Hers to Marry: Sisters of Springfield 2

by Ellis, Eliza

  But she was finally able to shout “yes!”

  Epilogue

  Spring had come early for their town and with it an abundance of wildflowers in a field a short distance from Drew’s home. The air was still cool, but the rays of the noonday sun skipped across the lake waters and warmed the bulbs of daffodils that were still bursting through dirt to bloom.

  Susie, Muriel, and Mary had spent the better part of the week moving Kat’s things into Drew’s home and softening the masculine style until it suited both of their needs. Last night, Kat spent her final day as a single woman. Today, she would be spending the night in her forever home with the man that she loved more than anything.

  Drew smiled from the flower-covered archway—the same one Muriel said she borrowed from the reenactment society’s shed. Muriel sat in the front row beside her son and daughter-in-law. Drew had told Kat that the relationship between his parents and Muriel hadn’t fully healed, but it was definitely on the mend.

  Muriel had been civil to Drew’s mother when they were all at the rehearsal dinner the other night. She had promised Kat that she wouldn’t stir up trouble during the wedding. And she was keeping her word. Muriel wiped her eyes with a tissue. She was finally getting the wedding she wanted to see.

  As Kat’s mother continued to walk her down the aisle, Kat saw her sister Keighly’s tech-mogul boyfriend Pete Headley sitting near the front while Keke stood at the altar as her bridesmaid behind Susie, her maid of honor. Both Keke and Pete had flown in the previous evening on Pete’s new jet. They had to be back in L.A. by tomorrow evening, but Pete had promised his jet to Drew and Kat whenever Kat had to fly to New York to visit executive producers for her new show.

  Behind Pete sat Chef LeBleu. Kat didn’t know how he had the time to be here. He had offered to prepare their reception dinner as well, while Kat refused to let anyone else do the wedding cake besides herself. LeBleu smiled, either because of Kat, or the fact that everyone’s taste buds were about to explode with his dinner choices.

  Kat had hoped Parker would’ve made it from London to attend the wedding. Parker couldn’t get out of a business meeting she was attending in China. Kat feared her friend was avoiding her because she was marrying Drew, but Parker gifted them a honeymoon trip, using two first-class tickets on an airline she said she wouldn’t get around to using until probably next year because she was too busy to get away.

  The one person Kat had wished could’ve made it was her older sister Kornelia. Kori had been out of touch for months, and Kat worried her sister was in some kind of trouble. Thankfully, Kori messaged her earlier that morning with crying emojis but wished her well.

  Mary handed Kat off to Drew. When Kat placed her hands into Drew’s, her heart skipped a beat at the same time peace filled her. She had once thought she would never see her childhood best friend again. She couldn’t believe that, after so many years, they would be standing together and actually getting married.

  “You look beautiful,” Drew whispered, his eyes continuously scanning her dress.

  She’d chosen something simple and whimsical that had reminded her of the lace-accented dress she’d worn on the day of the reenactment. Kat thought hers would fit right in with the beauty of their land.

  “And you look handsome.”

  Drew opted for his service uniform, as did the groomsmen who had flown in for the event. All of them had been in the same unit. Kat was honored to have the men be a part of the wedding.

  After they repeated the vows and exchanged rings, Kat and Drew shared a long, slow kiss.

  The crowd cheered, but not louder than Muriel’s, “finally!” Kat and Drew laughed and hugged each other—this time the marriage ceremony was real.

  Drew swept Kat up into his arms and walked her down the aisle toward their beautiful home, the tree with their initials, and into their new life together.

  * * *

  Advance to start reading Hers to Love.

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  Hers to Love Chapter 1

  “You’ve got to take him to the cleaners. For all he’s worth,” Sabrina Buchanan said.

  Kornelia Kaye nodded, forgetting that her friend couldn’t see her since she was on the phone. She wished she could talk to her friend in person. She had no one here in New York City. She hadn’t been in town long enough to make any real friends. Five years and zero friends.

  Her father had been right. She wouldn’t amount to anything. All of her hard work for years had come to nothing. She hadn’t earned anyone’s respect, and she’d been treated cheaply.

  “To tell you the truth, sometimes I think I should just let things go.”

  “Let it go? Are you crazy?” Sabrina screeched into the phone. “He fired you because you wouldn’t sleep with him. Pretty sure that’s illegal.”

