway where Henri had disappeared.

“The bill’s paid already. We’ll leave when he returns. We won’t ask any questions.” Gherring spoke, and Anne was relieved to see sympathy in his eyes.

Jared swallowed hard. “I’m thinking what if it was Emery.”

When Henri returned, the foursome went to the car. The mood had turned somber, and no one seemed inclined to talk. Henri asked, “Can you take me to the train station on the way back?”

“Henri, if you want to stay the night, Gherring Inc. will pay for a room. You really did help close the deal today. I never actually thanked you.”

“No, I need to be back before the morning. But thank you for the offer.”

At the station, Anne walked in with Henri while the others waited in the car. Out of Gherring’s sight, she hugged him hard, and they shed a few more tears together.

“I’m praying, Henri. I wish I could do more. You rescued me today and I won’t forget it. I owe you, now.”

“You are still coming next week, right?”

Anne smiled. “I’ve got the ticket taped to my bathroom mirror! I look at it every day. But Henri, you don’t have to entertain me when I come. If you need to be at home or at the hospital, I’ll be there with you.”

“Naturally, you would say that, mon ange. I will find time to show Paris to you, no matter what happens.”

Anne stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

“I cannot believe that I, the great Henri DuBois, am reduced to a kiss on the cheek. Next week, I hope to kiss these again.” He touched her lips gently with his finger before he turned and departed.

When Anne returned to the car, Jared and Gherring were discussing the schedule for the next day.

“I’d love to see Switzerland, don’t get me wrong,” said Jared. “But I miss my wife and my baby girl. So I was thinking about getting a commercial flight home. You said I was getting a bonus if we closed the deal. You could just take the extra cost out of my bonus.”

“You don’t have to do that,” said Anne. “Mr. Gherring, it’s okay if we go back tomorrow. I still got a stamp on my passport, even if I didn’t do any sightseeing.”

Gherring silenced them without raising his voice. “Jared, you can go back any time you please, and Gherring Inc. will pay for the ticket. This will be a lucrative deal at some point in the future. I am certain of it. However, Anne, as I was telling Jared, I have plans to go to Jungfrau tomorrow. You can come along,” he offered, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief, “or go back early with Jared if you prefer.”

“I don’t know what Jungfrau is, but I’m going!” She grinned so hard it hurt.

* * *

Anne was soexcited about the trip she arrived twenty minutes early to Gherring’s suite for breakfast. She knocked gingerly on the door and listened for sounds of stirring inside. Then the elevator door opened and the breakfast cart emerged, heading for the Presidential Suite. This time she rapped loudly on the door, and Gherring opened the door clad only in a towel, his hair still dripping. The butler was unfazed by his state of undress, pushing the cart into the room and setting up the grand breakfast on the table.

She lagged behind, expecting Gherring would hurry to his room to change. Instead, he lounged casually and chatted in French with the butler before giving him a tip. She tried to act nonchalant. After all, she’d seen his chest and his legs before, in the gym. Why was her heart racing this time? It was nothing new. Just a chest. Not just a chest. A very nice, well-muscled chest with a firm stomach underneath. He certainly didn’t have the stomach of a fifty-year-old. There didn’t seem to be any flab there at all. Didn’t all fifty-year-old men have at least a little paunch? He looked very fit, but it was nothing she hadn’t seen before.

Maybe it was the fact he had on a towel. There was that vague idea it was only a towel and it might somehow fall off. Not that she hoped it would. It was just that it might—you never knew. But it looked like it was tucked in pretty well. It probably wouldn’t fall off. Not that she wanted it to.

“Hello… Anne… Are you in there?” He was talking to her, and she hadn’t heard a word he’d said. When had the butler left? How long have I been standing here staring at his towel?

“Sorry. I was just…uh… thinking about being hungry—I mean—thinking about breakfast.” Anne could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

Gherring, however, acted totally oblivious. “You’re hungry? Let’s see what they’ve brought us.” He walked between her and the table and bent over to examine the contents under the silver domes. This afforded her a fantastic view of his backside, covered by that towel. And when he bent over… Did the towel shift a little? Was it lower than before?

Good grief! I’m ogling my boss!

Anne promptly turned her back to Gherring. “I think you should go and get dressed. I shouldn’t have come so early.”

Gherring made a sound behind her. Was he laughing? She whipped around, but Gherring’s face was unreadable. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You’ve seen me shirtless before.”

“But, this is different. You’re in a towel.”

“You can’t see through it, can you?” He looked down, as if inspecting the towel for holes.

