Original hire didn’t work out…very impressed by your credentials…would love to discuss this opportunity…looking for replacement by mid-November.
Exhaling a deep breath, I sank back in my chair, my mind spinning a million miles an hour. This was the job Laurel had begged me to take in the first place. The one I thought would have been the better fit for us—a bigger city, more like what we were used to, and a position in the ER, which meant a nonstop pace I used to crave.
My thoughts drifted back to what Quinn had said at the homecoming game—that she’d been ready to hire me permanently from day one, and I’d been the one to put on the brakes. Even then, I hadn’t been ready for anything other than what we’d agreed to. Hell, I wasn’t sure I was now.
So much of my life here was uncertain, especially whatever was happening between Atlas and me. Was I willing to reroute my life—to give up a great-paying job with a two-year contract—for a guy I didn’t know where I stood with?
I needed to talk to Quinn. If for nothing else than to get my head on straight and decide what the best course of action was. She might’ve wanted me to stay, but she’d be unbiased in her advice—it was one of the things I loved most about her.
I typed out a quick reply to the email, asking for a bit of time to get back to them, my mind spinning the entire time.
“Found it,” Laurel said as she rushed into the room. “Come on! Hurry up, hurry up.”
After clicking send, I rolled my eyes and stood from the island. “Don’t even try to pretend that I’m the one who was holding you up.”
“Whatever, let’s go.”
I threw on one of Atlas’s hoodies and grabbed my purse before Laurel and I headed out. He had a few things he had to do tonight and wouldn’t be home till later, so I’d planned to curl up with my latest book and gather some inspiration for our night in an empty house.
Instead, I made a detour to Quinn’s to hopefully make sense of the clusterfuck that had become my life.
ATLAS
After helpingmy mom with another project gone awry, I stepped through my back door. I expected to find Sutton curled up on the couch with a paperback or her e-reader as usual, but she wasn’t there. The house was still and silent, except for the soft meow that came from the kitten lying on the kitchen island, her head resting on Sutton’s open laptop.
“Trouble,” I called out.
Her car hadn’t been in the garage, but that didn’t always mean anything. Not with a sixteen-year-old in the house. When I didn’t get a response, I pulled out my phone and sent her a text.
Atlas:
I finished early. Where are you?
Almost immediately, the bubbles at the bottom of the screen danced before her reply came in.
Sutton:
Change of plans. I had to talk to Quinn about something important. I’ll be back soon.
My brow furrowed as I read over her message. I’d talked to her just a couple of hours ago, and she hadn’t mentioned anything important.
Atlas:
Everything okay?
While I was waiting for her reply, a text from Laurel popped up.
Laurel:
Pandora?
I snorted and didn’t even try to stop my small smile. Shaking my head, I glanced over at the kitten. “I have no idea where she comes up with these.” I scrolled back through our texts and began reading them off. “Clawdia, Jinx, Pawdrey Hepburn, Mitts, Purrsephone, Mayhem.”
When the kitten didn’t so much as twitch, I said, “See? I knew you’d hate them. Probably hate this latest too. What kind of name for a cat is Pandora?”
Before I could type out the automatic “no” to Laurel, the kitten scrambled to her feet and pounced on the keyboard.
Phone in hand, I looked at her with my brows raised. “Really? Pandora?”
