The Paris Connection. Cerella Sechrist

the stone patio in the back of the house.

      René began by reiterating his welcome from their arrival and proceeding with a grandiose speech about the importance of teamwork and their united purpose in the next couple of days together. Emma yawned, feeling full after lunch and warmed by the sunshine, and wishing she could just return to her room for a nap. But as Cole had already told her, René had other plans for them.

      “We will begin this afternoon by driving to a nearby activity course where you will establish the foundation of your teamwork exercises by utilizing the ropes. Following this afternoon’s activity, there will be some time for personal reflection and then dinner, followed by various team-building games.”

      There were a few murmurs of interest as they all wondered what sort of games might be in store.

      “Tomorrow morning, we will have breakfast on the patio, after which we will move to the lawn for the archery portion of our exercises.”

      “Archery?” Emma bit her lip. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of her coworkers wielding weaponry.

      To her right, Marc snorted. “What is this, medieval mayhem? How is using a bow and arrow going to bond us?”

      René frowned at the interruption. “I would ask that you please take this weekend and its activities seriously. Your employer has arranged for you to be here and expects results. You can only achieve the harmony of teamwork if you are open to the exercises.”

      Giselle, in her typical flirtatious style, winked at their host. “I am fully prepared to embrace the possibilities, René.”

      This declaration appeared to startle the man, and he rushed to continue highlighting the activities for their stay. Though she continued to keep one ear tuned to the orientation, Emma couldn’t help observing Cole and thinking about their brief conversation earlier. She had meant it when she’d said Julien was very thorough. She was sure he had weighed the options and done the appropriate research before sending them all on this retreat. But given how she had questioned his recent decision to merge his company with Reid Recruiting, she couldn’t help wondering if Julien was losing his edge.

      And what if trying to force them all to bond with their new boss was a mistake?