Melting Point

by Pierce, Nicolette

“Grandpa hired him. I didn’t have a say in the matter.”

  “Walter gives you the run of the place. Why is he bringing this other fella? Did something change?”

  Something had changed, but it had nothing to do with the office.

  “He thought we needed more help.”

  “You’ve been running yourself ragged.”

  “Yes, but I don’t trust Liam.”

  “Why not?”

  Morgan shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I get. There’s something about him. He’s not the average office drone. Why would he want to work here? There’d be no advancement for him.”

  Papa Bear clapped her on the shoulder, stooping slightly to get a good look into her eyes. “Give him a chance. You don’t know a man unless you’ve walked in his shoes. Just guard what you need to and let everything else fall where it may. Don’t start a war before you know who you’re fighting.”

  It wasn’t a war she was worried about.

  Chapter 2

  Liam followed Piper through the main office, which wasn’t very large. Walter wasn’t lying when he said there wasn’t even a corner for him.

  The two private offices held Walter and Morgan, and the remaining space was a suffocating tangle of shelving and old office equipment. One lone desk sat at the entrance, where a woman nearing retirement sat filing her long red nails that clashed with her orange hair.

  “Have you met Charlene?” Piper asked.

  “Yes,” he answered, steering Piper in the opposite direction. “Show me the shop.”

  “Okay. Let me get you a pair of safety glasses first.”

  “I have my own.” He pulled them from his breast pocket. “Shall we?” His arm extended to the door that was labeled “shop.”

  Piper studied him for a moment and then smiled. “Are you always so prepared?”

  “Why? Do I seem to be?”

  She nodded. “You seem very put together.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “Oh, you should.” She slipped on her glasses. “But coming from me, it’s only a small compliment.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because nearly everyone is more put together than I am.”

  “Why do you think that?” he asked.

  “I’ll let you figure that out on your own,” she said with a pretty smile that dimpled one cheek and lit sparkles into her denim-blue eyes.

  She looked so young to him. She had to be in her early twenties, but her freshness made her seem a mere girl. The honey-colored braid that rested on her shoulder magnified her youth.

  Liam suddenly felt like an old man next to her. He wasn’t. The calendar struck thirty years only last month. It didn’t matter. She was blindingly innocent next to him.

  “You’re nothing like your sister,” he said.

  “Do you mean Morgan? How did you know she was my sister?”

  “It’s easy enough to tell. You both have the same hair and eye color.” Morgan, however, didn’t have the element of innocence wrapped around her like Piper did. He hoped she never lost it. Morgan was like jagged iron edging to the fire. She was too close to the melting point.

  It’d all be over soon. He’d make sure of it.

  “There are three of you, aren’t there?” he asked.

  “Yes, my sister Greer works here too, although she and I work off-site mostly. I’m sure you’ll meet her eventually,” Piper said. “You mustn’t think too badly of Morgan. She can be hardheaded and a bear to work with, but she has a lot on her plate. She’s changed a lot over these last few years. I’m sure once you start, she’ll be able to relax more.”

  “What happened to make her change?”

  Piper bit her lip in thought. Her fingers played with the end of her braid. “Dad died.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “We were all sad, of course, but it wasn’t until Morgan took over the business that she changed. She reminds me of him.”

  “Your dad?”

  Piper nodded. “He was all bluster and steam, barking orders and stomping around. But he never lashed out. He never even fired anyone. It was just his way. All smoke and mirrors.”

  “Why did Morgan take over? Your grandfather is around to run the business.”

  “We all tried to help, but if you haven’t already noticed, she’s a bit territorial. No one was allowed to work in Dad’s office except her.” Piper grinned. “I bet she’s stewing now that you’re going to work in her office too.”

  “You don’t seem too concerned.”

  Piper laughed. “I think I’m going to bring my work to the shop. I don’t want to miss a single moment. Don’t worry.” She patted his arm. “I have a feeling you can fend for yourself.”

  The shop door swung open and a man with a dark-blond, shoulder-length ponytail walked into the office. His hazel eyes scanned the room, briefly flittering on Piper before coming to a halt on Liam.

  “Oh, Van,” Piper chirped. “Have you met Liam? He’s the new manager.”

  “New manager?” Van questioned. “What about Morgan?”

  “They’ll divide the workload,” Piper said. “You know she can’t do it all by herself.”

  “She’s been doing it by herself. Why the change?”

  Piper shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Grandpa. He’s the one who hired Liam.”

  Liam caught Van’s assessing stare.

  “I have to speak with Morgan,” Van said, sidestepping Piper.

  “But, Van—”

  “I’ll talk to you later, baby girl.”

  Piper frowned as Van took off, disappearing through Morgan’s door.

  Liam watched with curiosity as Piper managed to readjust her frown into a smile, though he could tell her teeth were still clenched.

  The way Piper had beamed at Van, he knew she had a crush on him. And the way Van had so casually called her “baby girl” before dismissing her had Liam suspecting it was a one-sided crush.

  But Van and Morgan? He glanced at the office door. Could something be going on between them?

