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Going into her room with a wrapped present in my hand, I smiled as I found her sitting in her chair, reading a book. She looked so relaxed and peaceful, and I hoped that this was a good day for her.
“Hi, Grandma,” I said, stepping inside. She looked up and I could see recognition in her eyes. That tight feeling in my chest loosened at the sight.
“Sophie, there you are,” she said, smiling as she held out her arms to me. “I feel like it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you. How are you?”
It had only been a few days, but time was relative for her. I moved closer, bending at the waist to hug her, and felt a warm happiness flow through me as she squeezed me back. Her mind wasn’t cooperating, but her body was still strong, and I took comfort in that.
“What’s this?” she asked when she saw the gift in my hand.
“I got you a Christmas present,” I said, taking a seat on the edge of her bed nearby.
“Oh my, is it Christmas already?” She looked confused and worried, but I just gave her a reassuring smile and patted her hand. I was glad that she didn’t seem to realize I had actually missed the holiday with her.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. You already gave me a gift, and I love it.”
The small lie relaxed her, and she took the gift from me, opening it slowly. Inside, there was a cream colored knitted cardigan and a box of her favorite chocolates. She thanked me, and I helped her put the sweater on, even though I thought it was already warm in her room. I visited with her for a while after that, relishing this precious time that the fog was lifted from her brain, allowing her to see me for who I was and even talk about memories from past holidays without getting confused about what was in the present.
She grew tired quickly these days, so I only stayed for two hours. The two of us opened her chocolates and ate a few while she interrogated me about my love life, giving me the impression that she was worried about me being lonely. But I didn’t mention Connor, only because I didn’t know where things stood between us and it was driving me a little crazy.
When it was time to leave, I stopped by the business office, giving Cindy a check for the next two months, ensuring that my grandmother was going to be able to stay here. Connor had transferred the bonus he promised into my account before we even left for Colorado, and it was funny to think that I had only agreed to go for that money in the first place. I had no idea how significant the trip would turn out to be.
Not only did I get the money I so desperately needed, but I fell in love with my boss too.
* * *
I knew that Connor was trying to make up for getting us stranded on Mount Surris when he told me to take the next day off work, but I also knew that he’d be in the office working, and I wanted to talk to him. This conversation felt like the sort of thing that should take place face-to-face.
So, I went into work as usual, maybe wearing slightly more makeup than I typically did, and went about my morning routine. I was so focused on the things I wanted to say to Connor— the feelings I was going to share with him and hope that he felt the same way—that it took me a moment to realize that he was already in his office.
That was strange. Not only did I always arrive before him, by about a half an hour, but he also had his door closed. Heneverclosed it unless he had an important meeting in there, but I had nothing on his schedule for today. Walking by the office, I peeked through the glass panels on either side of the door and saw that he was sitting behind his desk, talking to a pretty brunette woman dressed in a business suit.
I frowned. What was going on here?
Something didn’t feel right as I took a seat at my desk, booting up my computer and starting to go through the work emails I missed while at the cabin. I kept glancing toward Connor’s office, my mind failing to come up with an explanation as to who that woman was or why she’d be in a private meeting with him. If she was a business associate, I would know about the meeting, right? I was his assistant, after all.
Did that mean that it was a personal matter? The idea of that made my heart sink. Then again, it wasn’t as though Connor had made me any promises just because we’d slept together.
Then, the door of the office opened, and the woman walked out ahead of Connor. She turned back to face him, blocking his view of me for a moment.
“Thank you for your time,” Connor said, his voice completely professional. That filled me with relief for an all-too-brief moment.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Renshaw. I have to say, it would be an honor to be your new assistant. I’ve followed the growth of this company, and I admire the way you’ve run things since you took over.”
I didn’t hear Connor’s response as my blood rushed in my ears. I felt the devastating pang of heartache, followed by a burning anger. The woman walked away, heading for the elevator, and Connor’s eyes widened as he saw me. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and the expression might have been amusing if I wasn’t dealing with a barrage of hurt and outrage over the fact that Connor intended to replace me—and I hadn’t even known.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, and the question just increased my anger. It was as if he was suggesting I was the one that had done something wrong by showing up to work. “I told you to take the day off.”
“And now I can see why,” I snapped, standing. There was no one around this early in the day, but I wouldn’t have cared if there was. This betrayal made me feel like I was being stabbed in the chest, it was so painful. “You didn’t want me here while you were interviewing my replacement.”
Connor cringed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at me sheepishly. “Listen, Sophie—”
“Is this because we slept together?” I demanded to know, my voice tight with a wealth of emotion.
“What?” Connor recoiled, his expression one of shock. “No!”
“Really? I find that hard to believe.” I lifted my chin, trying to hold myself together for a few more minutes. “I’ve been a great assistant to you for the past year, and everything was perfectly fine. Then, we have sex, and all of sudden, you’re planning to fire me.”
“That’s not what’s happening,” he replied adamantly. “This whole thing was put in motion weeks ago.”
