“I only suggested to the contractor that walls should come down to open up the house,” he offered. “If you don’t want that to happen, then just tell him what you want.”
Hayden was surprised at his compromise. She appreciated that more than she could say. “Thank you for that.” There was no way she could accept his generosity, but she was amazed that he was willing to concede anything to her. She doubted that he did that very often.
A moment later, she walked out of his office. She’d like to say she felt euphoric because she’d won the battle, something she wasn’t sure would happen very often. But as she pressed the ignition button on the cute, red Miata, Hayden admitted that she wasn’t really sure what she was feeling.
Chapter 4
“A Natalie Shaw is here to see you, sir.”
Viktor stared at his intercom for a moment. “Who the hell is Natalie Shaw?” he demanded, turning back to the papers on his desk, sifting through the reports until he found the one he needed.
“She says she’s a friend of Hayden Ferrant, sir.”
Viktor stopped and stared for a long moment, predicting that this wasn’t going to be a social visit.
“Send her in,” he told his assistant, pulling his mind away from work issues for the moment. Somehow, he knew this wasn’t going to be good. Coming around his desk, he started to put his suit jacket on, but the door burst open and a lovely woman with sandy blonde hair entered his office. Her soft brown eyes captured him even from across his office…since they were glaring at him.
“Mr. Chenko?” the woman asked, but her voice was threatening.
“Yes. What can I do for you, Ms. Shaw?” he asked, waving a hand to the sitting area, inviting her to take a seat.
The woman shook her head, dismissing the niceties. “I’m not staying long. I just came here to warn you.”
Viktor’s eyes widened slightly, even though his prediction was now confirmed. “I see. And what’s your warning?” he asked, thinking the woman had spunk. He liked that. Especially if she was a friend of Hayden’s.
The woman’s pretty eyes narrowed. “I’m warning you, don’t hurt Hayden.”
He bit back the smile that threatened, correctly assuming that this petite woman wouldn’t appreciate his humor. “I have no intention of hurting her, Ms. Shaw. I’m going to marry her.”
Natalie stared at him, astounded by his announcement. It took her several moments to recover, but when she did, she simply shook her head and moved closer. “No, you don’t understand. Hayden is a sweet, wonderful woman who is genuinely caring and kind.”
“I know this,” he replied, thinking it was ironic that this particular woman, with her worried, brown eyes and her trembling demeanor, was telling him that his fiancée was too kind hearted.
“No,” she argued. “You don’t know Hayden. She’s tender and sweet, and I don’t care how much you are worth, if you hurt Hayden, I will hurt you. Understand?”
Viktor’s smile was genuine now. “I admire that you are protecting her. But I have no intention of hurting her in any way. My only goal is to marry her and make her happy, to protect her.”
Natalie scoffed. “She doesn’t need protecting, other than from unscrupulous business people.” She shrugged again. “Well, and from her tender heart. She’s too trusting, Mr. Chenko.”
“I agree. I also know that she’s pretty bad when it comes to business, which is why I’m stepping in to help her. She’s brilliant at landscaping and plants, but horrible at business.” Viktor tilted his head slightly. “You’re her friend. She talks to you. I have a list of people who owe her money and will deal with them individually, but if she ever says something about another person bothering her,” he leaned forward so she understood his earnest request, “I want you to tell me. Would you do that?”
Natalie watched the man carefully, wondering if she could trust him. At the moment, she didn’t really have a choice. “You’ll have to prove yourself to me before I’ll come to you with any of her problems. I’m not going to violate her trust in me either.”
Viktor once again nodded his head. “Fair enough. But…”
Natalie stepped back, shaking her head. “She’s too sweet for a man like you. People take advantage of her because she’s too nice, and I suspect that you’re taking advantage of her now.” She let those words sink in, then continued. “You’re right, she’s brilliant when it comes to plants. She can bring things back to life with her gentle touch and her innate sense of what a plant needs to thrive. But that also means that she cares too much, listens to everyone else’s tale of woe, puts their needs first.”
Viktor nodded his head. “I agree with you. And I guarantee that no one will ever take advantage of Hayden again. Does that reassurance suffice?” he asked gently, admiring this woman more and more. It took guts to threaten a man like him. He could have her life ruined with one phone call. And if she’d come here threatening him for any reason other than to protect Hayden, he would make that call and forget the woman ever existed. But the fact that this tiny woman was looking out for his future wife…well, she’d just gained his protection as well.
His assurance seemed to pacify the feisty woman since she stared at him for a long moment, then nodded her head. “Fine. That Harry guy, he’s the worst. But there are several other jerks who owe her a huge amount of money.”
Viktor’s eyes hardened. “Give me their names and I will ensure that they are dealt with.”
Natalie shivered, thinking that this man might just be a match for…
Well, that other man was in her past. She hadn’t been good enough for him, so she’d forbidden her mind to think about him. Her future was here and now. “Good to hear. I’ll send you a list.”
“My human resources department is supposed to bring Hayden several resumes of people who could potentially help her with the business side of things. I’ll check on that and will personally interview anyone she eventually picks to make sure that the candidate knows how to run a business.”
