baby.”
I enveloped her in my arms again. “I promise you, everything is going to be fine this time.”
Her slender arms snaked up my back until her hands firmly gripped my shoulders, and she pressed her cheek to my upper body. “You shouldn't make promises you can't keep,” she whispered into my chest.
That was the last summer we had spent there. Just before we left for California that year, Cassie had merged her company with the one in Denver; she was actually fortunate to get those two weeks off. Her business had picked up shortly after we had returned, and we didn't see much of her after that.
There wasn't a single part of me that didn't want to recapture the magic of our summers away. I took one look at my calendar, and my impulses took control as I reached for my phone and rang Jill.
She picked up instantly, almost as though she were sitting on the phone. “What can I do for you today, Dr. Martin?” she purred into the receiver.
Rolling my eyes, I replied. “Jill, I need you to reschedule all of my appointments for the last two weeks of August. I'm going away.”
Papers started rustling frantically. “Oh, um, that's the week after next?” she said, her voice rising at the end as though she were confused.
“Yes, I know,” I told her monotonously.
“Right, okay. Well, you don't have too much lined up, so I'll see what I can do,” she stumbled through her words.
“Thank you.” I hung up the phone and began to gather my things so I could go and pick up Charlie. Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on my door. “Come in,” I called out, putting the last of my papers into my briefcase.
I looked up when the door opened and my colleague, Dr. Sienna McKay, popped her head in. “Hey,” she said quietly as she crossed the room to my desk, walking around until she was next to me, and perched herself upon the edge.
I offered her a smile. “What's up?”
She arched an eyebrow. “I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, but did I hear correctly that you're going away for a couple of weeks?”
I sat back down in my chair. “Um, yeah. I need to get away for a bit. You know, clear my head.” I paused for a moment and saw the look in her eyes. “That's all right, isn't it? I mean, I know it's short notice, but I think I just need some family time away from home.”
Sienna's face warmed as the smile stretched across her face. “Don't be silly. You deserve a little break. In fact, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go and get a drink tonight? Would your parents mind keeping Charlie for an extra hour?”
Having been so long since the last time anyone hit on me, I wasn’t quite sure if that was what was going on. There was a certain glint in Sienna's eyes, but it could have been nothing more than collegial concern. Regardless of her intentions, I was—no, am —one hundred percent dedicated to my marriage, even if Cassie wasn't always around.
Still, there was no doubting Sienna's beauty and her ability to charm most men. She was smart, funny, confident…
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I leaned forward onto my desk. I clasped my hands together in front of me and addressed her. “Sienna—”
She placed her gentle hand over mine. “One drink, Jack. You look like you could use it.” Her hand was so warm as it laid above mine, and her thumb moved soothingly over my hands.
My breathing faltered slightly as I looked up into her hazel eyes and swallowed thickly. “I really don't think that's a good idea. Charlie's waiting for me,” I told her hoarsely.
The shine in her eyes seemed to dim upon my declining her offer, but her warm smile remained. “I understand. Another time, then?”
I watched her stand and my eyes followed her, betraying me and the vows I made as they stared intently at her sashaying across the room. “Sienna, I don't know that any time is going to be good for me. Things at home are…complicated. I think it's best if we keep things between us professional.”
She
I enveloped her in my arms again. “I promise you, everything is going to be fine this time.”
Her slender arms snaked up my back until her hands firmly gripped my shoulders, and she pressed her cheek to my upper body. “You shouldn't make promises you can't keep,” she whispered into my chest.
That was the last summer we had spent there. Just before we left for California that year, Cassie had merged her company with the one in Denver; she was actually fortunate to get those two weeks off. Her business had picked up shortly after we had returned, and we didn't see much of her after that.
There wasn't a single part of me that didn't want to recapture the magic of our summers away. I took one look at my calendar, and my impulses took control as I reached for my phone and rang Jill.
She picked up instantly, almost as though she were sitting on the phone. “What can I do for you today, Dr. Martin?” she purred into the receiver.
Rolling my eyes, I replied. “Jill, I need you to reschedule all of my appointments for the last two weeks of August. I'm going away.”
Papers started rustling frantically. “Oh, um, that's the week after next?” she said, her voice rising at the end as though she were confused.
“Yes, I know,” I told her monotonously.
“Right, okay. Well, you don't have too much lined up, so I'll see what I can do,” she stumbled through her words.
“Thank you.” I hung up the phone and began to gather my things so I could go and pick up Charlie. Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on my door. “Come in,” I called out, putting the last of my papers into my briefcase.
I looked up when the door opened and my colleague, Dr. Sienna McKay, popped her head in. “Hey,” she said quietly as she crossed the room to my desk, walking around until she was next to me, and perched herself upon the edge.
I offered her a smile. “What's up?”
She arched an eyebrow. “I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, but did I hear correctly that you're going away for a couple of weeks?”
I sat back down in my chair. “Um, yeah. I need to get away for a bit. You know, clear my head.” I paused for a moment and saw the look in her eyes. “That's all right, isn't it? I mean, I know it's short notice, but I think I just need some family time away from home.”
Sienna's face warmed as the smile stretched across her face. “Don't be silly. You deserve a little break. In fact, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go and get a drink tonight? Would your parents mind keeping Charlie for an extra hour?”
Having been so long since the last time anyone hit on me, I wasn’t quite sure if that was what was going on. There was a certain glint in Sienna's eyes, but it could have been nothing more than collegial concern. Regardless of her intentions, I was—no, am —one hundred percent dedicated to my marriage, even if Cassie wasn't always around.
Still, there was no doubting Sienna's beauty and her ability to charm most men. She was smart, funny, confident…
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I leaned forward onto my desk. I clasped my hands together in front of me and addressed her. “Sienna—”
She placed her gentle hand over mine. “One drink, Jack. You look like you could use it.” Her hand was so warm as it laid above mine, and her thumb moved soothingly over my hands.
My breathing faltered slightly as I looked up into her hazel eyes and swallowed thickly. “I really don't think that's a good idea. Charlie's waiting for me,” I told her hoarsely.
The shine in her eyes seemed to dim upon my declining her offer, but her warm smile remained. “I understand. Another time, then?”
I watched her stand and my eyes followed her, betraying me and the vows I made as they stared intently at her sashaying across the room. “Sienna, I don't know that any time is going to be good for me. Things at home are…complicated. I think it's best if we keep things between us professional.”
She
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