Page 5 of Safe With Me

“I overheard. I’m sorry she’s sick.”

“She isn’t.” A misplaced grin, she thought. “We haven’t told anybody yet, but I can’t keep our secret any longer. My wife is three months pregnant.”

Steph had calmed herself down on the way over. “Oh, Will, that’s wonderful news.”

“It is. She’s having a bad day but we’re both elated.” His expression was cocky. “They’re twins.”

“Wow. You’ll have your hands full.”

“Both Katie and I are only children. So we wanted a big family, if not all at once.”

“Again, I’m happy for you.”

His gaze narrowed on her. “Butyou’renot happy. What’s going on?”

“You know I hate to complain.”

“You never do.”

“Well, there’s always a first time. I can’t work with Pax Barry.”

“I was over there helping to paint the clinic. He seemed fine then. Why can’t you work with him?”

She laid her head back on the high seat. “I don’t share this detail of my life with anyone at the workplace.”

“Do you want to tell me?”

“I have to. In order to explain.” She took in a deep breath. “He told me his background.”

“Steph, we all have pasts that shouldn’t haunt us forever. Did you know when I was in the Secret Service, on duty protecting the president, he was shot on my watch.”

“Yeah. There are rumors.”

“I found my way back. Pax made a mistake in his job, too. He’s trying to clawhisway back.”

She felt bad for complaining now. She recalled how he seemed to crumble into himself. She liked it better when he was laughing. “There’s something you don’t know aboutmypast.”

“If it’s something that will affect how you do your job, I should know.”

“It hasn’t been.” He raised a brow. “Until now.” She had to force the rest out. “My older brother Tommy died on the operating table during a surgery. The specialist botched it.”

“Steph, I’m sorry to hear that.” Will steepled his hands. “So Pax’s situation is impossible for you to forgive?”

“When you put it like that, I don’t know that it’s my place to forgive or not to. I do know I don’twantto work for him.”

“Will you be resigning from Investigative Solutions, too?”

“No, of course not.”

“Can you see where I’m going with this?”

“Yeah. You’re saying that I can’t be employed here if I refuse to work with Pax.”

“Not at all. I’m wondering why you wouldwantto stay at my company now that you knowmypast?”

“I…hell, I don’t hold that against you. You made a mistake.”

“But you hold Pax’s mistake against him.”

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