Bachelor CEO (McDaniels #1)

Chapter Ten

“So, Chase, we’ll see you in a year, hey?”

Nick Cissna gave him a firm handshake and a slap on the back. “You have fun. Darn, I would’ve loved to have the opportunity you’re taking.”

“Thanks,”

Chase said. He shook hands with a few more people as board members filed out of the conference room. It was now official. Miranda was in and Chase was on vacation, one that he’d “requested,”

according to the way his grandfather had presented it.

Chase watched Miranda as she spoke with Logan Bennett. He was the third most influential member of the board aside from Kathleen, the president. Logan shook Miranda’s hand and the baton was passed.

Chase’s tie suddenly felt tight, and he loosened the knot. No need to look perfect now. He allowed himself a wry smile. After all, he wouldn’t work here for another 365 days.

“So what will you do?”

Kathleen asked as she passed by.

“I’m headed to Colorado.”

After his stilted drive back to Chenille with Miranda, Chase had called Brice, who had been thrilled to have him come crash at his place. All Chase had to do was go by his house, put his bike on the back of his SUV and lock the doors. The vehicle was already loaded with clothes, camping gear and athletic equipment.

“Have a great time,”

Kathleen said.

The boardroom continued to empty and finally Miranda passed by. He touched her arm. “I’m leaving.”

She bit her lip. “Okay. I’ll take care of everything for you.”

“I know you will. You call me, though, if you need anything. Anything,”

he stressed, not wanting her to think he was referring to business.

“I will,”

she said, and sadly, he knew she wouldn’t.

Chase left the boardroom and walked to his office. Time to sneak out like a thief in the night. Nothing would change in his absence. His e-mails would be forwarded to Miranda, his mail opened and distributed. Someone would come in and dust. He glanced around, his gaze alighting on the older picture of his family. On impulse, he grabbed that. Everyone was smiling, and Chase was laughing.

His throat constricted and he fought back tears. His father had always called Chase the dependable one. He wouldn’t let him down now. He’d do what was asked of him.

He pocketed the picture. Then he took a deep breath and turned out the light. The mountains waited.

BY THE MIDDLE OF JULY, Chase had climbed nearly every peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. He’d just completed his final challenge. He stood atop Longs Peak, over 14,000 feet above sea level, and inhaled the thin air.

He’d been away from Chenille for six weeks. He’d crashed on Brice’s couch for a week, and then, with a bit of good fortune, had managed to find lodging at the YMCA camp outside Estes Park. The Y had some of the best recreational programs and facilities around, and guests could even hike into Rocky Mountain National Park from the grounds. Preferring the laid-back atmosphere to a hotel, he’d been in his one-bedroom cabin ever since. It was his base of operations as he made day trips up through the alpine meadows and longer excursions into Wyoming for white-water rafting.

“Wow! This is great!”

“Yeah,”

Chase replied, taking a drink of water. He was on an organized hike, and he’d partnered with Rachel, an enthusiastic college student he’d met. She was working at the camp and would return to Colorado State in the fall.

She was pretty and loved all things outdoors, but she was thirteen years his junior and couldn’t compare to Miranda.

No one he’d met had.

He opened his backpack and withdrew his digital 35mm SLR camera. He’d added photography to his list of hobbies and even purchased a few lenses. Tomorrow he’d leave here and take Interstate 70 east. He planned on making day stops in Kansas City, Saint Louis and Indianapolis before ending up in New York just in time to become an uncle.

He’d heard Cecilia was having a girl.

He lifted the camera and started taking pictures. He could see as far as Wyoming.

“Let me get one of both of you,”

someone said, and he threw his arm around Rachel’s shoulders and obliged.

“You have to e-mail me a copy,”

she told him, and Chase agreed. Then there was an obligatory group shot, a moment preserved in history of a bunch of people who had climbed a mountain together, yet wouldn’t keep in touch after today.

The guide called time, and began gathering the hikers together. They’d started at 3:00 a.m., and if they left the summit now they could beat the dangerous afternoon storms that often developed. Chase gazed across at the Twin Sisters peaks, took a picture and put his camera away.

Rachel kept up both her pace and her chatter the entire descent. “So you’re leaving when?”

she asked a mile before they reached the trailhead.

