The Protector of Ambra (Mercenaries of Fortune, #5)
silence. He stared at the road, but she knew he was looking well beyond it. She had a dozen questions. Who was the pregnant woman? Was she safe? He wouldn’t have gotten off the phone if she wasn’t. “Tell me about her.”
    “Who?”
    “The lady on the phone.”
    His lips twitched up and his shoulders sank back into the seat. “A good friend. Apparently not good enough to tell me she was pregnant,” he said with a headshake. “Everyone has their secrets to keep, though. I don’t think our boss knows. He’s going to kill her.”
    “Women aren’t allowed to have families where you work? That’s rather misogynistic.”
    Pierce snorted again. “It’s not so much the what . It’s the who that might be the problem. After her brother finishes with the guy that got her preggers, I’m going to rip into what’s left. Might not be much,” he added softly. “I tell you one damned thing. If she gets fired for this, a whole lot of people are walking out right with her.”
    The soft fondness with which he spoke about this woman birthed a few super unnecessary bubbles of jealousy. Not at the woman in particular – there was love, but not of the romantic sort in his words. His life made her envious. Apparently, he had one. This man, so consumed by his work, still managed to create relationships. It sounded as if it was the same for others staffed with him.
    She couldn’t think of the last time she’d sat down over dinner with someone not from her family. Pierce had an existence outside of his office. All she had was her office. “How do you guys balance life and work?”
    “Hmm?” He frowned a little and shrugged. “I guess it’s like handling the finances of your business. A certain percentage goes back into work, a certain percentage you save for yourself and the last bit you save for others. It’s not enough to have money or in this case, time. We all have the same amount of time in a day. It’s how we use it.”
    “That’s high-level thinking right there.”
    “It’s true. I was in the Navy before. I’ve lost good men and women in the field. I know that every day is a gift some people don’t receive. Have you ever heard of a man named Laozi?”
    “Should I have?”
    “Probably not,” he said with a chuckle. “He lived thousands of years ago. He basically said that if you’re nervous about something, you’re living in the future. If you’re sad about something, then you’re living in the past. The only way to find peace is to live in the present. That’s what I try to do. I enjoy life and try to find happiness where I can. Clay pottery included.”
    It was a beautiful sentiment, but the practicalities of it were...well...awesome. And unlivable. “So, what, people don’t have responsibilities according to this guy?”
    “Sure they do, but once you’ve done all you can and the moment has passed, let it live in the past. Leave it behind you.” Then he looked over and winked, “It’d be like trying to right a wrong that doesn’t need to be righted and completely overlooking the beautiful jungle that led you there.”
    She couldn’t tell if she was being talked down to or not. And since she couldn’t, it made a whole lot more sense to stick her arm out the window and watch the neon and forest greens of the jungle take her away. Easier to look out there than to analyze why she was here in the first place.
    Apparently, Pierce wasn’t a man for expectant silences. “How did you learn to drive like that? Fancy stuff back there at the monastery.”
    She blew on her fingertips. “Never count out a truck driver.”
    “You drove trucks? Consider me impressed.”
    “A delivery truck. Before we had our space, we rented a group kitchen. Our orders and catering took us over most of the state. It wasn’t a lightweight truck either – not with the cold storage we needed. I learned through trial and painful error, but today, there’s no parking space too narrow. My reign as parallel parking master

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