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She squared her shoulders, already accepting the bad news with the dignity and courage I’d come to expect from her. Holly was one hell of a woman.
“Fifty employees from Houston can apply for positions with the understanding it will only be for twelve months.”
She swallowed hard, and I cursed the entire situation. I needed Holly, but I couldn’t ask her to do what I really wanted. I needed to reassure her I’d do whatever I could to ensure her stability.
“You’ve been with me a long time. You’re my right-hand, like a vital organ,” I said.
“Did I go slow enough?” Gabriel bounded back into the room, a bright red birdhouse in his hands.
“You didn’t make that,” I teased.
“I did too,” he insisted, holding it out to me.
I accepted it, handling the birdhouse with the utmost care. “Well, if I had a tree, I’d want this hanging in it. Did you paint it?”
He nodded vigorously.
“Gabriel, can you give us another minute?” Holly asked. She posed it as a request, but it wasn’t.
“I’ll get Miss Jacobs some cookies,” he volunteered. I held out my knuckles for a fist bump, and then he was off again.
I perched the wooden birdhouse on my lap. “Nothing changes with Gabriel’s schooling.”
He was enrolled in the best kindergarten Houston had to offer. I’d encouraged Holly earlier in the summer to check it out, see what she thought, and after much protest, she went. I’d made certain, if she wanted Gabriel to attend the school, they had a scholarship for him. I paid for it because he deserved it, but we never spoke of the matter. I didn’t want to advertise it or make her feel less than adequate. I’d considered increasing her salary by the tuition amount, but I knew she’d never accept it. She had her pride, and I didn’t fault her for that.
Her face was impassive now that the initial shock had worn off. “Miss Jacobs, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve got too much responsibility to handle as it is. You need somebody to help you.”
“Not somebody. I need you,” I said honestly. “The good thing we’ve got going doesn’t work without you.”
She tapped her index finger on the sofa cushion, her eyes fixed on the Christmas tree. The wheels in her mind appeared to turn at warp speed, and I struggled to come up with ways to reassure her I’d do whatever it took to ensure she and Gabriel would be okay. Selfishly, I wanted to make sure that meant somehow she stayed my assistant.
Her finger stilled. Some sort of switch flipped, and her look morphed from defeated to determined. She reached for the company-issued iPad on the coffee table. “Have you made arrangements for somewhere to stay?”
The screen lit when she tapped it. My mouth opened and closed like a fish who’d been out of water too long. She looked at me expectantly. I tugged on my ponytail.
"I’m working on that, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got it covered.” At least I hoped I did. “I should know by the end of the day.”
Holly frowned, like she hated not to be of help. “Is it hard to find a place up there?” she asked quietly.
“Not sure.” I shuddered. “You know I avoid that city as much as possible.”
That earned a slight smile as she fiddled with the edge of the tablet. Her green eyes met mine. “Is Gabriel’s scholarship transferrable?” she asked carefully.
My brow furrowed. “You don’t like his school? I thought you both were pleased with it. But of course, if you’re unhappy, the scholarship stands at any institution you choose.” I didn’t care if the school would refund my money or not. Wherever Holly chose for Gabriel to go to school would be taken care of.
Silence stretched between us. She clutched the cross necklace I’d never seen her without.
“What if I came to New York with you?” I stared at her.Was she serious?She was loyal, but this was crazy.
“I can’t ask that of you. You have a life here. Gabriel’s happy. I won’t uproot you just because it’s what I need.”
“Then don’t ask,” she said with a stubborn lift of her chin. “I’m telling you we’re coming with you.”
This was exactly why we made the perfect team. Never mind I was her boss, she stood up to me, didn’t let me steamroll her. But . . . I wouldn’t take advantage and even though I’d love nothing more than for her to join me, I needed to throw logical arguments at her.
“That’s a big decision to make spur of the moment,” I cautioned. “You have roots here. This is your home—”
“My home is where Gabriel is.” Her tone was crisp and certain when she spoke. “Besides, neither of us have been outside Houston. He needs to experience new things.” She clutched the cross around her neck. “We both do.”
