Appalachian Awakening, page 1
Appalachian Awakening
Synopsis
Facing yet another failed relationship and a full-blown identity crisis after losing her job in a corporate merger, unemployed executive Amber Shaw realizes she hasn’t been happy in a long time. Who is she if not a CEO, and if everything she’s worked for hasn’t made her happy, what will? Inspired after learning about the Appalachian Trail, Amber sets off in hopes of figuring it all out.
Leslie Brown lives life on her own terms with nothing to tie her down. She’s an experienced hiker and has one final trail left on her bucket list, the Appalachian Trail. Only problem, all her friends have settled down and started lives that don’t allow for seven months away from responsibilities. She’s out there alone.
Amber and Leslie assume they are polar opposites based on their first impressions of each other, but the more their paths cross, the more this hike of a lifetime begins to look like a love of a lifetime.
What Reviewers Say About Nance Sparks’s Work
Secret Sanctuary
“I love the combination of action and romance. …The crime plot is fast-paced and the story is action-packed and exciting to the end, with some unexpected twists.”—LezReview Books
“I buzzed through all the action sequences. They felt real and very dangerous, with just enough vulnerability from the main characters to heighten suspense. I was never unsure of who was where and what was going on. The romance made me happy, because both characters have a deep need for love but their lives are highly secretive, giving it a nice tension.”—Lesbian Review
Cowgirl
“I fell in love with Cowgirl by Nance Sparks. This is the author’s debut novel, and I’m very impressed with her writing. In fact, I see myself adding a new name to my list of favorite authors. It is the setting that really made the story special to me. The author set this novel on a farm near a tiny town in Michigan, and something about her descriptions of this place really touched me. I kept thinking, ‘This sounds and feels like home.’…I recommend this book to everyone. I will also be looking for more from this author.”—Rainbow Reflections
Starting Over
“This novel works because it’s built on a relationship that’s grounded, authentic and genuine. Sparks crafts the romance in such a way that it feels believably sincere and honest. She capitalizes on the emotional depth of the characters and their relationship. There’s a chemistry between these two ladies that’s compelling. Readers see their potential, and they root for them. Starting Over reminds readers that love endures and heals, even when one thinks it’s lost forever.”—Women Using Words
Appalachian Awakening
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By the Author
Cowgirl
An Alaskan Wedding
Secret Sanctuary
Starting Over
Appalachian Awakening
Appalachian Awakening
© 2024 By Nance Sparks. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-528-7
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: January 2024
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Barbara Ann Wright
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design by Tammy Seidick
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Prologue
Everyone has a breaking point.
Everyone.
For some reason, I thought I’d be exempt, but there are no exceptions.
My entire life, I’ve been pushed and groomed to be the best of the best.
Not only do I have a seat at the table, I sit at the head of the table.
I made the cover of Fortune magazine the year of my fortieth birthday.
And then, it all fell apart.
It happened on a Friday.
Chapter One
The late February day started off normal enough. I woke up just before the alarm sounded at four-thirty in the morning. Soon after, I was fast walking on the treadmill for forty-five minutes, getting my steps in while sipping a strawberry and kale smoothie and watching the morning news and market reports, an efficient routine ingrained into me by my mother because it was how successful people started their day.
When I was a little girl, she followed up such a statement with, “and you want to be successful, don’t you, Amber?”
Of course I wanted to be successful. It seemed to be the only quality that my mother valued. Like a bobblehead, I responded by nodding wildly in agreement. According to my mother, in order to be successful, I’d have to be relentless, well-informed, driven, and fit. My mother’s critical voice was constantly in my head as a shrill reminder of how hard I’d have to work if I ever wanted to meet her expectations. It was a lofty goal that, at forty-five, I was not entirely sure I’d ever achieve.
Two hours later, I was downtown in my office, typing so fast that the clickety-clack of the keyboard held a rhythmic beat. The morning flew by. It was a momentous day. I’d focused solely on the merger for the better part of six months, and it was set to be finalized before the end of business. The company we were merging with would fill out our portfolio and give us the valuation to be in The Fortune 500. It was a big deal. A very big deal.
“Knock, knock.” Sue, my executive assistant, was more important to me than my right hand. She always said “knock, knock” instead of actually knocking. It was her thing. One of her many things.
I kept typing the closing on my email to ensure I wouldn’t lose my train of thought.
“Hey, Amber.” When she said my name, it sounded like Ammbur. I gave up correcting her years ago. “I’m sorry to bug you again, but Grayson is looking for an update on the final packet. I told him that the update hadn’t changed much in the five minutes since his last call, yet he insisted I check again. I swear, this merger has everyone jumpier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin’ chairs.”