“No, it’s just… Please go get dressed.”

Gherring smiled enigmatically. “As you wish.”

And he disappeared into the bedroom.

* * *

With Gherring properly attired,Anne was once again able to focus on what she really loved—food. They had eggs Benedict—her favorite. And it was the best eggs Benedict she had ever tasted.

“Wow.” Gherring’s dimples peeked out as he watched her eating. “I’m not sure I’ve ever made a woman look that happy before. All that effort and all it took was eggs Benedict.”

“This is not just eggs Benedict. It’s the best ever. I don’t know what they did to it, but… wow!”

“I guess seeing the glacier at Jungfraujoch will be a letdown after the eggs Benedict.”

“What time are we leaving? I need to brush my teeth.”

“The train leaves at eight a.m., and we’ll be gone all day. Dress warmly. Bring gloves and a hat.”

Anne rushed downstairs to pack her day bag.

* * *

“This is amazing!It’s so beautiful!” Anne felt like a broken record. She couldn’t help herself. She kept exclaiming about the scenery from the window of the train as it sped along the railway. “What’s the name of this lake?”

“That’s Lake Brienz. Our first stop is Interlaken, which is on the lake. But we won’t tour there until we’re on the way home. I want to get you up to the top of Jungfrau before the afternoon clouds roll in. Hopefully, we’ll have an incredible view.”

Anne smiled so much her cheeks hurt, still mesmerized by the scenery. The grass was still green, and the Alps had a sprinkling of snow on top.

Gherring said, “You should come back in the winter. It looks like a picture postcard, especially up in the mountains.”

Gherring shifted a bit to point out the window, and she suddenly became aware of his leg pressing against hers.

“What did you say? I… I missed it.” She tried to concentrate on his words, but she could only hear a distant sound in her head. Why did he still affect her this way? She’d tried to make herself see Gherring objectively. It worked for her brain, but her body just wouldn’t listen. She could still picture him wearing nothing but a towel. What was he saying?

Anne nodded her head and fabricated an all-encompassing answer. “I see.” She hoped that comment would make sense with what he had told her. It was probably some factoid about the geography or the history of Switzerland. He seemed to be a walking encyclopedia.

“You see?” Gherring looked at her quizzically. “I asked if you’d like to take a hike along the lake this afternoon. What did you think I said?”

Anne’s face burned. “I was thinking about something else.”

“Are you worried about Henri’s family member? Have you heard anything yet?”

“I don’t expect to hear anything soon.” Her heart hurt. “It’s so depressing. Let’s talk about something else.”

Gherring studied her with narrowed eyes. “Sure. What would you like to talk about?”

Anne racked her brain. She needed to think objectively about Gherring. “Let’s talk about you. When was the last time you went on a serious date?”

“I don’t think I care for this topic.”

“How about something more general. What characteristics do you think make the ideal woman?”

“A woman who minds her own business.”

“No seriously, this could be fun.”

“Okay, then you go first. How would you describe your ideal man?”

“Hmmm.” Anne twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “You know, I’ve never given it much thought. I’ve always been good at picking out people who go together. But I picked out a man so long ago…” She gave Gherring a challenging look. “You have to list as many characteristics as I do. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Anne contemplated her list. Obviously, handsome and a great body would go on her list, but she wasn’t going to mention that first. “Hmmm… well-educated, great conversationalist—”

Gherring grinned. “Ditto.”

“No way—you have to think of your own. You go next, that way you can’t cheat.”

“Beautiful, with a great body. What else matters?” He laughed.

“Ditto,” Anne chuckled.

“Now who’s cheating?”

“Okay, how about this one—someone who’ll put me first and someone I would be willing to put first in my own life.”

“No, that’s too hard to measure. How about hair color, eye color?”

“Blond and brown,” she replied quickly. She certainly wasn’t going to say dark hair and blue eyes.

“Oh.” Gherring’s dimples appeared suddenly. “Too bad for Henri. Shall I be the one to break the news?”

She chuckled. “Stop it! Now don’t you want a woman who isn’t interested in your money?”

“Why would I want that? I’m an old fart now. Women aren’t really interested in me for myself anymore. Money’s my only real asset.”

“That’s not true at all. There’s a lot more to you than your money.”

Gherring looked away, dejected. “If I wasn’t rich, no woman would look twice at me.”

“You can’t really believe that. You’re smart and handsome and you…” Anne stopped talking when she noticed Gherring’s shoulders shaking with laughter. “And you did it to me again!”

