The nurse had told her the firefighter had camped out in her room for hours while Sophie had slept, and she’d clung to that knowledge all day. The thought that he’d stayed for so long should make her uncomfortable but instead, it made her feel safe. Like someone out there cared. Two someones — her rescuer and her assistant. Though letting people in wasn’t her norm, it felt good to have those two in her corner, especially while she was down.
“I’ve got a replacement iPhone on its way,” Iona said. “I had the business number temporarily forwarded to my cell so we wouldn’t miss any calls, and I brought your home laptop, like you asked.”
“You’re a godsend, Iona. Thank you.”
Sophie felt her antsiness seep out of her as she realized how lucky she was. Lucky to have such a capable, reliable woman on her side, among other things.
Maybe it was time to make Iona, who’d earned her environmental engineering degree a year ago while working for Sophie part-time and had been working full-time ever since, a junior partner. Someone who shared in the company’s successes and challenges officially. In a tangible way instead of just as glorified support staff. Then if, God forbid, anything ever did happen to Sophie, the thing she’d put so much effort into would live on, at the very least.
Sharing didn’t come easy for her, but she could see now why it would be a good idea. She thought, for the first time, maybe she was ready to try sharing.
Sophie took several swallows of water to soothe her still-raw throat. “Pull up a chair.”
“Do you know how long you’ll be here?” Iona asked as she dragged the chair the firefighter had used close to the bed again and sat down.
“I should go home tomorrow.” Sophie raised the head of her bed more so that she was fully upright. “In the meantime, I’m losing my concussed mind in this place.”
Iona pulled out two laptops from her bag and set the Mac Air with the floral-patterned skin in pinks and oranges across Sophie’s lap.
Iona opened the other computer and powered up. “Before I forget, I talked to Jack. Your test is postponed indefinitely—”
“To get my black belt,” Sophie said, wondering how she’d forgotten the event she’d been training for for years. “It was supposed to be Saturday. What day is this?”
“Today is Thursday. You’re not testing anytime soon.”
As much as Sophie instinctively wanted to argue, there was no denying she wouldn’t be ready by the weekend. She’d have to ask the doctor how soon she could return to krav maga. “I’ll call Jack later to set a new date.”
“He’ll be happy to hear from you. He sounded more than a little freaked out.” Iona paused while she typed something in. “So, we need to get the bid out to Herman Brandt ASAP. The final, proofed version is in your inbox, waiting for you. I’ve contacted Mr. Brandt to let him know what happened, and he said not to rush, but if he wants to meet the timeline his museum board set, we need to push it.”
Herman Brandt. In Massachusetts. The bid was for greening up a grand, Italianate-style house built in 1843 that now served as a small museum. Sophie reclined her head onto the mattress, feeling at once exhilarated as details of the heating and cooling system overhaul filled her mind and leery of the strong pull to dive right in to the project again. Her work was almost like a drug … one hit and the nurses down the hall probably saw a change in her vitals. Maybe not such a good thing.
“Thanks. I’ll look at it. Soon.” She made a silent vow to herself not to do it until she was home — which would be doable only because there was no Wi-Fi at the hospital. She’d always suspected her extreme dedication to her work was borderline unhealthy but had never let herself take time to worry much about it. But was that the person she wanted to be? If she were to die tomorrow — or two nights ago — would she be able to say she’d lived a full life?
“We also need to check in on the Lexington job,” Iona said as she undoubtedly read off one of her many super-efficient checklists on her screen. “As well as follow up with Bill MacLevich, email the people from Leeds, talk to—”
“Iona?”
Iona turned her head toward Sophie, her mouth still open. “Yes?”
Sophie handed her the Mac from her lap and shifted onto her side, toward her assistant. She extended her arm, her hand hovering close to Iona’s, and hesitated. Then she lowered it and rested her fingers on the back of Iona’s wrist. “That stuff can wait.”
Iona straightened, looking alarmed. “Of course. God, I’m sorry, Sophie.” She hit a few keys, then closed the laptop. “How insensitive am I? I just assumed—”
“You assumed that, since I’m normally all business, I would want to get right down to it,” Sophie said with a self-conscious smile.
Iona grinned back and squeezed Sophie’s hand. “Maybe a little. You’re not generally one to waste any time, and when you asked me to bring your laptop—”
“No need to explain. I totally understand.”
Sophie studied her assistant’s practical-length fingernails, painted in a mellow pink that matched the color in her cheeks. She’d always kept a certain distance between herself and Iona. While they made an amazing, ass-kicking team professionally, she’d made a point of not letting it cross over too far into friendship.
But Sophie suddenly needed a friend. More, she wanted one.
Head injury be damned.
“I trust you to hold down the fort, Iona. I thought I wanted nothing more than to dive in and get back to work, but … I’m tired. And I have you. Right?”
“Absolutely. Whatever you need.”