Jessica’s smile wilted. “Yeah. I mean, the MRI itself was…not fun, but it’s done. I’ll know the results in a day or two.”
“We’re all praying for good news.” Dana placed her hand on Jessica’s. “Just let us know if there’s anything you need.”
“Thank you, and really, you’ve already done way more than I could have asked for.”
The phone beside Dana began to ring, and she reached for it with a wave toward Jessica. “Don’t mention it.”
Jessica continued down the hall to her office to put down her bags and take a look at her schedule for the day. Her cell showed a new text message from Mark.
How did it go?
She fumed so hard her head started to pound. Oh,nowhe wanted to check in? He just vanished in the middle of a conversation two nights ago, right after kissing her, and not a word since, but now he cared? Well, screw him.
She shoved her phone into her desk drawer and went about her day. By lunchtime, though, her manners had gotten the best of her, and she texted back:Fine.
There. She’d answered his question. Let him wonder about the shortness of her response, if he even cared. Quite likely, he wouldn’t notice or hadn’t expected any more than what she’d sent. After all, it wasn’t like he was beating down her door trying to open the lines of communication between them.
Frustrating man.
She powered through the rest of her day, fueled by sheer rage at her stupid body for being so weak these days and at Mark for being…well, for being himself. Whatever was causing the bone-crushing weariness that clung to her like a shroud could just kiss her ass. She didn’t have time to lie in bed all day. She had things to do. So. Many. Things.
She worked a full day at the spa and then met with a contractor for the resort project. She had three more contractors lined up this week, all providing quotes and mock-ups for her spa cabins. She was beyond excited to get this project started, but fear had started to snake its way in through her excitement. What if something serious was wrong with her? What if she had some kind of chronic condition—or worse?
This was not the time for a health crisis, not with the added expense of the mortgage on her new property and the small business loan she’d taken out to pay for the cabins. She dragged herself through her front door and closed it behind her, sucking in deep breaths against the fear suddenly flooding her system. Right at that moment, she hated living alone. She’d have given anything for someone to talk to, and yeah, she had a big, nosy family she could call on. Any one of them would come over at a moment’s notice. But the person whose company she was craving was more proof that she was losing her mind. Mark was the absolute last person she needed right now.
Only try convincing her stupid, naïve heart of that.
She pulled out her phone and checked her messages, but of course he hadn’t texted back.
