Faceoff Read Online Free Page A

I’m just looking at my schedule to see if I can rearrange things. Maybe you guys could all come into the city for a couple of days while you’re here?”
    “Maybe.” He sounded doubtful. “I’m really looking forward to relaxing at the cottage. So, Kyla, you’d better be there.”
    “Oh man. Now pressure from you too?”
    “Mom says you’re working too hard. She thinks you’re about to collapse from exhaustion.”
    “I am not! Yeah, I’m working hard, but I have to.”
    “Look, Mom’s been sick. I feel awful that I couldn’t be there for her.”
    “I was here for her then.” A faintly defensive tone crept into her voice.
    “I know you were. But this is a chance for us to all get together. With all our schedules, and with Mom’s cancer scaring the hell out of us all, this is really important, Kyla.”
    Her heart tightened in her chest. “I know it is. I’m working on it. Okay?”
    “Okay. Good. Emily’s all excited about seeing Auntie Kyla again.”
    “Sure, sure, play the guilt card,” she muttered, rubbing her temples. “Mom already did that too. God, even Dad did! What is with you guys?”
    “We love you,” Scott said and she heard the amusement in his voice. “Not sure why sometimes, you workaholic bitch, but we do.”
    She laughed. “Thanks a lot. I’ll have you know I come from an entire family of workaholics.”
    “I know you do. But lately…well, family’s important.”
    “Becoming a father is making you go all soft.”
    “Yeah,” he agreed. “That along with Mom’s cancer. So we’ll see you next weekend. Right?”
    “I’ll try.”
    It wasn’t going to happen. She tried to figure out a way to rearrange things so she could take that week off and make her parents happy without pissing off her superiors at work. It hadn’t looked promising, and then they’d announced they were going to name the new partner at the end of the week.
    She hated to disappoint her family. And herself. But she was stuck in the city. In the office.
    Then it was Friday, the end of the week, the day the decision was supposed to be made. She could barely concentrate on her work, so much nervous energy sizzled through her veins. She could hardly sit still. If she got partner, maybe she’d take the weekend off and go up to the lake just for a couple of days. So she could make the announcement and celebrate with her family. She smiled as she anticipated their reaction, her parents’ pride, her brothers’ teasing, which she knew would hide their own pride in her. God, she so wanted that. She bounced a little in her chair. It would be the perfect way to announce it, even if maybe she did have to take some work with her to make it happen.
    By mid-afternoon she was getting tired of waiting for it, so she wandered by Jim’s office. The lights were out and the office was empty. She stopped at his assistant’s desk. “Where’s Jim?” she asked, frowning faintly.
    “Golfing.” Sandra smiled at her.
    Kyla’s eyebrows flew up. “Golfing? I thought they were announcing the new partner today.”
    Sandra tipped her head to one side. “Oh. Didn’t he tell you? They decided to put it off for a few more weeks.”
    “What! No, he didn’t tell me. He just told me on Monday they were going to do it this week.”
    Sandra shrugged. “I guess they changed their minds. Jim’s on holidays for the next two weeks and the other partners start their holidays week after next. Nothing much will be happening around here until August.”
    Kyla fought down the pressure rising inside her, the disbelief and…yes, anger. “I see,” she said quietly. “Thanks, Sandra.” Then she paused. “Who’s he golfing with?”
    “Alex, Hugh and Joe Pittman.”
    Kyla nodded, pressing her lips together. “Great! Nice day for it.”
    She returned to her office and stared out the window at the city twenty-nine stories below her, the prairie city spread out so flat you could almost see to the very edges of it, much of the urban