by Nora Roberts
“Looking for that fresh start,” Roz concluded.
“I’m looking for a job.” She paused, moistened her lips. “I know how to work. I also know a lot of people would step back from hiring a woman nearly six months along. Family, even distant, through-marriage sort of family, might be a little more obliging.”
She cleared her throat when Roz said nothing. “I studied literature and business in college. I graduated with honors. I’ve got a solid employment record. I’ve got money—not a lot. My partial scholarship didn’t cover everything, and my daddy was a teacher, so he didn’t make much. But I’ve got enough to take care of myself, to pay rent, buy food, pay for this baby. I need a job, any kind of a job for now. You’ve got your business, you’ve got this house. It takes a lot of people to help run those. I’m asking for a chance to be one of them.”
“Know anything about plants, about gardening?”
“We put in flower beds every year. Daddy and I split the yard work. And what I don’t know, I can learn. I learn quick.”
“Wouldn’t you rather work in a bookstore? Hayley managed an independent bookstore back home,” Roz told Stella.
“You don’t own a bookstore,” Hayley pointed out. “I’ll work without pay for two weeks.”
“Someone works for me, she gets paid. I’ll be hiring the seasonal help in a few weeks. In the meantime ... Stella, can you use her?”
“Ah ...” Was she supposed to look at that young face and bulging belly and say no? “What were your responsibilities as manager?”
“I wasn’t, like, officially the manager. But that’s what I did, when you come down to it. It was a small operation, so I did some of everything. Inventory, buying, customer relations, scheduling, sales, advertising. Just the bookstore end of it. There was a separate staff for the coffee shop.”
“What would you say were your strengths?”
She had to take a breath, calm her nerves. She knew it was vital to be clear and concise. And just as vital to her pride not to beg. “Customer relations, which keyed into sales. I’m good with people, and I don’t mind taking the extra time you need to take to make sure they get what they want. If your customers are happy, they come back, and they buy. You take the extra steps, personalize service, you get customer loyalty.”
Stella nodded. “And your weaknesses?”
“The buying,” she said without hesitation. “I’d just want to buy everything if it was up to me. I had to keep reminding myself whose money I was spending. But sometimes I didn’t hear myself.”
“We’re in the process of reorganizing, and some expanding. I could use some help getting the new system in place. There’s still a lot of computer inputting—some of it very tedious—to deal with.”
“I can handle a keyboard. PC and Mac.”
“We’ll go for the two weeks,” Roz decided. “You’ll get paid, but we’ll consider the two weeks a trial balloon for all of us. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll do what I can to help you find another job.”
“Can’t say fairer than that. Thanks, Cousin Rosalind.”
“Just Roz. We’ve got some gas out in the shed. I’ll go get it, and we’ll get your car up here so you can get your things in.”
“In? In here?” Shaking her head, Hayley set her cup aside. “I said I wasn’t after a handout. I appreciate the job, the chance at the job. I don’t expect you to put me up.”
“Family, even distant-through-marriage family, is welcome here. And it’ll give us all a chance to get to know each other, to see if we’re going to suit.”
“You live here?” Hayley asked Stella.
“Yes. And my boys—eight and six. They’re upstairs asleep.”
“Are we cousins?”
“No.”
“I’ll get the gas.” Roz got to her feet and started out.
“I’ll pay rent.” Hayley rose as well, instinctively laying a hand on her belly. “I pay my way.”
“We’ll adjust your salary to compensate for it.”
When she was alone with Stella, Hayley let out a long, slow breath. “I thought she’d be older. And scarier. Though I bet she can be plenty scary when she needs to. You can’t have what she has, and keep it, grow it, without knowing how to be scary.”
“You’re right. I can be scary, too, when it comes to work.”
“I’ll remember. Ah, you’re from up north?”
“Yes. Michigan.”
“That’s a long way. Is it just you and your boys?”
“My husband died about two and a half years ago.”
“That’s hard. It’s hard to lose somebody you love. I guess all three of us know about that. I think it can make you hard if you don’t have something, someone else to love. I’ve got the baby.”
“Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“No. Baby had its back turned during the sonogram.” She started to chew on her thumbnail, then tucked the thumb in her fist and lowered it. “I guess I should go out, take the gas Roz is getting.”
“I’ll go with you. We’ll take care of it together.”
IN AN HOUR THEY HAD HAYLEY SETTLED IN ONE OF the guest rooms in the west wing. She knew she gawked. She knew she babbled. But she’d never seen a more beautiful room, had never expected to be in one. Much less to be able to call it her own, even temporarily.
She put away her things, running her fingers over the gleaming wood of the bureau, the armoire, the etched-glass lampshades, the carving of the headboard.
She would earn this. That was a promise she made to herself, and her child, as she indulged in a long, warm bath. She would earn the chance she’d been given and would pay Roz back in labor and in loyalty.
She was good at both.
She dried off, then rubbed oil over her belly, her breasts. She wasn’t afraid of childbirth—she knew how to work hard toward a goal. But she was really hoping she could avoid stretch marks.