Natalie nodded once again. “Fine. But make sure that the person doesn’t take over. She doesn’t know how to run a business, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have good instincts about what people want and her customer service is beyond good. People come back to her again and again for that.”
“Agreed.” He took a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “If there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Natalie took the card and stared up at him. “I might not be as powerful as you are, but Hayden was there when I needed her the most. I will be there to take you down if you hurt her.”
Without another word, the woman spun around and walked out.
Viktor watched her walk away with amusement and admiration lingering in his eyes. The woman had spunk, he thought. He liked that. He also appreciated the fact that she was watching out for Hayden.
When the door closed, Viktor turned away to focus back on business. Glancing at his calendar, he noticed that he had a social event. His first thought was to introduce Hayden to his social circle, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He needed to do that slowly. His acquaintances wouldn’t accept her simply as his fiancée. They would only accept her as his wife. They were a brutal, despicable lot of humanity and he wouldn’t subject Hayden to them without the protection of his name.
He dismissed the fact that he was a member of that “despicable lot of humanity” and called his assistant. “Clear my calendar tonight. Call a restaurant and tell them to deliver food to my fiancée’s house. Then inform her that I will be dining with her tonight.”
With that out of the way, Viktor got back to work. It didn’t occur to him that Hayden might already have plans tonight. In his mind, he wanted to see her, so he would. End of story.
Chapter 5
Hayden saw the woman drive up and park, but instinctively, she knew that this woman was not a customer. Her car just…well, it didn’t have any room for plants. Hmmm…perhaps annuals, she thought. But then she saw
the briefcase come out and shook her head. Not a customer. This woman was from Viktor’s office.
Sure enough, the pretty brunette pulled a bag filled with papers out of the back seat of her car, lifted the bag over her shoulder, and took a deep breath. Hayden watched as the woman closed her eyes, muttered something to herself, then nodded her head and opened her eyes.
Hayden almost laughed out loud at the woman who was obviously giving herself a pep talk. Immediately, Hayden liked the woman. She wasn’t brash or arrogant like the others who had come here to “help”. This woman…she was a kindred spirit, Hayden sensed.
“Can I help you?” Hayden asked, walking over to the woman as she pulled her gardening gloves off.
The woman gave Hayden a professional smile, extending her hand. “I’m here from Chenko Industries and I have been instructed to go through resumes of business managers with you.”
Hayden’s eyes widened. “Oh!” That was unexpected. Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t think…”
The woman’s confidence dropped abruptly and she stepped forward. “I tried to call ahead to make an appointment, but I couldn’t get through. I should have called,” she told Hayden, cringing slightly. “Please forgive me for not calling ahead.” She looked down, then back up at Hayden, her pretty, amber eyes pleading gently. “Mr. Chenko sent me specifically, and this is a huge favor, and you don’t know me, but…” she stopped, shaking her head as she briefly closed her eyes. “I’m rambling and interrupting and I’m so sorry.” She stopped and sighed. “If you could just look over the resumes,” she requested, carefully, “I would appreciate it and I’ll be out of your way as fast as possible.”
Hayden’s perception of the woman as a kindred spirit only increased. Smiling, she tossed her gardening gloves onto her work bench and waved the woman towards the house. “Come on inside. Let’s have some tea and talk,” she invited.
The woman visibly relaxed. “I’m Arianna, by the way,” she explained, shifting her heavy briefcase to her other hand as she carefully stepped over the rocks and mud in the plant area. “I work in the HR department. My boss said I had to get you to pick one of the candidates that Mr. Chenko approved of already.”
Hayden stepped through the kitchen doorway and waved to the beat-up old table. “Have a seat.”
The woman sank down into the chair gratefully. “Thanks,” she murmured.
“You don’t like your boss very much, do you?” Hayden turned the burner on under the tea kettle.
Arianna hesitated, but then shrugged her shoulder. “Any experience in Chenko Industries is a coup for a person’s resume. As for the rest of it, I have a job. I’m grateful for that.” She bent down to pull a file folder out of her briefcase. Straightening her shoulders, she put the papers on the table and covered them with her hands. “I’ve found you some wonderful candidates for your business manager’s position. Mr. Chenko has personally reviewed all of them, so any candidate you choose will add a great deal of value to your business,” she explained, sliding the file folder filled with papers across the table. “If you’d like to go over each of them, I’d be happy to help you determine which person might be a good fit.”
Hayden cringed, remembering Viktor’s suggestion that she hire a business manager. He was right, she thought. The man knew business and she was just being silly to avoid getting someone in who could take over the issues she didn’t like to deal with.
She pulled two cups down off of the shelf and sifted through her tea options. “Would you like peppermint? Blueberry? I have some regular that I bought just for Vik…I mean, Mr. Chenko. Which do you prefer?”
Arianna’s face lit up. “I’d love some blueberry, if you have enough.”
Hayden peered over her shoulder at the woman. “Really? You like blueberry herbal tea?”
“Absolutely!” the woman laughed, shrugging one shoulder dismissively. “I’m not a huge coffee drinker.”
