“Talk to John. He’ll have the answers to all the questions I can see buzzing around in your head.”
Cassie did have questions, but they all involved one man. And it wasn’t Pastor John.
“You look like death warmed over,”Patrick Devlin said from the doorway. “When was the last time you had a decent meal?”
Noah looked up from his computer. “Have you been speaking to Jack?”
“It’s just as well I have.” Patrick placed a bag of takeout in the middle of Noah’s desk. “It doesn’t look as good as your grandmother’s Sunday roast, but it should taste all right.”
As usual, Noah’s grandfather was understating the obvious. The logo on the bag belonged to one of the top restaurants in Manhattan. If it were anything other than a five-star meal, Noah would be shocked.
He opened the bag and sniffed. “Roast beef, Parmesan coated roast potatoes and, if I’m not mistaken, something seasoned with garlic and fresh mint.”
Patrick grunted. “At least your Ivy League education wasn’t wasted.” He placed a picnic basket on the chair and took out two plates and a pile of cutlery. “It’s after eight o’clock and I haven’t had anything to eat, either. You can serve.”
Noah’s grandfather never came to the office with dinner. “What did Jack tell you?”
“Enough to know you’re not taking care of yourself. Did the board renew your contract?”
“I thought you would have been the first to know.”
“That’s not how it works.” Patrick handed Noah a plate. “I’ll have two potatoes.”
Noah opened the first container. The garlic crust on the thick, juicy, slices of beef made his stomach rumble. “My contract was renewed for another five years.”
“Congratulations.”
He glanced at his grandfather before opening the container of roast potatoes. “You don’t sound surprised.”
“They would have been crazy to let you go.”
“That’s not what you’ve been telling me for the last six months.”
Patrick sighed. “I made a mistake.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. That was the first time his granddad had admitted he wasn’t always right. He should have been angry or, at the very least, annoyed at the stress his grandfather and the board had created, but he wasn’t.
After spending the last two weeks knowing he’d destroyed any chance of a relationship with Cassie, all he felt was numb. His job, his life, and even his future didn’t matter if she wasn’t part of it.
With a heavy heart, he handed his granddad the dinner plate. “Help yourself to the vegetables.”
Patrick sent him a concerned look but didn’t say anything.
Noah chose what he wanted for dinner and sat in one of the comfy sofas opposite his desk. “Is Jack joining us?”
“Not tonight. He’s searching for a teenage girl who was reported missing last night.”
If Noah needed another reason not to eat anything, that would do it. His brother owned a company called Lost and Found. Some of the cases they handled were heartbreaking.
Before his grandfather sat down, he reached into another bag and handed Noah a takeout cup. “This is for you. It comes highly recommended.”
Noah took off the lid. “Hot chocolate?”
“It was your grandma’s cure-all for when you were worried or sad about something. It looks as though you need it.”
Noah’s hand trembled as he placed the cup on the table. Pressing his lips together, he tried to stem the flow of hot tears building in his eyes. His grandma had meant the world to all of them and, right now, he desperately needed one of her hugs.
Patrick cleared his throat. “This isn’t about work, is it?”
