Page 123 of Sharing Shane

He managed to end the call, then sank back into his pillow with a sigh. By the time he took his next breath, he was out.

Veronica stared at her phone, her heart hammering. Had he just said love you? That’s what he’d said, she wasn’t losing her mind, right? Sure, he was tired, and maybe he didn’t realize he was saying it. And maybe he hadn’t meant to say it, and being tired had allowed the words to slip past his defenses, but still, he’d said it.

He’d told her he loved her.

“Oh, my God.”

“Oh my God, what?” someone asked, and Veronica swiveled in her chair to blink at her supervisor.

“What?”

“You said, oh my God,” Phoebe said. A tall, lean Black woman with short curly hair, angular features, and impeccable style, she nodded at the case file open on the desk in front of Veronica. “Are you having issues with Jerrod Thompson?”

“What? Oh, no. Nothing outside of the usual, that is.” Veronica said, thinking of the four-year-old who had yet to say a word. “He’s coming in this morning, so I was just reviewing the file. The ‘oh my God’ was about my boyfriend. I just got off the phone with him.”

“Ah.” Phoebe’s frown eased into a smile. “Hot date tonight?”

“No, he’s got other plans tonight.” They’d moved Shane’s weekly date with Wyatt to tonight to accommodate a switch in Wyatt’s work schedule. “I’ll see him tomorrow.”

Phoebe leaned a hip on the edge of Veronica’s desk, her gold hoop earrings swinging gently against her jaw. They were the size of bracelets and gleamed against her ebony skin. “You’ve been seeing him for most of the summer.”

“Since May,” Veronica confirmed.

Phoebe arched one elegant eyebrow. “Getting serious?”

“Pretty serious,” Veronica admitted, while her brain silently screamed, he said he loves me!

“I thought I recognized that dreamy look in your eyes,” Phoebe chuckled. “You’ll have to bring him around so we can get a look at him.”

“Summer is his busy time, so he’s pretty swamped.”

“Speaking of swamped.” Phoebe flipped open the folder in her hands and withdrew an envelope. “I meant to do this Friday, but my meetings ran late.”

Veronica took the envelope. “What is this?”

“A formal offer for a permanent position,” Phoebe said and laughed when Veronica’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Contingent on you obtaining your unrestricted license, of course.”

Veronica had to force the words out of her mouth. “I...I don’t know what to say?”

“Say yes,” Phoebe said. “I know you wanted to work in the school system, and the kids here can be a bit more of a challenge because of their age, but we’re hoping you’ll consider us.”

“I’d love to stay here,” Veronica said faintly, staring at the letter. “I just wasn’t sure it was a possibility.”

“You’ve been a huge asset,” Phoebe said, her brown eyes turning serious. “The clients you’ve worked with have all loved you. You’ve got a real knack for getting to know these kids, and finding the key to working with them. We don’t want to lose that.”

Veronica had to blink back tears. She’d known she’d done a good job, but to hear it said out loud was...everything. “I love working here. Of course, I’ll take the job.”

Phoebe patted her hand. “You don’t have to decide right this minute. Take the letter home and read through it. It’s got all the details on salary and benefits, and a detailed job description. Make sure it’s going to work for you, on every level. Then come back and say yes.”

“Okay.” Veronica set the letter on her desk next to her phone, feeling like she was operating on autopilot. “Thank you, Phoebe.”

“You more than earned it,” Phoebe assured her. “Now, about Jarred Thompson. He’s got an appointment today?”

“In about half an hour,” Veronica confirmed with a glance at the clock. “I was just going over his evaluation, and the last therapist's notes to see if I can find a new angle.”

Phoebe pushed off the desk. “Let’s find a room and talk about it. I think I have a couple of ideas that might help you.”

“Sweetie, that’s fantastic!” Delia squealed. “I’m so happy for you. We have to celebrate. Dinner party, my house, Friday night.”

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