Page 66 of One Foggy Christmas
“It shows.”
I think that was a joke, but I can’t be sure.
“You wanted neutral tones, plus you wanted to knock down the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to open the place up more.”
“And do I usually get what I want with you?” She flips me a teasing glance that sends a thrill through my stomach.
We’re making headway.
“Usually.” I return her smile.
She opens a few cupboards and drawers then turns to face me. “I knew you were rich, but I didn’t know you werethisrich.”
“I wasn’t. Not when you married me, at least. But we’ve had some good luck.”
“What changed?”
“I fell in love, married a brilliant woman, and made her my business partner.”
“Me?” she scoffs. “What did I do?”
I cross one foot over the other as I lean against the kitchen counter opposite of her. “Locum tenens.”
“Loco what?” she shakes her head, not understanding, which isn’t a surprise because all of this happened during the lost years of her life.
“Locum tenens, where physicians fly around the country to fill in for other clinicians when they’re on vacation or maternity leave. You didn’t make up the concept, but once you learned about it, you brought the idea to me and helped add it to our business model.”
She frowns. “That seems a little presumptuous of me to give my boss business advice.”
“It wasn’t like that. It was part of your internship, and you were right. It completely elevated our company.”
“Ourcompany?”
“We’re equal partners. Your name as a co-owner is listed on all the official documents.”
She blows out a breath, letting her lips vibrate against each other. “I guess I expected some kind of prenup—you know, since you built your business before you knew me. It’s only smart to protect yourself and your assets.”
“I didn’t feel like I needed protection. I trust you completely, and I trust what we have together.”
Her jaw hardens. “Sometimes things change.”
“But how I feel about you never will.”
“You can’t be that sure. From the sound of things, I’m a different person now than I was before. I have a jagged scar across my forehead and sunken cheeks. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the person you loved and married.”
“When I married you, I vowed to enter a contract of mutual decay.”
“Like, you said that in our vows?”
“No,” I sputter. “I just mean that no matter how we change or deteriorate, we promise to love each other through it all. Thegood and the bad. If this is your bad right now, I’m not scared, and I’m not going anywhere. I love you no matter what.”
Sadie glances away, just like she always does when I talk about my feelings for her. She pushes off the counter. “I guess I should be happy. I have always wanted to run some kind of healthcare business. That’s the motivation behind my degree and what brought me to Chicago for your internship in the first place. I just always thought I would run my dad’s home health and hospice business.”
“Are you disappointed you’re not?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “There are a lot of things that didn’t turn out how I expected.”
“Like me?”
