The sound of ringing jarred her. For a few seconds, she just stared at her cell phone. What if this was it—the call from GenLabs she’d been both dreading and anticipating for weeks on end?
She took courage and glanced at the number. She exhaled in relief.
“Hi,” she said, smiling as sat back on the cushions.
“Hi. What are you up to?” Nick asked, his deep, quiet voice causing a thrill of awareness to go through her.
“Really important stuff—wrapping Christmas presents and staring at the Christmas tree. How are things there?”
“As good as can be expected,” Nick replied evenly enough, but she heard the grim edge to his tone. “We inspected the plant this morning and I met with the safety director and manager.”
“How is the man who was injured?”
“His name’s Edgar Grant. He’s obviously not the most comfortable with third degree burns on his legs and hip, but he’ll be out of the hospital in a few days. His sense of humor is intact, anyway.”
“Did you actually visit him in the hospital?” Deidre asked.
“Yeah, just briefly. The nurse was about to dress his burns. What else did you do today?”
She’d been about to express her amazement that the CEO of an enormous conglomerate had taken the time to visit an injured employee of a small subsidiary plant but she ceased when he changed the topic. Nick obviously didn’t think his actions were noteworthy, even if she did. “Oh, I helped Colleen paint a playroom at the Family Center and I took some cookies out to Addy McGraw. Addy talked a lot about my mom.”
“She’s a real fan of your mom, that’s for sure.” He paused. “I hope it’s okay for me to say, but I like your mother, too. She reminds me a little of Lily DuBois.”
“Really?” Deidre asked, taken aback.
“Not in looks, but in manner. She’s a sharp, classy lady. I can see why Linc was so taken with her for all those years. You haven’t really had the opportunity to let me have it for asking her to go up in the plane with us, by the way,” he added. Deidre could perfectly picture the half amused, half wary tilt of his mouth.
“You’re lucky. The outing went so well, I lost the urge.”
“Really?”
She sighed and lay on her back on the couch. “Really,” she said, hearing all of the doubt, hurt and hope she felt in regard to her mother infused into the one word.
A pregnant pause ensued. Even though neither of them spoke, Deidre felt strangely connected to Nick in that moment, despite the thousands of miles that separated them. She had a sudden, vivid image of him sitting in a chair with his back to a desk and facing a floor-to-ceiling window. His tie was loosened and his hair had fallen onto his forehead. She doubted it was anything but her imagination, but her heart throbbed in her breast as if she’d truly seen him.
“Life sure can be crazy at times,” he murmured, his voice sounding so close he might have been right next to her.
“Yeah...but it can be nice, too,” she replied quietly.
“Deidre...”
“Hmm?”
“Maybe I liked your mother because she looked so much like you.”
She smiled. She had the distinct impression that wasn’t what he’d planned to say just seconds before. “I think it’s the other way around. I look like her.”
“Either way, my point is the same.”
She chuckled and turned on her side, drawing up her knees. She felt lulled and content, lying there and listening to the sound of Nick’s low, gruff voice in her ear.
“Where are you at?” she asked.
“At the San Francisco office. I thought I’d get a little work done while I was here. I miss you.”
Deidre blinked in amazement at the unexpected declaration. “I miss you, too.”
She heard a rustle and the sound of his chair squeaking. “I better go. I’ll be back in Harbor Town the day after tomorrow.”