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“Just a few books to while away the time. I wish I’d had them this week.”
She hoped he wouldn’t ask her titles. They shared a liking of mysteries. Quickly to forestall him, she asked, “Did you finish your run? Or am I interrupting?”
“I was winding down,” he said. “You’re not interrupting.”
“So how was your first week?”
She had mixed emotions, knowing she wouldn’t be at the head office long to watch Trace in action. She was excited about her promotion, however, and couldn’t wait to head an entire division herself. Maybe he’d give her some pointers about taking over from someone who was retiring.
“Exhilarating,” he said. “There is so much more challenge at Signals, Inc. than I had my previous place. That was a growing company and had its own set of challenges. With Signals, Inc. I have to reverse some ill advised decisions to regain market share. The company is larger and more diverse, so the challenges are greater.”
She laughed.
“And you thrive on challenges. I bet some old-timers believe we’re doing just fine. My guess is Bill White was a pain in the butt and Marcie Longstreet had more ideas than you could ever implement—even if any of them would be profitable.”
“You do know the people who work there,” he said.
A youngster ran full tilt into Cath, looking at the balloon floating above him rather than where he was going. Trace put his arm around her shoulders to steady her.
“Watch where you’re going or you’ll lose that balloon,” he told the child.
The little boy looked scared for a minute, then muttered an apology and ran around them.
“Where are his parents?” Cath asked, trying to ignore the rush of excitement Trace’s touch brought.
She could feel him through her sweater. For one moment she wished she could lean against him and claim some of his strength. But she stepped away and looked around to see who was responsible for the child. She would never let her child be unattended in such a crowded place. Danger lurked everywhere. For a moment the thought of guarding her child’s safety seemed daunting. How did parents manage?
“I don’t know, but I’m sure they’re nearby. They better watch him—he could get lost quickly in this crowd.”
Her shoulders had been warm from his touch. Now she felt the cool breeze from the Bay. She tried to quell her rapid heart rate. For a moment, she’d felt a shock of awareness. Had he felt anything? If so, he gave nothing away. He’d touched her frequently when they dated. She’d loved the feeling. It was hard to remember to keep her distance now.
Soon they reached the long pier converted years ago from servicing cruise ships to supporting dozens of shops that catered to tourists. They walked partway down the wooden structure and soon found an available outdoor table. Trace ordered their drinks while Cath sat in the sunshine. The sun kept the temperatures manageable, though she wondered if Trace would get cold in his skimpy attire now that he was no longer running.
“Strawberry smoothie,” he said, setting the drink down for her.
He sat opposite her with a large hot coffee.
“Ready to return to work Monday?” he asked.
“Yes. I kept in contact with my secretary, but it’s not the same as being there to keep on top of things. I probably could have come in yesterday, but indulged myself with an extra day. I’ve slept more this week than I think I have in years. So now I’m rested, and raring to go.”
She was getting used to the idea of the baby, but since it wouldn’t be born before May, she wanted to get back to work—to fill her days so she didn’t constantly dwell on the coming changes.
Or the possibility of loss.
“No one else has come down with the flu,” he commented. “So I guess you weren’t contagious.”
She took a sip of her beverage feeling guilty. She’d thought she had the flu at the time, but hadn’t corrected that assumption.
“Good.”
He had better hope she wasn’t contagious or he’d have a bunch of women out on maternity leave at the same time.
She needed to consider her own leave of absence. Should she fly home to have the baby in California as her mother suggested? Or have her mother fly to Brussels while Cath remained there? Another decision to make. She could see advantages to both scenarios.
Trace studied her for a moment.
“What?” she asked, feeling uncomfortable.
