LITMIR.BIZ

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intimidating personas I’ve ever encountered.” She’d tried her best to steer clear the past two shifts. That seemed to suit Jack just fine because he appeared to go out of his way to avoid her, too.

      “The military must’ve changed him a lot. On the other hand, he was always one to stand up for others and act with honor and integrity.”

      Olivia opened two packages of paints, one forest-colored and one in glittery jewel tones as Patrice set poster board on the tablecloth. “In fact, I can’t believe Jack made you leave the hospital that first night.”

      “I can. He was bossy as all get-out.” Olivia held the glossy white cardstock in place while Patrice painted Get Well Soon, Sully onto the homemade card in beautiful flowing calligraphy.

      They were making Sully a huge card for diner patrons and employees to sign. Patrice was a fantastic artist. If she’d ditch her oppressive boyfriend, her dreams of a graphic design career would surely come true.

      Patrice dotted red glittery firework shapes along the card’s edge. “Take into account Jack was probably scared out of his wits and sleep-deprived from his cross-continental flight.”

      Recalling the look on Jack’s face when he saw the shape his dad was in kicked Olivia’s conscience into gear. “You’re right. It must have been a shock.”

      Patrice nodded and capped the red paint lid before opening the blue to create glittery sapphire stars. They’d chosen the colors in honor of Sully’s patriotic nature. His entire diner decor consisted of veteran and war memorabilia spanning decades, all the way up to the present.

      Patrice switched to silver and painted swirly scrolls next to the stars. “I hope this cheers Sully up and shows him he’s well loved despite his being a grump.”

      Olivia snickered. “At least we know where Jack got it from.”

      Patrice giggled. Then frowned as a text notification came through her phone. “Uh-oh. Speaking of Jack...he’s calling a mandatory emergency employee meeting.”

      Olivia’s pulse sped up. She had a busy week making up the clinical hours she’d missed while sitting with Sully. She also had classwork to catch up on and a huge medical research paper due soon. She couldn’t possibly fit one more thing into her week. “When?”

      Patrice nibbled her thumbnail. “Not sure yet. He’s giving the time in a forthcoming text.”

      “I wonder what the meeting’s about.” Olivia’s pulse ramped up even more. Were things at Sully’s bad enough financially that they were all going to be laid off, or worse, let go? “Patrice, I overheard Jack talking to the bank. I hope he’s not going to close the diner.”

      Patrice blinked in surprise. “I can’t imagine. He practically grew up there. His childhood wasn’t easy. He spent more time at the diner with his dad than at home with his mom.”

      It wasn’t Olivia’s business, but she couldn’t help but ponder why. She’d had a rough childhood herself and felt instant compassion for others with tough childhoods.

      Patrice sighed as she completed the gorgeous card. “Jack was a good kid. A model child. Very compliant. And Sully was a model parent. He removed Jack from a volatile situation.” Patrice shook her head and seemed to snap out of her musings. “But I suppose that’s all Jack’s story to tell.”

      Not that he would ever, in a trillion years, trust Olivia enough to feel comfortable sharing personal information. Everything about Jack Sullenberger screamed unscalable walls and immovable rules.

      Why was it that something in her wanted to breach and break them all?

      Olivia tried to imagine Sully’s struggle on behalf of his son, which led to thoughts of Jack as a boy and how hard that must’ve been. She didn’t know Jack’s story and may never.

      However, she could relate to living in a troubled home. But unlike Sully, her dad had never fought for her, and knowledge of that always put a hard lump in Olivia’s throat.

      Precisely why Olivia promised herself not to pursue relationships, but rather to secure a college degree and a career with which she could support herself for life. Not dating was easy, since she was so wary of men. The degree, however, was an uphill climb due to her dyslexia. But she refused to let it—or anything—stop her.

      She was thankful Sully worked around her school and clinic hours to allow her adequate time to study. He was one of few people who knew about Olivia’s learning disability. Patrice, Darin and Naem were the others, but that was it. If anyone else found out—especially Jack—she’d be mortified.

      She’d squirmed under the scrutiny of his gorgeous, gunmetal grays assessing her appearance at the hospital. His obvious shock at her style dinged her dignity and dented the armor of her hard-sought self-esteem. He was so strong and good-looking, his opinion mattered to Olivia more than it should. She didn’t like having to work so hard to not care what he thought of her.

      “Naem told me this morning before the breakfast rush that Jack told him and Darin that he’s officially here on an extended military leave.”

      “Until when?”

      “I don’t know.” Patrice’s phone bleeped with another notification. Olivia blew on the card’s paint to get it to dry faster as Patrice read her text. “Oh, wow. He called the mandatory emergency staff meeting for tomorrow morning at seven.”

      “Seven?” Olivia chirped. That would cut into her best sleep time. She worked the day shift at the diner, did evening EMT classes alternating every other day with clinical at EPTC and spent half the night studying until around two in the morning. She then slept until seven thirty, which was just enough time to roll out of bed, shower and dress before starting breakfast prep at the diner at eight. She’d been able to survive on so little sleep simply because she’d known she wouldn’t have to pull this schedule forever. Now Jack wanted to shake things up? Great.

      He’d already upset her by sending her away from Sully. It still smarted that he’d made her leave and didn’t seem inclined to let her visit anytime soon. But that wedge was Jack’s doing and Olivia was struggling to have a right heart about it.

      A band of tension tightened across Olivia’s shoulders, making it hard to breathe. She was already stretched to the max. Jack’s plans were bound to increase stress and decrease rest. How would she ever manage to comprehend past her dyslexia while running on fumes for sleep?

      Olivia liked things at the diner just as they were. Sully was great about working around her school hours. She doubted, considering everything he was contending with, that Jack had the patience or presence of mind to do the same.

      “You okay, Liv? You don’t look so good.”

      Olivia didn’t have the energy to correct Patrice about the nickname she hated. “Feeling a little light-headed and wheezy.”

      Patrice reached for Olivia’s asthma inhaler and popped the cap off. She rarely had a stress-induced attack, but this felt like one of those times. Desperately short of breath now, Olivia placed the oval in her mouth and pumped the prime twice, inhaling deeply each time. Once she could breathe unobstructedly and speak again, instead of clawing her collar away from her neck in air-hunger panic, she thanked Patrice, who asked what triggered her attack.

      “Change. I don’t like the sound of it. Not at all.” Never had. And for good reason. In Olivia’s experience, change equaled something awful. It always meant moving from a bad situation to a worse one.

      * * *

      “Miss Abbott, you’re late.” Jack watched Olivia’s cheeks flush as she rushed around the table to the empty seat at the diner employee meeting the next morning.

      Her face awash in a strong emotion he couldn’t decipher, he stared her down. Her scowl loosened and she promptly sat. “My apologies.”

      “No explanation?”

      She swallowed. Bit her tongue. Then she said, “None that

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