smile she’d given Sam.
“He’s a good dog,” George allowed gruffly.
Their gazes met, and there was a moment’s awkward silence, probably because it was the first thing they’d agreed on since he’d opened his eyes and found her in his hospital room.
Her gaze slid away before his did. She seemed to be staring at the key in her hand.
“So, fine,” George said after a moment. “Go back to my place and get me some clothes. I’ll be getting signed out of here while you’re gone.” He told her where things were.
Sophy nodded. “I’ll be back.” She shook hands with Sam again on her way out. “You’ll leave me lots of instructions? Things to watch for?”
“I’ll make a list,” Sam said. “And you can call me anytime.”
Now her smile for him was as warm as the one she’d had when she talked about Gunnar.
“Take your time,” George muttered.
Sophy shot him a glare and stalked out, taking her luggage and briefcase with her.
“Well, now. You never told me about Sophy,” Sam said with a knowing grin.
“No need.”
“Not for you maybe,” Sam laughed. “Must be an interestinghistory you two have. And a daughter, too? Did I ever really know you, Georgie?”
George just looked at him. “Stuff it.”
“A month? You’re joking.” But it was clear from her voice that Natalie didn’t think it was a laughing matter. “You didn’t commit yourself to staying a month in New York. Did you?” she demanded.
Sophy sighed, tucking her phone between her jaw and her shoulder as she opened one of George’s dresser drawers and took out boxers, a T-shirt and a pair of socks. “Hopefully not a full month. Maybe just a couple of weeks. But yes, I did. I have to, Nat.”
“You don’t have to.”
Sophy shut the drawer. “All right, maybe not in the strictest sense of have to. But in the world I live in, I owe George.”
“For what?”
“For…things. He’s a good man,” Sophy hedged, moving on to the closet. She didn’t want to discuss this with Natalie, but she had no choice. They were business partners. If she was going to be gone three or four weeks, that would require adjustments.
Life, it seemed, was full of adjustments these days. She pulled a button-front shirt off a hanger in George’s closet and took a pair of khakis off another hanger. It seemed like too intimate a thing to be doing—prowling through George’s clothes—which was why she’d called Natalie while she was doing it. So she’d focus on business and not on being in George’s room.
“A ‘good man’ doesn’t explain anything,” Natalie said.
So Sophy told Natalie what Sam had told her and ended with, “So he needs someone with him. To keep an eye on him. To make sure he doesn’t have more bleeding.”
“And you think you’re the only one who can do that?”
“No, I don’t think I’m the only one who can do it. But rightnow George does. And—” she sighed “—I need to humor him.”
“Did his doctor say that?”
“No. But getting George stressed isn’t going to make things better.”
“And you’re not going to get him stressed?”
Sophy gave a short laugh. “Can’t promise that, sadly.” She had folded the shirt and khakis and now added them to the single shoe she’d stuck into the grocery bag she’d found in the kitchen. No point in bringing the other since he had an orthopedic boot on his left foot. Then, clothes gathered, she started back downstairs. Gunnar followed her down.
“It’s not about the head injury,” Natalie decided.
“Maybe not,” Sophy allowed. “Maybe we just need some closure.”
“I thought you were already closed.”
“We’re not legally divorced. I told you that.”
“But you haven’t lived together for years, since right after Lily was born. He hasn’t been around at all.”
“I didn’t want him around.”
“And now you do?”
Sophy didn’t know what she wanted. Her emotions were in turmoil, had been since the emergency room doctor’s
“He’s a good dog,” George allowed gruffly.
Their gazes met, and there was a moment’s awkward silence, probably because it was the first thing they’d agreed on since he’d opened his eyes and found her in his hospital room.
Her gaze slid away before his did. She seemed to be staring at the key in her hand.
“So, fine,” George said after a moment. “Go back to my place and get me some clothes. I’ll be getting signed out of here while you’re gone.” He told her where things were.
Sophy nodded. “I’ll be back.” She shook hands with Sam again on her way out. “You’ll leave me lots of instructions? Things to watch for?”
“I’ll make a list,” Sam said. “And you can call me anytime.”
Now her smile for him was as warm as the one she’d had when she talked about Gunnar.
“Take your time,” George muttered.
Sophy shot him a glare and stalked out, taking her luggage and briefcase with her.
“Well, now. You never told me about Sophy,” Sam said with a knowing grin.
“No need.”
“Not for you maybe,” Sam laughed. “Must be an interestinghistory you two have. And a daughter, too? Did I ever really know you, Georgie?”
George just looked at him. “Stuff it.”
“A month? You’re joking.” But it was clear from her voice that Natalie didn’t think it was a laughing matter. “You didn’t commit yourself to staying a month in New York. Did you?” she demanded.
Sophy sighed, tucking her phone between her jaw and her shoulder as she opened one of George’s dresser drawers and took out boxers, a T-shirt and a pair of socks. “Hopefully not a full month. Maybe just a couple of weeks. But yes, I did. I have to, Nat.”
“You don’t have to.”
Sophy shut the drawer. “All right, maybe not in the strictest sense of have to. But in the world I live in, I owe George.”
“For what?”
“For…things. He’s a good man,” Sophy hedged, moving on to the closet. She didn’t want to discuss this with Natalie, but she had no choice. They were business partners. If she was going to be gone three or four weeks, that would require adjustments.
Life, it seemed, was full of adjustments these days. She pulled a button-front shirt off a hanger in George’s closet and took a pair of khakis off another hanger. It seemed like too intimate a thing to be doing—prowling through George’s clothes—which was why she’d called Natalie while she was doing it. So she’d focus on business and not on being in George’s room.
“A ‘good man’ doesn’t explain anything,” Natalie said.
So Sophy told Natalie what Sam had told her and ended with, “So he needs someone with him. To keep an eye on him. To make sure he doesn’t have more bleeding.”
“And you think you’re the only one who can do that?”
“No, I don’t think I’m the only one who can do it. But rightnow George does. And—” she sighed “—I need to humor him.”
“Did his doctor say that?”
“No. But getting George stressed isn’t going to make things better.”
“And you’re not going to get him stressed?”
Sophy gave a short laugh. “Can’t promise that, sadly.” She had folded the shirt and khakis and now added them to the single shoe she’d stuck into the grocery bag she’d found in the kitchen. No point in bringing the other since he had an orthopedic boot on his left foot. Then, clothes gathered, she started back downstairs. Gunnar followed her down.
“It’s not about the head injury,” Natalie decided.
“Maybe not,” Sophy allowed. “Maybe we just need some closure.”
“I thought you were already closed.”
“We’re not legally divorced. I told you that.”
“But you haven’t lived together for years, since right after Lily was born. He hasn’t been around at all.”
“I didn’t want him around.”
“And now you do?”
Sophy didn’t know what she wanted. Her emotions were in turmoil, had been since the emergency room doctor’s
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