A romantic weekend getaway to a secluded cabin in the woods has unexpected results when everything that can go wrong does.
Vanessa Richards stared out of her office window at the magnificent sunset. Life was good. She sat in her large chair breathing deeply for a few seconds. Everything she’d worked for was now hers. She ran her fingers through her hair and kicked off her shoes.
The door to her office suddenly opened and Vanessa whipped around in her chair as the law firm’s in-house investigator Jayne Nelson poked her head inside the room.
“I thought you’d have gone home by now,” the petite perky redhead said as she walked to Vanessa’s large mahogany desk, placing a file on top of the small stack already sitting there. “Everybody else has been long gone.”
Vanessa smiled at Jayne, who was clad in a simple black knit dress with matching black pumps. She wore a beautiful, gold, heart-shaped necklace around her neck and small matching gold earrings. Her makeup consisted of a little blush and a touch of lipstick. She had the type of complexion that needed minimal makeup. Jayne always looked classy no matter how she was dressed. Vanessa always chose conservative attire for the office. Her jewelry usually consisted of only a small pair of earrings and occasionally a necklace—but she always wore heels. She loved heels. “In a little while. I want to catch up on some paperwork.”
“And the rest of it will go home with you as usual, I assume.” Jayne frowned as she stood in front of the desk with her hands on her hips. “You never stop, do you? It’ll all be here in the morning, Vanessa.” She shook her head as her lips tightened into a straight line. “There’s nothing pending that can’t wait. You’ve been in here all afternoon.”
If it were anyone but Jayne, Vanessa wouldn’t have hesitated to give a sharp tongue-lashing. But it was Jayne. They’d met years ago in college, but their careers had taken them in slightly different directions. Even so, their close friendship remained intact. Vanessa’s ambitions were to get a promotion to Partner in a distinguished law firm, while Jayne wanted to do the investigative work for a top law firm. They’d both far exceeded their dreams. Jayne was the best investigator in Philadelphia and Vanessa was fortunate that Jayne, with a bit of pleading from her, had agreed to join the firm shortly after the firm hired Vanessa. Jayne was a force to be reckoned with when it came to digging up the facts about anyone or anything, and that made her an invaluable asset to any firm.
“I know.” She scrunched up her face. “Until the next big case.” She flipped through her calendar. “Which I’ll need to start preparing depositions for by the end of next week.”
“Take a few days off. When was the last time you even took any vacation time? Go somewhere with Emma. I’m sure she’d love a few days alone with you.”
Vanessa was thoughtful for a few seconds as she looked at Jayne. “I was thinking the same thing before you came in.” She sighed. “I don’t know if I even remember how to relax anymore.” She stretched as she wiggled her toes.
“That’s because you have tunnel vision where your career is concerned.”
Vanessa looked into Jayne’s sea green eyes. “Meaning?”
