‘Thank you, Ross. That was...everything I wanted it to be.’
He nodded. ‘It was an honour to share it with you.’
Still she couldn’t leave him. But Ross pulled his hand away from hers. ‘You should get inside and get dry. Maybe take a shower to get rid of the Eau de Pondweed...’
‘You don’t like it?’
‘It has a mysterious allure. You may want to check in your pockets for fish, though. Why don’t I make some hot chocolate? I’ll meet you on the steps.’ He gestured towards the spiral staircase that led up to his balcony.
‘I’ve got hot chocolate. And plenty of milk.’ She didn’t want him to leave her for even a few minutes.
‘Your place, then...’ His grin made her shiver. Hot chocolate, your place or mine. That wasn’t the way Ross did things. An invitation for drinks was just that, and your place or mine was a matter of which was more convenient.
She caught his hand, leading him into the small apartment. The drapes had been drawn all day, the light had hurt her eyes too much to let any of it in, but now she wanted to see the lake. She drew the curtains back, letting in the moonlight that reflected off the water.
He shooed her towards the bathroom, her jeans leaving a trail of water behind her. When she returned, he’d wiped the floor, plumped the cushions on the sofa, where she’d been sitting all day, and put the coffee cups into the sink. And there were two mugs steaming on the breakfast bar.
‘This is nice. Thank you for this evening.’ Laurie sat down next to him on the sofa, and he stretched his arm out on the cushions behind her. It was an open invitation for a hug, and she moved closer, taking him up on it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ROSS HAD BEEN thinking a lot about this. How right it seemed, and how very wrong he’d been. Laurie had changed. She’d learned how to trust the people around her, and that showing her feelings wasn’t such a bad thing. She didn’t need him any more, and it was time to let her go.
He waited until the day had run its course, knowing when he’d have an opportunity to find her alone. Laurie was a creature of habit, and she liked to go down to the lake after wo
rk and just sit for a while, watching the movement of the water. Maybe she saw something there that he didn’t, currents that might shift a boat forward a little or impede its progress. Or maybe she just liked the view.
He said down next to her and she smiled. A real smile, open-faced and bright-eyed as if she was genuinely happy. It made Ross happy too, and rendered what he was about to do next all the more difficult.
‘I have something for you.’ He gave her the envelope he’d been carrying.
‘Yes? What’s this?’ She opened the flap, taking out the sheet of paper and scanning it.
Significant progress...
Positive attitude...
Confident that Dr Sullivan is committed to improving her condition, and that she will continue to improve after she leaves...
‘Leaves the clinic?’ Laurie picked out the words that Ross had typed then deleted and retyped three times. ‘What have I done now, Ross?’
‘You’ve done nothing. Why would you think...?’
She waved the paper at him ferociously. ‘Because this sounds a lot as if you’re giving me the sack.’
Clearly she was in no mind to make this easy for him. ‘I’m not giving you the sack. Read the letter, Laurie.’
‘Yes, I’m reading it. It says lots of nice things about me, and how I don’t need you any more.’
‘You don’t. You never did.’
‘I needed you, Ross. I needed someone to give me a shake and make me realise what I was doing to myself. And this...’ She flipped the letter with her finger. ‘This is how you give someone the sack. You give a really nice reference and then cut them loose. After you promised me that I could help these kids.’
Ross didn’t recall actually promising anything of the kind. But she was right, he had told her that she could take charge of Adam and Tamara’s treatment, and she’d made an excellent job of it. He expected all the staff at the clinic to know that his word was as good as a promise.
‘It’s the right thing—’
‘No! It’s not the right thing. If you want me to go you should just say so.’