Source One

start.”
    “What about settling your mother’s estate?”
    Amber shook her head. “There was more debt than equity. There isn’t going to be anything left.”
    “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to move, Amber. Your support network is here. Everything familiar. You’ll find a different job. I’ll help you. I know HR people at other companies, too, you know.”
    “You’ve helped me enough, Michelle.”
    “Just let me make a couple of calls before you decide anything. Okay?”
    She took Amber’s hand. “Okay?” she asked again.
    Amber looked down at their joined hands and forced a smile. “Okay. Thank you.”
    ***
    Brian lay down.  He stared up at the ceiling and sighed.
    He knew what Diana would have said about what had happened today.  It certainly wouldn’t have been good.
    When they were first married, Brian had been putting in long hours. Long hours even for him.
    One night Diana had marched over. Flipped his laptop closed. “No more ignoring me at night.”
    She’d put a stop to his nighttime work then and there. Said they had more important things to do.
    Brian smiled wryly. He’d loved her sassiness. Her spunk.
    His thoughts drifted back to Amber. What was she like when she felt comfortable with someone?
    Brian shook the thought away. That’s not what you need to be thinking about.
    Yet, in the back of his mind, Diana’s voice was telling him the opposite.
    Brian had been numb for so long. He much preferred it to the thoughts he was having.
    ***
    The following Monday, Michelle came to Amber’s desk. “One of my HR contacts came through. Here’s a job listing you can interview for.”
    Amber blinked up at her. “So soon?”
    Michelle nodded and handed her a printout.
    Amber scanned the job description and glanced up at Michelle.
    “Another software company?”
    “Unlike Source One, they do custom coding for companies. I told my contact you’d have my recommendation. The name of the person you’ll interview with is on the back. Your interview’s tomorrow at nine.”
    “Thank you so much.”
    Michelle winked at her. “Don’t mention it.”
    The next day, Amber interviewed with the Sumner Systems’ HR rep, Abby Grover.
    “Mr. Sumner was given a copy of your resume. He was told you come highly recommended.”
    “Mr. Sumner gave my resume to you himself?”
    Abby nodded.
    Amber raised her brow. Michelle’s HR contact definitely had friends in high places.
    A little while later, Amber was led to Mr. Sumner’s office.
    Peter Sumner shook her hand and gestured to one of the seats in front of his desk. He gazed at a copy of her resume. “So, you’re not going to be working for Brian Nichols anymore?”
    Amber shook her head.
    “What happened?”
    Amber licked her lips. She’d hoped she wouldn’t be asked. But it was an obvious question. “We didn’t have too much of a connection. I thought it made sense to find a better fit.”
    Mr. Sumner nodded. “I don’t know if anyone told you, but he and I used to work together too. I know he can be intense.”
    Amber smiled a tentative smile.
    ***
    It was Monday. Brian had returned from Chicago and was back in the office.
    He looked up from his papers as Amber knocked on his open door.
    Amber cleared her throat. “I wanted to let you know that Friday’s my last day here. My replacement’s going to start on Wednesday.”
    Brian frowned. He opened his mouth and closed it again.
    There was something different about Amber as she stood waiting for him to acknowledge what she’d said.
    She was no longer nervous. She looked determined now. Determined to get rid of him.
    And who could blame her? He’d treated her badly. Like crap, if he was being honest.
    Amber’s eyes were still fixed on his. Brian watched the column of her throat move as she swallowed. The only hint that she was becoming uncomfortable.
    “I’m sorry to hear that ,” Brian said quietly.
    The expression on Amber’s face softened a little before she walked out of his office and shut the door.
    Throughout the next few days, Brian made several attempts to smooth things over with Amber. He asked her to lunch a couple of times, but she declined both invitations – politely but firmly, saying she had a lot of work to do. On Friday afternoon, it appeared that she still planned to leave.
    There was a knock on Brian’s door just before 5 p.m.
    “Come in.”
    Amber walked in and set a file on his desk. “Here’s the information you wanted.”
    Brian nodded and