“You look tired,” Sadie said.
“Bitch of a day,” he admitted, surprising her.
“Tell me.” She didn’t think he would, but miracles occasionally happened.
Carrick walked over to her small desk, picked up her cup of peppermint tea and, before she could warn him that it was hours old and stone cold, took a sip. Then he took another, draining the cup of its contents.
“One of the biggest items for the auction next week has been withdrawn.”
“Why?”
Carrick pulled a face. “My client was told by his spirit guide that it wasn’t a good time to sell, that he should wait for further instructions.”
Sadie’s mouth twitched. How bizarre. “You are making that up.”
“Trust me, I’m not. Kookiness and cash are a volatile combination.” Carrick sat on the edge of her desk and rubbed the back of his neck. “Our payroll system crashed so I’ve spent the afternoon yelling at the IT department to sort it out. And my PA is out sick and I’m spoiled. I don’t like getting my own coffee.”
Sadie knew that Marsha was his right-hand person and getting coffee was the least important thing she did for him. She organized his life and kept track of the million balls he had in the air. “Is she very ill? When will she be back at work?”
“God knows,” Carrick replied, “since she has bronchitis and can’t speak. She’s been working from home and she’s not very happy with me.”
Sadie frowned. “Because you keep sending her work?”
Carrick shook his head. “No, because I had IT lock her out of the server so she can’t work. It’s the only way to make sure she gets some rest. Marsha is twice the workaholic I am.”
Oh. That was sweet. And thoughtful. And very un-Dennis-like.
Sadie saw Ronan pass her open door, watched him brake and backtrack. He flashed her a smile—holy smokes, these Murphy men were all birthed by angels—and did that leaning into the door frame thing tall men did so well.
“I was just coming to find you,” Ronan told Carrick.
“Problem?” Carrick asked, rubbing his temples with his index fingers.
“Always,” Ronan said, almost cheerfully. Carrick cursed and Sadie saw the concerned look Ronan threw his way. The brothers were tight and seeing their bond made her feel emotional and a little lost.
It made her miss her family.
“Can you handle it?” Carrick asked him. “If there’s something I can help with let me know. Preferably tomorrow.”
“Will do.” Ronan nodded. “I’m going for a drink at the Pig and Plough. Would you two like to join me?”
“Who has the kids?” Carrick asked.
“Finn said he needed some uncomplicated company and offered to spend the afternoon with them. They talked him into taking them to that massive pet store across town.”
These brothers had each other’s backs and Sadie couldn’t help but feel envious. The same could not be said of her siblings...
Then Ronan grinned and he looked ten years younger, free and happy. “He sent me a video of the boys in puppy heaven.”
Ronan pulled out his phone, swiped his thumb across it and handed it to Carrick. Carrick angled the phone so that she could see the large screen, and she smiled at the video clip of the two little boys sitting in a pen full of Siberian Husky puppies. They were laughing uncontrollably as puppies ate their hair, licked their faces and gnawed on their trainers.
Carrick laughed and looked at his brother. “Newsflash, they are going to nag you incessantly about getting a dog until you give in.”
Sadie stirred the pot. “They won’t settle for one. They’ll each want their own.”
“If they make my kids happy, I’ll buy them a dozen.” He looked at Carrick. “Where did you get Jazz from? Damn, that was a great dog.”
Jazz? Sadie frowned. She’d heard that name before. Oh, right, it was the name of the dog that had been such a bone of contention during his and Tamlyn’s divorce. Carrick had resolved the argument over custody by having the dog put down.