“Trust me, son, she’ll be training you. She’s absolutely the most organized person I’ve ever met. Everything is color coded and runs like clockwork.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “It seems like she’s been at the company for years rather than weeks.”
“It would save me the trouble of having to interview and hire someone,” I muse, since Pauletta would never leave London. “I’m just not sure.”
“Every morning she brings the most amazing cookies from Whisk and Whimsy, which is a bakery near the office,” he cajoles, knowing all about my sweet tooth. “And she did save your father’s life today.”
I smirk. The old man is playing the guilt trip card, and I’m falling for it. It would be awkward to fire this lady or reassign her to a lower position in the company after what she did for Dad. Plus, how bad could it be if she’s kept up with my father’s busy schedule for the past two weeks and the company hasn’t collapsed? He’s a shrewd businessman who would never keep someone around if they weren’t good for the company.
“Okay, I promise I’ll keep this Mindy as my assistant if she’s as good as you say.”
My dad sounds pleased. “Great, son. I just know you’re going to love her.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I really need this job
Mindy
Mr. Hale’ssons and their wives are in the hallway outside his hospital room when I arrive with a vase of flowers. After greeting me warmly, they send me inside.
I enter and see two blonde women hovering around the hospital bed, cooing at the occupant. I’ve come to adore Haywood Hale the past two weeks. He’s the best boss I’ve ever had, kind and patient, even though the workload is demanding.
He looks up at me from the bed. His salt-and-pepper hair is plastered against his head from the woman slicking it back with her small hand. His wife, Rebecca.
But Mr. Hale’s smile is wide and even, not showing a hint of the droop I saw in his office earlier. I hadn’t realized I was scrunching my shoulders in worry until they relaxed.
“There she is!” he crows with absolutely no slurring of the words. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he looked out of place in that hospital bed. His color appears good, and his blue eyes are twinkling. “The lady who saved the day. Come on in, Mindy.”
Before I get two steps into the room, I’m engulfed by thin arms and a mass of blonde hair. “Oh my god, thank you so much, Mindy. The doctors said you saved my dad’s life.”
I pat Perri’s back awkwardly as my cheeks warm. “I didn’t really do anything. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
“Bull hockey,” the man in the bed says, and I laugh as I disentangle myself from Perri Hale’s exuberant embrace. She loops her arm in mine and guides me closer to the bed.
“I really didn’t, sir. I just called emergency services like anyone would do.”
Rebecca Hale smiles from the other side of the bed. “Haywood said you gave him three aspirin to chew. The neurologist said that probably made all the difference in the world.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
“Well, I need to keep him around. Job security and all that,” I joke, and everyone laughs.
God, it feels good to see Mr. Hale smile like that. I’ve been freaking out since it happened, though Phoenix was kind enough to send me text updates throughout the day.
“I’m just curious. Why did you have aspirin in your purse?” Perri asks, pushing me down into the padded chair she had occupied. She takes the vase from me and sets it on the narrow hospital tray. “I mean, most people carry ibuprofen or Tylenol.”
“Oh, well, my father died of a stroke when I was a teenager.” My heart lurches at the thought of my sweet, handsome dad, but I continue. “The doctors saidmaybeif he’d had a couple aspirin nearby, the outcome could have been different. So I went out that day and bought a bottle to keep in my purse.” I let out a humorless laugh. “I replace them when they expire, but I always end up throwing away a full bottle because I’ve never had to use them before.”
Mr. Hale reaches over and pats my arm, the gesture a fatherly one. “I’m so sorry about your dad, Mindy. I’m sure today was very upsetting for you.”
“It’s definitely not something I’d like to experience again.” I give him a playfully stern look. “So you’d better get well soon, Mr. Hale, and do exactly what the doctors tell you.”
“Oh, he will or he’ll have me to answer to,” Perri says forcefully. She’s quite adorable with her tiny frame, though the narrowing of hereyes and the hands on her hips let her father know she’s not going to be putting up with any arguments from him.
“And me,” her mother chimes in.
Mr. Hale turns pleading eyes on me. “Good lord, save me from these women, Mindy. They’re going to pester me to death.”
“You’ll get no help from me,” I inform him smugly. “I can pester with the best of them. I’m sure Mrs. Hale would be more than happy to share whatever diet your doctors prescribe so I can make sure you’re eating properly while at work.”
Rebecca smiles appreciatively at me and then looks down at her husband for a long moment, giving him a nod before rising. I don’t know what that was about, probably some weird-ass married couple silent communication thing.
