Sleigh Bells in the Snow (O'Neil Brothers 1)

“Call you?” Alice sounded confused. “Why would he have to call you?”

“Because Kayla is going back to New York the day after Christmas.” Elizabeth focused on the document in her hands.

“She could stay. You did. She can share your English Breakfast tea and HP Sauce.”

“Kayla has a job, and a life, somewhere else. Now let’s all clear the table and make some coffee.” Elizabeth was brisk and Kayla watched as she stood up and bustled around the kitchen.

They’d be building the business without her. Every day they’d be working together to build Snow Crystal, and she’d be sitting in her office in New York, managing her team and growing the business for Innovation. Finding new clients, winning new accounts, achieving successes that would be good for her reputation, but which didn’t touch her personally.

While they were grooming the trails, chopping logs and baking cinnamon stars, she’d be flying across the country to meet clients.

Alone.

There was a pressure behind her chest.

Usually at the end of a presentation she felt satisfaction. This time she felt numb.

Perhaps the lack of sleep was catching up with her.

She was so desperate to leave the room it was a relief when her phone rang. “It’s Brett. Will you excuse me?”

Jackson frowned. “It’s Christmas Eve.”

“I doubt he knows what day it is.” She walked through to the living room. “Brett?” She tried to sound cheerful. “You should be trimming the tree.”

“Delegated that job to my kids.”

“You’re not supposed to delegate Christmas. You’re supposed to be part of it.” She thought of the O’Neil family gathered around the table next door, enjoying time together.

“So are you finished there, Green? Because I want you back in the office day after tomorrow. The partners are flying in.”

He wanted her back in the office.

Which meant Christmas was almost over for another year. She waited for the rush of relief that always came.

“Aren’t you taking time off?”

“I’m off now. Got a Christmas gift for you, Green.”

“Gift?” She immediately thought of Jackson.

What do you want for Christmas, Kayla?

“I’m moving you up. That vice president role is vacant now that Cecily has moved to L.A. You’ll need to jump through a few hoops, but that’s just a formality. There isn’t a person in this company who doesn’t know your name. Sure, you’ll be working double the number of hours you work now, which basically means you can forget about sleep for the rest of your working life, but that’s the price you pay for achieving your goal, right?”

Vice president.

Stunned, Kayla sank down onto the sofa and Maple sprang onto her lap. She hadn’t even heard the puppy come into the room. Resting her hand on the dog’s springy fur, she looked at the Christmas tree, remembering how hard it had been for her to decorate it. Had that really only been a few days before?

“I don’t know what to say.” She hadn’t expected it to happen this quickly.

“You’re overwhelmed. You can thank me later. Go and buy yourself something to celebrate. My wife is always telling me a woman can’t have too many diamond earrings.”

She should be feeling excited.

So why did the thought of standing in front of the window of another jewelers, picking out a pair of earrings for herself, depress her?

She looked down at herself, thinking that diamond earrings would look ridiculous with what she was wearing now.