Page 27 of The Sweet Life

“I just want you to be prepared for…” He was afraid that Forbes was going to fire Sage, but he couldn’t say it. He’d seen how she’d reacted earlier at the thought she’d lose her job. As he’d discovered, he didn’t know how to handle a distraught woman, especially when that woman was Sage. “Anything.”

“Anything as in you think he’s going to fire me.” She held up her phone. “Trust me, I might not be willing to hand this over to the press or the police, but I’m more than happy to use it as leverage against Robert. I’m thinking it’s time they made another donation to Chrysalis House.”

He glanced at her as he pulled into her space in the underground parking lot. “I see you’ve developed flexible morals since you started working at Forbes, Poole, and Russell.”

She made a face and brought her hand to her cheek.

“Okay, ice and ibuprofen before your meeting with Forbes.” Brenda had texted as they’d gotten into Sage’s BMW. The press had begun calling for a comment about Sage’s run-in with Winthrop, and Robert was reportedly livid.

“You won’t get an argument from me.” She glanced at Max in the back. “Would you mind sticking around? I’d feel better if Max was at the farm with you, at least until I know Chad won’t make another move on him. I’ll drive him to the farm after I’m done here.”

He hadn’t been sure how to broach the subject, so he was glad she’d brought it up. But he wasn’t only worried about Max. “Sure. You should stay too. I mean, not with me obviously, but with your family.” He caught the look on her face and added, “Just until things settle down here.”

“I can’t. I have too much on my plate,” she said as she got out of the car and closed the passenger-side door.

“You do remember the weekend comes after Friday, right? In case you don’t remember, it’s when most people who work during the week take off.”

“Says the guy who doesn’t work.”

“Who do you think has been clearing out Alice’s place, taking care of the farm and the paperwork?” He didn’t know why he got defensive. It was his own fault she thought he was a slacker. “Which reminds me, you have to sign off on the papers I brought to you.”

He could have simply emailed them, but he’d wanted to see how she and Max were doing, and there was also the news about Alice that he wanted to give her face-to-face.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” She held open the door to thebuilding, and he carried Max inside. “Now that we’re here, I’m not as confident about my meeting with Robert.” She reached out to pet Max, blowing out a frustrated breath when the cat moved out of range of her hand. “He really does hate me, doesn’t he?”

Jake bit back a laugh as they took the stairs to the door that opened onto the lobby. “He’s not your number one fan.” He opened the door for her and then put his arm around her shoulders.

“What are you doing?”

“I have a theory,” he said as they reached the bank of elevators in the lobby.

“What’s your theory?”

“Okay. You can tell Max loves me, right? Other than Alice, I’m his favorite human.”

She rolled her eyes and then brought her hand to the side of her face. “Dammit, that hurts.”

“Sorry. Bad time to tease you. But the point is, I lived with Alice and Max. I’m like his family, and you were mean to me when we were growing up, and I think he remembers that.”

“I was not mean…” She trailed off when Brenda, Renata, and a third woman walked off the elevator. Brenda and Renata were carrying boxes and looked like they’d been crying. The other woman looked like she wanted to be anywhere other than there.

Jake swore under his breath, tightening his arm around Sage’s shoulders. “Just breathe,” he said, hoping it worked as well as it had when Sage’s mom said it.

Sage was shaking her head from side to side while trying to back away from the women. “No,” she said. “He can’t do this. They can’t do this.”

“I know,” the third woman said. “It’s BS, and I’ll do everything in my power to reverse their decision. But for now, you’re on leave, Sage.”

“I can’t go on leave, Nina. Ask Brenda. Ask Renata. They know what my caseload is like. Besides, this isn’t my fault. Chad…” She trailed off when a silver-haired man walked through the building’s front doors with his entourage. Jake recognized him. It was Congressman Winthrop.

Jake tightened his hold on Sage as she tried to wriggle free. “Trust me, Sage. This isn’t the time. You’ve gotta be strategic, think this through.”

“He’s right, Sage,” Brenda said, moving to stand between Sage and her view of the congressman. Renata and Nina did the same.

“How long? How long am I on leave,” Sage rasped.

Nina bit her lip before admitting, “Indefinitely.” Her eyes went wide. “Sage, what’s wrong?”

Jake shoved Max at Nina with one hand, holding tight to Sage with other. He turned her to face him. She was ghost white and rubbing her chest. “I… I think I’m having a heart att—”

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