  “How long has Van worked here?”

  “About ten years. He started when he was eighteen.”

  “Do you remember that far back?” he asked, wondering how young she was.

  “Oh, yes,” she said, her smile becoming sincere and not forced as it was moments ago. “He was an apprentice then.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Twelve.”

  Mystery solved, he thought dryly. Van would always see Piper as the previous manager’s twelve-year-old daughter and not the pretty young woman she’d become. But that was a different problem entirely, one that he didn’t have time nor inclination to bother with.

  “Shall we continue the tour?” he asked, already reaching for the door handle.

  Piper led the way through the door. “Do you know much about this shop?”

  “Some.”

  “We mostly weld here, although we have the capability for production. We also do custom blacksmith work. That’s Van’s area of expertise.”

  She walked along the perimeter of the large shop filled with machinery and a dozen or more workers. The noise level was tolerable for this type of work. There was the clanking of metal and the snapping of the welders’ flames, but not enough to cause ear damage if proper safety equipment was used. Even though the shop extended far back, he could see from end to end.

  “You can walk around if you’d like,” Piper said. “Just don’t look into a welder’s flame. I don’t want you going blind on my tour.”

  He smirked. “I’m sure I can keep my eyesight for one tour,” he said, stepping onto the floor.

  Safety was apparent here. Each worker wore protective gear, and safety signs were posted everywhere. It was nearly to the point of ridiculous how many warning signs there were, but he wouldn’t complain about that. He’d rather have an overly safe shop than one that could cause an injury.

  Not that he planned on staying long enough to worry
about injuries. He really needed to stay focused on his primary goal and not how he could improve the company.

  “Who’s the safety coordinator?”

  “Morgan.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” he muttered.

  “What was that?” she asked, leaning in.

  “Nothing. Why don’t we head back to the office? I’m ready to get started.”

  “It’s almost the end of the day,” she said. “Wouldn’t you rather start tomorrow?”

  “Today is as good as any.”

  “Another workaholic,” she said with a sigh.

  “Don’t you like to work?” he asked. “What is it you do here?”

  “I’m the tax deduction.” At his quizzical stare, she smiled wryly. “The only reason I’m on staff is because I’m family and Morgan won’t let me quit. She won’t let Greer quit either.”

  “Are you unhappy here?”

  “No, no. We just have other pursuits, so Morgan has set it up that we can do both.”

  Liam didn’t know whether Morgan was a control freak or a motherly figure in her sisters’ lives. He suspected both. But one thing was clear, this company was held together by Morgan. Which meant that she’d have the information he needed. It also meant she was behind it as well.

  “I’m heading in,” he said. “Are you coming?”

  “No. I have to head out, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Until tomorrow, then.” He breezed through the shop door, stripping off his safety glasses as he headed to his shared office. He stopped short at the door. There was no possible way to step in farther. Morgan, Van, and Papa Bear were all at opposite corners, trapped by an extra desk wedged inside.

  “I don’t think this is going to work,” Morgan said.

  “Not with these old metal clunkers,” Papa Bear said.

  “We’ll have to order a new one,” Morgan said with a sigh.

  Van cocked his head to the side, eyeing the desk. “I think I can make this work. Help me carry it to the shop.”

  “If you haven’t noticed, we’re boxed in,” Papa Bear said.

  Morgan scampered onto her desk, ready to hop her way over when Liam stepped in and lifted the end of the desk, helping to maneuver it out.

  At her scowl, he said, “You don’t have to do everything by yourself. I’m at least capable enough to pick up a desk.”

  Liam should have let her. The desk was a solid heap of metal and weighed a ton. He’d have enjoyed watching her struggle with it, but he knew she’d do it even if she injured herself.

  With pinched lips, she sat at the edge of her desk, allowing the men to huff as they battled the unwieldy monstrosity. Once it was out the door, Papa Bear and Van said they could handle it the rest of the way, leaving Morgan and Liam alone in the office.

  “Looks like we’re back to where we started.” She hopped off the desk and walked across the room to a four-drawer filing cabinet. “These are all the old sales files. Everything current is on the computer. I’ve thought about shredding most of it. I doubt we’d need documents going back to the seventies.”

  “Why have you kept it all this time?” he asked, peering into a drawer she had opened.

  “I guess for the same reason we keep these old desks. They’ve always been here, so here they remain.”

  “Even the staff, it seems.”

  “Especially the staff.”

  Liam studied her for a moment as she lazily poked through the files with a content expression that eased the frown lines from her face. For that brief moment she looked as sweet and innocent as Piper.

  “Charlene ordered you a computer,” she said, reluctantly closing the drawer. Her frown reappeared. “It should be here tomorrow.”

  He nodded and moved away. His steps led him to a family portrait taken a decade ago, if his hunch was correct. He recognized the grandfather immediately, though he had twenty pounds more weight on him then. He recognized two of the three honey-haired sisters, all smiling. And a man who smiled but whose worry lines were permanently etched on his brow must have been the father.

  “You can go home if you’d like,” she said. “There’s not a lot to do without a computer.”

