Page 102 of Love and Cherish

Febe’s face pinched as she dug into her purse hanging by the door, producing keys. “Take my car. But you really do need to leave now. I don’t want them waiting at the airport.”

“Um, sure.” Haylee’s voice was so close. Cherish could smell her shampoo through the doorway, and she wanted to step out there and kiss Haylee goodbye.

Cherish wanted to scream. She wanted to stop this. The only thing that needed to happen was for Haylee to be rehired and put in charge of her special project. That would keep everyone exactly where they needed to be.

But she didn’t. She stood there, confused and just as weak as she had always been.

“What did you do?” Cherish snapped before Febe could open her mouth.

“You’re my friend, but even you won’t talk to me that way or continue to interrupt meetings for non-emergencies.” Febe gave her a pointed look, crossing her arms in a way that Cherish knew meant she was unmovable.

Cherish opened her mouth to argue, to curse and hiss, but she forced her lips together and waited.

“I thought she told you what happened.” Febe’s lips thinned, and they could hear the distinct click of the office door closing as Haylee left. “But it appears she’s left that up to me. You’d think in an office filled with therapists that miscommunications like this wouldn’t be happening as often.”

“Told me what?” Cherish’s heart raced, and for a moment, she wondered if this kind of speed could lead to a heart attack.

“Calm down.” Febe strode back to her desk and sat behind it. “Haylee is leaving, yes, but only this office. I haven’t fired her from Wellbeing Works. In fact, I’ve created a whole new position for her.”

Cherish swallowed audibly. “You what?”

“Haylee will be a liaison between Holbrook and Wellbeing Works, at least for now. She’ll be working with Allegra Ilic.”

“But you hate Allegra.”

“No, I don’t, and we can talk about that in a bit. But Haylee will be creating a new program at the Holbrook Foundation, one specifically working with non-immediate family and friends of veterans and active-duty military, providing support and services when and where needed. She’ll start with the single women already in the current programs Holbrook has.”

Cherish sat heavily. She dropped her face into her hands, covering her eyes. This was worse than she’d thought. Haylee really was leaving her. She was leaving her for something so much better. She had found people who put her and her brilliant idea first, and she was leaving Cherish behind.

“I thought she’d told you,” Febe softened her tone. “I’m so sorry.”

thirty-three

“Do not scratch the boss’s car.”

“Do not crash the boss’s car.”

“Park far away from all the other vehicles.”

Haylee strained to see over the hood of Febe’s black BMW as she parked as far as possible from anyone. Which wasn’t all that possible. If she fucked up Febe’s car, she would be so screwed when she got back.

Sighing, she checked her phone and saw two flights listed along with times for their arrivals. She’d managed to check at a few stoplights, and they were arriving on time and within ten minutes of each other. She snagged the paper she’d printed right before leaving and headed inside.

Haylee stood awkwardly as people arrived in baggage claim, holding the sign up for these strangers. Thank God Febe kept her car clean, because she couldn’t imagine having to pick strangers up without warning in her car. Which stood to reason, why was she doing this? Couldn’t they get a ride share like normal people?

“Are you Haylee?” The young man standing in front of her didn’t look like he was there for business. He had on jeans with a dark stain over his right thigh, a plaid shirt that was tucked into his pants, and a massive belt buckle just over his crotch.

Haylee immediately lifted her gaze to his face, her jaw clenched tightly. “Um…yes?”

“Oh good. I was worried I wouldn’t know who you were. I don’t travel much.” He rubbed his palms over his sides, as if he couldn’t stop the nerves.

Pinching her face, Haylee looked him over. He definitely wasn’t here for a conference about business and therapy. His face was rounded, his body lean as though he spent hours working with his hands, and his strawberry red hair—oh. “You’re Cherish’s brother.”

“Stuart Barkley, ma’am.” He put out his hand for her to shake.

Haylee dropped the sign to her side and clasped his fingers. Why was she picking up Stuart? What the hell was Febe up to? Biting her tongue so she didn’t say anything stupid, Haylee waited to see if he would enlighten her.

“I should probably get my bag.” He had a sweet little drawl that couldn’t quite be labeled as southern but had a definite twang to it.

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