  “Well, I have another appointment with the lawyer in an hour. She said she could make a case for wrongful termination. But going up against Brigham Noland…”

  “That’s going to be expensive. I heard he—personally—made a billion dollars last year.”

  “I know, which is why I need a job. I don’t care what it is.”

  Kori tore her fingers from her mouth. She had a bad habit of biting her nails when she was really anxious. And the habit had worsened these last five years. She was always eating nail polish, but she kept manicurists employed. Instead, she continued to unpack her clothes from suitcases that had remained packed for the last couple days after since she had moved out of her place.

  “You can’t find one as an executive assistant?”

  “My boss—ex-boss—has black-balled me.”

  “Black-balled you? What in the world does that mean? Can he do that?”

  “As the CEO of a major company, he knows a lot of people in so many industries. No one in this city will return my calls.”

  “You cannot be serious. No! He’s told everyone not to hire you?”

  “Yup. I just got my fiftieth rejection email this morning. And it was a canned response. They’re not even giving me the courtesy of actually personally writing something.”

  “Oh, Kori…”

  “Believe me, I’ve sent out my resume a hundred times or more. I’ve called in every favor I could possibly think of.” Which reminded her that a person’s word was worthless. No one was willing to stand with her and pay back what they owed. Who could she trust?

  “And you’re getting zero bites.”

  Kori collapsed on the bed dressed in a cheap, thinly threaded comforter. “You’ve gotta help me. Don’t you know anyone that needs an assistant? I don’t care what kind of work it is. I don’t care that it’s a step down. I just need money coming in so I can pay the lawyer.”

  “You’re going to be going up against the corporate attorneys. That’s gotta be tough.”

  “Not just attorneys, a whole firm. A firm. What have I gotten myself into?”

  Kori’s breath hitched, and she held back a sob. She didn’t regret saying no to Brigham, but she was beginning to feel very sorry for herself given the consequences. Had she truly thought through her decision?

  How could she fight an entire firm with just one attorney? The retainer alone had cleaned out half her bank account, and she didn’t want to touch her retirement, which was where she’d moved most of her money anyway. She had been traveling so much, living out of hotels. She didn’t need a car, nor did she own a home.

  Her ex-boss had put her up in the hotel across the street from his building so at a moment’s notice she could walk twenty feet and be in the building. It had freaked Kori out at first—her boss being able to control her place of living—but since they were on the road ten months out of the year, it never became an issue.

  Now she was without a place to stay and a job. Her eyes scanned her room in the low-budget extended stay hotel. Basic furniture, cheap sheets, third-hand art on the walls. It depressed her even more. But not as much as what Brigham’s next assistant wou
ld face—the exact same situation that had gotten Kori fired in the first place. Kori wondered how long that assistant would last; how soon Brigham would pounce.

  She had to do this. There wasn’t any other choice. If she didn’t stand up, then her ex-boss would be able to do the same thing to another woman, and another woman, and who would have the courage to face him?

  Ever since his company had exploded exponentially in the last few years, his morality had taken a nosedive. Or maybe he was always a jerk, but with money he felt he could openly be one.

  “Sabrina, I would owe you for the rest of my life if you could do…anything. I don’t care what it is. I’m going down to McDonald’s today to—”

  “Now, hold on, let’s not be overly dramatic. It can’t be as bad as all of that. Can you send me your resume?”

  “Yes.” Kori breathed out and tried to calm her racing, anxious thoughts. A job equaled money, which meant she could fight for the reinstatement of her good name. That would put her career back on track.

  “Good. Then we’ll just have to be creative about what kind of jobs you apply for. Maybe there’s a smaller company or firm that you could work in that isn’t connected to Brigham’s. Maybe a competitor?”

  A competitor? Why didn’t she think of— “No, I can’t. I signed an exclusivity clause that I couldn’t work for a competitor for at least a year.”

  “As an executive assistant? I’ve never heard of that. Maybe if you were a lawyer—no offense.”

  “No, no, I get it. I thought it was odd too when I first read the contract, but I signed it anyway. With all the proprietary secrets of his tech firm, I see why it’s necessary. But now I’m stuck. Boy, was I an idiot.”

  “Okay, none of that either. Nip the emotion and the negativity in the bud. You know that’s not you. Kori, if you’re going up against this guy you’ll need all the guns you can get. And sometimes the only gun you have is yourself. You’ve got to fire on all cylinders.”

