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“How was your day?” he asked when she hit the highway.
“Very busy. At noon, I went home and cooked.”
“You shouldn’t—”
“Not only for us. For Royce, too. He’s so skinny, looks like a starving man with his long hair and bushy beard.”
“Royce neglecting his playboy appearance? That’s new. Why doesn’t he go buy himself food?”
“Not sure. Maybe he doesn’t have enough money?”
“That would be terrible.” A scowl gathered on Steve’s forehead. “On second thought, maybe that’s the reason for his return. He ran out of funds and panicked enough to return. Like the prodigal son.”
She glanced at him. “I hope you’ll open your arms to him like the prodigal son’s father.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I’ll start with a few questions and a thorough rebuke, and then I’ll lay out my conditions. I hope you didn’t invite Royce to eat with us tonight?”
She scoffed at his horrified tone. “No, I took a warmer bag to him and left it on the counter. He was asleep when I stopped by. So I wrote him a note and reminded him to bring Max and the cats into the garage and set the alarm. To be on the safe side, I fed them while I was there.”
“You’re our guardian angel.”
“Thanks.”
Once home, Lillian activated the remote and drove straight into the garage.
“I’m taking you in through the kitchen.”
“No problem. I’ll fix us a drink.”
She switched on the oven to warm the pan of roast beef and potatoes with mushrooms.
“It’s too bad, we’re not on your boat’s deck.”
“Soon.” They toasted his return.
Greg’s warning text popped into her mind. Darn, how could she explain her son’s hesitation about the job in St. John?
“Steve, I’m more than willing to work with you in St. John, but…” Despite her best efforts, her voice was little more than a croak.
“But what? Go ahead. Shoot. I want you to come, happy, and without reservations.”
“Read this. It’s from Greg.” She held out her phone.
He read and nodded. “You’re lucky to have a son who protects your interest. I wish I could say the same about my kids.”
“Will you write up an offer?”
“You don’t need an offer.” His face remained calm and confident.
Her eyes flickered with concern. “But—”
“Let me explain. My clinic in Cincinnati belongs to Winston & Co. The one in St. John will be part of the same company, as are the building and businesses. For you, it’s a simple transfer, with an increase in salary to cover the relocation. The other benefits will remain the same. If you don’t like it over there, you can just transfer back to the Cincinnati clinic.”
“Seriously?” She staggered back a step. “A simple transfer?”
“Does that make you feel better?” He gave her a lazy smile that made her heart shift.
“You bet. I won’t have to argue with Greg any longer.” She raised her Bailey’s again. “To our work on St. John.” She chugged half of her drink, placed her glass on the counter, and threw her arms around his neck. “How can I thank you, Steve?”
