He kept his lips on my hair, and I felt each inhale and exhale until the noises from an ambulance and fire truck caused him to pull away.

“I would kill for some Napa silence right now.”

Even though he chuckled, there was tension in his voice, and there had been since he’d returned from work. I hadn’t mentioned it. I knew what it was like to have a crap day, but I also wanted him to know he could vent to me if that was what he needed.

As he was working on his fourth beer, hopefully a little more relaxed, this seemed like the best time to bring it up.

I wiggled out of his grip and set my wine on the coffee table, freeing my hands to massage his neck. “Talk to me. Tell me about today.”

He was staring toward the balcony, his eyes blinking lazily as I got deeper into his muscles. “I lost a major client, someone I had done everything in my power to land and everything in my goddamn ability to save.” The movement in his cheeks told me he was grinding his teeth. “But it wasn’t enough. Fuck.” He shook his head. “It’s a huge blow to the company, to my portfolio.” He paused. “To my fucking ego.”

“What happened? What made him change his mind—” I started, my phone cutting me off as it rang from the kitchen. “One sec.” I rushed over, seeing Rebecca’s name and number fill the screen.

“Are you going to answer?”

There was impatience on his face when I glanced up.

“I don’t know.”

“Then, send the call to voice mail, so I don’t have to listen to that blaring ring.”

My ringtone was annoying, but I had a hard time ignoring Rebecca’s call. She was working tonight, and I knew she wouldn’t reach out unless she absolutely had to. That was the thought that was tugging on me.

Dammit.

I held the phone to my ear and said, “Hello?”

“You’re going to murder me.”

“Oh God. Why?”

“Because I’m about to get on my hands and knees and beg you to come in. You know I wouldn’t call unless it was a dire emergency, but tonight is one. Letitia tested positive for the flu, and we sent her home. Lindsay got into a car accident on the way here. And Shonda’s husband is out of town, and she has no one to watch her kids, so she called in. It’s just me and a nurse I borrowed from med surg, but she’s already put in thirteen hours today, and she’s about to fall on her face.”

I looked at Caleb while he sipped his beer and focused on the sights of Boston through the open glass. “Shit.” I dragged my hand through my hair, rubbing at my scalp.