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‘Thanks Coain’

Harry took his change and the coffee and headed for his vehicle, a bounce in his step The day ahead was sorted, leaving no ti to find ways to fill in the hours

All he had to do, and that wouldn’t be until later, was to figure out why he was really holding out on spending et enough of her Not that she’d welcome hiht

There were the ‘don’t want to be pushed around’ and ‘lack of trust’ issues, but there was so at the back of all this It rose whenever he considered the jobs he’d been offered Again when he coh work in both those places It always came back to Sienna and why he was afraid to love her

Umactually he already did love her

That’s why I can’t decide Holy moly

He was stuh he could rush in and tell Sienna She was too vulnerable, and their lifestyles were still poles apart He sed the sudden pain gripping him To admit his love to Sienna was i and invulnerable and not hurt her

Why, damn it, why?

Sienna bounced back onto the ward on Mondayshe had other things to look forward to at the end of the day ‘Morning, Dale,’ she smiled as she picked up patient notes fro’

His face fell ‘We need to have a word Grab a coffee and meet me in my office’

Why did that sound ominous? A chill ran down her spine ‘You want one?’

‘Already got it’ He started down the corridor in the opposite direction

What was going on? Opting for a double-shot long black to keep the sense of unease at bay, she headed into Dale’s office and at his instruction shut the me out’

‘Do you remember Wendy Hall?’

‘You took over from her about six months before I ca her oay hadn’t been kept quiet even after she’d gone

‘She’s co it known she wants her old job back’ Anger rode off Dale in waves ‘I have no intention of letting that happen I a haul’

So where did she fit into the picture? ‘You think I need to be concerned for my job?’

‘Yours is the next one up for renewal and somehow she knows that—I suspect from a certain board member she’s always had under her thumb’

Sienna slu to have to compete for my position?’

‘It probably won’t co so you canon in the hospital’

‘I need to knohat shifts the cleaners are doing now that their new contract has gone offshore?’ This was payback for having fun last week, for spreading her wings and living life outside of here For getting a life SoShe’d never use them now

Dale balanced a pen between his thumbs ‘Not quite, but be on your toes all the time Just in case’

Just in case Those words followed her around all day She could lose her security, her sense of worth, her control—all because Wendy Hall wanted to take her job as a stepping stone on the way to the top Just as well she had walked away from Harrison There was no way she could fit into his lifestyle now She needed to hold on to her job to knoho she was Didn’t she?