Page 44 of Just Say Yes
‘I did.’
‘Were they OK?’
‘Yep, no bother.’
‘Wow.’
‘What?’
‘Just that quite a few of the suppliers I’ve worked with wouldn’t have been impressed at me messing them about at the last minute.’
‘It’s business. They’re not likely to kick up a stink if they might lose the business.’
‘Good people always have other clients to fall back on.’
‘No. Good people understand that sometimes life doesn’t go to plan and you have to reschedule.’
He had a point.
‘You are right, of course. Life definitely doesn’t always go to plan.’
‘Says the woman who plans everything she possibly can.’
I looked out of the window, mentally sweeping my unwanted emotions back into the corner of my mind where they had begun to spill out from.
‘Did I say something wrong?’ Lorcan’s hand touched my leg lightly. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. I wasn’t being an arse – for once.’
I turned to look back at him, his self-deprecation tugging me from the past. ‘For once,’ I said, trying not to smile.
‘Don’t worry. I won’t make a habit of it.’
‘Now that I don’t doubt. Thank you for rearranging the appointment. I was a little distracted. I do appreciate it.’
‘You had every right to be distracted, and you’re welcome. They’re going to drop the samples off at the castle tomorrow afternoon. Although I’m not sure how that’s going to work as the doc said you’re supposed to be resting that leg as much as possible.’
‘I’ll be fine. Honestly, it’s not as bad as it looks.’
15
‘Oh, my good God!’ I gripped the bedsheets as pain seared through my leg. ‘Shit, shit, shit!’ My teeth were gritted and every muscle in my body was clenched in agony. When Lorcan had dropped me back at the pub and done his he-man bit again, depositing me on the bed in my room, I’d reassured him I was all right and got back to work, answering a few emails. Slowly but thankfully, the work was beginning to trickle in – at least, the enquiries were, which was a start – and I didn’t want to give anyone the chance to hire someone else by not being responsive. After a couple of hours, I’d felt a bit tired and decided a power nap would perk me up and so, pulling off my skirt and blouse, I’d changed into my jammies and lain down on the bed. Some time between then and now my leg had woken up from the anaesthetic, decided it really wasn’t happy and was currently making me grit my teeth so hard I could double up as a nutcracker.
‘Anyone in?’ Lorcan’s deep, melodic voice followed the knock at the door.
I attempted a yes but it came out as a sound more akin to a cat being strangled.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Open,’ I forced out the word.
Lorcan stepped through, ducking beneath the low beam of the door. He took one look at me and grimaced sympathetically. ‘Anaesthetic wore off, then?’
I nodded, in too much pain to come up with a smart reply.
‘Did you take any of those pills the doc gave you?’
I shook my head. ‘Not yet.’
Lorcan took them from the dressing table and read the label. ‘You ought to have some food with these,’ he said, shaking two into his hand before undoing the top of the water bottle that had been standing next to them. ‘What do you want to eat?’
