The Paris Connection

by Cerella Sechrist

  He didn’t say so, but she knew that if it hadn’t been for the rocky start between them, he might not be so on edge.

  “But I’m not sure if this is a good idea. Won’t the board find a weekend at a château a bit extravagant?”

  “As board chairman, I can make those kinds of decisions. You leave the board to me.”

  “But shouldn’t our efforts be focused on the company and making sure our clients are still confident in our abilities after the merger?”

  Julien waved a hand. “It is only one weekend. It will be the perfect opportunity to learn each other’s strengths. You will find it invaluable, I promise you.”

  Emma was surprised when Cole turned to her.

  “What about you? Do you think this is a good idea?”

  She found her jaw sagging slightly in surprise that Cole had asked her opinion. Snapping her mouth closed, she looked from Cole’s hesitant expression to Julien’s hopeful one and then back to Cole.

  “Yes, I think it’s a good idea.” She straightened her shoulders before speaking again. “It will solidify your position as our boss.”

  He eyed her a moment more before nodding. “All right, then. When did you book this retreat for?”

  Julien smiled proudly. “You leave on Friday.”

  * * *

  EMMA DEFTLY GRABBED a bottle of perfume out of Avery’s fingers as her daughter ran from her bedroom. She tossed the fragrance into her cosmetic bag as Jacqueline shook her head.

  “She has so much energy. I grow tired just watching her.”

  Emma reached for a blouse and folded it neatly before tucking it into her bag. “She’s really excited that you’ll be watching her this weekend. She’s been looking forward to it ever since I told her you’d be coming.” She moved toward her former mother-in-law and took her hand. “Thanks for agreeing to babysit while I’m away. I’d have hated to ask Melanie to change her plans for the weekend.”

  Jacqueline squeezed her fingers in return. “It is my pleasure, dear. You know I am always eager for a chance to spend time with my granddaughter.”

  “I know, but I’m sure it’s still a bit of an inconvenience, taking the train from Le Mans into the city on such short notice.”

  Jacqueline waved this consideration away. “Only an hour’s ride.”

  Just then, Avery sailed back into the room. She was dividing her time between watching Melanie pack for her own trip to the Loire Valley, and “helping” her mother prepare for the corporate retreat. Jacqueline reached out and managed to catch her granddaughter in her arms. Avery giggled and squirmed as her grandmother dropped kisses all over the crown of her head. She released Avery, who planted a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek before rummaging through Emma’s cosmetic bag. She pulled out a container of blush and ran toward the mirror to apply some.

  “Besides,” Jacqueline went on after the interruption, “I would gladly take the train for twelve hours if it meant a weekend with my granddaughter.”

  Avery turned with a grin, one cheek covered in a swath of pink.

  “Avery, put that back,” Emma chastised and then reached for a pair of sturdy shoes.

  Jacqueline eyed the contents going into the bag.

  “This trip was unexpected, was it not?”

  Emma shrugged. “I don’t know how long Julien’s had it in mind, but he didn’t consult me ahead of time. Nor the new CEO.”

  Avery, with her cheeks so pink it looked as though she’d been sunburned, dropped the blush back into the cosmetic bag resting on the bed and then skipped out of the room once more.

  “Did you ask Brice,” Jacqueline finally ventured, “if he would be willing to watch Avery this weekend?”

  Emma couldn’t meet Jacqueline’s eye, so she kept her attention focused on the remainder of her packing. She knew it disappointed her that her son didn’t exhibit more care for his daughter.

  “He had other plans, I believe.” She didn’t explain that this was to have been Brice’s weekend with Avery anyway, and that he had canceled, as he so often did.

  Jacqueline expelled a long sigh. “One day he will recognize what it is he takes for granted. I am always telling him that at some point, he will have to grow up.” The sadness in Jacqueline’s tone caused Emma to reach out and squeeze her former mother-in-law’s shoulder. Jacqueline reached up and touched her hand.

  “Don’t worry. As long as Avery has you, she has all the love she needs.”

  Jacqueline shook her head but wisely chose to let the matter drop.

  “Tell me more about this retreat and everything you will be doing. It sounds delightful.”

  Emma filled her in on the activities listed in the estate literature, as well as Julien’s attempts to unify Cole with his senior recruiting team.

  “Are you looking forward to it?” Jacqueline often asked her the most pointed of questions.

  “A little bit. It will be fun to get away. I only wish I could bring Avery along.”

  “Don’t even think of depriving me of a weekend with my granddaughter.”

  Avery padded into the room right on cue, wearing what Emma recognized as one of Melanie’s hats. Emma went to her daughter and scooped her up for a kiss before turning back to Jacqueline.

  “You may wish you could have switched places with me by Sunday. I have a feeling this little one is going to keep you quite busy.”

  Jacqueline opened her arms, and Avery wiggled free of her mother to vault herself into them.

  Emma watched them and wondered if her words would be truer for herself. What if this weekend didn’t go well, and she found herself wishing she had stayed home with Avery instead?

