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“Yes, you should have referred him to another counselor” Joanna reached for a pen and tapped the end of it repeatedly on her desk Madison fought the urge to yank it out of her hand and toss it across the roos closed”

Madison stiffened and her jaw hardened What? She could not believe Joanna would say so to an employee Ex-employee, Madison reminded herself

“Unless you’re willing to give up seeing this man—”

“I’m not,” she blurted out

“Then I really have no other alternative You’re a nice girl, Miss Fairbanks It’s just too bad that you fell prey to the wrong sort of man”

Madison scowled Why did everyone always assuood person Just—”

“Misunderstood?” Joanna raised an eyebrow at her

“Exactly!”

“Well, everyone makes mistakes,” Joanna said “Too bad this one had such disastrous consequences for your career I wish you well, Miss Fairbanks Dionne will help you clear out your office”

Madison sprang from the chair, unable to listen to another word this woer wobbly, she stormed out of Joanna’s office and burst into her ownto keep her job no dare anyone make assumptions about Ada in her life She would never choose a job over him

Dionne entered her office carrying several e an unreadable expression Had she been the one who’d told Joanna? As the cos of the counselors and clients more than anyone in the office Maybe she knew far s than she’d let on

“I’m completely baffled by this one,” Dionne said

“By what?”

“I’ to ask why you were fired, because it’s none of my business, but if I had to rank everyone in this office on the likelihood of being fired, you would have been at the bottoirl Everybody loves you”

Madison’s bottoht now She was going to pack up her office, store her belongings in her car, and head directly to the airport More than anything, she wanted to get lost in Ada to risk everything just to be with him

Dionne yanked a tissue from the box on the desk and pressed it into Madison’s hand “Don’t do that If you start crying, then I’ll start crying, and that’s a downright ugly sight to behold”

Madison dabbed at her eyes with the tissue It was only slightly soggy when she tossed it in the wastebasket “I’,” she said “Just a little shaken”

“You aren’t going to tell me why you were fired, are you?” Dionne asked

Madison released a shaky breath Why shouldn’t she tell Dionne? She wasn’t asha time”

Dionne lifted a questioning eyebrow at her

Madison shook her head “I don’t want to talk about it Let’s get this over with,” she said and began placing pictures in one of the empty boxes Pictures of her and her twin sister, Kennedy, on their first day of kindergarten and at their high school graduation Pictures of her parents Her favorite pets Her horses There was even one of her beloved grandle picture of Adaetting caught and losing her job: she didn’t have to hide her relationship with Adam Taylor from anyone Not from her boss Nor her co-workers Not fro freeing about finally being able to let the world know that he was her man

She was already co unemployed, and in a few hours she’d be back in Adainning

Or ood