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“How are you doing? With Harper gone, you have to be worried.”
“Don’t you think I should be the one asking how you’re doing?”
“You already did that earlier. We’ve talked about me until I’m tired of hearing about myself. How are you?” She let her gaze stray back to the window and nearly swallowed her tongue.
Holy…
Samuel had stripped off his shirt and was holding a modified warrior pose. The sun glinted off his strong shoulders and all the lean muscles of his back. She almost couldn’t tell where the bullet had gone straight through his shoulder.
“I mean, good. I guess. I’m less overwhelmed,” Robin said.
“That’s great!” Jessica swallowed as Samuel slowly raised his arms. “Are you still thinking you will move into a more active role at work?”
“Yeah. I think… I think it’s what Mom would have wanted for me. It’s been really nice to hear how the programs Mom started have made such a huge difference in people’s lives. It’s change I can see. How could I not want to continue that legacy?”
Jessica grinned just listening to Robin and forced herself to turn away from the window and the distraction of Samuel.
As heartbreaking as the last few months had been for Robin, there was no one better to step into her mother’s shoes. Robin was going to do amazing things and make a difference in the lives of people. She was going to make her mother so very proud. And Jessica could not wait to see how it all happened.
Before Robin’s mother had fallen in love with her father, she’d been a one-woman powerhouse. A real self-made woman. She’d owned a small chain of hotels and motels, mostly on the east coast. That alone wasn’t remarkable. It was her hiring practices and scholarships for employees' children that had set her apart. While many Americans were letting fear get the better of them, Robin’s mother had chosen to hire immigrants. She’d treated them well and ensured higher education opportunities for their children. Almost the entire upper ranks of the company were now people who had started as janitors and maids in one hotel or another or the children of those maids and janitors. Her legacy was proof that a company could put their employees first and still be successful. It was a small blessing that Robin’s father had never taken a direct hand in things or he might have destroyed everything. Instead, Robin had her mother’s hand-picked stewards to lean on and learn the ropes.
The fact that Robin had found someone who loved her was just icing on the cake. Jessica didn’t want to over-sell the romance, but she got strong wedding vibes when those two were together.
She pestered Robin with questions, keeping the conversation focused on her for as long as possible, all while Jessica did her best not to peek over her shoulder at Samuel.
“I’m done talking about myself,” Robin announced.
“Now you know how I feel!”
They both chuckled.
It was a universal truth. They were both much more comfortable focused on the problems of others. It was one of those things that had bonded them. They were the two in college who showed up early, stayed late, did cleaning. And it was so much more fun if they did it together. That was how it had begun.
“How’s Samuel doing?” Robin asked.
Jessica swiped her fingers over the bandage. “He’s getting outside privileges I don’t, so I’m not his biggest fan right now.”
Robin snickered. “Liar.”
“I’m serious.” Shit. Jessica knew her little crush on Samuel was a bad idea. Especially given how closely Robin’s boyfriend worked with the guy.
“What’s got you two so crossways with each other? Harper talks to him pretty much every day. He has nothing but good things to say about him.”
“Then maybe Harper should date Samuel instead?”
“Haa. Haa.”
Jessica sighed. How much could she say without outing her feelings? “It’s the same thing it’s always been. He wants me to sit down, say nothing, and let the men handle it. I can’t pretend to listen to someone who has that attitude.” No matter how gorgeous or good he was.
Robin sighed. “Yeah. Harper won’t explain why they made this action plan. I just don’t understand why they’d go after a small fish.”
Jessica peered around, but like always she was alone. To be safe, she pulled the blanket up and cupped her hand over her mouth before speaking. “I did hear back from my UK contact.”
“And?”
“He’s said all he’s willing to say on the phone. If I want to know more, he says it's stuff he can only say face-to-face.”
“Damn,” Robin muttered.