“Honey,” she says her tone a soft, stern note. “This is me telling you that I’m okay. You need to be okay, too. You can go back to New York.”
“In January,” I say. “After the holidays and the auction I’m coordinating for my new job. But as a bonus, I’m being given free housing. I’ll give you two some space, but I’ll still be nearby.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good, but where is it? Is it safe? Do you know the neighborhood?”
I smile. “Now who’s being too protective?” I tease. “Yes. It’s my boss’s house and I assure you, Tyler Hawk would not own anything that wasn’t up to his reputation.”
Barry calls her in the background and then she says, “Gotta go. We have a flight to catch, but be careful. Be very careful, honey.”
I’m focused on her, not me. “Wait. What? Today? You’re leaving today?”
“Yes, today. I wasn’t giving you time to talk me out of this.”
“How long are you going to be gone?”
“We’re not sure yet,” she says. “There’s a Garth Brooks concert in four days. We’re going to that and—”
“Should you be around that many people?” I challenge.
“You need to stop,” she chides. “I’m healthy and I do not want to be treated like I’m on my last leg. I’m not. Now go do your job. Send me photos of the house. I love you.”
Guilt stabs at me with the warning. She’s right. I have to stop, which is why I quickly say, “I love you, too, and Mom, have fun.”
“I will,” she promises and hangs up.
I pick up the card Natalie gave me and eye the address. Things happen for a reason. People come together at the time when they are needed. I do believe Tyler Hawk needs me right now, but when I think about Allison, and the plane tickets, the necklace, and the home I’m taking over, I can’t help but wonder if she needs me, too.
But does she need me to fill in for her or find her?
That question nags at me and I’m not sure why.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Are you leaving soon?”
At the sound of Katie’s voice, I glance up from my MacBook, and the HR paperwork I’m filling out, to find her in the doorway. “I won’t be much longer. Any word from Tyler?”
“I left a message with his assistant Debbie earlier and on his phone. I don’t think he’s here.”
I think about the limited timeline for this auction and dare to ask, “Is there a way to reach him outside of the office? A cellphone maybe?”
“His office is across the hall. You could try and talk to Debbie, but she’s probably gone already.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll try to catch him or her on my way out. Thank you, Katie.”
“Tomorrow I can dive in and help you a bit,” she says. “Today was just nuts. There was a big client on the upper level who had paparazzi insanity here at the building.”
“Thank you for the offer. No pressure on that. And as for today, I had no idea anything was going on,” I say. “I’ve been in my own world, trying to get a grip on this auction.”
“Be glad you didn’t. Truly when the press gets involved, it’s always just ridiculous around here.” She shifts the topic. “You want to have lunch tomorrow?”
“I have a meeting with the charity off-site tomorrow so I probably can’t, but how about coffee in the morning? I can come in a little early and we can chat.”
“I’d love that,” she says. “That way once I sit down at the reception desk, I’ll already know what you need from me for the day.”
“Research,” I say. “Easy really, but tedious.”
“So are those phones, so I should be a master researcher. I’ll head out and see you soon. Goodnight, Allison, and welcome.”
“Goodnight, and thank you for making me feel welcome.”
She smiles and exits the office. I quickly return to my work and finish my paperwork, shooting it back to Natalie. I’m official now. Who would have ever thought a few months ago that I’d be here now? Not me, that’s for sure. But the opportunity has become compelling in all kinds of ways.
Ready to head home, I load up my briefcase with the auction information to work on at my mom’s place. I then hurry toward the elevator, where I spy the glass doors opposite the main lobby, doors that I now know house Tyler’s office. I wonder why he’s there and not upstairs with the partners. An isolationist, I think again. And while I know why I’ve become that person, why I left a career, and chose to leave most of the people in my life behind with it, I can’t help but wonder what created that in Tyler. Because something did.
The lobby lights are on and I decide to push forward and try to talk to him. I enter the reception area to find an empty desk that I assume belongs to Tyler’s assistant. Boldly, I cut right down a hallway that leads to an office. Nerves light me up, but I keep on keeping on. I remind myself that Tyler will be eager to talk to me when he knows I have challenges with the auction. He needs me right now, but I remind myself there is no denying that I need this job, too, and not for money, but for my sanity.