Page 126 of Hidden Ties

“Some, but it’s not bad,” she admitted.

Taking her by the elbow again when the elevator door opened, he remained silent as they rode down to the parking garage.

“I thought we’d walk—”

“My parking spot is close to the elevator. I didn’t want you to have to walk. I didn’t want to ask if all your injuries are visible.” Kent didn’t give her time to finish her sentence as he ushered her out of the elevator.

Stopping by his dark gray SUV, he opened the passenger door for her, then waited until she was comfortably seated before he clicked the door closed. He walked behind the car to open the driver’s door, and once inside, he clicked on his seat belt before turning toward her.

“Where do you want to eat?”

“Anywhere is fine. I need to be back in forty-five minutes.”

Nodding, he pulled out of his parking spot. “I can do that. How’s the new job going?”

Feeling her surprised glance at his choice of topic, he kept his attention on driving as she started chatting about working in the file room.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better person to train me. Glenda doesn’t get frustrated when I make a mistake. There isn’t anything she doesn’t know about the files, either. I bet Mr. Hollingsworth cried when she put in for retirement.”

“Doubtful. You’ll have to work at Hollingsworth several years to build up to Glenda’s paygrade. Garrett filled her position with someone who is a conscientious employee at a lower cost to the firm.”

“Cynical much?”

Chuckling, he turned into a parking lot. Instead of parking, though, he went through the drive-thru.

“What would you like?”

“I’m not that hungry. I’ll just take an ice caramel roadrunner.”

“Nice,” he commented before turning back to the screen. “Give me an iced caramel roadrunner, two burritos, a large fries, and iced mocha roadrunner.”

“I haven’t tried the mocha roadrunner.”

“It has three shots of expresso.”

Her face lit up with laughter. “I see why it’s named the roadrunner.”

Taking the drinks from the worker at the window, he gave Sage’s her’s while he set his in the cupholder.

“You two having a good day?” the male worker asked cheerfully.

“I am.”

“Yes,” Sage mumbled, taking a sip of her drink.

Noticing Sage was keeping her face turned away as he took the bag of food, he pulled forward to park in a shady spot.

He took out one of the burritos and handed it to her. “Want to share? There’s no way I can eat both of these.”

“Then why did you order two?”

“I decided I didn’t want to exercise two burritos off when I go to the gym tonight.” Unwrapping the other burrito, he placed the fries where they both could eat them. “Help yourself.”

“I hate going to the gym,” he continued, “depending on how bad I eat during the day.”

“I’m the opposite.” Turning more comfortably in her seat, she started eating. “I’d rather avoid eating foods that are going to make me feel guilty.”

Surreptitiously watching as she took two fries and slid them into her mouth, he was glad she was putting food in her stomach. With the bruise on her face and her arm bandaged, the frailty of her appearance had struck him hard when she walked through the office door.

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