“I’ll still work from New York City for three days each fortnight. When I’m not here, I’ll be available by phone, email, and through teleconferencing meetings.”
David didn’t look convinced that working from Sapphire Bay was a good idea.
“If it doesn’t work, I can easily come back here.”
“Would your girlfriend be happy if you moved back to New York City?”
“Neither of us may have a choice.” Peter didn’t want to consider what would happen if his team needed him here. With Katie leaving for Los Angeles in April, it would be a hard time for both of them.
David studied his face. “The scholarships you want BioTech to sponsor are ready to go.”
“Thanks for speaking to the finance team. I know how busy you are.”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for another meeting. Good luck with the charity dinner tonight.”
Peter sent his friend a wry grin. “I’m only going because two of our major sponsors will be there.”
“You’ll still need luck. From what I’ve heard, Ian Galloway is redirecting a lot of his philanthropic funding toward the library at Yale.”
“If that’s what he chooses to do, I can’t change his mind.”
David stood. “Read the testimonials from our trial participants. Their stories might be enough to sway Ian. And don’t beat yourself up about not being here. As much as it hurts me to say it, no one is indispensable.”
“Not even the person who started the company?”
“You’ve created an outstanding team who would walk over hot coals for you. If you want to divide your time between Montana and New York, we’ll do everything we can to make it work. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you.”
Peter hoped they did because, right at this moment, he felt like a human rubber band. Unfortunately, there was only so much stretching you could do before something snapped. And, until the funding was secured for stage two of the prosthetic limb project, he wouldn’t be getting any sleep.
* * *
Katie yawnedas Barbara explained how to create a Facebook ad. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a few late nights and I’m exhausted.”
“I thought I was boring you to death.”
“It’s not that it’s boring. It’s just not the type of thing I enjoy.”
“Which is why I created another series of ads for you. The first ones we uploaded have done extremely well.” Barbara frowned. “Have you heard from Peter since he left?”
“He calls me each night.”
“How does he feel about being back in New York?”
Katie leaned her elbows on the desk and sighed. “He’s enjoying it but he’s busy. Most nights this week he’s either been meeting people who can fund the next phase of his project or visiting his family. They like having him home.”
“From what he said, they’re a close family.”
“They are. His brother and sister haven’t stopped calling him a cowboy since he told them he’s moving to Montana. His parents have already planned a trip to Sapphire Bay next month.”
Barbara opened another document on her computer. “It’s just as well he has plenty of spare rooms in the house he’s rented. It must have been a big decision for him.”
“Deciding to live in Sapphire Bay?”
“That and starting a relationship with you.”
Katie’s eyes widened. Her sister couldn’t mean what Katie thought she did. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t have a great track record when it comes to men.”
