This had gotten awkward quickly.
“I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that you signed a non-disclosure agreement, Amber.”
Amber blinked up at him. “I know. And I always honor it.”
Mr. Sumner closed his eyes for a moment. Opened them again. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry. Your private life is entirely your own business.”
Amber nodded. She forced a smile.
That night, Amber told Brian about Mr. Sumner’s reaction to the flowers.
Brian stood shaking his head. “I don’t want you working for him anymore.”
Amber took a breath. “What exactly happened between the two of you, Brian?”
The muscle in Brian’s jaw clenched. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he began to pace. “I was the one doing all the work in our venture. I could have lived with that, I guess. But he was always trying to rush our code out. Trying to sell it before it was ready.”
Brian stopped pacing. “And it was what he was promising the customers. Things I wasn’t sure we could deliver.”
He exhaled a breath. “When money came in from the next investor, we discussed things. The agreement we came to is that I’d buy him out. We parted ways and he made a great deal of profit from his initial investment.”
Amber sighed. Obviously, a great deal of resentment still existed between the two of them.
“I’m sure I won’t work there forever, Brian.”
Brian drew in a breath. Put his arms around her waist. “All I ask is that you think about what I’m saying. There’s a lot you could do for my company. Or you could go back to nursing. There are other hospitals, Amber. And there’s private nursing…..”
Amber tilted her chin up to kiss Brian. “I’ll think about it. I promise.”
Amber took a phone call from her realtor an hour later. Her heart was pounding as she ended the call. When she turned around, Brian’s brow was raised.
“They took the counteroffer the realtor sent.”
Her mother’s house was now under contract.
Brian came toward her. “That’s good.”
Amber sniffed. “I guess it is.”
He pulled her into his arms. “But it’s sad, too.”
Amber nodded. “It is.”
Brian led her to the sofa. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. You have me and Katie.”
Amber rested her head against his shoulder. “I know. And you have no idea how happy that makes me.”
Brian titled her chin up and kissed her gently.
When he pulled away, Amber sighed. “I guess I need to start looking for a place.”
Brian stroked her cheek. “Move in here with us. We’d love it.”
Amber looked up at him. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
She thought of her mom and dad. How things hadn’t worked out.
Despite all the nights she spent at Brian’s, she didn’t want to move in until she knew their future was set. Until she knew that they were committed to each other long term.
Amber agreed to think about it too .
The next night, Brian was still trying to cheer Amber up. He took her and Katie out to dinner.
A server approached with their entrees. She set a basket in front of Katie. Then she turned to Amber and froze.
Amber inhaled a sharp breath. “Brenda,” she said.
“Hi, Amber.”
“I didn’t know you were working here.”
“I’m here until the fall. I just got into a masters program at UCLA.”
“That’s great.”
Brenda set Amber and Brian’s plates down.
She looked at Amber again. “Well, enjoy your dinner. It’s good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too.”
The woman hurried away. Amber sat watching her retreating form.
“Was that a friend?” Brian asked.
Amber blinked up at him. “Yes.”
Brian glanced at Katie, who was munching on a French fry.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
Amber’s shoulders fell. “I haven’t seen her since I was arrested.”
Brian reached across the table and took her hand. “You can tell her the truth, Amber. You don’t need to protect your mom any longer.”
Amber sighed. “I know you’re right.”
Brian raised an
“I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that you signed a non-disclosure agreement, Amber.”
Amber blinked up at him. “I know. And I always honor it.”
Mr. Sumner closed his eyes for a moment. Opened them again. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry. Your private life is entirely your own business.”
Amber nodded. She forced a smile.
That night, Amber told Brian about Mr. Sumner’s reaction to the flowers.
Brian stood shaking his head. “I don’t want you working for him anymore.”
Amber took a breath. “What exactly happened between the two of you, Brian?”
The muscle in Brian’s jaw clenched. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he began to pace. “I was the one doing all the work in our venture. I could have lived with that, I guess. But he was always trying to rush our code out. Trying to sell it before it was ready.”
Brian stopped pacing. “And it was what he was promising the customers. Things I wasn’t sure we could deliver.”
He exhaled a breath. “When money came in from the next investor, we discussed things. The agreement we came to is that I’d buy him out. We parted ways and he made a great deal of profit from his initial investment.”
Amber sighed. Obviously, a great deal of resentment still existed between the two of them.
“I’m sure I won’t work there forever, Brian.”
Brian drew in a breath. Put his arms around her waist. “All I ask is that you think about what I’m saying. There’s a lot you could do for my company. Or you could go back to nursing. There are other hospitals, Amber. And there’s private nursing…..”
Amber tilted her chin up to kiss Brian. “I’ll think about it. I promise.”
Amber took a phone call from her realtor an hour later. Her heart was pounding as she ended the call. When she turned around, Brian’s brow was raised.
“They took the counteroffer the realtor sent.”
Her mother’s house was now under contract.
Brian came toward her. “That’s good.”
Amber sniffed. “I guess it is.”
He pulled her into his arms. “But it’s sad, too.”
Amber nodded. “It is.”
Brian led her to the sofa. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. You have me and Katie.”
Amber rested her head against his shoulder. “I know. And you have no idea how happy that makes me.”
Brian titled her chin up and kissed her gently.
When he pulled away, Amber sighed. “I guess I need to start looking for a place.”
Brian stroked her cheek. “Move in here with us. We’d love it.”
Amber looked up at him. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
She thought of her mom and dad. How things hadn’t worked out.
Despite all the nights she spent at Brian’s, she didn’t want to move in until she knew their future was set. Until she knew that they were committed to each other long term.
Amber agreed to think about it too .
The next night, Brian was still trying to cheer Amber up. He took her and Katie out to dinner.
A server approached with their entrees. She set a basket in front of Katie. Then she turned to Amber and froze.
Amber inhaled a sharp breath. “Brenda,” she said.
“Hi, Amber.”
“I didn’t know you were working here.”
“I’m here until the fall. I just got into a masters program at UCLA.”
“That’s great.”
Brenda set Amber and Brian’s plates down.
She looked at Amber again. “Well, enjoy your dinner. It’s good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too.”
The woman hurried away. Amber sat watching her retreating form.
“Was that a friend?” Brian asked.
Amber blinked up at him. “Yes.”
Brian glanced at Katie, who was munching on a French fry.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
Amber’s shoulders fell. “I haven’t seen her since I was arrested.”
Brian reached across the table and took her hand. “You can tell her the truth, Amber. You don’t need to protect your mom any longer.”
Amber sighed. “I know you’re right.”
Brian raised an
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