  * * *

  THE NEXT DAY, Emma stood before the eighteenth-century château and simply stared. The others were unloading from the van they had rented to bring them from the train station, their voices overlapping in a melody of excitement, but she was transfixed by the elegant stone facade with diamond-grid windows in front of the circular drive. The exterior of their weekend home displayed an air of old-world charm coupled with new-world adornment in the form of a contemporary white entry door and topiary shrubs in classic stone pots. She relaxed a bit, seeing this inviting atmosphere. She may have been uncertain about the trip to the countryside—feeling guilty for leaving Avery in her grandmother’s care and uncertain about spending so much time in Cole’s company. But now, seeing the welcoming sight of the château, she thought perhaps the next few days might not be so bad.

  As the others came up behind her, they began to offer compliments on the grounds, equally as enamored with their surroundings as she was. They dropped their luggage on the lawn as Marc approached the front door and Cole came up behind her.

  “Not too bad,” he remarked from beside her, “but I thought it would be bigger. Like a castle.”

  Emma resisted the urge to laugh. “A château served as a manor house for the landed gentry. Though some were large enough to be castles, many were simply large country homes, such as this one.”

  Just then, their host opened the front door in response to Marc’s knocking.

  “Bonjour! I am René Denis,” the man said in French. “I assume you are the party from the city, Aquitaine Enterprises?”

  Emma quickly translated this for Cole as Marc politely requested the gentleman switch to English, if possible, in deference to their American boss.

  “Oui, but of course. Come, bring your bags and place them in the front hall so I can give you the tour.”

  They each hefted their luggage and followed Marc into the cool interior of the house. Leaving their bags in the entry area, they were given a quick overview of the château’s first floor. There was a lounge area with quaint furniture and wooden beams adjacent to a game and TV room, a Provençal-style kitchen with a cozy table for intimate meals, as well as a larger
dining hall and laundry facilities in the back of the house.

  René explained the schedule of meals and then suggested they retrieve their luggage and follow him up to the first floor. There were a total of six bedrooms, each with a private bath, meaning everyone would have their own room. They quickly claimed their quarters and René announced he would give them a half hour to unpack and settle in before they should join him in the kitchen for lunch and then further orientation.

  Left to their own devices, they retreated to their respective rooms. Emma was glad to have grabbed one of the middle-size bedrooms near the top of the stairs. Rather than unpack, Giselle joined her. They commented on the beauty of their surroundings.

  The view from Emma’s bedroom window revealed a spacious stone-paved patio as well as a glimpse of a sparkling lake. Emma had also read there were hiking and bicycle trails, a nearby outdoor activities course, a forest chapel and, of course, the lake for swimming and fishing.

  “We must tell Julien this should be an annual event,” Giselle announced as she stretched out on Emma’s bed.

  Despite the charming setting, Emma remained skeptical on that score. “Let’s wait and see what’s in store for us before we sign up for anything regular,” she said.

  “Don’t be so worried, Emma. It’s going to be a perfect weekend.”

  Emma hurriedly hung her clothes in the wardrobe and placed her cosmetic bag in the bath. She checked her watch. “I’m going to call Avery before lunch and the orientation. I’ll meet you downstairs in a bit.”

  “Suit yourself,” Giselle replied with another stretch and peered out the window once more as Emma grabbed her cell phone and headed for the door.

  * * *

  EMMA ENDED THE phone call and allowed her shoulders to sag with relief. Now that she had spoken to both Avery and Jacqueline, she felt as if she could enjoy the rest of the day. She wasn’t accustomed to leaving Avery for a whole weekend at a time, and she’d grown a little uneasy during the train ride as she imagined everything that could happen in her absence.

  Now that she had heard Avery’s voice and received Jacqueline’s reassurances, she determined to lay her worries to rest and focus on the retreat. She was just pocketing her phone as she turned and caught sight of Cole coming around the side of the house.

  “Checking in with your daughter?”

  “Yes,” she admitted and then noticed he was holding his cell phone. “You?” She gestured.

  “Just letting Julien know we arrived.”

  They came to a stop at the château’s front door. “It’s a lovely estate, and René seems like a competent host. Julien must have done his research,” he observed.

  “He always does. Julien is decidedly thorough.”

  Cole eyed her after this statement. “I never meant to imply he isn’t.”

  Belatedly, she realized how defensive her words had sounded.

  “I admire Julien,” Cole went on, “and despite any misgivings I might have about being in France, I’m honored to be working with him thanks to this merger.”

  “I’m...glad to hear it since I’m pretty fond of Julien myself.”

  The conversation stalled, and Emma folded her arms awkwardly.

  “So, you ready for this?” Cole asked.

  “I guess so. How about you?”

  Cole shrugged. “After lunch and the orientation, René said our first activity will be at a nearby ropes activity course. He said the purpose of the exercise is to give us ‘the opportunity to bond as a team and find our spirit of camaraderie.’”

  Emma couldn’t help grinning at how Cole repeated René’s words, imitating the man’s French accent.

  “Sounds like René is determined to unite us.” She didn’t add that he might have his work cut out for him. While she got along with her coworkers well enough, none of them had ever participated in an event like this and certainly not with the intention of bonding with a new boss.

