The Expectant Executive

When they’d parted ways the morning after Jessie and Cade’s wedding, they still hadn’t arrived at any conclusions concerning the distance separating them or how they were going to handle it during her pregnancy and after the birth. In fact, they hadn’t even discussed it after he’d kissed her in the back of the limo.

Her body tingled to life from just the memory of his masterful kisses, but it was the thought of their lovemaking that quickly had her insides feeling as if they’d turned to warm pudding. Their coming together might have started out as two lonely people finding comfort and physical release in each other’s arms, but somewhere along the way it had changed into something far deeper, far more meaningful.

It was completely insane, considering they had nothing whatsoever in common except for the baby she carried and their love for Jessie. But Fin hadn’t been able to think of anything but Travis’s request that she come out to Colorado for a visit as soon as possible. And what surprised her more than anything was that she desperately wanted to go.

“Fin, have you heard a word of what I just told you?” Chloe asked. Her assistant’s tone drew Fin back to the present.

“I’m sorry, I guess I was daydreaming,” she apologized. She needed to get a grip on herself or she could kiss winning Patrick’s contest goodbye. “What were you saying?”

Chloe’s exasperated expression indicated that Fin had missed something the young woman had thought was extremely significant. “I said that you still have a good chance of beating out Shane for the CEO position.” Chloe’s expression changed to one of excitement. “Word around the accounting department water cooler is that Charisma’s numbers have closed the gap and at the rate we’re going, we’ll pull ahead of The Buzz just before the deadline.”

“Really?”

A month ago, Chloe’s information would have been the best news Fin could have received. It would have sent her into overdrive to make it happen and she had no doubt that it would have. But now?

She wasn’t sure whether her lack of enthusiasm was due to her pregnancy and the fact that the job of CEO would keep her from devoting as much attention to her child as she knew she would want to do, or if it was the discovery that since Travis returned to his ranch, she’d been more lonely than ever before. But either way, it was clear that her priorities had changed and she was no longer as driven to be named Patrick’s successor as she once had been.

“Fin, what’s wrong with you?” Chloe asked, clearly confused. “I thought you’d be doing the happy dance over the news.”

Smiling at her executive assistant, Fin shrugged. “I am quite pleased to hear that Charisma is doing so well. And I hope with all my heart that we win.”

“But?”

“That’s it.” Fin handed a stack of ad copy to the woman and motioned toward the door. “Put these on Cade’s desk with a note for him to look over them as soon as he and Jessie return from their honeymoon.”

She could understand Chloe’s confusion as she scooped up the stack of papers and quietly left Fin’s office. But that couldn’t be helped. Fin wasn’t about to reveal to her executive assistant, or anyone else for that matter, that she was just the same as conceding the race for CEO to Shane.

With her decision made, she swiveled her chair to gaze out at the western side of the Manhattan skyline. She really would like to win the competition, but not because she coveted Patrick’s title. If Charisma did pull ahead of The Buzz, she had every intention of declining the position. But winning would certainly prove to Patrick that she wasn’t quite the disappointing failure he’d always thought her to be.

Quite content with herself for the first time in years, she relaxed and thought about her lack of plans for the weekend. Her OB/GYN had advised that getting the proper amount of rest was essential to the health and well-being of both her and the baby. And for the past week, she had cut back on the hours she spent at the office. But the thought of rattling around in her huge apartment by herself for the entire weekend was extremely unappealing.

Nibbling on her lower lip, she wondered how Travis intended to spend the time.

He had told her that he hoped she planned to visit the Silver Moon at her earliest convenience.

She turned her chair to face the desk, then typed a quick search into her computer. When the information she wanted appeared on the screen, she reached for the phone and dialed the number for the airlines.

When the booking agent answered, Fin’s heart skipped a beat and she couldn’t believe the level of excitement coursing through her as she made her request. “I need to reserve a first-class seat on the first available flight from New York to Denver, Colorado, please.”