with him, it seems like you’re living one big shopping spree,” Angie said.
“And going to lavish restaurants and Broadway shows. I read somewhere that you even met Michelle Obama at one of her appearances in the city. You’re having the best time there and it’s not fair!” Daisy whined.
“First, I got both of you a signed book from Michelle Obama when I met her. And I am working. The app is doing great numbers for me and for RGF. I’m certain they’re going to extend a formal contract for me to keep working with them at the end of the six weeks.” She huffed. “Besides all of that, the press I’m getting personally as a result of this business deal will have my name firmly set within the industry. And from there I’ll be able to move on to other companies. But I’ll be home soon and then we can get Dad moved into the assisted-living facility and all of our lives will get a little easier.”
That had been the plan from the start. So why did saying it aloud now make her feel unsettled?
“Are you really coming back here after the six weeks are up?” Angie asked.
“Of course I am. Why would you ask me that?”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Because you look like you’re having the time of your life.”
Angie elbowed her sister. “Because you look like you might be taking this business a little more personally than you planned.”
“Knock, knock.” Nina looked up from the screen to see Major standing in the doorway. “Hey, we’ve got a change of plans for this evening. You ready to go?”
“Yeah. I’m done here, so we can go now,” she replied and then looked back to the screen. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” She hurriedly disconnected the chat and closed her laptop.
“You okay? Did I interrupt something?” he asked as he entered the office.
She shook her head, trying to clear it of her sisters’ accusations and the picture of him and that model that still floated there.
“No. Nothing. Just my sisters calling with an update.”
“Oh yeah, how’s your dad doing?”
“He’s good.” She stood and grabbed her purse, adding, “He has a doctor’s appointment in the morning and Angie’s going to take him, so I’ll check in with her tomorrow afternoon to see how that goes.”
“I had my assistant get a list of all the facilities in York and two of them are owned by people my dad’s done business with at some point. I wanted to run it by you first, but if you approve, I could reach out to them and see if we can get your dad in sooner and without any big payments on your behalf.”
She put her purse strap on her shoulder, slipped her laptop into her bag and stepped around the desk. Coming to a stop in front of him, she looked up in surprise. “What? You would get my dad into a facility for me?”
“Yeah, I want to help you in any way I can. You want your father to be well taken care of and you said you didn’t plan to move to New York, so I found some places in York.”
He was talking as if he’d just told her he’d selected something off the menu for them to eat. His tone was nonchalant as he stood with one hand in his pocket. He reached out the other hand to tuck some strands of hair that had escaped her messy bun back behind her ear.
“Thanks,” she managed to finally say. “I mean...really. You didn’t have to do that, but thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” he said. “I wanted to do it.”
“But why? You didn’t have to take time out of your busy schedule or ask Landra to do that. It’s not your responsibility. But, again, I really appreciate you doing it.” She smiled at him then because she wasn’t sure what else to do. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him tight, but she wasn’t going to do that. Since her admission that night after the family dinner that she wanted him, and the subsequent nights she’d spent in his arms, she’d been trying to rein in her emotions where he was concerned.
“This is why,” he said, tracing a finger along her cheek and down below her lips. “Because I like seeing you smile. And when you talk about taking care of your dad, you always frown with the stress of it.”
And now she thought she might break with the force