Page 152 of In Spades

She pulled me away from the door to the conference room, down the hall to her office. I stumbled along the slick floors, my sneakers scuffing with each step. Han unlocked her door and shoved me inside.

“Where’s your phone?” Hannah Jane asked, shoving me into the upholstered chair across from her desk. She yanked open the mini fridge and popped the top on a bottle of water before handing it to me.

I was going to get fired for sleeping with the man who bought the inn.

The man I thought I hated.

The man I love.

“It’s in my locker,” I whimpered.

Hannah Jane growled. Actually growled. She yanked open her desk drawer and pulled out her phone. “Whatever. I have his number,” she said, holding her phone to her ear. While she waited for him to pick up, Hannah pointed at me and said, “You’re not going to roll over and play dead. If Rich is going to try to fire you, you’re going to fight it.”

The call went to voicemail, so Hannah dialed again. We both waited anxiously.

A latent memory worked toward the front of my brain. “He’s not available today…”

Hannah cut her eyes to me. “What do you mean?”

I sniffed. “Last night he said he had an important work thing this morning and that he’d talk to me when I got off work.” I looked down at my hands. “He usually can’t take his phone into those meetings.”

Hannah’s determined demeanor softened. “You’ve talked to him?”

I nodded solemnly. “Just when I thought maybe we’d be able to get past this…”

My lower lip quivered, and I loathed that. I had to be strong. If not for me, for the kids. I couldn’t let them down.

“Beth is reasonable,” Hannah Jane reassured me as she perched her butt on the edge of her desk, rapping her perfectly manicured nails against the side. “She’s not going to let Rich fire you.”

“What if he has cause?”

Hannah Jane raised an eyebrow. “Does he have cause?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I was in a relationship with Will. I honestly didn’t know who he was. Can I just plead stupidity?”

“You’re not stupid, babe,” she said gently. “He was just a guest when you met. Rich doesn’t have a leg to stand on. It’s not like y’all did anything while you were on the clock.” She gave me a hard assessment. “You didn’t fool around with him on the clock, right?”

I glared at her. “I’m not you.”

She smirked.

“What am I gonna do, Han? Christmas is in a few days. I can’t…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. I cannot lose my job. I worked so hard to be unfireable. Irreplaceable. Essential.

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

I didn’t believe her.

I especially didn’t believe her when Beth poked her head in Hannah’s office.

Her eyes fell on me. “Miss Boyd, mind coming with me?”

I nodded glumly and stood. Hannah pushed away from her desk to walk with me, but Beth stopped her.

“Your presence isn’t needed, Miss Hayes,” Rich said as he sided up to Beth.

Hannah paired her saccharine smile with laser focused eyes. “I’d check your tone, Rich,” she clipped. “If you want to throw down with me, be my guest. But you’re going to be surprised at how ugly the fight’s gonna be.”

Beth rolled her eyes and muttered, “Not you too. Don’t make me write you up.”

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