“Tomorrow,”

Chase replied.

“A bunch of my friends and I are hitting Eddie’s tonight. You should come with us. Don’t say you’re too tired, or that you have to pack. You should party on your last night. Hey, you’ve got to celebrate. We conquered Longs.”

While he wasn’t interested in Rachel romantically, the idea of hanging out with people sounded appealing. He could have all his stuff loaded into the SUV within an hour. “Tonight could work.”

“Oh, you’ll have fun, especially if you like darts,”

Rachel said.

Chase half listened to her next story. His mind was on the last part of the hike, and contemplating the week ahead. His real contact with his family had been through e-mails or text messages.

Chandy had taken off with friends to California. Chris and his wife were selling their house and buying another. Cecilia declared she was huge and couldn’t wait to see him. He missed her, too. Of all his siblings, she’d always been the closest.

He’d spoken to his grandfather a few times, but Leroy had never been one to spend hours on the phone. He’d been brief, said he felt great and that Miranda was doing a great job.

Chase wanted to know more, but even when he’d asked, Leroy had told him not to worry, and failed to elaborate. So Chase had no idea what was happening at McDaniel. Or if Miranda had met anyone new.

He was in the dark.

“Sorry, I missed that,”

Chase said, realizing Rachel had asked him a question. She repeated it, and he focused, trying to stay in the present and on the trail.

When they reached the parking lot, he unlocked his vehicle and removed his cell phone. Not wanting to be distracted during the climb, he’d left it in the car.

He flipped open the phone. “Let me have your number,”

he told Rachel. “I’ll call you later and get directions.”

“Great.”

Chase began to hit the directory, but his phone beeped as it registered voice mail. “Hold on. Let me check if this is Brice. He might want to go.”

“The more the merrier,”

she replied.

Chase had three messages. He hadn’t had that many in one day since he’d left Chenille. The first was from Miranda, sent around 10:00 a.m. She’d asked him to call back as soon as possible.

Chase frowned. Why would she be phoning him after six weeks? He gripped the phone tighter. She’d said she was on the pill. But what if she was pregnant? His mind raced and he almost didn’t hear the start of the second message, which was indeed from Brice. He wanted to get together for a beer before Chase left.

The last message had been sent only a half hour ago.

He recognized Cecilia’s voice, but he could hardly make out what his sister was saying, since she was sobbing so hard. He heard her gasp out “hospital”

and he panicked, wondering if she’d lost the baby. Surely she was too far along for that.

“Call me, Chase, the moment you get this. I’m on my way to the airport. I know I’m not supposed to fly, but this is an emergency.”

She’d calmed down and focused. “I just have to be there. He could die. Chase, call me. Hurry.”

Chase could sense Rachel’s query. He held up a finger and hit a button on his speed dial.

His sister answered on the first ring. “Thank God it’s you,” she said.

“What’s going on?”

He heard her sniffle. “Grandpa had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital in the Twin Cities. I’ve been in touch, but you’re the power of attorney and his health care director.”

Chase remembered the papers he’d signed, giving him permission to carry out Leroy’s wishes not to resuscitate. He felt weak-kneed and sick. “Are we at that point?”

“I don’t think so. I hope not. He can’t die, Chase. What will we do?”

His decision was instantaneous. This was when Chase was at his best. Brice, Rachel and Eddie’s would have to wait. He would see his family through this crisis. “I’m on my way.”

MIRANDA PACED the waiting room. She’d been there since late Saturday afternoon, arriving a few hours after Leroy had been airlifted from the hospital closest to Lone Pine. The E.R. doctors at the first hospital had diagnosed him with heart failure. They’d stabilized him, but the best place for surgery would be in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, so they’d sent him to a hospital in the Twin Cities. Her newly purchased GPS unit had come in handy as she’d made the drive in her car.

She poured another cup of coffee. She’d lost track of time and how many cups she’d had in her attempt to stay awake.

The wall clock read 7:00 a.m. It was Sunday morning.

She’d learned Leroy had made it through surgery, but that was all she knew.

Chase hadn’t called, but Cecilia was on her way. She’d texted a message before boarding, to say her flight would land at nine.