  Liam briefly looked away from the portrait. “Why does Piper think she’s a tax deduction?”

  “Did she tell you that?” Morgan’s eyes widened. At his nod, she sighed. “I wish she wouldn’t say things like that. Grandpa said it once, and now that’s how she sees herself. He said it more as an endearment than anything else, but the truth sticks with a person no matter how it’s said.”

  “How is she a tax deduction?”

  Morgan shifted to lean against the desk. “She’s an artist. Her metal work is superb but only if she’s creating something from imagination. When she’s on the floor, her welds are atrocious. She tends to daydream, and whatever she’s working on becomes nearly impossible to fix. So, she’s a full-time artist, and we donate her work to charities to auction off.”

  “And you write off her wages.”

  “I don’t want to belittle her work, but, yes.”

  They were silent for a moment until Morgan moved to the door, her body language signaling him to leave.

  “Do you have a sales team?” he asked, not budging from his spot.

  She glanced at the clock. “We have one outside salesman. Most of the sales come through referrals.”

  “Do you have someone on-site who handles sales questions?”

  “Charlene can answer most questions. Anything she can’t, she passes off to me.”

  “Basically, you do everything around here,” he said, ignoring the exasperation building inside of him.

  Morgan wasn’t his problem to solve. He only had one job to do. But he did feel a little guilty about baiting her before. It was unprofessional, and he shouldn’t have done it. There was something about her, though, that made him want to test her limits.

  “Morgan?” Van stuck his head in the door. “I have a desk design in mind. Do you want to check it before I start?”

  “Yes.” She followed him out but stopped briefly near Liam. “I’ll see you tomorrow . . . unless you decide the job isn’t for you.”

  The hopefulness in her voice had him stifling a laugh. “I’ll be here.” He smiled as her frown returned.

  Once they were gone, he sat down at her desk and thumbed through the stacks of paper. With any luck, he’d find the information he needed and be gone before she could think of a reason to fire him.

  Chapter 3

  Morgan stalked behind Van as he navigated the shop floor. She was going to throw herself into the project at hand and attempt to forget the many, many problems she was facing.

  Studying Van’s quickly drafted design, she gave a nod of approval. He moved over to his workbench and picked up his face shield and gloves. Morgan took them out of his hands before he could gear up.

  “It’s nearly time to go,” she said. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “I can stay late if you want. I don’t mind.”

  “I mind. Go home. I’m sure you have to doll up for a date.”

  He grinned. “I’d take you out if you ever left this place.”

  Morgan adjusted the shield, propping it on the top of her head and slipped on the gloves. “If Grandpa has his way, I might not have a job much longer.”

  “You know he’s just looking out for you. He’s acting on what we’re all thinking.”

  “And what is it that you’re all thinking?”

  He shook his head with a mischievous smile. “I’m not telling you while you’re working with a torch.”

  “Then it seems as though this conversation is over. Go have fun.” She snapped the shield down.

  It was two hours later that she realized the shop was quiet. Everyone had gone home, leaving her behind. That was typical. It was how she preferred it. She worked better in silence.

  In that silence, she had come up with a plan. In one month, she had to go back. They’d expect her to do another job. />
  She could refuse.

  But she knew what would happen if she did. No, she couldn’t refuse.

  When she’d left Vegas today, she knew something big was about to happen and was powerless to stop it. Whether or not she’d ride out the avalanche or be buried with it was still to be determined.

  Morgan glanced at the design again. It was simple enough, but the desk was so bulky that there were many cuts and welds that needed to be done.

  She slipped off a glove and rubbed the knot forming in her shoulder. Maybe she could come in early tomorrow and finish it.

  “Need help?”

  Morgan turned to find Liam standing behind her. His jacket and tie had been discarded and his sleeves were rolled up to his firm forearms.

  “Why are you still here?” she asked.

  “I’ve been digging through files.” His hands rested on his hips. “I thought I was the only one here. I should’ve known you’d still be working. Is this the old desk?”

  “Yes. I should have it ready in a couple of hours. Did you find anything in the files besides dust?”

  A small smile appeared. “A few paper mites.”

  “I see you survived. I hope they weren’t too rough on you.”

  “I can handle a few bugs.”

  He looked casually charming in his rumpled suit, his dark hair tousled as if he’d run his hand through it several times.

  “Listen,” she said, tossing her gear onto the bench. “I’m sorry for being so abrupt earlier.” It wasn’t his fault he’d been hired. And her welcome was less than civil. “I had just flown in after getting some bad news. I wasn’t expecting to return to my ultimate replacement.”

  “You do realize you’re going to inherit this place?”

  A wry smile tipped the corners of her mouth. “I do. Thank you for reminding me.”

  “Will your sisters inherit as well?”

  “It will be a partnership, but they don’t desire to continue. At least not with mundane office work.” She looked Liam over again, assessing. Maybe he would work out. Maybe this was for the best. If she was rotting in jail, at least Liam could run the business. It wasn’t as if Piper or Greer wanted anything to do with it.

  “Good thing I excel in mundane office work,” he said.