shouldn’t keep her waiting then.”
“I keep telling myself the same thing.”
His words hurt, although Valerie pretended otherwise. “I’m delighted for you, Colby.”
“Rowdy Cassidy will make you a good husband.” His eyes probed hers.
Valerie smiled and nodded, then they both turned and walked in opposite directions. And although she was tempted, she didn’t look back.
Valerie’s cell phone vibrated, and she took the call in the hospital lobby.
“Valerie, it’s Rowdy. Thought I’d check and see how everything’s going with your father. No one’s heard from you in a while.”
When had she last reported into CHIPS headquarters? Two days before, she calculated. Two whole days! Valerie found that hard to believe. Until recently, her job had been all-consuming, but it wasn’t that way now. She’d completely overlooked her work responsibilities, forgotten everything that had once been so important.It seemed impossible that she could have allowed so much time to slip past.
“My father had open-heart surgery.”
“How’s he doing now?”
“Fabulously well. His recovery in the last twenty-four hours has been remarkable.” She didn’t tell him that much of the improvement was a result of a change in attitude. Since his “conversation in the garden” with Grace, David Bloomfield’s will to live was stronger than ever. If there was anything to worry about now, it was the fact that Steffie hadn’t arrived yet and no one had heard from her. Valerie had spent part of the morning calling the airlines to find out which flight she was on, to no avail.
“We miss you around here,” Rowdy said in that casual way of his. Valerie could picture him sitting in his office, leaning back in his plush leather chair, cowboy boots propped on the mahogany desk. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Rowdy without his boots and hat. She always thought of him as the Texan of frontier legend, the man who tackled life with robust energy, who considered no problem insurmountable. He worked hard, played hard and lived hard.
“I miss CHIPS, too.”
“Any idea when you’ll be back?”
“I’m sorry, no, but if you need me because of the Old West Bank deal—”
“No, no,” Rowdy said, breaking in. “We’re handling that from our end, so don’t you worry about a thing. I just wanted you to know I miss you.”
The personal pronoun didn’t escape Valerie’s notice. Rowdy was attracted to her. “My father wanted me to thank you for the flowers,” she said. “Th-they got here yesterday morning.” She’d hardly been aware of it at the time, although the nurses had all exclaimed over the lavish bouquets. Now, she felt flustered and nervous with him, something that had never happened before. Their relationship was moving into new territory, and Valerie found the ground unstable and a bit frightening.
“Actually the flowers were for you. I thought you needed something to brighten up your day.”
“It was very thoughtful of you.”
“It’s the least I could do for my favorite executive. You hurry back, you hear?”
“I will. And, Rowdy, thanks for calling.” She closed her cell phone and let her breath rush out in a deep sigh.
Norah was already in the waiting room when Valerie returned there. “That was Rowdy Cassidy,” she explained unnecessarily.
“Are you in love with him?” Norah asked without preamble. “I thought you and Dr. Winston might be hitting it off, but…”
“Colby’s involved with Sherry Waterman.” Valerie kept her voice steady, making a strenuous effort to feign disinterest.
One glance at Norah told her she hadn’t succeeded. “You’ll recall that I never bothered to mention Sherry. There’s a reason.”
“Oh?” Valerie shrugged. “I wondered…I mean, evenColby seemed to think you had, or rather that you should have.” She’d wanted to ask her sister, but had hesitated, almost preferring not to know.
“Those two have been dating for a year. If Colby was
“I keep telling myself the same thing.”
His words hurt, although Valerie pretended otherwise. “I’m delighted for you, Colby.”
“Rowdy Cassidy will make you a good husband.” His eyes probed hers.
Valerie smiled and nodded, then they both turned and walked in opposite directions. And although she was tempted, she didn’t look back.
Valerie’s cell phone vibrated, and she took the call in the hospital lobby.
“Valerie, it’s Rowdy. Thought I’d check and see how everything’s going with your father. No one’s heard from you in a while.”
When had she last reported into CHIPS headquarters? Two days before, she calculated. Two whole days! Valerie found that hard to believe. Until recently, her job had been all-consuming, but it wasn’t that way now. She’d completely overlooked her work responsibilities, forgotten everything that had once been so important.It seemed impossible that she could have allowed so much time to slip past.
“My father had open-heart surgery.”
“How’s he doing now?”
“Fabulously well. His recovery in the last twenty-four hours has been remarkable.” She didn’t tell him that much of the improvement was a result of a change in attitude. Since his “conversation in the garden” with Grace, David Bloomfield’s will to live was stronger than ever. If there was anything to worry about now, it was the fact that Steffie hadn’t arrived yet and no one had heard from her. Valerie had spent part of the morning calling the airlines to find out which flight she was on, to no avail.
“We miss you around here,” Rowdy said in that casual way of his. Valerie could picture him sitting in his office, leaning back in his plush leather chair, cowboy boots propped on the mahogany desk. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Rowdy without his boots and hat. She always thought of him as the Texan of frontier legend, the man who tackled life with robust energy, who considered no problem insurmountable. He worked hard, played hard and lived hard.
“I miss CHIPS, too.”
“Any idea when you’ll be back?”
“I’m sorry, no, but if you need me because of the Old West Bank deal—”
“No, no,” Rowdy said, breaking in. “We’re handling that from our end, so don’t you worry about a thing. I just wanted you to know I miss you.”
The personal pronoun didn’t escape Valerie’s notice. Rowdy was attracted to her. “My father wanted me to thank you for the flowers,” she said. “Th-they got here yesterday morning.” She’d hardly been aware of it at the time, although the nurses had all exclaimed over the lavish bouquets. Now, she felt flustered and nervous with him, something that had never happened before. Their relationship was moving into new territory, and Valerie found the ground unstable and a bit frightening.
“Actually the flowers were for you. I thought you needed something to brighten up your day.”
“It was very thoughtful of you.”
“It’s the least I could do for my favorite executive. You hurry back, you hear?”
“I will. And, Rowdy, thanks for calling.” She closed her cell phone and let her breath rush out in a deep sigh.
Norah was already in the waiting room when Valerie returned there. “That was Rowdy Cassidy,” she explained unnecessarily.
“Are you in love with him?” Norah asked without preamble. “I thought you and Dr. Winston might be hitting it off, but…”
“Colby’s involved with Sherry Waterman.” Valerie kept her voice steady, making a strenuous effort to feign disinterest.
One glance at Norah told her she hadn’t succeeded. “You’ll recall that I never bothered to mention Sherry. There’s a reason.”
“Oh?” Valerie shrugged. “I wondered…I mean, evenColby seemed to think you had, or rather that you should have.” She’d wanted to ask her sister, but had hesitated, almost preferring not to know.
“Those two have been dating for a year. If Colby was
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