“Don’t stop now. I’m really enjoying your evaluation.” He chuckled but grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “No, please, don’t be mad. I’ll cooperate this time.”

He heaved a great sigh.

“I want someone I won’t be bored with after six months. I’d like someone who’d be fun to grow old with. I want someone who helps me to be the best man I can be. I want someone who needs me as much as I need her.”

“Wow… that’s really good.” Anne was acutely aware of his hand holding hers, yet she maintained her composure. “But talk about hard to measure. How would you ever know?”

“In the past, I would’ve said you couldn’t really know. You’d have to be willing to take a chance.”

“But now?” Anne attempted to slide her hand away casually, but Gherring maintained his firm, yet gentle, hold.

“But now I’d say I’d never met the right woman.”

This time Anne succeeded in slipping her hand away to gesture with it. “You see, that’s exactly what Gram and I said. We just need to find you the right woman.” She smiled with satisfaction.

“And what about you?”

Anne felt herself blushing and leaned down to retie her boots and hide her face. “What about me?”

“I gave you four more qualities. Now you owe me four more. And they have to be really good ones.”

When she met his gaze, the intensity made her breath catch in her throat.

“I’d want someone… someone I could trust. They’d have to love my girls too. Someone with integrity. And someone who’d hold me when I cry and not be awkward about it because sometimes I just need to cry.”

Gherring left her alone with her melancholy reflections for several minutes before speaking. “Would you like to change the subject again?”

She released a big breath. “Absolutely! I’ll do better this time. Let’s see… where are we going for lunch?”

* * *

The scenery was increasinglybeautiful as the journey progressed. Anne exclaimed at the quaint towns, waterfalls, and lakes peppered among the mountain slopes and valleys. At Lauterbrunnen, they boarded a cog train that took them to Kleine Scheidegg. From there, another cog train traversed up a steep incline for the last leg of their journey. Eighty percent of the fifty-minute ride was inside a tunnel carved deep in the solid mountain rock.

The train arrived at the Jungfraujoch, the highest train station in Europe. After enjoying the amazing views and hot food, they walked through a long tunnel carved in the glacier to reach a large hall with several chambers and small connecting passages. Everything was made of ice—the floor, ceiling, walls, and arches. Everywhere were magnificent ice figurines of birds and animals, so intricately carved they were almost life-like. The lights cascaded through the ice and reflected from the shiny surfaces. Some sculptures were enhanced with colored lights, as well.

Anne studied every carving, while Gherring studied Anne.

“Why aren’t you looking at the ice sculptures?” she asked. “Are you bored?”

“No. But it’s more fun to watch you. I’ve seen it all before, but now I can see it through your eyes.”

This was her chance to help him see the value of getting married and having a family. “That’s exactly what it’s like when you have kids. And you know, it’s not too late for that. You could still have a family.”

He lifted his head, gazing at the ice ceiling. “You and Gram are way too much alike.”

* * *

“Too bad it’s November,”Gherring said as they changed trains at Lauterbrunnen. “We could stop here and go see Trammel Falls, but they close at the end of October. In the summer, we could hike through Lauterbrunnen Valley. It’s about a three-hour hike and there are seventy-two waterfalls. And if it was January, we could go stay in Wengen and go skiing—it’s such a beautiful place to ski. There’s this great little bakery you can stop at on your way back from a day of skiing.” He heaved a big breath. “I’ve got to bring you back.”

“Since everyone here thinks I’m in the CMA department, I guess I’d have an excuse. That is, if you ever had to come over here for business again.”

He frowned. “I could bring you here—”

Her phone trilled, interrupting his sentence. “Oh no, it’s Henri.” She took the call with trembling fingers, while Gherring moved to allow her some privacy. “Henri? Did you hear something?”

Anne could hear him trying to catch his breath. “They must do a biopsy to confirm, but they say it is most likely cancer.” Henri was choking back tears.

“Oh no, Henri. I’m so sorry. She’s so young.” Her own tears were falling freely. “What… what does this mean? What will they do for her?”

“I do not know yet. They said… They said possible amputation.” Henri’s voice cracked. “And we would be upset about that, but they talked about better survival rates… and we can’t lose her! I can’t lose her!” He sobbed now, and Anne cried with him. “I… you will still pray?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll pray for her.”

“The biopsy is tomorrow. They could schedule surgery before you come, or while you are here. I… My sister is calling me. I have to go. Please pray.”

Anne disconnected and sat staring at her phone with tears streaming down her face.