Miranda sank onto the seat. Never in a million years had she expected this. She’d driven to the lake Friday evening, and she and Leroy had eaten dinner. He’d been chipper and upbeat when she’d met with him in the morning to discuss business. After lunch, he’d told her he was off for his daily siesta.

For the past few weeks she’d been leaving around noon. But yesterday the water had called to her. Not confident in the motorboat without Chase, she’d taken out a canoe. She’d paddled for hours, until her arms ached.

She missed Chase. Sleeping above the kitchen kept alive the night they’d shared there. She hadn’t heard from him, and Leroy hadn’t ventured any details. She’d reached for the phone several times since he’d been gone, and then she’d set it aside. They had to walk these separate paths. It was better this way.

Miranda bit back tears. She’d lost Chase. She couldn’t lose Leroy, too. It had been close. The paramedics had told her that if she hadn’t stayed those extra hours Leroy wouldn’t have had a chance. He’d had a heart attack in his sleep. She’d gone to check on him when he wasn’t in the great room on her return from canoeing, and found him lying in bed, looking far too pale and still. When he hadn’t responded to her attempts to wake him, she’d called 911.

Miranda dropped her head in her hands. She’d gotten only an hour of sleep here and there and she was exhausted. The staff said they’d come and get her if something changed. She wondered if they’d forgotten her.

“Leroy McDaniel’s room.”

She started, turning her head so sharply she almost wrenched her neck. She knew that voice.

“Chase.”

She rose to her feet. “You’re here.”

He turned, his eyes raking over her. She knew what he saw: a woman wearing yesterday’s shorts and T-shirt. She hadn’t even washed her face or put on makeup.

“Yeah.”

He tapped his fingers on the counter as the floor nurse did something with her computer.

“They won’t tell me anything,”

Miranda said. He was such a sight for sore eyes! Unlike her, in her rumpled clothing, he wore pressed pants and a short-sleeve polo.

“They will me.”

Chase handed over a document. “This is his living will and health care directive. I have a legal right to all information. I’m Chase McDaniel. I’m also his next of kin.”

The woman looked over at the document. “Yes, Mr. McDaniel. If you’ll take a seat we’ll get this processed and have someone with you in just a moment.”

Chase nodded before walking toward Miranda. “You look like hell. Haven’t you slept?”

She ignored his rough, worried tone. “How could I?”

“I’m here now. I’ll handle everything.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hotel key. “I got a room at…”

He named a nearby premier hotel. “Room 315. Go get some sleep and I’ll call you in a little while. My sister’s got the adjoining room, so the interior door might be open. At least that’s what the reception people told me. I had someone meet me at the airport. I chartered a small plane and flew in.”

His efficiency, plus his ability to climb on a small plane when one had killed his parents, stunned Miranda. “What about your car?”

“I hired a service to drive it home.”

She stared at him. He had taken over like a man adept at handling any crisis. Chase didn’t think of himself. He figured out what needed to be done and he did it. “Okay.”

“Go,”

he ordered, his tone gently insistent.

Miranda felt the weight of the world leave her. Chase was here. He would handle everything. It would all be okay.

BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON all of Chase’s siblings had arrived. Leroy had undergone bypass surgery Saturday night and was still in intensive care. Now rested and showered, Miranda returned to the hospital.

“He’s sleeping,”

Chase told her when she asked. “Thank you for being there for him.”

“I’m so glad I was,”

Miranda replied. “So what can I do?”

Chase ran a hand through his hair. He’d let it grow out, and he needed both a shave and a cut. “Seriously? Go back to Chenille.”

That was not the answer she’d been expecting. She bristled. “Excuse me?”

“By tomorrow McDaniel Manufacturing will be inundated with phone calls. Your presence will keep everyone calm. You need to do that until I arrive and take over.”

The businessman was in full force. She registered his last words: take over. “Which is when?”

she asked.

“I’m probably not going to get down there for a few more days. I have to make sure Leroy pulls through first. Then he’ll have to recuperate somewhere, which means a home nurse back in Chenille. There’s no way he can stay at the lake in this condition. I’ll get my grandfather settled and then I’ll come straighten out McDaniel.”

“McDaniel is doing fine.”