  Kori smiled. That’s why Sabrina was her best friend. Whenever she needed someone to right her, to keep her focused on what was really important, Sabrina always came through. She had the perspective that oftentimes eluded Kori.

  “You’re an amazing coach, Sabrina. You’ll have to catch me up on your business. We haven’t talked in…” She couldn’t remember. It had been so long. She rarely had time to text anyone outside of her boss and his contacts. How did she allow herself to drown in the work? If she was lucky enough to get another executive assistant job for a CEO of a major corporation, she’d conduct herself differently. Mandatory vacations and time off. No exceptions.

  “We’ll talk about that later. But it’s going great.”

  “I am happy for you, Rina.”

  “I know. And I’m glad you’re out of that toxic environment. Look, I’ve just had a crazy idea. You might like it, you might not. But I think it’ll really appeal to you right now. Especially since you haven’t had a vacation in who knows how long. Your lawyer might not like it, but you need the money, right?”

  “Right. What is it?” Kori asked in a rush, anxious to know Sabrina’s idea.

  “How about you work for my father?”

  “What?” Kori’s voice dropped like a rock. “Your father?”

  “Yeah! He’s the CEO of a major financial firm. I don’t think he’s connected to your last company.”

  “But if he is—”

  “Maybe, maybe not, we can find that out later. Look, life doesn’t happen if you’re not moving. Get in motion! Say ‘yes.’ This could change your life.”

  “Sabrina—”

  “If he’s connected to Brigham in any way—and that’s a big if—he’ll be the one person who will accept you, because you’re my friend. He’ll see it as doing me a favor.”

  “You think so?” Kori’s left thumb found its way back into her mouth. She yanked her hand down. She hated her fingernails, and it was her own fault.

  “Absolutely. Look, he just lost his own assistant. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner! Yeah, she just had a baby like a week ago. She’s actually been gone for two weeks preparing for the birth. I don’t think she’s coming back either.”

  “Oh. Well…if she’s not coming back. I don’t want to take someone else’s job when they’re on maternity leave. That’s…I’d feel like a jerk doing that.”

  “No, I get it. Look, I’ll confirm with my dad. But I’m pretty sure she’s out for good. And my dad is based in Italy, so you’ll be able to finally take a vacation. I’m positive he won’t have you as busy as your last boss.”

  “Italy…” Kori couldn’t even begin to imagine working in Italy, let alone moving there. Her passport was still good, and she wouldn’t be traveling with any furniture, so…yeah, she could totally do this. Pasta every night? Then running beside beautiful city rivers to keep all the weight off? The beaches? It actually sounded amazing.

  “You said you needed a job. What could be better than going to work overseas in a location that’s actually beautiful and on the water? His office overlooks the Med, and…he stays in a hotel as well, but I’ve seen the suite. I’m sure he’ll put you up in something similar. Oh my goodness, I’m thinking about applying for the job myself, but my clients…I couldn’t leave them, that wouldn’t be fair.”

  Kori chuckled. It was the first time in days that she had laughed, and her shoulders felt measurably lighter. “Okay. Okay, could you pass my resume to your dad? That would be fantastic, thank you, Sabrina.”

  “No worries. I’ll let you know what he says tonight.”

  Kori hung up at ten a.m and by five o’clock, she was riding in a town car to the airport to fly on one of Marshall Buchanan’s corporate jets to Italy. She wasn’t sure how Marshall was able to arrange everything so quickly, but she had a job, and that’s all she cared about.

  The flight landed in Italy the next morning, and when she disembarked onto the portable staircase, she immediately noticed the black limousine parked a few yards away. A man dressed in linen slacks and a light blue button-down shirt leaned against the car with his arms crossed. His silver-streaked sandy hair fluttered in the warm wind, his dark shades hiding his eyes. Was this the driver? If this was considered the professional look in Italy, she would run with it. A relaxed environment was what she needed right now.

  The closer she came to the car, the more unsettled her stomach became. That wasn’t the driver. He had an air about himself that had Kori guessing he owned the car. No way would he be driving it. Interesting how a driver didn’t get out to get her luggage or open the car door. Brigham never touched a handle or lifted a finger for anything, if he could help it.

  The man removed his shades, and he grinned. Kori recognized him at her and Sabrina’s graduation from grad school several years earlier. A man who looked a good ten years younger than his age. Italy had it’s perks.

  Marshall Buchanan.

  Continue reading Hers to Love.

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