“It’s no beach, but I noticed that Alex and Ziva have a nice porch swing around back. What do you think? Would that do for tonight?”
She smiled. “A swing? I can’t remember the last time I was on one. Do you think they will mind if we skip out for a while?”
“Do you really care?” I asked. “Because I don’t.”
I reached out and took her hand.
“No. I don’t.”
Instead of going through the house, where others might have the opportunity to engage us in more conversation, we walked around the house and into the backyard. I hadn’t forgotten what Bennett had said. Reesa was being watched, even here. That meant I was too, as long as I was with her. I wasn’t insecure and I had nothing to hide. Let them watch.
Once we were seated, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She fit so nicely against me as she rested her head on my chest.
“This is lovely,” she said as I pushed gently with my feet to rock the swing.
“Maybe we can build you one of these at your place,” I suggested.
“I thought you were only going to be here for a week. Is that really how you want to spend your vacation? Building things at my house?”
“I wouldn’t mind,” I replied.
“Do you even know carpentry? I mean, you know your way around a heart, but that doesn’t mean you can handle a hammer,” she teased.
I laughed. “For the record, my father owns a construction company and I put myself through medical school by working for him during the summer.”
She tilted her head to look up at me. “Serious?”
“I am. I have a younger brother who still works with my father.” We had discussed family only briefly when she was in Ireland. I wish she could have been there longer. I don’t know why, but I wanted her to meet my parents. My mother would’ve loved Reesa.
“If only I knew this beforehand.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Maybe I would’ve interviewed you as a contractor instead of the chief of staff at the hospital,” she joked.
This was a good opening for me to ask about what Logan had said. “Speaking of the job. Logan mentioned you are in the process of making a hiring decision.”
I needed to phrase this next thought carefully. “When we spoke in Ireland, I was under the impression that I was the candidate you wanted. May I ask what changed?”
I felt her stiffen beside me. I wasn’t trying to ruin the mood, but I also needed clarity on where we stood. Am I here on business, pleasure, or a combination of both?
Reesa exhaled, long and slow. “That’s not easy for me to answer.”
“Just say what you want to. I’m not going to be angry if you changed your mind. I would’ve come anyway.”
She blinked as though this was an unbelievable statement. “You mean you’d have come to Tabiq just to see me?”
I nodded, and she relaxed slightly.
“But are you still considering taking the job?”
“I meant what I said. I’d like to be here a week and work with Logan at the hospital before I make that decision. My question is: are you willing to give me that time? Because if you can’t, then I’m not the right person for the job,” I said honestly.
“Finn, I…don’t know how to answer that. I still believe you’re the one for the job. I’m just not sure that if you spend a week here, you’re going to want to come back. I have seen where you live, it’s beautiful, peaceful. The people there were warm and inviting. When I passed someone, they looked me in the eye and greeted me. That’s not Tabiq. There are aspects of Tabiq that can be…ugly,” she said softly.
How could I tell her that I know more than she thinks I do without breaking Bennett’s confidence? And without lying to her.
“Why don’t you let me worry about what I can and can’t handle? You just think about whether you want me or not,” I said.