She felt a little chill and slipped hurriedly into her nightshirt. Just at the edge of the mirror, just at the corner of her vision, she caught a shadow, a movement.
Rubbing her arms warm, she stepped through to the bedroom. There was nothing, and the door was closed, as she’d left it.
Dog-tired, she told herself and rubbed her eyes. It had been a long trip from the past to the verge of the future.
She took one of the books she’d had in her suitcase—the rest, ones she hadn’t been able to bring herself to sell, were still packed in the trunk of her car—and slipped into bed.
She opened it to where she’d left it bookmarked, prepared to settle herself down, as she did most nights, with an hour of reading.
And was asleep with the light burning before she’d finished the first page.
AT ROZ’S REQUEST, STELLA ONCE AGAIN WENT INTO her sitting room and sat. Roz poured them each a glass of wine.
“Honest impression?” she asked.
“Young, bright, proud. Honest. She could have spun us a sob story about being betrayed by the baby’s father, begged for a place to stay, used her pregnancy as an excuse for all manner of things. Instead she took responsibility and asked to work. I’ll still check her references.”
“Of course. She seemed fearless about the baby.”
“It’s after you have them you learn to be afraid of everything.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Roz scooped her fingers through her hair twice. “I’ll make a few calls, find out a little more about that part of the Ashby family. I honestly don’t remember very well. We never had much contact, even when he was alive. I do remember the scandal when the wife took off, left him with the baby. From the impression she made on me, and you, apparently he managed very well.”
“Her managerial experience could be a real asset.”
“Another manager.” Roz, in a gesture Stella took as only half mocking, cast her eyes to heaven. “Pray for me.”
seven
IT DIDN’T TAKE TWO WEEKS. AFTER TWO DAYS, STELLA decided Hayley was going to be the answer to her personal pr
ayer. Here was someone with youth, energy, and enthusiasm who understood and appreciated efficiency in the workplace.
She knew how to read and generate spreadsheets, understood instructions after one telling, and respected color codes. If she was half as good relating to customers as she was with filing systems, she would be a jewel.
When it came to plants, she didn’t know much more than the basic this is a geranium, and this is a pansy. But she could be taught.
Stella was already prepared to beg Roz to offer Hayley part-time work when May got closer.
“Hayley?” Stella poked her head in the now efficient and tidy office. “Why don’t you come out with me? We’ve got nearly an hour before we open. We’ll have a lesson on shade plants in Greenhouse Number Three.”
“Cool. We’re input through the H’s in perennials. I don’t know what half of them are, but I’m doing some reading up at night. I didn’t know sunflowers were called Helia ... wait. Helianthus.”
“It’s more that Helianthus are called sunflowers. The perennial ones can be divided in spring, or propagated by seeds—in the spring—or cuttings in late spring. Seeds from annual Helianthus can be harvested—from that big brown eye—in late summer or early fall. Though the cultivars hybridize freely, they may not come true from the seeds collected. And I’m lecturing.”
“That’s okay. I grew up with a teacher. I like to learn.”
As they passed through the counter area, Hayley glanced out the window. “Truck just pulled in over by the ... what do y’all call them? Pavers,” she said before Stella could answer. “And, mmmm, just look at what’s getting out of that truck. Mister tall, dark, and totally built. Who’s the hunk?”
Struggling not to frown, Stella lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “That would be Logan Kitridge, Roz’s landscape designer. I suppose he does score fairly high on the hunk-o-meter.”
“Rings my bell.” At Stella’s expression, Hayley pressed a hand to her belly and laughed. “I’m pregnant. Still have all working parts, though. And just because I’m not looking for a man doesn’t mean I don’t want to look at one. Especially when he’s yummy. He really is all tough and broody-looking, isn’t he? What is it about tough, broody-looking men that gives you that tickle down in the belly?”
“I couldn’t say. What’s he doing over there?”
“Looks like he’s loading pavers. If it wasn’t so cool, he’d pull off that jacket. Bet we’d get a real muscle show. God, I do love my eye candy.”
“That sort’ll give you cavities,” Stella mumbled. “He’s not scheduled for pavers. He hasn’t put in the order for pavers. Damn it!”
Hayley’s eyebrows shot up as Stella stomped to the door and slammed out. Then she pressed her nose to the window, prepared to watch the show.
“Excuse me?”
“Uh-huh?” Hayley’s answer was absent as she tried to get a better look outside. Then she popped back from the window, remembering spying was one thing, getting caught at it another. She turned, put on an innocent smile. And decided she’d gotten a double serving of eye candy.
This one wasn’t big and broody, but sort of lanky and dreamy. And hot damn. It took an extra beat for her brain to engage, but she was quick.
“Hey! You must be Harper. You look just like your mama. I didn’t get a chance to meet you yet, ’cause you never seemed to be around wherever I was around. Or whenever. I’m Hayley. Cousin Hayley from Little Rock? Maybe your mama told you I was working here now.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” He couldn’t think of anything else. Could barely think at all. He felt lightning-struck and stupid.