Miranda crossed her arms and stood her ground.

“Never said it wasn’t. But I’m back now and this is my company. The line of succession has always been clear.”

He gave her a tight smile.

“Chase?”

Cecilia had entered the waiting room. “The doctor wants to meet with us.”

“Okay. Give me a second.”

Chase faced Miranda, determination etching the lines of his face. “I’ll call you later today. You need to have Sarah in PR issue a press release. The only reason this has been kept quiet so far is because his heart attack happened at the lake. Communities like Chenille tend to get nervous, especially since we’re the biggest employer in town. I’ll give you the details Sarah needs when I call. Also, there’s an emergency plan. It should be in a binder in my office. Have Carla give it to you.”

“I’ll call Sarah when I get back,”

Miranda said, knowing now was not the time to confront Chase about his taking over.

“Do that,”

he replied. And then he turned and left the room.

MIRANDA WATCHED CHASE GO. While she hadn’t expected him to run into her arms, she’d at least hoped for a hug after not seeing him for six weeks.

But Chase had seemed almost like a machine. Focused. Deliberate. Adept in a crisis, but not very warm or reachable.

She decided to give him some leeway. He’d almost lost his grandfather. That was devastating enough to make anyone turn off his emotions.

She walked out to the car and prepared for the drive back to Chenille. She would run everything in Leroy’s absence, which was what she’d been prepared to do. It was a challenge she was ready for.

She picked up the phone and made a call. She’d spoken to Walter once already and told him she’d keep him informed. “Hi. No, no, Leroy’s pulled through the night. It’s looking good. I just thought you should know Chase is back.”

IT WAS THURSDAY, almost two full weeks following Leroy’s surgery, when Chase walked into the headquarters of McDaniel Manufacturing.

His grandfather was in stable condition and had returned to Chenille yesterday. The doctors were optimistic that Leroy would have a complete recovery—if nothing caused him any stress.

Chase hit the button for the executive floor. All four grandchildren had agreed that Leroy shouldn’t have anything to do with work for the next six weeks. They’d also insisted that he have a live-in, round-the-clock nurse. That was the number one thing on Chase’s agenda today.

Number two was dealing with a very annoying Walter Peters, who had sent Chase an e-mail suggesting he leave the company in Miranda’s capable hands and continue his sabbatical as Leroy wanted.

As if. Chase wondered if Miranda was behind Walter’s correspondence. She hadn’t been too happy with some of the directives he’d given her this past week.

Chase left the elevator and approached Leroy’s office. Ethel, his grandfather’s secretary, jumped to her feet.

“How is he?”

she asked.

“Back home in Chenille as of yesterday,”

he replied.

“Oh thank God.”

Ethel sank back into her chair. “I’ve been so worried. Everyone has.”

“He’s getting better every day. The surgery went well. He’s going to be fine.”

Tears formed in Ethel’s eyes. “I’m so glad.”

She’d been Leroy’s secretary for more than thirty years, and was practically a member of the family.

“Me, too,”

Chase told her. He filled her in on what the doctors said. “So Leroy sleeps a lot, but that’s normal. We have to hire a nurse. The one who traveled with him can only stay another day or two.”

Ethel dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “Do you want me to find one?”

“That would be wonderful.”

“I’d be more than happy to. My sister had to have a nurse a few years ago. We were very pleased with the company we used. I’ll get right on it. I need something to do. Ms. Craig had pretty much taken over even before Leroy’s heart attack. Now with him gone, I’m really getting antsy.”

Chase understood how she felt. “Well, that’s about to change. I have Carla, but I’m also going to need your help. I’m back and I’m taking over.”

Ethel’s eyes widened. “But Ms. Craig…”

“Has been filling my shoes while I’m gone. She was not hired to do my grandfather’s job. I’m next in line. This is my family company.”

“Of course it is.”

Ethel covered her reaction quickly, but Chase still saw her surprise. Miranda must have told everyone otherwise, for Ethel asked the question that probably all his employees wondered. “But what about your vacation?”

“My year-long absence has been cut short. My grandfather won’t be back for a while, and McDaniel Manufacturing needs a McDaniel at the helm. That’s my role.”

“I know you’ll do a fine job.”

