Chapter 121

“We better get started,” Victor told me as we sat in my office at Wilson, Inc. “Daisy, did you hear me?”

“Sorry, I guess I’m distracted or something,” I said. “I was up late last night, studying those books you loaned me, and nothing seems to stick in my mind today.”

Victor looked at me with concern on his handsome face. His gorgeous turquoise eyes narrowed as they studied me.

“You need a break from all this studying, but you must be ready for the test,” Victor said.

“I want to keep going.” I picked up a file that was sitting in front of me. “This inventory analytics report still has me puzzled.”

“I think you should take a break.” Victor’s face looked concerned. “You don’t seem to be able to concentrate lately.”

There was a knock at the door, and William rushed into my office.

“Sorry,” he said. “Coach wanted to talk to me, and when I finally got to the office, they said that Daisy had already signed out. I thought maybe you took a cab. Thanks for picking Daisy up from school, Victor.”

“Relax,” Victor said. “Tomorrow was the day I needed you to drive her here after school and help her with the Human Resources Index.”

“Oh, okay, I must have gotten my days mixed up.” William looked at me, and I saw concern on his face too. “Since I’m here, can I help with anything? I don’t have any other plans.”

“I’m not sure if Daisy should try to learn anything new today,” Victor replied. “She’s getting burned out. I think I’ve been pushing her too hard.”

“She looks tired and stressed,” William agreed.

I shook my head to try and clear some of the cobwebs. “I’ll be okay,” I insisted. “I’ll go to bed a little earlier tonight. Maybe I’m just tired.”

“You need a vacation,” William said.

“She definitely needs a few days off,” Victor agreed.

“She needs to go for a long weekend at the lake,” William sat in a chair in front of my desk. “It’s the perfect place to clear your head and relax.”

I have seen pictures of Lake Pocono in magazines and newspapers, but I’ve never been there. I’ve never been more than a few miles out of the city.

It looked like a beautiful place. The lake seemed peaceful and blue.

Victor was still studying me. “That may be a great idea. Would you like to go to the lake for a few days?”

I imagined myself relaxing while I looked out over the water. “I’d love to, but can I spare the time?”

“I think you would learn easier after some rest and relaxation,” Victor replied. “With all the stress you’ve been under, you need some downtime.”

“And I could still give you some business lessons at the lake,” William said.

Victor looked startled. “She can’t go to the lake alone with you. What if reporters hear about it, or the paparazzi follow you? Our engagement was just announced. I don’t want people to think she’s cheating on me.”

“Yeah, but it’s my family’s lake house. You don’t know where it is or how stuff works,” William pointed out. “Plus, do you think it would be good for Daisy’s reputation for reporters to find out you two are there alone before you’re married?”

I sighed and picked up a report. I wasn’t going to get a chance to go to the lake. It sounded like neither Victor nor William wanted me to go to the lake with the other.

It was frustrating. Victor was worried about how it would look to the public, and William’s wolf must not like me being alone in a cabin with Victor.

I rested my chin on my hands and tried to make sense of the report in front of me. But I couldn’t concentrate and got up to pace the room.

As the men watched me pace, I began to feel a little guilty. They were putting in a lot of time trying to help me. I needed to try harder.

I sat back down at my desk. “Okay, let me try this again.”

Victor gently took the folder from my hands. “You’ve had enough lessons for now.” He turned to William. “What if we both go, and Daisy can take her maid as a chaperone?”

William nodded. “That would work. I’ll call the caretaker and tell him we are coming. He will have the cabin ready for us.” He took out his phone and made the call.

“We can’t all fit in your Mustang or my car,” Victor said. “But I’ve been waiting for a chance to use my truck. It will be comfortable enough for the four of us, and we can put our luggage in the back.”

“That sounds good,” William agreed. “Let’s all go home and pack, and we’ll meet at Daisy’s home in an hour.”

We locked up my office and went down to the parking garage.

“See you in an hour,” William said as he got into his car.

Victor and I gave him a wave and climbed into the Lamborghini.

I was going to spend a long weekend at Lake Pocono! I couldn’t stop smiling as we drove to the mansion.

Victor stopped at the front entrance. “I’ll be back in an hour with my pickup truck. Tell Alex we will be back Sunday evening. And don’t forget to bring your maid.”

“I’ll be ready,” I assured him and dashed inside the house.

I went straight to Alex’s bedroom. As I rushed in the door with a big grin on my face, Alex looked up from the newspaper he was reading.

“Oh, hello, sweetheart,” he said. “You look happy this afternoon.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but Victor and William are taking me to Lake Pocono for a long weekend. I’m taking Jennifer as my chaperone.”

A smile as big as mine bloomed on his face. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. You’ve been working hard. Have a good time, honey.”

I put my arms around them and hugged him tightly. “I’ll call and check on you every night.”

“You don’t have to do that, Daisy,” he insisted. “Just enjoy yourself at the lake. I’ll be fine and see you when you get back.”

I kissed his forehead. “I must go pack and tell Jennifer she’s coming with me. But I’ll stop in to say goodbye before I leave.”

Then I ran upstairs and pressed the button to summon Jennifer. While I waited for her, I began pulling jeans, T-shirts, and sweatshirts from my bureau.

Jennifer soon arrived. “How can I help, Miss?”

“You can bring me my suitcase and then go pack your own for a long weekend on the lake,” I replied.

Jennifer looked startled. “Pardon me, Miss?”

I giggled at her surprise. “Mr. Klein and Mr. James invited me to Lake Pocono for a long weekend, and I need you to accompany me as my chaperone.”

The smile on Jennifer’s face rivaled my own. “Truly, Miss? You want me to go to the lake?”

“Yes, but you must pack quickly,” I replied. “They will be here to pick us up in less than an hour.”

Jennifer sprung into action. In twenty minutes, she had us both packed and ready to go.

She seemed more excited than I was.

I smiled at the blue jeans and t-shirt she was wearing and loaned her a pair of my sunglasses for the trip.

We were quite the pair, with me wearing cut-off shorts and a T-shirt with my oldest sneakers. But we were both glowing with happiness as we got ready to leave for the lake.

I insisted on carrying my suitcase to the bottom of the staircase before allowing Jennifer to take it to the front door while I went to say goodbye to Alex.

Alex told me not to worry and to have a good time. But I instructed Benson to call if there was any sign my father was growing worse.

I went back to Jennifer to watch for the guys to show up. But I didn’t have long to wait. Soon, I heard a strange vehicle coming up the driveway, and William’s Mustang was directly in front of it.

William parked near the garage and left his keys with our chauffeur as William pulled up to the front door in a brand new, silver, extended cab pickup truck.

Jennifer and I eagerly climbed into the spacious rear seats and buckled our seatbelts.

Victor was driving, so William sat in the front passenger seat.

“You should’ve let me drive,” William complained.

“It’s my truck,” Victor argued.

Even though the two Alpha males were friends, sometimes it was hard to ignore their competitive vibe.

But I would do my best to ease the tension between them and their wolves.

Hopefully, we will all have a good time at the lake without fighting.