“Do you just love working here? I do already. There’s so much of everything, and the customers are so friendly. And Stella, she’s just amazing, that’s all. Your mama’s like, I don’t know, a goddess, for giving me a chance this way.”
“Yeah.” He winced. Could he be any more lame? “They’re great. It’s great.” Apparently he could. And damn it, he was good with women. Usually. But one look at this one had given him some sort of concussion. “You, ah, do you need anything?”
“No.” She gave him a puzzled smile. “I thought you did.”
“I need something? What?”
“I don’t know.” She laid a hand on the fascinating mound of her belly and laughed, all throaty and free. “You’re the one who came in.”
“Right. Right. No, nothing. Now. Later. I’ve got to get back.” Outside, in the air, where he should be able to breathe again.
“It was nice meeting you, Harper.”
“You, too.” He glanced back as he retreated and saw she was already back at the window.
OUTSIDE, STELLA SPED ACROSS THE PARKING AREA. She called out twice, and the second time got a quick glance and an absent wave. Building up steam as she went, she pumped it out the minute she reached the stacks of pavers.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Playing tennis. What does it look like I’m doing?”
“It looks like you’re taking material you haven’t ordered, that you haven’t been authorized to take.”
“Really?” He hauled up another stack. “No wonder my backhand is rusty.” The truck shuddered as he loaded. “Hey.”
Much to her amazement, he leaned toward her, sniffed. “Different shampoo. Nice.”
“Stop smelling me.” She waved him away by flapping a hand at his chin as she stepped back.
“I can’t help it. You’re standing right there. I have a nose.”
“I need the paperwork on this material.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fine, fine, fine. I’ll come in and take care of it after I’m loaded.”
“You’re supposed to take care of it before you load.”
He turned, aimed a hot look with those mossy green eyes. “Red, you’re a pain in the ass.”
“I’m supposed to be. I’m the manager.”
He had to smile at that, and he tipped down his sunglasses to look over them at her. “You’re real good at it, too. Think of it this way. The pavers are stored on the way to the building. By loading first, then coming in, I’m actually being more efficient.”
The smile morphed into a smirk. “That’d be important, I’d think, if we were doing, say, a projection of man-hours.”
He took a moment to lean against the truck and study her. Then he loaded another stack of pavers. “You standing here watching me means you’re wasting time, and likely adding to your own man-hours.”
“You don’t come in to handle the paperwork, Kitridge, I’ll hunt you down.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
He took his time, but he came in.
He was calculating how best to annoy Stella again. Her eyes went the color of Texas bluebonnets when she was pissed off. But when he stepped in, he saw Hayley.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she said back and smiled. “I’m Hayley Phillips. A family connection to Roz’s first husband? I’m working here now.”
“Logan. Nice to meet you. Don’t let this Yankee scare you.” He nodded toward Stella. “Where are the sacred forms, and the ritual knife so I can slice open a vein and sign them in blood?”
“My office.”
“Uh-huh.” But he lingered rather than following her. “When’s the baby due?” he asked Hayley.
“May.”
“Feeling okay?”
“Never better.”
“Good. This here’s a nice outfit, a good place to work most of the time. Welcome aboard.” He sauntered into Stella’s office, where she was already at her computer, with the form on the screen.
“I’ll type this one up to save time. There’s a whole stack of them in that folder. Take it. All you have to do is fill them in as needed, date, sign or initial. Drop them off.”
“Uh-huh.” He looked around the room. The desk was cleared off. There were no cartons, no books sitting on the floor or stacked on chairs.
That was too bad, he thought. He’d liked the workaday chaos of it.
“Where�
��s all the stuff in here?”
“Where it belongs. Those pavers were the eighteen-inch round, number A-23?”
“They were eighteen-inch rounds.” He picked up the framed photo on her desk and studied the picture of her boys and their dog. “Cute.”
“Yes, they are. Are the pavers for personal use or for a scheduled job?”
“Red, you ever loosen up?”
“No. We Yankees never do.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth. “Um-hmm.”
“Do you know how sick I am of being referred to as ‘the Yankee,’ as though it were a foreign species, or a disease? Half the customers who come in here look me over like I’m from another planet and may not be coming in peace. Then I have to tell them I was born here, answer all sorts of questions about why I left, why I’m back, who my people are, for Christ’s sake, before I can get down to any sort of business. I’m from Michigan, not the moon, and the Civil damn War’s been over for quite some time.”
Yep, just like Texas bluebonnets. “That would be the War Between the damn States this side of the Mason-Dixon, honey. And looks to me like you loosen up just fine when you get riled enough.”
“Don’t ‘honey’ me in that southern-fried twang.”
“You know, Red, I like you better this way.”
“Oh, shut up. Pavers. Personal or professional use?”
“Well, that depends on your point of view.” Since there was room now, he edged a hip onto the corner of the desk. “They’re for a friend. I’m putting in a walkway for her—my own time, no labor charge. I told her I’d pick up the materials and give her a bill from the center.”
“We’ll consider that personal use and apply your employee discount.” She began tapping keys. “How many pavers?”
“Twenty-two.”
She tapped again and gave him the price per paver, before discount, after discount.