The vote of confidence was what Chase needed, especially since Walter was a wild card. Chase wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to have the board place his protégée at the helm instead of him.

As for Miranda, despite what they’d shared, Chase couldn’t discount her ambitions. While he hoped she wouldn’t be cutthroat, with Leroy out of commission and Walter making waves, Chase knew he had to watch his back.

“Ethel, I’ll need you to alert the board of the change in leadership. I also need you to get me copies of everything that’s crossed Leroy’s desk since I’ve been gone. I’m out of the loop and I needed to catch up yesterday.”

“Absolutely. Anything you need.”

Ethel would get right on it. She was tops, and her loyalty lay with the McDaniel family.

“We’ll let my grandfather’s office sit empty until we know when he’s coming back.”

“Will he be back?”

Ethel asked.

Chase’s lips thinned into a tight line. Leroy would not return if his grandchildren had their way. “I don’t know. So leave his office and don’t let anyone in there. Forward everything he deals with to me.”

“It’s good to have you back, Chase.”

“Thanks, Ethel.”

He gave her a smile and headed for his office, which was around the corner from his grandfather’s.

He’d told Carla he was coming, yet she rose to her feet when he approached. “Chase!”

He was glad to see her and gave her a quick hug. “Hey. Ready to get to work?”

Carla nodded. “Absolutely. I knitted an entire afghan for your sister’s baby while you were gone. Ms. Craig’s secretary hasn’t needed a thing. You can only play so much solitaire, and my credit card can’t take much more online shopping.”

“Well, get ready to put your nose to the grindstone.”

He repeated what he’d told Ethel. “Both of you will work together to help me.”

“Of course. Whatever you need.”

“What I need is to see Ms. Craig. Will you call her and request she meet me here in thirty minutes?”

With that Chase entered his office and flipped on the light. Everything looked exactly as he’d left it. He reached into his briefcase and returned the family portrait to its spot. He also found a place for the new digital picture frame he’d bought at the hospital gift shop. He’d already uploaded the device with his Colorado pictures and shared them with Leroy while he recuperated at the hospital.

He sat behind his desk, taking a moment to absorb the feeling. For the six weeks before Leroy’s heart attack Chase had had no agenda. He’d been hanging out in one of the most beautiful parts of the United States. While the mountains had been majestic and awe-inspiring, they didn’t evoke the satisfaction coursing through him right now. This was what fit him best. This office was where he belonged.

He was home.

MIRANDA FUMED as she got ready to meet with Chase.

He was back.

Worse, he was staying. Walter had said he’d told him to go, but so far Chase hadn’t. Nor did it appear as if he intended to.

Miranda picked up a mechanical pencil and tapped the eraser end on her desk. The motion did little to release her frustration, or to reduce the migraine starting behind her left eyebrow.

She should be thrilled to see him. She’d missed him.

Sort of. In fact, she’d kept herself so busy she hadn’t had time to worry about “that night”

and what it meant. She’d immersed herself in work.

She’d pretty much been running the company, as Leroy, on his summer schedule, had turned over many of his day-to-day responsibilities. She was doing Chase’s job and more.

Now she’d been ordered to Chase’s office like a student called to the principal. She fingered the two-inch binder labeled McDaniel Emergency Plan. The company had detailed instructions outlining procedures for everything from earthquakes to tornadoes. McDaniel Manufacturing even had a terrorist plan.

They’d prepared for everything except succession; the directions were woefully inadequate for that particular circumstance. Walter had told Miranda that he was working on the board, feeling them out. He’d assured her that Chase wouldn’t fire her, which was Miranda’s worst-case scenario.

Her phone rang, making her jump. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and reached for the receiver. “Miranda Craig.”

“I didn’t want you to be late,”

her secretary said.

“Thanks,”

Miranda replied, replacing the handset. She stood and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in her skirt. Time to face Chase.

CHASE ROSE TO HIS FEET when Miranda entered the room. As it had that first day he’d seen her, his throat constricted and his temperature soared. He stepped out from behind his desk to greet her, as he would any other colleague.

Except Miranda wasn’t any other colleague. He’d made love to her, multiple times. She’d given him the best night of his life.

