me.”
“Oh, Sterling,” she sighed and shook her head. “You don’t have to babysit me. I can go back to the house and you can go back to work.”
“You’re not a baby.” He looked at her and tried to keep the exasperated tone out of his voice. “I don’t babysit. You’re my friend, my colleague, somebody I admire and respect and as I told you, I will always be here for you. Now, we’re all going back to that house and spending a little R&R time in Tahiti. Maybe I’ll take tomorrow off too.” He saw the look of protest on her face and he knew she was about to open her mouth to voice it. “You know I have been working since I got here. Between spending some time with Jocelyn in the evenings I haven’t seen much of anything. How about you show me what’s so special about Tahiti?”
She chuckled. “I have to work tomorrow. You told the crew to come back tomorrow.”
He shrugged. “I’ll call Jonathan when I get back to the house and tell him to delay a day. I think we both could use a break. We’re in paradise and all we seem to be doing is working.”
She laughed and he figured that was because she knew him and she knew working the schedule he was working didn’t bother him. He thrived on work. He was good at what he did and he had no trouble pulling seven sixteen hour days during the week.
By the time they made it back to the house he saw Galinda standing there with her niece Chloe. “I made a call,” Trent said as Jocelyn and Bambi got out the car. “Judging from the way you were with her I figured you might want some alone time with the woman.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trent chuckled. “Sure you do. Galinda is going to stay the night on detail and Chloe is going to get a chance to hang out with Jocelyn for a while. She could use some time with people her age you know.”
He knew that. While she was off having fun she had always been flanked by adults. Trent was right; he could use some alone time with Bambi, even if only a couple hours before he went to start dinner. He knew she still needed somebody and he wanted to be that somebody who comforted her, held her when she needed to be held, and listened to her when she needed to talk.
“They are like best friends already,” Galinda laughed as she pointed to the two girls. “Apparently they have “important” things in common.”
“I am hair and makeup and she’s nails and hair,” Jocelyn laughed. Galinda held up her hands and wiggled her jewel encrusted French tips.
“I see,” Sterling’s lips quirked upward. “So you girls are going to have a party tonight huh?”
“Ooh that will be fun. We can do each other’s hair.” Chloe beamed and Jocelyn giggled.
“I’ll have Emerson follow me back with your jeep.” Trent Chimed in.
“Or he can just ride in with me in the morning.” Galinda shrugged.
“Actually I’m going to take tomorrow off and Bambi is going to show me around this place—take in the sites with my two girls,” he winked at Bambi. He hoped to God she picked up on his words because he was losing the ability to keep things business only and he needed to know she would be okay with moving things forward.
“Oh, well I have Chloe for the next couple days so we’ll come with you. She and Jocelyn can have some fun together. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they stay out of trouble while your attention is on other things,” she grinned. She hadn’t asked if she was invited she just invited herself. That was the kind of woman Galinda was. She was sweet and brash he would say because she had no trouble dictating her schedule and everybody else’s when it came to security. She was also quick, either that or Trent had added more than just the basic facts of the situation when he called Galinda. Judging from the bags he saw beside her car and the look on Trent’s face Sterling was sure Trent had filled in more details
“Oh, Sterling,” she sighed and shook her head. “You don’t have to babysit me. I can go back to the house and you can go back to work.”
“You’re not a baby.” He looked at her and tried to keep the exasperated tone out of his voice. “I don’t babysit. You’re my friend, my colleague, somebody I admire and respect and as I told you, I will always be here for you. Now, we’re all going back to that house and spending a little R&R time in Tahiti. Maybe I’ll take tomorrow off too.” He saw the look of protest on her face and he knew she was about to open her mouth to voice it. “You know I have been working since I got here. Between spending some time with Jocelyn in the evenings I haven’t seen much of anything. How about you show me what’s so special about Tahiti?”
She chuckled. “I have to work tomorrow. You told the crew to come back tomorrow.”
He shrugged. “I’ll call Jonathan when I get back to the house and tell him to delay a day. I think we both could use a break. We’re in paradise and all we seem to be doing is working.”
She laughed and he figured that was because she knew him and she knew working the schedule he was working didn’t bother him. He thrived on work. He was good at what he did and he had no trouble pulling seven sixteen hour days during the week.
By the time they made it back to the house he saw Galinda standing there with her niece Chloe. “I made a call,” Trent said as Jocelyn and Bambi got out the car. “Judging from the way you were with her I figured you might want some alone time with the woman.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trent chuckled. “Sure you do. Galinda is going to stay the night on detail and Chloe is going to get a chance to hang out with Jocelyn for a while. She could use some time with people her age you know.”
He knew that. While she was off having fun she had always been flanked by adults. Trent was right; he could use some alone time with Bambi, even if only a couple hours before he went to start dinner. He knew she still needed somebody and he wanted to be that somebody who comforted her, held her when she needed to be held, and listened to her when she needed to talk.
“They are like best friends already,” Galinda laughed as she pointed to the two girls. “Apparently they have “important” things in common.”
“I am hair and makeup and she’s nails and hair,” Jocelyn laughed. Galinda held up her hands and wiggled her jewel encrusted French tips.
“I see,” Sterling’s lips quirked upward. “So you girls are going to have a party tonight huh?”
“Ooh that will be fun. We can do each other’s hair.” Chloe beamed and Jocelyn giggled.
“I’ll have Emerson follow me back with your jeep.” Trent Chimed in.
“Or he can just ride in with me in the morning.” Galinda shrugged.
“Actually I’m going to take tomorrow off and Bambi is going to show me around this place—take in the sites with my two girls,” he winked at Bambi. He hoped to God she picked up on his words because he was losing the ability to keep things business only and he needed to know she would be okay with moving things forward.
“Oh, well I have Chloe for the next couple days so we’ll come with you. She and Jocelyn can have some fun together. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they stay out of trouble while your attention is on other things,” she grinned. She hadn’t asked if she was invited she just invited herself. That was the kind of woman Galinda was. She was sweet and brash he would say because she had no trouble dictating her schedule and everybody else’s when it came to security. She was also quick, either that or Trent had added more than just the basic facts of the situation when he called Galinda. Judging from the bags he saw beside her car and the look on Trent’s face Sterling was sure Trent had filled in more details
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