Sue had an unending supply of sayings and self-proclaimed words of wisdom. Most of her phrases were quite endearing when wrapped up in her sweet Georgia drawl. This far north in Hartford, Connecticut, her words could leave a person wondering if they’d been kissed on the cheek or slapped across the face. I adored that about her and envied her skill.
She wasn’t wrong about the merger. Everyone was on edge and rightly so. While the merger was the right thing to do for the company, the moment those papers were signed and it became final, almost every level of senior management—beyond the board of directors—overlapped, and someone at each tier would have to go. Those selected to carry the newly merged company forward would be announced by Grayson, the chairman of the board, after lunch. I was certain that my three hundred and sixty degree assessment and the work I’d done to not only present but also secure the merger would prove my worth to the newly formed organization.
I attached my signature and clicked the send button. “I just finished, and the email has been sent to the team.” I leaned back in my chair with a smile that I was certain resembled that of the Cheshire Cat, yet another one of Sue’s sayings. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. She was wearing off on me more than I cared to admit.
“So if we keep our jobs, are we going to cut out early and grab us a celebratory cocktail or five? My family is expecting another late night, and my credit card is still on file with the Grubhub. Cass and the girls won’t mind one more night of junk food.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Sue’s granddaughter, Cassidy, had been swept off her feet at a young age and then dumped after she’d become pregnant for the second time. She and her two daughters, ages five and seven, lived with Sue while Cassidy focused on finishing college. She was a determined young woman on year four of a five-year plan. In turn, it added a lot to Sue’s plate. Sometimes, she stayed late at the office without being asked. I always welcomed the help. I also suspected she enjoyed the quiet that work offered, though I never called her out on it.
I helped in my own little way by bumping up her salary to show my appreciation for her above and beyond efforts. “I’m all in on the cocktails. What is this, ‘if we keep our jobs’? Of course we’ll keep our jobs. We’re the dynamic duo. They’d be fools to let us go.” I wasn’t sure which of us I was trying to convince. Without a doubt, I knew we’d done a stellar job, but my email account and phone had become eerily quiet. A tight, nervous feeling took hold in the pit of my stomach. I maintained my confident front because that was what successful people did.
“Your lips to God’s ears.” Sue pointed a finger in the air. “I’m too old to go job hunting again. Two more years and I’ll reach full retirement age. Please, dear angels, grant me just two more years so I can re
I stared into her sweet brown eyes. “Ha, you’re not retiring. We’re a team. You can’t retire until I do.”
“Then, you best be planning to do so in about two years.” Sue laughed. “Honey, I’m gettin’ too old for these long days and all this stress. I need some time poolside with a cabana boy in short shorts.”
I couldn’t imagine sharing an office suite with anyone other than Sue. We’d worked together for so long that we could practically read each other’s thoughts. We’d been paired up since the day I’d hired on. With every promotion I’d ever earned, I’d begged her to join me and negotiated for both of us. She was so much more than my right hand. She was my conscience, my backbone, and one of the reasons I occupied the corner suite. She was invaluable. Over the years, she’d kept me grounded. I wasn’t close with too many people outside of work. Hell, I wasn’t close to too many people period. Ugly truth honest, Sue was my dearest friend, whether she knew it or not. My career had always been my primary focus, and Sue had been a major constant in my adult life.
I sat there and wondered who might have reported me missing should I have disappeared. The results were depressing. Without a doubt, Sue would be the first, especially if I happened to disappear on a weekday, since she greeted me at the elevator each day with a cup of my favorite coffee. Two others who might eventually notice would be my parents, although it would take them some time. They were both fairly self-absorbed. I suspected that they’d had me…who knew why, maybe it was trendy at the time. Once I was born, they’d quickly realized that they wanted nothing to do with children.
It wasn’t until I lived on my own and worked in a professional setting that I was even invited to join them at the country club for the occasional lunch. I’d never fit into their world.
My girlfriend, Tiffany, would most likely celebrate my disappearance and ask for verification. She wasn’t currently speaking to me because I’d missed our six-month anniversary dinner. In my defense, celebrations on the half year weren’t a real thing. Anniversaries were an annual event, not a monthly or biannual celebration. Besides, the merger had been my priority, and she should’ve understood that.
A knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts. “Hey, Grayson, come on in. Everything should already be in your inbox.”
“It is. Can we talk for a minute?” He turned to Sue. “In private.”
