Page 9 of Cabin Fever Baby

“Ma…” I sat back in my chair then swiveled to look out at the Chicago skyline from my office. I rarely had time to take a look at my impressive view these days. I’d worked my ass off to get this spot.

And I never looked up from my damn screen.

In the five minutes I’d been on the phone with my mother, my emails had increased by eleven to add to the other 87 waiting for me when I walked in the door. Whenever it hovered at triple digits, I got itchy. “I have a few more days yet.”

“No, you’ll just make excuses not to get on the plane. I know you all too well.”

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I’d been on my way out the door to catch my flight last year, and Bradley’s January launch had gone sideways.

Something always went sideways when it came to advertising and major name brands. Bradley’s had been a particularly uglymoment for my firm, Eden Advertising. It wasn’t our fault, but that didn’t matter when it came to the opening of a store on 6th Avenue in New York City. Especially when I was a junior executive.

I’d been clawing my way up the ranks of Eden and my ingenuity in dealing with that catastrophe last Christmas had netted me this office.

However, being the youngest senior executive meant even more work.

I reached over to mute my computer as another five email notifications rolled in.

“I know, Ma. This time, I’m coming no matter what. I have to see the new house you guys bought near Callum’s house on…”

“Crescent Lake.”

“Right. Crescent Lake.” Callum was my older brother. He’d bought the interesting house on the lake after he’d met his wife, Ellie, and had his first kid. Somehow—and I didn’t want to think about it too closely—my parents had gone through a late-stage unplanned pregnancy. The fact that my little sister was a toddler was too mind boggling to think about. Just the idea of starting all over again with a new kid after raising all of us made my head spin, but it had only bonded them even more tightly to Callum.

Evidently, the bonding had only increased when they purchased a plot of land close to Cal. They’d finished building the house and moved in this summer—another thing I had missed.

The pang hit a little harder since I’d been so damn buried, I’d missed my father’s birthday, as well.

“All of your brothers are coming.”

“Even Len?”

“Especially Lennox.”

I rolled my eyes. I was one of triplets and my other brothers loved to show me up. Probably one or the other had sucked up to mom with a lovely bouquet of flowers or something.

I picked up my pen and scribbled a note to send her something. Or maybe I’d finish that illustration of my new baby sister, Cara.

It had only been in my drafting folder for…eight months.

Cripes. How?

My assistant filled my doorway. She was a stern woman between forty and seventy—I was afraid to ask—with a helmet of ash blond hair that brushed her shoulders, a festively red suit, and sensible pearls at her ears. And she was staring a hole through my head.

Had I missed a meeting?

Quickly, I tapped my keyboard to pull my computer out of standby mode and clicked on my calendar.

Hell.

Office Holiday Partywas in bright red at the top of today’s box.

“Ma, I gotta go.”

“Hudson—”

“Not to work. I have to go play nice with my co-workers. Today is our holiday party.”

“Oh.” Her voice brightened as a cry sounded in the background. “Well, Cara is up. Please come out early if you can. We miss you.”

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