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"Want a glass of wine?"
"Well, since you twisted my arm…"
Georgie smiled and headed for the bottle she had open on the kitchen's center island beside two glasses and a charcuterie board. Naomie followed and sat on one of the stools at the island. She glanced at the charcuterie board and then cut Georgie a look. "You did that?"
"Yes. I took it out of the plastic container and put it on this wooden thing."
Naomie smiled and accepted the wine glass Georgie offered. Georgie poured herself a glass, and for the next hour, they discussed Riggs' progress, how things were progressing with his adoption of Robby, and the trip to Texas.
"He mentioned that you might go for a while – take a sabbatical from BioNow to take on his rehab there at Sanctuary."
"I'm thinking about it."
"But?" Naomie asked and waited. When Georgie didn't respond, she spoke up. "Please tell me this isn't because of Josh. Not after what he did."
"No. Well, it's not because I care about him. I promise you that. It's…" she couldn't finish the sentence. If she told Naomie what Josh said, Naomie would fly into Wonder Woman mode, call out the National Guard, alert the Pentagon, and personally vet every person who worked in Mass General. She'd do everything humanly possible to ferret out the people working for Josh and have them arrested.
Georgie had considered that, but the people had done nothing wrong as yet. At least, there was nothing Georgie was aware of. You can't report people who haven't committed crimes or broken laws to the authorities.
Georgie shook her head. She didn't want to talk about Josh. "Look, the truth is, I'm crazy about him, but you know how things can get all muddled up in someone's head when they go through something like he did. Emotions are heightened, and sometimes we latch onto someone we perceive as being caring, and we make themourperson, the one we let our guard down for when we're together, the one we invest our feelings in because we feel safe with them.
"What if that's really what I am to Riggs?"
She could tell from the lack of a quick response that Naomie was considering her question. "I don't argue that it's within the realm of possibility. But you don't know Riggs like I do."
"No, I don't. I know the Riggs who showed up delirious with pain, smothering in rage and grief, ready to die rather than be a cripple. I see a man who had to accept he may never be the biggest dog on the porch anymore—a man who will have to learn to walk, run, and jump all over again. I met a man who will grit his teeth, dig in, never complain about the pain and damn near kill himself to prove he's still capable.
"And then there's the man who jumped off a bridge to save a stranger and her child. Now he's determined that child is supposed to be his.
"There are a lot of swirling emotions inside him right now, and how he feels about me is tangled up in there. I know he's a man of steel and faces death like we face rush hour traffic – as a way of life—but this time, it's different.
"This time, he lost. He lost two of his men, his foot, and the child he was determined to save. He's never had to come back from that kind of loss, and he sees me as someone who did come back – enough to rock climb, parachute, cliff dive, snow ski, and whatever else. Those things have merit in his world because you must be fit and strong to do them.
"That's what he wants, and he feels I'll help him get there. Not that I think he's ingenuine about his feelings for me. I believe him when he says he cares. I do believe him, Naomie. But those feelings may fade once he's back on his feet, retrained, and able to leap tall buildings again. Who knows? What scares me is walking away from a life I built and love on a chance that won't happen. But if it does, then Texas won't be the place for me, and I'll have burned this bridge.
"So, you tell me. What should I do?"
"You'll do what you feel is right, Georgie. That's who you are, and I've never doubted that. Just promise me that whatever feels right doesn't include spending time with Josh."
"I hear you."
“Oh no,” Naomie shook her finger at Georgie. “None of that. You need to stay far away from him.”
“I will. But first I—”
“No, there are no but firsts. Seriously, give me one reason you should ever spend five minutes with that guy.”
“To protect Riggs and Robby.”
“Oh shit,” Naomie sat back. “What kind of protection.”
“The kind that has me asking you to make sure Riggs is moved. Out of Mass General. He needs to be somewhere he can’t be found.”
“By whom?”
“Anyone.”
“What’s going on Georgie?”
