Sean's Reckoning - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,34
go right back in and tell the man the truth?” Sean demanded.
“Because it turned out okay. Charlotte won’t do anything like that again.”
“You’re too darned noble,” Ruby said.
“Actually, I’m not,” Deanna said with a grin. “Now I have something I can hold over her head for years to come. Having leverage over Charlotte is a very good thing.”
Ruby grinned. “Then I suggest you start by telling her you’re taking the afternoon off and that she’s going to cover for you. Then the three of us are going to pick up Kevin and go celebrate.”
Deanna glanced at Sean to see how he was taking Ruby’s attempt to plan his afternoon. He winked at her.
“Sounds like a plan to me. I don’t go back on duty till midnight.” He glanced pointedly at Ruby. “Neither does Hank.”
Ruby frowned at that. “So?”
“Just thought you might be interested.”
“Oh, go on and call him, if you want to,” Ruby told Sean grudgingly.
Deanna didn’t think Ruby ought to get off the hook so easily. As Sean reached for the phone, she stopped him. “Why don’t you make that call, Ruby? I’ll go and speak to Charlotte.”
“But—”
Deanna cut off the protest. “If I can go in there and face down dragon lady, you can call Hank.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, go. I’ll call,” Ruby grumbled.
She was still on the phone with Hank when Deanna came back. “How are they doing?” she asked Sean in a whisper.
He chuckled. “The subject of the celebration hasn’t actually come up yet. Those two are doing a dance that defies explanation. I’m almost tempted to yank the phone out of her hand and tell the poor guy why she really called.”
“She’d never forgive you,” Deanna said.
“But Hank would be forever grateful. I like to shift the balance of power in our partnership arrangement from time to time.”
Deanna groaned. “You men and your macho games. I thought the two of you were friends.”
“We are. That’s how we stay that way,” he explained in a way that almost made it sound like a perfectly rational way to live.
“Whatever,” Deanna said. “Thanks for coming over here when Ruby called. You didn’t have to.”
He laughed. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d heard her on the phone. I expected you to emerge from that office bloodied and defeated.”
“But I notice you didn’t rush in to save me,” she said.
“Only because when I got here and heard the whole story, I got a somewhat different picture of the crisis unfolding.” He reached in his pocket and withdrew a package of tissues. “I ran out and got these.”
“Anticipating my weeping, were you?” she inquired, amused by his attempt at preparedness. “A lot of men would have run at the prospect.”
He shrugged. “Not me. I’m a sensitive kind of guy.”
“You say that as if it’s a joke, but you are, you know.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew about my plan to go in and pound your boss for making you cry in the first place.”
She bit back a smile. “When were you going to do that?”
“As soon as I gave you the tissues and turned you over to Ruby.”
Deanna laughed. “I don’t need you fighting my battles for me.”
“I know. I can see that.”
“But I appreciate your willingness to step in, just the same.”
He seemed suddenly uncomfortable with her praise. “Don’t turn me into some kind of hero. All I did was show up.”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “That’s quite a lot for a man who claims to know nothing about sticking it out through tough times.”
“Dee—”
“Hey, you guys,” Ruby interrupted. “Are we going to hang around here all afternoon or are we going to celebrate?”
Deanna met Sean’s gaze and held it. “I think we have quite a few reasons to celebrate, don’t you?”
For a minute she thought he might prolong the argument, but eventually he shrugged. “Whatever you say. Who am I to argue with a woman who managed to emerge from battle unscathed?”
Satisfied, Deanna turned to Ruby. “Is Hank joining us?”
Ruby shrugged. “Beats me. He was still grumbling a lot of nonsense about being awakened out of a sound sleep for no good reason when I hung up on him.”
“But you did tell him where we’d be, right?” Deanna persisted.
“How could I?” Ruby asked reasonably. “I don’t know where we’re going to be.”
Deanna sighed.
“I’ll call and give him a heads-up when we get there,” Sean said.
“Whatever,” Ruby said, setting off down the street at a brisk pace that left Deanna and Sean trailing behind.
They stared after her,