He jumped and danced around at her feet, causing a smile to fill her face. He might be a pain, but, much like Alex, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She
loved him far too much.
She waited patiently for Mark, thankful the weather was a few degrees warmer than the cold spell they had been having.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up along the side of the road and rushed to help her into Alex’s car.
"Thank you so much, Mark. I really appreciate—"
"Jamie. It's good." He glanced over at her and reached out, squeezing her hand. "You're like a sister to me. I would do anything for you. Even steal my brother’s car.”
She looked around and chuckled. “You didn’t ask Alex?”
“He was busy. I was in a rush.”
Her heart swelled at the thought of having someone like him in her life. Losing Alex meant even more now than it had before, because she would lose Mark as well. Nothing was going to happen to them, but some part of her couldn't help but worry about it. "Well, thank you. Let's stop for a coffee before we go to the office. My treat."
“You need to have that ankle looked at.”
She waved her hand. “It’s fine. I’ll put a wrap on it and wear sneakers to work today.”
He drove her home and helped her into the house. She hobbled to her room and changed quickly, slipping into a pair of sparkly Converse sneakers.
Twenty minutes later, the dog was fed and taken care of and they were on their way back to the office. She leaned back, glad to have gotten home, changed, and back on the way to work before she would normally be in the office. Not that Alex was a stickler over it, but there was no need to have him upset over something trivial. Better to just be on time.
"Gina called in sick this morning, so Alex has Paul holding down the front desk until you get there." Mark pulled up to the coffee shop just down from the office. "No drive-thru? It's freezing out there."
"Stay here, and I'll go." Jamie started for the door before realizing that her ankle wasn't going to let her go anywhere.
The smile on Mike's face was comical. "Yeah. Take your crippled ass in there and get us two coffees. I want a scone to while you're at it."
"Shut it." She popped him in the chest and pulled out her credit card. "I just want a toffee latte. No scone for me, but get what you want."
"Should we get Alex something?" Mark opened his door and shivered.
Jamie laughed. She had thought it was warmer than yesterday. "Yeah. Get him and Paul the daily special, whatever it is." She nodded toward the door. "Get out and shut that. It's cold in here."
"Yeah, Yeah." He closed the door and ran toward the shop as she leaned back and let out a sigh.
Mark needed a woman. A good woman. Maybe she could set him up with Gina, but she'd have to ask him first. Gina seemed like the 'acquired' sort of taste where women were concerned. She was bossy and extremely bull-headed. Mark needed a soft, sweet, sensitive woman to love him through all the heartache of his past and give him a soft place to land in the future.
Jamie's phone buzzed and she pulled it out, seeing that Alex was calling.
"Hi boss." She smiled as he scoffed. Funnily enough, he loved her calling him that eight months prior, but now he couldn't seem to stand it.
"Where are you? Any clue where Mark is?" He was stressed. Surprise, surprise.
"I got clipped by a car this morning on my job and Mark came to pick me up. My ankle's not being cooperative."
"You got what?" Alex's voice rose significantly. "How? Where?"
"I’m okay." She unlocked the door for Mark was he walked back to his truck that had finally arrived a few days before. "I don't know who did it. They drove off. But I'm good. I'll be in the office shortly."
"Come see me the minute you get here." He let out a soft growl. "And why the hell didn't you call me? Why Mark first?"
"I did call you. I called you and then Gina." Jamie huffed. "You didn't answer, and Mark did. It's no big deal. You owe him a thank you for taking care of me. He stole your car to grab me, by the way.” She shot Mark an innocent look when his eyes and mouth both grew big. She nearly laughed but managed to hold it in.
"Tell him to drive careful and come straight here."