Year’s, once the furor over this deal died down a bit.
I could do it. Given the way Marnie was crowing right now, so excited I could make out the sound of her feet hopping against the floor, I’d better do it. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she shrieked. The hopping got louder—maybe Steph had joined in.
“Anything for you two.” I was wrapped around their little fingers, case in point. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Okay, Max, bye!”
I ended the call then pressed the edge of my cell phone to my temple and sighed. I really didn’t want to go to Edgewood, but I didn’t have a choice anymore. I couldn’t let the girls down, yet I also couldn’t throw away months of work on this client.
“Max? You okay?”
Jessie, my assistant, stood uncertainly at the conference room door.
I forced a smile. “I’m fine. I know it’s unusual, but would you be available to help me do the prep work for Monday’s meeting tomorrow afternoon? I’ll make sure you’re paid overtime.” I’d make sure of it if I had to pay her myself—the partners didn’t tend to approve overtime on weekends for admin staff, but screw that. I needed the help, and Jessie knew her stuff.
“That’s fine, Max. I’ll be around. Just give me an hour or so’s notice, okay?”
“Great, thank you.”
She nodded then grinned. “It sounds like the meeting went well. Are you happy with the results?”
I grinned back. “Very happy.”
Unfortunately, Marcus was not happy when I told him of my sudden plans.
I did my best not to wince at his disapproval. “It’s a family emergency,” I added when Marcus’s frown verged on turning into a scowl.
“Is someone dying?” he asked bluntly.
I shook my head.
“Then how is it an emergency?”
Given that he hadn’t made a single birthday party his wife had thrown for their sons since I started working here, I knew this wasn’t hyperbole on his part, but it didn’t matter. I’d made a promise to Marnie and Steph, and I wouldn’t break it.
“I have to go. But I’ll be back tomorrow,” I assured him. “There’ll be plenty of time to get the preliminary work done before the meeting on Monday.”
“Max.” Marcus shook his head heavily. “You’re this close to securing a real future for you in the firm, and the last thing you want is to falter right before the finish line. You can’t afford any distractions right now. You’ve signed the client to a preliminary agreement, but that’s not going to be enough to hold them here if they feel undervalued.”
“I’ll make sure they don’t.” But I also wasn’t going to make my best friend and his family feel undervalued, especially not this close to the holidays. I couldn’t go back on my word now, I just couldn’t. Not after talking to Marnie.
Besides, it was just one night.
“I’ll handle it, sir.”
It wasn’t the first time Marcus had been angry at me, and it wouldn’t be the last. Experience had taught me it was better not to dwell on other people’s feelings, especially when I had no hope of changing them. Right now, I needed to get home, pack, and get on the road. To Edgewood, land of a dozen decent memories and a thousand bad ones. Well, really only a few bad ones, but they took up so much space in my brain that they felt limitless.
Whatever. I wouldn’t be there long enough to dwell on the past.
…
A quick change of clothes and a hastily packed overnight bag later, I was cruising along on the I-87 highway on my way to Edgewood for the first time in ten years. My jaw ached from clenching it so much, and not just because of the snow making the visibility crap. Returning to the town where my worst memories lived had never been part of my plans. But I could set aside my issues and make the girls’ holidays a little less bleak, at least for one night.
Which reminded me I needed to call Hal about my plans. I said his name aloud and waited for my phone to dial.
He answered after a single ring. “If you’re calling to bail, Max, I swear to God—”
“I’m not calling to bail.” Of course, if I hadn’t already talked to Marnie, I would have been calling to bail, but he didn’t need to know that. “I just wanted to let you know I’m on the road now.”
“Really?” Hal sounded both surprised and pleased. “That’s great. I thought I’d have to fight a lot harder