“We can’t do a year-long work plan, financial projections and all the trimmings by the end of today.”

“Do I detect the first notes of a discouraging word?” He shifted until he was sitting on the edge of her desk, his relentless pacing halted for the moment.

“Cole, admit it, we can’t work miracles.”

Cole leaned across the desk to kiss the tip of her nose. “That’s what they want us to think.” He tapped his fingertip on the spot he’d just kissed. “They think we’ll panic.”

“Who’s they?”

“Whoever pushed up the date of the board meeting. We were supposed to roll over and play dead, let them have a clear path to present their own ideas.”

“And who would that be?” Deep in her heart, she knew the answer, but she wasn’t willing to admit it, wasn’t willing to acknowledge that her own mother would do anything to have Darci removed from her position as president.

“Who has the most to gain if you step down, Darci?”

“Uncle John, of course.” She gulped, forcing herself to face up to her suspicions.

“And who is his primary backer?”

“My mother.”

“Why does your mother want you out of here so badly?”

Darci sighed her frustration. “Because she’s afraid I’ll become an old maid, that I’ll never let go of my work long enough to find a man. She wants grandchildren, and she’s getting tired of waiting. I think she’s decided if she rips the corporation from my hands, I’ll get a husband and we’ll all live happily ever after.”

Darci pressed her lips together, trying to halt the flow of angry words, but she knew she had to say it, to let Cole know what he was up against. “I’ve barely had time to date since Daddy got sick. Until she introduced me to Jeffrey. Even then, we didn’t go out that much, but by some stroke of unimaginable luck he said he fell in love with me, anyway.”

Her laugh held an edge of bitterness. “My mother’s promise of a seat in the president’s chair was enough incentive for Jeffrey to agree to anything. I can just imagine what a loving relationship we’d have had.”

“I’m sorry, honey.” He stroked a finger down the side of her cheek, and she resisted the urge to lean into his touch. “They haven’t won yet. I’ve still got my secret weapon.”

“If you’ve got some hidden talent, I could certainly use any brilliant suggestions right now.”

Cole glanced at his watch. “It should be arriving any minute now. In fact, I told it to bring lunch. I figured we could work while we eat.”

Her stomach growled, reminding her she’d been too distraught to eat breakfast. Both of them had quickly dressed and rushed straight to the office, the awkwardness of waking up in the same house washed away by their worry over the immediate future.