Читать книгу Beach Lane - Sherryl Woods, Sherryl Woods - Страница 11

Mack didn’t like Susie’s pale complexion or the dark shadows under her eyes. It had been evident for a few days now that she was worried about something, and he was very much afraid it was him. He didn’t want to be responsible for making her sick.

“Okay, we need to get out of here,” he said after taking a good look at her when he stopped by her office at lunchtime. If anything, she looked worse than she had when he’d seen her the day before.

Before she could argue, he marched into Jeff’s office and announced, “I’m taking Susie away from here for the afternoon. You can manage without her for a few hours, right?”

Jeff frowned. “Of course, but I haven’t heard her say she wanted to go anywhere with you.”

“I’m not giving her an option,” Mack responded. “She needs some sunshine and a long walk on the beach. Haven’t you noticed her color’s not good?” He lowered his voice. “Any idea what’s going on with her?”

Jeff shook his head, then cast a worried glance in his daughter’s direction. “Not a clue. She took a couple of sick days, which isn’t like her, but she swears she’s fine, and Jo’s backing her up. I’m at a loss.”

Mack glanced in Susie’s direction. “No offense intended, but they’re both lying. I want to know why. I’m worried, Jeff. Something’s not right.”

Her father nodded. “I agree. If you can get to the bottom of it, I’d appreciate it. She’s not herself, that’s for sure. I thought it had something to do with you.”

“Maybe it does,” Mack admitted. “If so, I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it. That’s a promise.”

Just then Susie appeared at Mack’s side, her cheeks flaming. “I do not appreciate the two of you whispering behind my back as if I’m not right here.” She directed her scowl at Mack. “Nor am I happy about you making decisions for me. I have work to do, Mack. I’m not going anywhere.”

“The work can wait,” Mack countered, leveling a look into her eyes that matched his determination against her stubbornness. She looked as if she were wavering, so he cajoled, “If you won’t do this for yourself, do it for me. I need an outing and a fresh perspective. You can boss me around and tell me what I need to be doing. It’ll cheer you up.”