Who's Your Boss? (Original Version) Revised version available in eBook/paperback

Chapter 20

Thank you all for your patience and for your support. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. :)

(Winnie)

A loud clap of thunder woke me the next day. Opening my bleary eyes, I saw Reed's side of the bed was empty. I reached out and touched the indent his head had left on the pillow, wondering if he had gotten any sleep last night. It had taken me a while to drift off. Once I had I ended up having horrible dreams.

At that moment, the door opened and Reed entered the bedroom. As he drew near to the bed I noticed he had dark circles under his eyes. My heart aching for him, I sat up and held my hand out to him. He took it and bent down to kiss me.

"Were you able to sleep?" I asked him.

"A little." He cleared his throat. "I just spoke with my father. He wants to talk to me so I told him to meet me at the house. I figured Mother wouldn't want me at the hospital."

A part of me wanted to shake some sense into Miranda Drummond, make her see how selfish and ridiculous she was being. I got out of bed and wrapped my arms around Reed's waist. He returned the embrace and we stood there, listening to the rolling thunder.

"Thank you for last night," he said, after a few minutes of silence. "Having you close made it easier for me to get through the night."

"I'm glad." I ran my hand up and down his back. "Thank you for staying with me." I stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth. "Like I said last night, I'm here for you."

"And that means more to me than you will ever know," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I've been alone for so long I had forgotten what it felt like to have someone to lean on-what it felt like to have someone who gave a damn about my feelings."

His words tugged at my heartstrings. I brushed my lips against his jaw, lingering. "I don't want to leave you, but I need to take a shower and-"

"Go and don't worry about me," Reed told me. "I'm going to head home, take a shower and change my clothes. Will you join me for breakfast?"

"Of course," I said. "What time is your father dropping by to see you?"

"He said around nine."

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was ten minutes after eight. I kissed Reed and then slipped into the adjoining bathroom.

Reed and I had just finished breakfast and moved to the family room when the doorbell rang. Insisting on answering the door, I left the room and crossed the entrance hall. I unlocked the door and opened it. Mr. Drummond stood there, looking as though he hadn't slept in days.

"Hello, Winifred," he greeted me.

"Mr. Drummond." I moved aside and he crossed the threshold. Shutting the door, I turned to face him. "Reed is in the family room. Would you like me to show you the way?"

"No, thank you, I know where it is."

"Then I will give you and Reed some privacy."

"Thank you," Mr. Drummond said.

I nodded and then headed to Reed's office. Once there, I settled myself behind his desk and retrieved my BlackBerry from the pocket of my blazer. I quickly brought up Reed's schedule and reached for the phone on the corner of his desk. There was appointments that needed to be canceled and rescheduled.

After I finished re-arranging Reed's schedule, I dialed my sister's number. She answered on the third ring. We exchanged greetings and chatted for a few minutes about the family.

"While we're on the subject of family," Cassie said, "when are you going to grace us with your presence? It's been a little over a year since you last visited. Surely your boss will give you some time off."

"He will, and just so you know, he's now more than just my boss." I smiled softly. "He's my boyfriend as well."

"Win, are you sure it's a good idea dating your boss?" she asked tentatively. "What if things don't work out between you two? I'd hate for him to fire you."

"Reed wouldn't do that, sweetie," I assured her. "He's a good man."

"For your sake I hope so," Cassie said. "So when can you come for a visit?"

"Well, I discussed it with Reed and he said I could have next week off, but I think it's going to be a little longer before I can get up to Wyoming to see you and the kids." I sat back with a sigh. "Reed's mother had a heart attack yesterday."

"Oh, no," she gasped. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She's going to be fine," I answered. "I'm putting off coming to see you for now because I don't want to leave Reed."

"I understand," Cassie muttered. "Just let me know when you can come."

I promised her I would. We talked for a few more minutes and then said goodbye. As I was hanging up the phone Reed entered the office. "Did your father leave?"

"Yes." He came toward me, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "He wanted to drop by the hospital and check on Mother." Moving to my side of the desk, he perched on the edge and crossed his arms in front of him. "Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"My sister," I told him.

"Did you tell her you would fly up this weekend for a visit?" Reed asked.

"No." I shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. "I told her I would visit just as soon as I could. I don't want to-"

"Call her back and tell her you'll see her this weekend," he ordered me.

I leaned forward and placed my hand on his arm. Tilting my head back, I gazed up into his eyes and said softly, "I don't want to leave you-not right now."

He covered my hand with his and squeezed gently. "I'm going to be fine, Winnie. I don't want you putting your plans on hold for me. You go to Wyoming and you have a nice time with your family. And while you're there I don't want you to waste one minute worrying about me."

"I know how you are, Reed." I rolled the chair closer to him. "You won't want to deal with your mother so you'll bury yourself in your work, forget to eat, and if you're lucky you'll get three hours of sleep a night. I'll come back from my trip and you'll look like death warmed over. You need me to-"

He grabbed me by the arms, hauled me out of my chair, and pulled me close. His arms wrapping around my waist, he pressed his forehead to mine. "Listen to me, Winifred Monroe. Are you listening?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"I will bury myself in my work, and probably skip a meal or two, and yes even lose sleep." He smiled weakly. "But it won't be because of my mother. It will be because I'm missing a certain little worrywart."

My heart melted at his words. "You'll miss me?" I murmured.

"No, I can't wait for you to leave," Reed said sarcastically. "You get on my nerves." I swatted him on the arm and he grinned. "Was that supposed to hurt?"

"You're asking for it, Drummond," I warned him. "Behave yourself."

All traces of amusement left his face and he grew serious. "I will miss you like crazy, Winnie," he confessed, "but it would be selfish of me to ask you to stay when you haven't seen your family in over a year. My mother almost died. It made me realize how short life really is. We're not promised tomorrow, sweetheart. We have to make the most of what time we're given." He brushed his lips against my temple. "Call your sister back and tell her you'll see her this Sunday."

"Okay," I mumbled.

"Then start looking for someone to take your place while you're away." He smirked. "Make sure they know how difficult I can be."

I snorted. "I don't want to scare them away."

Reed chuckled softly, kissed me once more, and then left the office.