Instead, as he said, “Miranda,”

and guided her to the chair in front of his desk, he knew that that one night was all he’d ever have with her. No matter how much his body wanted her, his mind had to focus on what was important, especially when Walter was trying to unseat him. Chase knew he had to choose: Miranda or McDaniel Manufacturing. He wasn’t the type to delude himself into believing he could have both, not at this critical juncture.

While Leroy had promised Chase he would be CEO, the terms of the deal were known only to the two of them, Miranda and Walter. The board would not necessarily honor an agreement they had known nothing about. They could easily unseat Chase if Walter got his way.

Chase refused to let that happen.

Miranda would probably hate him before the week was out. He understood her well enough to know she wasn’t going to like him taking away her power.

He sank into his big leather chair wishing things could be different between them. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

“I didn’t think I could ignore your summons. However, I’m not a child needing to be called into the principal’s office, and I’d like you to treat me better.”

His eyes narrowed at her description. She didn’t plan to hold anything back. She wasn’t happy with his return. Well, he’d always warned her today would come. It had just arrived earlier than expected. “I’m sorry if you felt that way.”

She leaned forward and her white shirt gaped a little, showing him a hint of smooth skin where he’d placed hungry kisses. He’d tasted her, and could remember all the little cries she’d made. He knew that there could be no more. Yet she sat across from him, a siren that lured. Why had he thought making love to Miranda would get her out of his system? This was torture.

“What else would I think, Chase? In the past you’ve hovered in my doorway whenever you needed to talk to me. I recognize a power play when I see one. Well, I’m here, so let’s get this started. I don’t have time to waste. I have a lunch meeting with the president of the Chamber of Commerce at noon.”

Chase focused on her face. Damn, she was beautiful, even when she was angry. He couldn’t help staring at her lips, thinking about the way her mouth had moved over his skin. He tried to concentrate on delivering the news. He couldn’t afford to get distracted.

“I wanted you to know I’ve spoken with most of the board members by conference call. I’m taking over my grandfather’s position. We’ll hold an emergency meeting this upcoming Monday afternoon to formalize the arrangement naming me CEO. The only opposition seems to be from Walter.”

A little V formed between her eyebrows. “I thought Leroy was doing better.”

“He’ll need at least six weeks for physical therapy. He’s not to have anything stress him, including work. Not even one hint of office drama is to reach his ears. I’ve started reviewing everything that’s been done in my absence. I expect to be at full speed tomorrow. I don’t want anything to interrupt this transition, including Walter. Or you.”

There. Chase didn’t like being so harsh, but he had to make things clear.

She sat back and folded her hands in her lap, the earlier fight gone. The view of skin vanished and he found himself disappointed on both counts. “So I report to you.”

“Yes.”

The feeling of victory should have been sweet as he said the word, but oddly it wasn’t. He cared about his competitor. That had never happened before.

“And the board will approve this,”

she pressed. Chase’s eyes narrowed.

“They will Monday. I’ve reached enough of them to secure a majority. It’s not worth you or Walter attempting a coup.”

She sat there so primly that he wished for the earlier spitfire to return. “So you’ll override your grandfather’s wish for you to remain away for a year.”

“Since the board doesn’t know about that, it’s not an issue. Besides, Leroy didn’t foresee this situation. And what kind of a grandson would I be if I didn’t return to ensure the success of my family firm? Given the circumstances, I really don’t think I need to be out jaunting around the country. I’m Leroy’s power of attorney. I vote his stock and I sign his bills if he’s incapacitated. The entire family is in agreement. None of us want to lose him, or our company. A McDaniel has always been CEO and that’s the way things are going to stay.”

“I see. Well then. If there’s nothing else?”

Miranda stood.

Still seated, Chase studied her. He’d loved every inch of her body and now there was a rift the size of the Grand Canyon between them. He hated it. Even sparring was better than the chill setting over them. “We’re finished here. You can go.”

“Thank you.”

Miranda walked out, and Chase released the pent-up breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

He wanted to follow her to her office, shut the door, sweep everything off her desk like in a movie, and make love to her until both of them were sated and the chasm between them had disappeared. Only in bed had there been no walls, no pretense. Only then had they been themselves, without agendas.