Hayden was convinced, she liked the woman. It was silly to determine a friendship based on drink preferences, but there it was. Not to mention, the woman seemed friendly. Nothing like the other people Viktor had sent over, all of whom had been banished from her property. Viktor hadn’t said anything when she’d called and told him that news earlier today, and Hayden suspected that she hadn’t heard the last on that subject, but for the moment, her house was warm and quiet.
“Blueberry it is,” she agreed and plopped tea bags into each cup. “Okay, while the water heats up, why don’t you tell me which of these resumes you think is the best?”
Arianna’s eyes widened, but Hayden suspected that she’d just flattered the other woman. She pulled the file folder back to her and sifted through them, pulling four of them out. “Here, look at these resumes. Two women and two men. I talked to each of them personally and they all seemed friendly and professional.”
Hayden’s eyes skimmed over each person’s qualifications, but they all seemed to be perfectly fine to her. Shaking her head, she laid her hands on top of the papers. “Is there something I should be looking for in a business manager?”
Arianna beamed and Hayden watched as the woman seemed to blossom. A simple question, Hayden thought. Had this woman been abused in some way? Had no one ever asked for her opinion before? Instinctively, Hayden knew that Arianna was extremely smart and perfectly competent. But something had been holding her back. And was there a bit of pain in her eyes? Was it sadness? Or was she simply imagining things just as she’d done when looking into Viktor’s eyes?
“Absolutely. You should be looking for someone with knowledge of profit and loss statements, payroll experience…”
Hayden held up her hands. “But I only have a few employees. Payroll isn’t really a big issue right now.”
Laughter burst from Arianna. “You’re marrying Viktor Chenko, Ms. Ferrant. Your plant nursery is going to grow.” With a delicate shrug of her shoulders, she observed, “Everything Mr. Chenko touches seems to experience exponential growth.”
Hayden grimaced. “My marriage to Mr. Chenko is not a foregone conclusion.” She pushed the papers around again, trying to figure out something to distinguish the various people. “All of these resumes have those qualifications.”
Arianna took a sip of her tea. “I know. That’s why I pulled them from the group my boss pulled together.” She lifted one out of the stack, completely confident now that she was discussing business issues. “Look at this person. Just read through the qualifications and…”
“But none of these people know anything about plants. How are they going to manage a plant business if they don’t even know the difference between…?”
“A perennial and an annual?” Arianna smiled gently, understanding at once.
Hayden smiled weakly. “Exactly. Or an evergreen versus a deciduous tree.”
Arianna put a hand over Hayden’s. “I saw your hydrangeas outside. They’re just about to burst into color. They’re going to be gorgeous.”
Hayden’s eyes narrowed on the other woman, suddenly thinking that it might be better to have this conversation amid the plants instead of inside. “Let’s grab our tea and go outside so we can walk around. I always think better when I’m around plants and in the sunshine.”
Arianna smiled and again, the expression transformed her lovely features. Gone was the sadness Hayden had detected around those soft, golden eyes. It was all energy and enthusiasm now. “Sounds like a wonderful plan.”
The two of them walked through the aisles of plants, talking about the benefits of one versus the other and Hayden asked about pricing. Arianna had some interesting ideas on how to cautiously increase the prices of various plants over the different time periods of the selling season, and even suggested including pumpkins in the fall and Christmas trees in the winter.
Hayden liked that idea. It would expand her revenue over more months. Other nurseries had done that in the past, she knew, but she hadn’t been able to figure out the details. Turning to Arianna, she offered another idea she’d toye
d with over the years. “I’ve always thought about building a small shop that sold local artists’ wares right next to the plants. I guess I like to dream a bit too much, don’t I?” Hayden asked.
Arianna smiled, her gaze sharpening as her mind worked through the details of a retail shop. “I understand that Mr. Chenko wants you to move your operation across the street. I noticed a small access road just a short distance down the road. I don’t know where it would lead to, but that area might be a better option for distribution of that kind of product. You could also mingle some of the artistry into the plants, show them…”
Hayden turned to stare at the woman, already impressed.
“What?” Arianna asked, a worried look coming over her lovely features.
“Why can’t I hire you?”
Arianna’s cheeks flushed with color and she looked down at the gravel beneath her shoes. “Oh, well, I don’t think that I would be a good choice,” she said softly.
“Why not? You know plants, you understand the business world, and you can see my vision. Why can’t I hire you?”
Arianna shook her head. “The other people my boss recommended have degrees from very good colleges.”
“Where is your degree from?”
Arianna blinked, looking out at the rows of plants. “I have a business degree from the community college. I took a lot of night classes and weekends because…”
“What’s wrong with community college?”
Arianna shrugged that delicate shrug again. “Nothing. It’s just that…well,” she stumbled for a moment, looking at Hayden. “The thing is, I’m pretty sure that Mr. Chenko would prefer that you hire someone with better qualifications. Someone more experienced and with a better education. I’m still taking night classes, working on my MBA. I’m still learning.”
Hayden smiled. “You’re working full time for Chenko Industries and taking night classes. I think you’re perfect for the job.” She winked at Arianna. “Just think of all the extra hours you’ll have now that you’ll be working for me versus a tyrant!”
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