Page 91 of If Our Hearts Collide

Rolling my shoulders back, I take a deep breath.

Just don’t get fired.

I can’t imagine how awkward family gatherings will be if I get fired or know I should be fired but am kept on payroll out of guilt. I’d just resign if it were the latter.

I take the elevator up to the correct floor and resist going to Graham or Nic’s offices to harass them about hiring me a secret bodyguard who isn’t so secret. Honestly, if there hasn’t been a conversation about the whole thing yet, then there’s no point having one now.

What’s done is done.

Graham and Nic must really just think they pulled one over on me.

Oh well, it’s better for everyone to think I’m clueless or naive. It makes ditching my watchdog easier when I really need to get away.

When the elevator doors open, I step out of the car, walk down the lounge-like corridor, and then enter through the main doors into Plus None.

“Penny, I’m so glad you could come on such short notice,” Angie says, giving me a hug.

That’s definitely the pro to not really having anything else going on in my life, which is basically sad if I overthink about it too long.

Several other employees glance over at us. But I shove down any feelings of trepidation over anyone thinking of reasons why I’ve been hired in the first place. Everyone seems nice, and I don’t need to taint that opinion with negative self-talk.

Angie takes the box from my hands, glancing inside at all of my random things.

“It’s too much, isn’t it?”

“Oh no. Of course not.” She studies the box of some of my gadgets. “I love the sand tray and the little desk fountain. Oh, it has mood lighting—nice.”

I’m second-guessing all of my purchases and silently vow not to shop again while under the influence of too much free time.

The truth of the matter is, I don’t have an official style. For years, I would allow Momma to pick out my clothes and organize even my own bedroom.

In a way, I figured she’d do a better job, so why bother when she was willing to make my space look great and enjoy doing it?

And it did look great.

But after being discharged from Soulful Mind, I realized how short and fragile life really is, and through that self-reflection, I’m starting to see that it’s okay to not have everything figured out.

“I wasn’t expecting to have a desk.”

Angie gives me a half squeeze, while trying not to drop anything. “Of course, you’ll have your own space. And I know you’ll make it your own.”

I look at my box of items as she places it down on the empty desk that already has a Penny Hoffman engraved name holder. At least I stuck to a theme—controlled chaos. I unload a few items, rotating them to see where they’d look best next to a modern desktop computer. “I may have gone overboard.”

“Impossible.”

“You’re just being kind,” I say with a little laugh.

I have fun sorting through my purchases and find the perfect location for my little Zen garden sand tray that has little glass pebbles.

“You know, everyone in this office is either going to steal that one or demand you tell them where you bought it.”

I rake through the sand, creating little ravines. It really does have a relaxing effect. “It clearly is my best purchase ever,” I joke and hand over the rake for Angie to use.

There’s a few people in the office working, but they all have headphones on and appear to be deep in thought. Despite taking a moment to look at me when I first arrived, they all seem to now be in work mode and not paying me any attention.

I like it that way too. I’m not one who enjoys being the center. I’d much rather stand on a sideline.

Angie glances at her watch. “If you don’t mind, I have a few things to discuss with you before Claire arrives.”

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