But McDaniel Manufacturing came first. He had to remember it was nothing personal, just business. Chase reached for a report.

THANKFULLY, Miranda’s knees didn’t wobble until she reached her office. Then she trembled all the way to the safety of her desk chair. There was no way she could work like this.

She’d made a grave tactical error in making love with Chase. She’d assumed she had a year before seeing him again. She’d figured by then they’d have moved on.

Instead, she had an immediate physical response to him that had left her shaking. She had far too many graphic memories of their time together. Although, obviously that night didn’t mean much to him.

The proof had been behind his desk, on the digital picture frame. When the photo of him with his arm around some girl appeared, Miranda had felt her heart fall to her feet. It sure hadn’t taken long to be replaced.

To him, their weekend had been casual sex between two people who were intensely attracted to each other. Sex didn’t equal to love, so why did it bother her so much that he’d moved on?

Her cell phone rang, jarring her from her depressing line of thought. She dug the device out of her purse and answered. “Miranda Craig.”

“Thought you might need a friend.”

Walter. “You’ve obviously heard.”

“I received a call from Ethel about ten minutes ago, asking me to attend a board meeting.”

“He’s taking over for his grandfather. He told me he has majority support.”

“And he might,”

Walter replied. “What about you? Can you handle this arrangement? You’d still be second in command.”

“I’m going to have to try.”

“Why?”

Walter asked. “Leroy had no intention for Chase to come back before a year was up. I’ve already told Chase that. He knows I oppose his return. Leroy wanted him to have this time off.”

“Yes, but circumstances change,”

Miranda replied.

“Miranda, you were born for this job. It’s what your parents would’ve wanted for you. Don’t let a bad situation scare you away.”

“Chase is family.”

She swiveled so she could look out the window. Everything she could see was part of McDaniel Manufacturing. This was Chase’s birthright. Why had she deluded herself it could be otherwise?

Walter didn’t buy that argument. “Chase is also a playboy who has had everything handed to him. He’s lacked direction. He’s been spoiled.”

“He seems adept at crisis management.”

Miranda defended Chase despite herself. Within minutes of his arrival at the hospital, the doctors had given Chase full details on Leroy’s condition. Miranda hadn’t been able to get squat.

“Miranda, you have a contract with McDaniel. You’re not going to lose your job. I’ve assured you of that. But what do you want?”

Chase.

Now where had that thought come from? “I was supposed to have at least a year to learn the ropes. I don’t have the experience to run this firm.”

“Neither do half the other guys who become CEOs. They learn as they go. Some of the best ones I’ve seen have been upstarts. They have fresh ideas. Unless you tell me otherwise, I’m going to make a motion that Chase stand down, as Leroy requested, until his year is up.”

Miranda closed her eyes as her growing migraine sent lancing pain through her head. Some black clouds had lifted. But with Walter’s offer others had blown in to take their place. “Thank you for your support, but do you mind if I think about this first?”

“Think hard. Unless you tell me not to, I’m going to make a motion to unseat Chase. And Miranda, even though Chase is a McDaniel, I’m Leroy’s best friend. I have just as much sway with these people as Chase does. I’ve been meeting with them for twenty years. If I reveal the truth about Leroy’s wishes, they’ll change their minds and the job will be yours.”

After promising to call Walter before Monday, Miranda set her phone down. She stared around her office. She’d signed a contract when she’d taken the McDaniel job. She’d be committing career suicide if she resigned this quickly. She could probably contact a headhunter and have him or her start quietly making inquiries, but Chenille had grown on her. Miranda had fallen in love with the little town. She’d begun to build a life here.

Her younger sister had even come by three weeks ago and commented on how content Miranda appeared. And she had been, until Leroy’s heart attack and Chase’s return.

Walter had just handed her her dream back. If anyone could convince the board to give Miranda the CEO job, it was him.

But the giddy feeling that she’d gotten months ago upon being hired didn’t come. Instead, doom and gloom stole over her. This was corporate politics. She was running with the big dogs; she had to play hardball.

Yet, deep down, Miranda was a person who cared. It shouldn’t matter that Chase would hate her for the rest of her days if Walter’s motion overturned his, but it did. And he’d moved on.

She had to toughen up.