  She cleared her throat. “Did Lillian ever send you on a corporate retreat before?”

  He shook his head. “This is a first for me. I have to admit, I’m curious to see how it goes.”

  “Me, too.”

  Just then, René opened the front door and called them in for lunch. Cole gestured for her to go ahead of him into the house, and she followed René into the château’s dining room.

  Lunch was served on a table laid with chipped, antique plates and elegant silverware wrapped in linen napkins. The dishes were simple but delicious: quiche Lorraine with salty bacon and creamy egg custard nestled in a puff pastry; salad with crisp, fresh vegetables in a tangy red wine vinaigrette; and several varieties of cheese along with still-warm, round loaves of peasant bread and a jar of local honey.

  Famished after their train ride to the countryside and further transportation in the rental van, the Aquitaine recruiters descended on the luncheon with ferocity. When they had finished, René clapped his hands and asked that they follow him outside for their orientation.

  Emma shuffled toward the door along with the others and emerged into the early afternoon sunshine bathing the stone patio in the back of the house.

  René began by reiterating his welcome from their arrival and proceeding with a grandiose speech about the importance of teamwork and their united purpose in the next couple of days together. Emma yawned, feeling full after lunch and warmed by the sunshine, and wishing she could just return to her room for a nap. But as Cole had already told her, René had other plans for them.

  “We will begin this afternoon by driving to a nearby activity course where you will establish the foundation of your teamwork exercises by utilizing the ropes. Following this afternoon’s activity, there will be some time for personal reflection and then dinner, followed by various team-building games.”

  There were a few murmurs of interest as they all wondered what sort of games might be in store.

  “Tomorrow morning, we will have breakfast on the patio, after which we will move to the lawn for the archery portion of our exercises.”

  “Archery?” Emma bit her lip. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of her coworkers wielding weaponry.

  To her right, Marc snorted. “What is this, medieval mayhem? How is using a bow and arrow going to bond us?”

  René frowned at the interruption. “I would ask that you please take this weekend and its activities seriously. Your employer has arranged for you to be here and expects results. You can only achieve the harmony of teamwork if you are open to the exercises.”

  Giselle, in her typical flirtatious style, winked at their host. “I am fully prepared to embrace the possibilities, René.”

  This declaration appeared to startle the man, and he rushed to continue highlighting the activities for their stay. Though she continued to keep one ear tuned to the orientation, Emma couldn’t help observing Cole and thinking about their brief conversation earlier. She had meant it when she’d said Julien was very thorough. She was sure he had weighed the options and done the appropriate research before sending them all on this retreat. But given how she had questioned his recent decision to merge his company with Reid Recruiting, she couldn’t help wondering if Julien was losing his edge.

  And what if trying to force them all to bond with their new boss was a mistake?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  EMMA FELT THE tug and vibration of the tightrope beneath her and quickly redistributed her weight to accommodate the shift. Behind her, she sensed Aurora struggling, her arms flapping wildly. They were only a few inches off the ground, but it was still a struggle to remain balanced.

  “Easy, easy...” René coached from the sidelines. “Work in harmony. Together.”

  From farther down the line, Emma recognized Marc’s scoff. “Easy for you to say. You’re still on solid ground and not relying on these idiots to stay balanced!”<
br />
  Emma inhaled sharply at Marc’s criticism but didn’t tear her eyes from Cole, whose back remained poised and straight in front of her. He made the exercise seem effortless, and she felt a swell of irritation at the sight.

  From several feet away, René clucked his tongue at Marc in disapproval. “Monsieur, it is a team effort. You must anticipate each other’s movements, must be as one—”

  “If you say ‘as one with the rope,’ I’m going to tear this thing off the stakes and strangle you with it.”

  “Marc!” Emma blurted out, embarrassed by her coworker’s vehemence.

  “It’s all right, René!” Emma heard Giselle call from farther down the line. “I’m sure you would do a much better job than Marc if you were to join us. Care to take his place?”

  Emma tore her gaze from the task of balancing and shot it in René’s direction. She found him frowning in disapproval.

  “You are all out of sync with each other. You must aim for cooperation. Understanding. Coordination. See how your boss holds his position?” René gave a nod of approval. “You must look to him as your example.”

  Irritation flickered in Emma’s chest.

  “Sacré bleu,” Marc muttered. “He has the easiest position in the entire line.”

  For the first time since the exercise began, Emma saw Cole’s back stiffen in front of her. He turned his head to speak over his shoulder. “Want to switch places, Marc?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Marc jumped off the rope and to the ground so unexpectedly that the rest of them shifted and flailed, reaching out blindly to maintain a balance they could not re-create. One by one, they fell off the line and onto the ground mere inches below.

  Cole was the last to waver, and if Emma hadn’t reached out without thinking, grabbing him to maintain her balance, he might have remained steady. Her momentary fumbling, though, caused him to stagger with the rest of them, and both she and Cole jumped to the ground at the same moment.

  She stumbled, and he quickly turned and caught her, his hands firm but gentle on her waist to keep her upright.