Page 23 of Bachelor CEO

She sensed his irritation. This was one morething she was usurping.

“So are we riding up together?”

“Normally I go alone.”

She deliberately shrugged. Chase needed todeal with the fact that he was going on sabbatical. “When dowe leave?”

“So you’re okay with this?” he asked,straightening.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

He moved to stand in front of her desk.“You’ve been walking on eggshells since Tuesday.”

“Me? Hardly.” She leaned back and laced herfingers together. “If you’re expecting some big drama, you’re in the wrongplace. It’s part ofmyjob. You’re to show me theropes. I can handle it.”

He rolled his shoulders, the cool,disinterested mask he’d worn since lunch Tuesday falling back into place.“Great, then we leave tomorrow at two. Dinner’s casual, so pack accordingly.”

With that, he left. Miranda loosened her handsand drummed her fingertips on her desk. She wanted to scream. How did Chase doit? How did he just turn on and off like that?

He was like a stealth bomber, arrivingquietly, attacking without warning and dropping an announcement that shook herto the core. Then he’d disappear as if nothing had happened, leaving her todeal with the emotional fallout.

The worst part was that he was treating herexactly how she’d asked him to—but now everything had changed. He’d told herhow he felt about her, which was like kicking open Pandora’s box.

Miranda pounded her fist on her desk. Darn theman!

She reached for her phone and dialed a numbershe knew by heart.

Walter picked up on the second ring. “Ready toquit yet?” he joked once she’d said hello.

“No. I’m headed back to the lake, though.”

“Ah, bringing Leroy his stuff.”

“Yes.” Even Walter knew.Miranda suspected Chase had deliberately neglected to tell her until the e-mailarrived.

“During the summer Leroy works from the lake.Chase goes up on Friday nights, spends Saturday morning with him and then isfree to do what he wishes,” Walter told her.

“We’re staying the whole weekend. Somethingabout the transition.”

“Then relax and enjoy yourself.”

“I just wish I’d had a heads-up. So much aboutthis company isn’t written down anywhere. It’s in one of the McDaniels’ heads.Or some sort of tradition that everyone knows about but me.”

“You’ll learn. You’re lucky you got out ofhere when you did, by the way. The board hasn’t even looked for my replacement.They’re going to use someone from within instead on an interim basis. Did yousee the news? BevMart made an offer to buy us out. The stock jumped yesterdayas speculators scrambled to get on the bandwagon.”

“I guess we’ll be watching here, sinceMcDaniel’s distribution contract is up for renewal next year. I’ve alreadylearned we have a team in place investigating other options.”

“See, you’re catching on. Hang in there. Ihave faith in you. Call me anytime.”

Miranda replaced the phone receiver. It hadbeen good to hear Walter’s voice. She missed him. He’d always been just downthe hall. It made her a little sad to realize they’d never work together again.

She surveyed her office. She’d spent lunchyesterday personalizing her space. She’d hung her diplomas, put her pictures onthe shelves. She’d added a few potted plants to thewindowsill. Even her apartment was starting to feel like home, but her lifedidn’t seem as calm and serene as her surroundings.

Around quitting time she realized she had noidea who was driving to the lake. She assumed Chase was, but as her first day’slunch had shown, assumptions were something you didn’t make around ChaseMcDaniel. She opened her e-mail.

LEROY SHUFFLED THROUGH the great room earlyFriday morning, a cup of black coffee in his hand. The rising sun shimmered offthe water, and outside the windows, the lake came to life as night receded.

He hadn’t slept well. Instead of enjoying asound sleep, he’d been thinking about the situation with Chase and Miranda, whowere due to arrive around dinnertime.

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