Page 74 of A Break in Communications

“She was just so… it was amazing and then she flipped like a switch. I thought I’d done something wrong.”

“I mean, you kind of did. Developing feelings for my sister is like wandering into a warzone. But within the relationship… I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Kelcey sat up taller. “She’s not listening to me anywhere, so can you pass on a message?”

“That’s really not a good idea.”

“It’s not like that. Just tell her that I’m… going to be just fine and that I just want her to go live her best happy life and I’ll live mine. And that she doesn’t need to worry about me, because I’m going to go ahead and move on and be happy.”

Well, that was… surprisingly mature. Since when was Kelcey more mature than I was? “Huh… you know?” I relaxed back in my seat. “I will. I’ll pass that along next time I see her. Oh, and Kelce?”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry I called you dumb the other day. The coffee machine wasn’t even broken in the end.”

She beamed. Guess everything really was water under the bridge immediately with this girl. “And now I know how to operate it! We all grow. Apology accepted.”

“What had you even been doing in the office on a Saturday?”

“I forgot it was the weekend.”

Well, maybe I couldn’t give her too much credit. “Hard worker,” I said. “All right, Kelcey. I’ll pass that message along to Veronica and… I wish you all the luck with your healing journey.”

She laughed. “You have to have a happily-ever-after for all of us. You and Lucy are perfect together.”

Ah… and here we were again. I closed my eyes. “Kelcey… Lucy is my subordinate. Even if things don’t go as I’m hoping, I’ll be Lucy’s subordinate. That’s sort of against company policy.”

“So? Company policy has got nothing on love.”

That was corny. Pity it was also true. “Indeed,” I said airily. “Uh-huh. Well, I’ll see if the power of love prevails.”

She lit up. “So you do love her too?”

“I’ve got a lot of things to be attending to here, Kelcey. Can we wrap this up now?”

Kelcey sprang up to her feet, leaving her laptop on the desk as she spun around. “Sounds like Boss Anna is shy to admit it,” she sang, heading for the door. “I’ll give you your privacy. See you tomorrow—”

“Kelcey, your laptop—”

She spun around and picked it up and spun around again with the fluid grace of someone who had practiced the gesture from forgetting her laptop a million times. “See you tomorrow, Boss Anna!”

“And don’t call me that,” I called after her, but I was shouting at a brick wall as she strolled out, shutting the door behind her. I sank back in the seat with a groan, a hand in my hair.

Company policy had nothing on love, huh? Love had a bad track record winning in these things. Veronica and Kelcey had crashed at the first obstacle. Lucy and I had about a million.

But I couldn’t deny the surge in my chest, the spike of excitement when the door swung open and, as confidently as if I’d explicitly invited her, Lucy stepped into the doorway, leaning there and smiling slyly at me as she knocked on the door.

“Masters,” I said, settling back in my seat, kicking one leg up over the other. “Still haven’t headed home?”

“I know. Something new and different for me. May I come in, Miss Preston, or are you otherwise occupied?”

“When was the last time you cared if I was busy?”

She put a hand to her chest. “Always, Miss Preston. After all, times you’re busy are times your eyes aren’t on me. And how am I supposed to carry on in such a dreadful state of affairs?”

“Hm.” I couldn’t help the smile tugging on my lips, though. “Are you going to come in, or are you going to stand in the doorway all day?”

“Well, with a glowing invitation like that,” she said, stepping inside and shutting the door, and she walked over to my side of the desk, and just like always, she kicked up to a seat on my desk. “Kelcey asking you for help getting through to your sister?”

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