14. Chapter Fourteen #3
“She’ll be here Saturday,” Mabel said and set her phone back on the side table. “I think you’ll like her. She’s half British.”
“Which half?”
“The worst half, what did you think I’d say?” Mabel clicked on the last email and started reading. “Wow, Shakira’s really got the hang of what’s needed for this new project.”
“That’s good, right?” Colin looked over the top of his reading glasses at her.
“Yes, because if she can get up to speed this quickly there really is no reason for Joss to complain she’ll slow them down or mess things up.”
“You did say you were done helping with his project.”
“I am.” Mabel blinked at him.
“Then why are you answering emails about it?”
Mabel tried to explain. “I’m not actively involved in the project but Iko, Deepak, Joss and I own the company that is running the new project if that makes sense?”
“So, you’re basically your own boss?”
“Well, I used to be but now I’m just the boss and not the employee.” She grinned at him, “Which means that once I’m satisfied Shakira can fulfill my old role in the team, and I am, I can finally butt out and leave them to it.”
Colin wrinkled his nose. “I suppose that makes sense.”
She started typing, making sure to cc her old partners in.
“Have you heard anymore from dear old Joss or Sammy?” Colin asked.
“Not a peep.” Mabel sent off the email and closed her laptop. “Maybe they’re too busy focusing on their relationship to worry about little old me. Sammy was always big into therapy.”
“One can only hope,” Colin murmured as he turned the page. “Is everything set for the birthday party of the year?”
“I think so. Felicity and Mrs. Reynolds have done most of the organizing.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard.”
Mabel shrugged. “I helped a little bit.”
Colin set his book down. “You have a very un-American habit of downplaying your achievements.”
“We’re not all like that, you know.”
“Fair point, but you’re not one to blow your own trumpet.”
“Trumpet?” Mabel snorted. “Hard to conceal one of those.”
He gently poked her in the ribs. “You know what I mean.”
“I get the gist of it. Anyways, I think you’ll like Dale. She’s a lot of fun.”
“Changing the subject, Mabel?”
“I can think of a million other things I’d rather be doing than talking about myself, so yes.”
“I like talking about how great you are.”
She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “How about showing me instead?”
“I can multitask, you know.” He leaned in and kissed her thoroughly, dislodging his glasses from his head.
She kissed him back and he finally stopped talking and concentrated on more important matters. At some point she yanked his T-shirt over his head, and he attacked her bra, and then there was just the pleasure of skin on skin and the joy of being together.
Later when they were cuddled up in the darkness, Mabel kissed Colin’s shoulder.
“It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow. Ted’s halfway through digging up the drainage in the stable yard. I need to talk to him to make sure no one falls down a hole before, during, or after Freddy’s birthday party.”
A gentle snore answered her, and she smiled against Colin’s chest. With things settling down at her old workplace she was beginning to hope she’d be free to make some decisions of her own.
She needed to call her mom, talk to her board, and make sure everyone knew that she planned on staying in the UK for as long as she was welcome.
It was a big decision, but it was what she wanted.
She felt more at home at Marcham Hall than she ever had before, and she’d found a man she could love.
Sure, she had her doubts and insecurities but nothing else in her life, not even earning oodles more money, could compete with how she felt.
She reached out a stealthy hand to her phone, determined to make a note about her residency status in the UK and what she needed to do to prolong it before she fell asleep and forgot.
Unfortunately, that meant she saw the beginning lines of a text in caps from Joss that immediately made her tense up.
SHAKIRA IS NOT YET UP TO SPEED! DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE HER WITHOUT SUPPORT!
She took a deep breath and replied without reading the rest of it.
I QUIT.
WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN??
I NO LONGER WISH TO BE A PARTNER IN OUR COMPANY. I WILL BE SPEAKING TO MY LAWYERS TOMORROW. DO NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN.
After deleting Joss’s message, she set her phone to charge. She wasn’t going to let him constantly derail her life. If he had a problem, he could talk to Iko and Deepak. She was no longer on the team, and she refused to be browbeaten into dealing with his hissy fits any longer.
Relief flooded over her as she curled up against Colin’s back. She’d made her decision. If Colin wanted her to stay on permanently that would be wonderful, but even if he didn’t, she wasn’t going anywhere near Joss ever again.
“Everything okay?” Colin asked sleepily.
She patted his shoulder. “Yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“Not a problem,” He muttered. “Love you, Mabel.”
For a second she froze. Then she whispered, “What did you say?”
But he’d already gone back to sleep.