“Anne?” His voice was tender as he sat beside her. He opened his arms, and she fell against him, crying as he held her, gently rubbing her arm. He didn’t complain when his shirt was wet with her tears, but pulled her closer and tucked her head against his chest.

He didn’t ask her any questions, but when her tears began to diminish, the story of the little girl she’d never met spilled out from her broken heart. The sweet Anna-Laure who’d just gotten a pony for her seventh birthday. The uncle who loved her like a father. The terror of the word—cancer.

And still he held her. Silent. Listening. His presence somehow soothing her aching soul. She began to cry again because it felt so good to be held. But she knew it was an empty promise. He held her because that was the kind of man he was. He would do the same for any woman in distress. It didn’t mean anything. For a moment, she imagined how it would be if he loved her. And then she cried for herself, for the woman who’d stood alone for fifteen years with no one to hold her.

* * *

Anne was still feelingglum when they departed the train at Interlaken, but she didn’t want to ruin the trip for Mr. Gherring. He seemed content to stroll the streets and go into the shops. Her mood began to brighten as she shopped for presents. She found an entire store devoted to music boxes, and chose two small ones for Emily and Charlotte. The decorative boxes fascinated her with exposed mechanisms that played intricate tunes and harmonies.

One store displayed alphorns, and the merchant let her blow on one. She was thrilled when she finally produced a semblance of a horn sound. Gherring snapped a picture of her face as she strained to play the cumbersome instrument. She found a shop devoted to Swiss Army knives, and purchased a small one for her father.

When the stores closed, Gherring took her to Restaurant Benacus, where he ordered a seven-course tasting meal for each of them. Despite her protests to the contrary, she managed to eat a significant portion of each sampling. She declared this to be the best food so far!

Back on the train, she struggled to stay awake for the hour-long trip back to Bern. But she finally succumbed to exhaustion, physical and emotional, and fell asleep leaning against the window. When she awoke, she was somehow oriented the other direction, with her head against Steven’s side. She sat up abruptly, apologizing under her breath.

“You’re not that heavy.” He stretched, a wince belying his words.

* * *

“Why are we leaving so early?”Anne grumbled as they boarded the jet at five a.m.

“You’ll be glad tomorrow. The jet lag is much worse going back because we lose six hours. This’ll help you go to sleep at a normal time tonight.”

“No, it won’t, because I’m going right back to sleep as soon as the plane takes off.”

“No, you’re not, because I’m not going to let you.”

“Ha! You can try.” She pulled the lever to lean her seat back.

“We have things to discuss—like how we’re going to handle your transition.”

“What transition?”

“Your transition to CMA. The problem is I still need a PA.”

“You’re moving me? To Contract, Merger and Acquisition? I thought that was just a ploy.”

“No, you’ve already proven yourself. And we’ll need you to work with these companies in the months ahead, now that you’ve established a working relationship.”

“But I don’t have any business education. No one in that department would have any respect for me.”

“Yes. I’ve been thinking, you might want to take some night courses. Gherring Inc. would pay for them.”

“Wait! Just stop for a second and let me think. This is a bit too much all at one time.” She put her head in her hands, rubbing her forehead.

“And I’ll have to get another PA. We can probably still get the candidate I planned to hire before you arrived and shook things up. I think her name was Lana Stewart. Don’t you want this? You’ll get a raise, of course.”

“I… I just need to think…”

“You’ve got six hours to think. Are you awake now?”

“Oh yeah. I’m awake for sure.”

Anne’s heart contracted in her chest. Was this a promotion? She guessed so, but maybe it was simply his way of getting rid of her. In the CMA department, she’d hardly ever see him. She couldn’t turn this down—it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He’d even offered to pay for further education. She could eventually get her MBA. Her dad had always been a little disappointed she hadn’t used her degree. He’d told her, “You were made for great things!” But she’d felt fulfilled just raising her children. And now her children didn’t need her anymore…

Wasn’t this what she really wanted? A chance to be challenged? A chance to be more than just a secretary? Why wasn’t she thrilled? She knew the answer. She’d looked forward to seeing Steven Gherring each day, even when they didn’t interact a lot. Now, after spending so much time with him, she realized how much she was going to miss him. She felt desolate already.

The plane’s engines droned, and her head hurt. Maybe it was from lack of sleep, or maybe it was from worrying about his plans to move her to a new job in a new department. But whatever the reason, it hurt so much she couldn’t think anymore.

