“I think I’ve been a little standoffish.” She hadn’t really tried. She’d asked a couple of the women if they wanted to have lunch, and when they couldn’t she’d given up. Why had she done that? Why had she gone into her shell? Because getting close to someone meant deciding just how much to tell them. Because what the hell was she supposed to say if they asked about her past? “But I’m done with that now. I’m going to be more in the present.”
It had been easy to view this as a transitory job so she didn’t have to open herself up, so she never had to talk about Maddie. It was easy to be friendly with people on the street because they wouldn’t really become part of her life. Even Thomas was easy. He liked to talk about business and news and sports. He rarely delved into truly personal subjects. He could talk with her for hours, but he didn’t ask her pesky personal questions.
God, was that why she’d been so comfortable with him?
“You’re not standoffish, love,” Simon said with a wary little frown. “It was made clear to many people that they should keep their distance.”
“By who? Who wouldn’t want me to make friends?” That didn’t make any sense.
Simon nodded toward Thomas’s door. “He was subtle about it, but I understood. We were supposed to be hands off.”
“Why would he do that?” One of the things he’d been insistent on was that she would meet new people and see the world.
And he’d asked her to stay with him in his town house. Oh, he’d offered her a separate room, of course, but he’d asked her to stay. It was only when she’d made it clear she would need her own place that he offered her the place by Liverpool station, but he’d been a bit grumpy about it.
Was Thomas trying to be more than her friend? “I’m sure you just misunderstood, but it doesn’t matter. I’m here for a little while, and I’m going to enjoy it.”
“That boyfriend seems to be good for you.” Simon pushed off the desk. “And let me know if you find out anything about our missing files.”
She nodded. She was going to look tomorrow while Thomas was out meeting his mysterious friend. The man had never come to the office, but he seemed to be close to Thomas.
Thomas’s door opened, and there was a pained expression on his face as he stood in the doorway, cane in hand. “Avery, you’re here. I was wondering if you were going to come back to work or if I’d lost you.”
He looked like he hadn’t been taking care of himself. Guilt rode her hard. She’d been diving into her relationship with Lee, and Thomas had been faltering. No matter what he’d said to the staff, he’d helped her in a huge way, and she couldn’t pay that back. He’d given her a chance when no one else had, and they were connected by tragedy. They both knew what it meant to lose a loved one. She’d lost so much, and he’d lost his brother.
“I’m here.” She stood up and grabbed her laptop. “I told you I would be back for the monthly board meeting.”
“It’s being pushed back. Dubai needs a couple of hours to get their numbers together. They had a last-minute donor pull out, and it’s changed the budget. Apparently the sheik of some tiny country needs his two million now to put down a coup.” He sighed. “We have to completely rethink the Congo shipment. In addition to losing the donor, we have to deal with the fact that the grain we planned on purchasing is more expensive than promised. Something about a goddamn drought. I need this shipment to go through, Avery.”
Yes, that would make him crabby. She’d picked a hell of a time to use her vacation. “It’s okay. If it’s a few weeks late, it will still get there.”
His face turned a brutal shade of red. “It will not be late. If it’s late, someone’s fucking head is going to roll. Do you understand me?”
It was the first time she’d heard him curse, and she took a step back. He’d always been gentle around her. She’d heard rumors that he could be nasty, but she’d discounted them. She didn’t question the fact that the man who stood in front of her now could be ruthless.
“Absolutely,” Simon said smoothly. “I’ll get some of the American liaisons on the phone. We’ll find the grain or the money, I promise. This is for the Congo shipment, correct? I heard we had a big donation coming through. A bloke named Lachlan Bates, I heard. We can use that money to buy the grain.”
A blank expression went across Thomas’s face. He took a long breath, and then he was his sunny self again. “Sorry, dear. I’m in a little pain. My legs are aching today. Weston, you’re a legal advisor. Don’t worry about this. I’ll get Monica on it. The Bates donation might not go through. I’m looking into it.”
“Of course, sir.” Simon nodded and sent her a small stare before he left the office.
“I’ll go talk to Monica myself.” Maybe it was a good sign that he was letting himself be real around her. She could handle a little bad temper. The look on his face had been another thing entirely. He’d been righteously angry, but she had to try to calm him down.
“Avery, I’m sorry.” He leaned against the door. “I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s been difficult to get about on my own. I think you understand that.”
She’d struggled for years. Again, guilt welled. “Yes, I understand. I’m sorry. I just wanted a few days to myself.”