Helen Myers - It's News to Her

In the uncomfortable silence that followed, she noticed something she couldn’t remain silent about. Henry looked as unhappy with this conversation as she felt. “I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your image of me, sir,” she told him.

“Nonsense, my dear. You’re entitled to your personal life. What I am is troubled that you’ve undoubtedly held this in for all of this time. It speaks all the more to your professionalism, but I can’t imagine what you suffered in private. Cord, I want you to sit down with her and fix this. You need a better foundation of trust and cooperation if you intend to communicate well and freely with each other.”

“Of course,” Cord said immediately. “Are you free for lunch, Hunter?”

“No!” Hunter reached for her purse which she’d set beside her chair. “What I mean is that I’ve already missed a flight. I was to do a commencement speech in New Jersey this evening. I thought you might have been told about it. It’s the high school I would have graduated from had I stayed up there,” she said to Henry. “They knew about it downstairs, but this morning’s events obviously caused it to slip their minds. I was about to see about catching another flight.”

Distressed anew, Henry checked his watch and then the clock on his desk. “You’re due to speak tonight? Good heavens, the time. Cord…?”

“I’ll take care of everything,” Cord replied. “Grandfather, if you don’t mind rescheduling our dinner plans, I’ll call the airport and get the jet refueled and ready.”

“I heartily concur. Make it as easy as possible for Hunter to continue doing us proud—and stay close. They’ll obviously have advertised this up there, so don’t let another station have a chance at stealing her away from us.”

Hunter looked from one man to the other, feeling a growing panic. “Excuse me?”

Cord’s blue-gray eyes lit with either satisfaction or amusement—or both. “We’ll get you to your function in the corporate plane.” Before she could react, he stepped away from the desk, pulling out his BlackBerry and keying in a few numbers. “Change of plans, Murray,” he said into the device moments later. “Gas up and get a flight plan to—” he turned to Hunter “—where in Jersey exactly?”

“Mahwah. That’s the northernmost part of Bergen County. But—”

“Mahwah, New Jersey. And tell Lane to arrange for limousine service to the high school. We have to be there by—” Once again, he glanced at Hunter.

“Six was when they were going to have a short reception for staff and special guests. The program starts at seven,” she added with resignation.

Glancing at his watch, Cord said, “ASAP, considering the hour difference and traffic congestion. We’re leaving the building now. Thanks.”

As he disconnected, Hunter launched into her protest. She figured it was more professional than exhibiting an all-out panic attack. “I can’t let you do this.”

“Why not? We’re the cause of you missing your flight and, as you heard my grandfather say, you and I need to talk.”

“Absolutely,” Henry Yarrow said with an encouraging sweep of his hand. “Now you two run along and I’ll finish up one or two things and be on my way myself before Lenore calls and drafts half the building to come after me.”

Seeing that she was trapped, and not willing to upset the man she owed so much to, Hunter rose and sought a calmness she didn’t feel despite her years in the business. “Mr. Henry…I’m afraid I’m stuck with the redundant, but thank you, again. For all you’ve done for me. Please know you’ll be in my prayers and in my heart every day.”

“Would those sweet words by chance come with a hug?”

Hunter rushed to him but was careful as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, dear and wise young friend,” Henry murmured near her ear. Then he kissed her cheek and held her at arm’s length. Looking all business again, he huffed, “They’ll ask you to do the announcement on the air tomorrow. You will be back, won’t you?”

That was his way of saying she was his choice. Her throat grew so raw, she didn’t think she could speak. “Of course,” she rasped.

Henry relaxed. “I’ll be watching from home. Make me immortal. Ah, Hunter…thank you. For all of the pleasure of watching you grow and for your delightful humor.”

“Please stop. You’re scaring me.”

“Nonsense. I’m being the male equivalent of a diva. Truth is, I’m counting on being around to take bows for your long and illustrious career.”

Hunter didn’t see Cord circle the desk, but when she felt him take gentle hold of her elbow, she didn’t resist him directing her to the door. Once outside, she saw that despite Henry’s directive, Kym hadn’t yet left for lunch.

“Would you call downstairs and tell my driver we’re headed that way and need to get to the airport pronto? And do your best to make my grandfather keep to his plan of leaving here as soon as possible. If you run into headwind, call me without hesitation.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Rivers. Have a good flight, sir, Ms. Harding.”

This time on her way down the hall, Hunter was oblivious to any or all curious onlookers who were back at their desks. The shock of Henry Yarrow’s illness-forced retirement and dread over Cord Rivers taking over things—including her personal travel plans—weren’t easily taken in stride. How was she to endure being stuck in a plane with him for hours?

“I’m sorry for the way we had to break this to you,” Cord said. “He wanted to hold off as long as he could.”

“I understand.”

“You’re in shock.”

While he didn’t say the words with any sarcasm or accusation of any kind, Hunter blinked back hot tears as another stab of pain struck her. “He’s been more than boss and mentor to me, he’s been a—a friend.”

“A friend who didn’t know about you and Denny any more than I did.”

But as soon as he was sliced with her scathing look, Cord cleared his throat. “Do you have any luggage you need to retrieve from your office or vehicle?”

As they arrived at the elevators, Hunter watched him punch the nearest down key. “No. I was going to catch the red-eye back, so baggage wasn’t necessary.” Accepting that she was sounding way too hostile, she forced herself to voice her next words with more reason. “Do you really have to come, too? You must have more important things to do. And you have to admit, it’s a little ridiculous to be delegated a babysitter, despite Mr. Henry’s kind references about my value.”

“Showing support to our star journalist is hardly a waste of my time,” Cord replied. “Besides, as Gramps pointed out, this will give us the perfect opportunity to talk.”

Hunter stared at his reflection in the polished brass doors. For all of his striking presence and his new stature, she refused to go to her strategic guillotine without a fight. “At the risk of annoying you to where you buy out my contract, I’m not going to discuss Denny with you.”

He whistled softly. “You are still angry. Were you really that serious about him? I saw live feeds of your news reports only days after he left Texas, and you looked and performed better than ever. There wasn’t the slightest hint that you were suffering an emotional meltdown.”

Hunter seethed. For the better part of a week, she hadn’t been able to eat more than toast without losing it in seconds. She’d been afraid to pass a copy editor her adjustments to a field writer’s report for fear that someone would see how badly her hands were shaking. She had felt totally humiliated and had lost all confidence in her judgment, which for a person trained to analyze was the most bitter of pills. But to Cord Rivers she offered a cold smile and said, “That’s why you pay me what you do, Mr. Rivers.”