She glanced at Gherring, who was reading a newspaper. “Do you have anything for a headache? Ibuprofen? Aspirin?”

Gherring’s eyebrows knit together. “Sure. Is it a migraine?” He didn’t wait for an answer but started for the back of the plane and returned quickly with two ibuprofens and a bottle of water.

“So, how bad is it?”

“It’s not a migraine. I think it’s just a tension headache.”

He sat down next to her. “Okay, call me crazy, but you don’t seem too happy about this promotion. What’s going on?”

What could she say to him? I just want to be your PA so I can stay close to you? Ha! That would go over like a lead balloon. She could never let him know. He would send her farther away than the CMA department.

It was probably an answer to prayer. If she continued as his PA, she might actually fall in love with him. Think how miserable she would be then.

But her feelings were still hurt that he’d so readily sent her away. She couldn’t blame him, though. Especially since she was in a relationship with his nemesis. What did she expect?

“Anne? What’s wrong?”

“How soon would we make the switch?”

“It depends on how soon I can find a replacement for you. And how soon you can get him or her trained.”

He covered her hand with his, and her skin sizzled. “Personality and integrity are key for this position. Everything else can be taught.” His expression grew earnest. She ought to be flattered. “The people in Bern loved you, Anne. You can’t believe how many people told me they want to work with you in the future. So why aren’t you happy? Are you nervous? Because I know you’ll do a great job. I’m never wrong about these things.”

What could she say? How could she explain to him why she wasn’t thrilled? She couldn’t even explain it to herself. She thought of a practical question. “Who’d be training me?”

“I thought maybe Shanna Matheson might take you under her wing. She’ll be back from maternity leave in December. Jared’s a little green or I’d pair you with him. Would you rather have someone else?”

“You do realize I don’t know anything except the stuff I learned in one day? Just the stuff I needed to understand how to prepare Jeff’s presentation? I don’t really understand all the different concepts.”

“What impressed me was not your understanding of the concepts, but how easily and quickly you managed to grasp those ideas. Some people study for years to learn what you picked up in a few hours.”

“Oh… Okay.”

He frowned. “Usually people respond more positively to my praise.” He bent his head toward her. “What gives?”

“I don’t know. I’m really honored and flattered. I mean… thanks, I’ll do my best. I’ll try to get my replacement trained quickly.” She bit her lip.

“Are you afraid? Is it too much responsibility?”

“No… maybe… Yes, I guess that’s it.” She peered into his eyes. “What if I can’t do it? And then…” She looked back down. “And then you’ll already have a new PA and I won’t have a job.”

One side of his mouth quirked upward. “I guess we could wait to get your replacement.”

“Really?”

“You don’t have to take the promotion at all if you really don’t want it.”

“You mean you’d let me stay if I wanted to?”

He looked up at the ceiling and blinked his eyes. “I really don’t understand you at all.” Then his eyes locked with hers. “Is that what you want?”

“No, I think I want the job. But… well… it seemed like you might want…” She finally blinked and looked away. “You seem to want a different PA.”

“So you do want the job? But you don’t want me to get a new PA? I’m so confused—”

“Ha! You think you’re confused!” She wanted the new job, but she didn’t want to quit her old one. And she wanted him to offer her the promotion, but she wanted him to be at least a little sad about it. He just seemed too happy about replacing her—like he wouldn’t miss her at all. But, of course, he wouldn’t miss her. Not like she would miss him. And she needed to stop thinking like that so she could help Gram find him a wife.

“Ms. Best?” His deep intense voice compelled her attention.

“Yes, Mr. Gherring?”

“What would make you happy? What job would you really like at Gherring Inc.?”

“Honestly? Mr. Gherring—you are Gherring Inc. Right now I help you with everything you do. Aren’t I more valuable as your assistant than I would be in CMA?”

“I don’t know. You’ve done quite a bit more than an PA usually does. You’ve learned technical specifics about an area of the company and accomplished work I would’ve had to do myself. That’s way more than being a personal assistant.”

“Oh wow! That’s a great idea!”

“What idea?”

“That I’ll be your expanded-duty personal assistant. I can learn about everything you do and take some of your workload—that sounds awesome!”

“Is that what I said?”

“That’s what I heard. Isn’t that what you said?” Then she sat up and grabbed his arm. “Just one thing—do I still get a raise?”

He closed his eyes for a long moment and then started chuckling. After he caught his breath, he turned back to her. “So, Ms. Best?”

“Yes, Mr. Gherring?”

“Are we going to need a PA?”