“I’m afraid the current plan is for him to work from his Denver office so he can stay close to his doctors. They have to monitor for any other signs of recurrent cancer.”
“Got it.”
I’m stuck with Finn, and he hates me again. What other good news awaits?
Bran cleared his throat. “Finn’s supposed to go home from the hospital tomorrow. He could be back here by the end of next week.”
“Good.” She managed a cheery tone. “Glad he’s feeling better.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t call today and let you know.”
She shrugged. “No.”
“Has he called you since Wednesday?”
“I could’ve missed his call,” she suggested.
Bran’s jaw muscles bulged. “I’m sorry, Laurie. He ought to know better. Don’t worry, though… I’ll talk to him.”
“No!” She raised her voice more than she intended. “He doesn’t need his friends telling him what to do. He already gets that from his mom and sisters.”
“I don’t understand why he’s acting like this.” Bran flung an arm in the air. “I’ve tried to keep my nose out of it. But when it starts affecting our work here, I figure it’s my business.”
He stood with a determined expression, as if he might be headed to see Finn right that moment. In a panic, Laurie whipped around her desk and grasped his arm before he could leave.
“Please, Branson. Don’t say anything to him. I’m making good progress on the fundraiser, thanks to Dara. Finn’s struggling to get well, right now. He’s not at his best.”
“Being sick is no excuse for being rude.”
“It’s my own fault, really.” She sagged, sitting on the edge of her desk. “I’ve been thinking about this since Wednesday night. I knew Finn didn’t allow any women to get close to him. He was finally starting to trust me, when I blew it. I should’ve let you or Cole stay with him at the hospital, like you suggested.”
“Honestly, neither of us could’ve afforded to miss another day of work.” Branson idly tapped his cane on the floor. “I was so grateful when you volunteered, I jumped on it, even though I knew Finn would’ve preferred one of us. I guess it was my fault as much as yours.”
“Then you won’t say anything to him, right?”
“I won’t, for now.” Branson pursed his lips. “But sometimes, a true friend has to be frank, even if it hurts.”
Finn stood at the sink, brushing his teeth, his feet ensconced in a pair of blue hospital socks… the kind with sticky rubber nubs on the bottom to keep patients from slipping. He hated the way the rubber bumps felt inside the socks, but he didn’t have any of his own.
One more night, and I’m out of here.
He rinsed his mouth and checked his teeth in the mirror. Finding them satisfactory, his gaze moved up to lock with a pair of accusing eyes… his own.
“What?” He frowned at his reflection, the accusing gaze more menacing with the dark circles under his eyes. “There’s a reason I haven’t called her yet—I haven’t had time. I’ve been doing therapy almost every minute I was awake, since Wednesday.”
The face in the mirror appeared unconvinced.
“I’m going to call her.”
An eyebrow lifted in unspoken question.
“Soon. Maybe tomorrow, when I get home from the hospital.”
The lips turned down, disapproving.
“I can’t call now. It’s Friday—she’s at work.”
The eyes aimed at the ceiling.
“Okay, I guess I could call while she’s working, since I’m technically her boss. But I still don’t know what to say. There’s no good choice. If I thank her for spending all day on Wednesday taking care of me, she’ll read more into it than she should. If I complain that she broke my trust coming up to the hospital when I specifically asked her not to, it might hurt her feelings.”
The mirror-image refused to offer any advice.
“Maybe I’ll just ignore it altogether… act like Wednesday never happened. No need to admit how sick I was. I won’t even bring it up. I’ll talk about anything… the weather, even.”
The lips curved up at the corners. Approval, at last.
“Yes! That’s it! I’ll be nice, but avoid any interaction, other than what’s absolutely necessary to carry out the fundraiser.”
He padded across the floor to sit in the chair beside his bed, snatching his phone from the table and drumming up the nerve to make the call.
He pressed send, silently praying her voicemail would answer. No such luck.
“Hello, Finn.” Her tentative tone made him feel even more guilty.
“Hi. It’s me… Finn. You know that. I just… uhm…” Very smooth. This from the guy who gives an impromptu television interview without missing a beat.
