Page 45 of Keeping Kyle

How did I fool myself into thinking Kyle would be good for me? The focus needed to stay on work to ensure AMDD had a secure future—if any future at all.

I sat forward and grabbed my tablet. Bringing up Slack, I messaged Jack so he’d have instructions at the ready as soon as he arrived. Good morning. Please set meetings with each of the department heads for today. I want complete status reports. Also please get me a flight, leaving as late tonight as possible, to get me to New York so I can be in meetings first thing tomorrow.

I moved on to an email. I needed to schedule with Atlas to try to salvage the disaster. Emails needed to go out to the other clients on that server so I could talk to them as well.

The phone buzzed and brought me out of my message composition.

Kyle.

I shouldn’t, but I wanted to see him and have a moment to talk to somebody separated from this. And maybe get a hug. Kyle had a way of calming me by just being him.

Yet, the distraction possibility was too much.

Another buzz.

I flipped it face down on the table. A wave of sadness washed over me as I reconsidered it.

I wasn’t boyfriend material.

I was barely CEO material at the moment.

Writing the best email ever had my focus—something that let Atlas know we took the matter seriously. State and federal agencies were alerted and that the matter had my full attention.

TWENTY-THREE

KYLE

“NOT A PEEP IN TWO DAYS?” Mom asked.

She sat across the kitchen island as we both drank coffee. One of our longest traditions was to get together once a week and have coffee or maybe hot chocolate.

We’d started the tradition during high school. There had been so much going as she worked and Bobby and I had sports and after-school stuff that she’d wanted to make sure there was time to catch up. She’d done the same with Bobby—and still did, but now it happened on FaceTime.

Mine would be on FaceTime soon probably. Our standing time was Sunday morning if I was in town. Austin dominated today’s conversation.

“He texted me late Thursday that he had to go to New York for an emergency meeting. He told me the company was having… How did he put it?” I thought back to the night we’d had together. “Difficulties. I’ve texted him and know he’s getting the messages because they change to read at some point.” The memories flooded in, and I wanted him back so bad in that moment. “That afternoon and night had been so perfect. I can’t imagine why he’d ghost me like this.”

I sounded more emotional than I’d intended, but I had a hard time holding back with Mom. It didn’t help that she fixed me with her best concerned look. Usually it was reserved for when I felt like I’d messed up a game. There were similarities, though, since I’d clearly done something wrong here.

“Maybe he’s not ignoring you. It could be he just got super busy and hasn’t been able to tell you yet. I will say that you two seemed to have a good connection. I know you haven’t seen each other very long, but… I’ve never seen you like that with anyone. Just the way you were when you were here. You two had a vibe.”

“Oh, Mom. A vibe? What does that even mean?” My face heated, and that meant at least a faint blush in my cheeks. Talking to Bobby about guys was weird enough sometimes, but with Mom…

“Now don’t go doing that. I know all of your moods, and honestly, I liked seeing this new version of happy on you.”

“New version of happy?” I grabbed another cinnamon roll from the box that I’d picked up on the way over. I took a bite so I didn’t have to talk.

She nodded. “There’s a particular way you are on the ice and when your content around me and Bobby. You had something else with Austin. You stole looks at him like I used to do with your father.”

Wow. Like her and Dad. That was a major compliment.

“Maybe it’s for the best. I told Bobby that I didn’t know what to do if… or I guess when… I move to Phoenix. Maybe Austin’s decided. I’d texted him the update on the trade. That could’ve been his tipping point.”

I took a sip to give myself a moment.

“I’m not going to defend his actions because going quiet is certainly rude.” She grabbed the coffee pot and topped us off. The lines deepened across her forehead as her concern increased, and that pushed a wave of sadness through me. I hadn’t meant to bring us down this morning.

“How did you know when you met Dad that he was, you know, the one?”