She nodded, excused herself and pulled the door closed behind her.
“Uh-oh, it’s something serious.” I stood and stepped around my desk. “Your forehead is crinkled, and that vein is popping out. It’s your tell. Was there something unexpected in the packet?”
I’d been a direct report to him and the board for the past seven years. He typically flopped in the chair in front of my desk, but today, he stood just inside the doorway and picked at the sleeve of his suit jacket. Something was up, and it wasn’t anything good. I remained standing but leaned slightly against my desk for some support.
“The packet was exactly what I’ve come to expect from you. Spot-on and quite thorough.”
“So why do you look like you threw the baby out with the bathwater?” I rolled my eyes. Sue and her sayings.
“Amber, there’s no easy way to say this. The decisions have been made for the leadership team and…well…you won’t be the CEO moving forward.”
My chest tightened, and my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I’d brought this merger to the board. I’d been the one to pursue it. There were many times that I’d kept it from falling apart. I kept my expression neutral and remained cold as steel, another trait I’d learned from my mother. “I see. When was the decision made? What was the determining factor?”
“The new board feels that you were promoted beyond your skill set.”
“Seriously?” I breathed through an inappropriate flurry of curse words. “I’ve led this company for the past seven years. I’ve exceeded all goals presented to me. I carried this merger to the finish line. How could that be considered promoted beyond my skill set?”
“Amber, we’ve talked about this. You’ve always been too deep in the weeds. You have an entire acquisitions department that should have handled the bulk of the work. Instead, you were the one putting together the merger and creating the final packet. As of today, this company is too big for your control issues. The incoming board wants a change. They’re looking for an established leader who’s more…traditional. They want experience. Carl Turner will be taking over.”
It took a couple of tries before I was able to quench the desert dryness in my throat. I’d been so certain that the board would choose me, choose my style. Of course I was involved. I wasn’t a dump-and-run leader. I liked to know what was going on. I liked to be part of the solution. Our numbers were good under my leadership, and turnover was all but nonexistent.
“Carl Turner?” He was traditional all right. A traditional, egotistical, misogynistic asshole. Carl had no love for women in the workplace, let alone in upper-level management. “The board wants a good ol’ boy. Is that it? A stodgy—”
Grayson cocked his head and gave me a look that suggested I not finish my sentence. I bit my tongue and focused on my breathing. I had to stay cool. If I had any chance of talking Grayson out of this, I had to keep my composure. Then again, based on his steely expression, I couldn’t see a path forward that would maintain my seat at the head of the table. Anger and rage roiled inside. Breathe.
“I assume you’ll honor the terms regarding my severance package?” I asked.
He nodded and cleared his throat. “Yes, we’ll honor your contract. That’s the point of doing this before the merger is final. A last order of business in the old books.”
My mother had coached me on my contract negotiations. Back then, I’d thought it was silly to ask for stuff in the event that they let me go. It would seem she wasn’t so wrong after all. A fresh wave of nausea hit. How was I going to tell her that I’d been passed over? Her disappointment would be more than I could bear. I looked down and noticed Sue’s purse resting on my conference table. I’d been so self-absorbed that I’d completely forgotten about her. My heart sank.
“What about Sue?”
“Carl’s already fully staffed.”
“Are you seriously telling me that you’re cutting her? She’s been with this company since the beginning.”
“She can collect unemployment until she finds something new,” Grayson said.
“She’s sixty-five. Haven’t you heard of agism? No one is going to hire her. She’s too close to retirement. Pay her out, including benefits, until she reaches full retirement age. It’s just two years. I—” I shook my head. “We put this merger together. You owe her that much.”
“No one is going to sign off on that.” Grayson crossed his arms as if to end the discussion.
“Is my departure favorable or unfavorable?” I asked because it made a big difference as to what was included in my severance package.
“Favorable.” He sighed. “Because of the work you put into the success of the merger.”
“Then there’s negotiation room for perks beyond my outlined salary and benefits. If I waive some of the other clauses, could I fight for salary and benefits for Sue?”
“Those are two significantly different price tags.” He stared into my eyes.
“Mergers tick up the valuation of the stock for both companies involved. I watch the markets. There’s room to take care of her.” I channeled my mother’s bulldog negotiation tactics. If I couldn’t save our jobs, the least I could do was keep her from having to search for another one.
“There are senior VPs who aren’t getting that kind of buyout. It’s not going to happen.” He tapped the back of a chair with a finger to drive home his point.
“Grayson, the senior VPs will have no problem with future employment. Sue will, and you know it.”
