If She Waited (Kate Wise #14)

PROLOGUE

Patricia Holmes glanced at the clock on her desk.

It was nearly ten thirty, later than she'd planned to work, but tomorrow marked a milestone she wanted to get right.

Her tenth official client as an independent life coach would arrive at nine in the morning, and she was determined to make the session count.

Something about the number ten just felt very official… very promising.

She scrolled through her notes on the laptop, reviewing the intake form the client had submitted.

This client was a woman in her early fifties, recently laid off from a pharmaceutical company, unsure about what came next.

Patricia understood that uncertainty better than most people would guess.

Six months ago, she'd been in a similar position, though the layoff had been her own choice.

Twenty years in corporate human resources had left her drained and disconnected from the work she'd once loved.

The decision to leave had been terrifying, but it had also been necessary.

The Second Act Success program had changed everything.

Patricia had enrolled three months after leaving her job, drawn by the promise of guidance in building a coaching practice from the ground up.

The twelve-week curriculum had covered everything from business planning to marketing strategies, but more importantly, it had connected her with other professionals making similar transitions.

The community aspect had been unexpected and invaluable.

She opened a folder on her desktop labeled "Session Templates" and pulled up the framework she'd developed during the program.

The structure felt solid, a good starting point for helping clients identify their strengths and explore new directions.

Patricia had always been good at seeing potential in others, even when they couldn't see it themselves.

That skill had served her well in HR, but it had also been limited by corporate constraints.

Now she could use it freely, helping people on their own terms rather than the company's.

Her printer hummed as it spit out the worksheets she'd prepared for tomorrow's session.

While she waited, Patricia reached for the envelope sitting at the corner of her desk.

It had arrived in today's mail, a thank-you note from another program graduate who'd launched her own consulting business last month.

Patricia had been one of her early supporters, offering advice during the rough patches and celebrating the wins.

She needed her letter opener to get into the envelope properly; this was one she didn’t want to accidentally tear or crease.

The gift had been special, presented to her at the program's graduation ceremony along with a certificate and a standing ovation from her cohort.

The opener itself was elegant, with her name engraved on the handle and the program's logo etched into the blade.

Patricia turned back to her desk and reached for the cup where she kept various office supplies.

As she did, the light from her desk lamp cast her shadow across the wall to her right.

But there was something wrong with the shadow's shape.

It looked broader than it should, as if something were standing directly behind her chair.

Patricia started to turn, her brain still processing what her eyes had seen.

But she was stopped when pain exploded across the back of her skull.

The room tilted sideways as she tried to catch herself on the desk, but her hands wouldn't cooperate.

Everything was moving too fast and too slow at the same time.

She hit the floor hard, her cheek pressing against the cool hardwood. The printer was still humming somewhere above her, still producing those worksheets for tomorrow's session. Patricia tried to focus on the sound, tried to use it as an anchor, but the darkness was closing in from all sides.

The last thing she saw before her vision failed completely was a pair of shoes. Black leather, freshly polished, standing just inches from her face. They looked expensive, the kind someone would wear to make an impression at an important meeting.

Then even that small detail faded, and Patricia Holmes saw nothing at all.