Page 54 of Hidden Depths

She smoothed the smile off her face. She wasn’t supposed to be enjoying this, but it was way better being here with Tom than on a bus.

While she waited for her drink, she looked around the room. It was full of nautical-themed furnishings. She had no idea if that was normal around here since she never went into anyone else’s house. But it suited the space. Even the large flat-screen TV with its state-of-the-art entertainment system tastefully blended in with the décor.

“This is a nice place your boss has here.” Her gaze drifted to the full-length glass doors that led onto a large balcony with stunning views of the sea beyond. “I thoughtIhad great views.”

“Yeah, it’s a nice spot,” he said from the kitchen.

“I had no idea bosses could be so generous.”

“He wasn’t being generous.”

“I hate to break this to you, but he was. And here I am, dragging you into my problems.”

“You didn’t drag me into anything.”

“Is that what your boss thinks? You’re supposed to be having a break. I feel like he’d be mad at me for interfering.”

“You didn’t interfere. You needed help. I have a duty to look after you.”

“A duty, huh?” she said dryly.

“Look at it this way.” He carried her tea out and set it on the coffee table. “If I wasn’t here, you’d be in trouble.”

She lifted the tea, resting the rim on her bottom lip while she blew over the top before taking a small sip. “Maybe.”

“You’re impossible.”

“I just can’t stop thinking about how everything has played out.”

“You’re not staying.”

“And yet here I am.”

“Until tomorrow.”

“Still. What if I’m right and God doesn’t want me to go? What if He’s keeping me here for a reason?”

“He’s not.”

“But what if He is and He closes that door? Shouldn’t we be prepared?”

“He won’t,” Tom almost shouted, then pressed a hand to his forehead. “I’m sorry. I’ve learned in my job that if you read too much into circumstances, it can mess with you. You spend so much time trying to figure out what could have been or what should be that everything becomes…convoluted.”

“Sounds like you have personal experience.”

He turned toward the view. “I do.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

The last person he wanted to talk about was Vic. “How do you know I haven’t gotten over it already?”

“Because it still winds you up. Is that why you’re here? Is that the reason for all the stress?”

“No. It has nothing to do with that.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. I’ve been under a lot of pressure at work, that’s all.”

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