“Oh, Austin,” she croaks as she scoots closer to him and enfolds him into her embrace. “What are you going to do?”
“Well,” he says, “that’s where you come into play. Yes, I hired you as our Office Manager, but I also hired you to help me investigate.”
“Me? How?”
“I’m going to make all staff submit their proposals and budgets to you. When they turn in their final numbers, you can compare those with the vendor’s information. I have a feeling it will either stop or you’ll figure it out.”
“Won’t that take a while?”
“Normally, yes, but we have the school demo tomorrow and the clinic build shortly after; not to mention my sister’s expansion. I’m not going to let anyone mess with one of my sisters. And you’re smart, I have no doubt you’ll figure this out quickly.”
Tears cascade down her cheeks as she tucks herself close to Austin’s body.
“You really do trust me,” she whimpers.
“Of course I do. I truly was lost in the fact that another thing was going on in my company.”
“Do you think the money and the emails are related?”
“Absolutely.”
“Who do you think is behind it? I was going to say Sara because she hates me and saw it as a way to get me out of the company, but now I’m not so sure.”
“I don’t think it’s Sara either. I’ve known her a long time and thought she may want something romantic with me, it’s just not her style. She’s much more theatrical.
“So that leaves Victor and Carl, but after talking to them, I don’t think it’s either one.
“That’s what you’re going to figure out. I believe in you,” Austin responds as he kisses the tip of her nose, melting her heart further.
She snuggles further into him, each touch offering a gift of comfort and solace in the midst of the headache they had both experienced this morning. A knock on the door quickly returns them to their whereabouts.
“Come in.”
Sara walks into Austin’s office, acting as if she owns the place.
“I wanted to let you know that Logan approved the plans I submitted to him this morning and we can go over the details tonight at the meeting.”
“Great, thanks.”
“Also, since the front desk is unmanned I had to answer the phone (which, by the way, is not in my job description) and a Mr. Montgomery was looking for you,” she mentions, malice clearly present in her voice.
“Thank you, Sara. And do remember that everyone is required to answer the phone, even me. It is not solely Nikki’s job and she was in here with me. If you’re unhappy about that, then you know how to leave.”
Sara humphs as her shoulders raise and tighten around her neck in embarrassment. She turns on her amazingly tall heels and walks back from where she came.
Remembering their guest out in the main room, Nikki moves from her place where she’d been resting against Austin, and crosses the floor to stand in the doorway.
“Brooks, you can come join us.”
As he comes closer to her, Brooks leans down and whispers, “Everything alright?”
“Yes, why?”
“That woman looked pretty upset, that’s all.”
“Oh, well, she wasn’t being very nice to me, so Austin stepped in.”
Brooks nods his head in understanding and falls in line behind her to enter the office. They make their way over to the desk and gaze down at the plans Austin is unraveling.
“Brooks, I already had Nikki give it a once-over since she’s worked in the medical field before, but I’d like to get your input in the hopes that you accept the clinic’s pediatrician position.”
Nodding, Brooks looks over the sheet, and Nikki looks up from the papers to find Austin’s gaze pinned to hers from across the table. Heat and desire swarm between them, strong enough to leave Nikki panting in desire. She licks her lips in anticipation, trying to calm her breaths in the hopes that Brooks won’t notice, and she watches as Austin’s eyes transform slowly into black orbs of desire. They remain that way until Brooks breaks through the moment.
“This is good work. Ideal, really.”
Bringing his attention back to the client, Austin turns towards Brooks and says, “Great. Are there any changes or things you would like to see?”
“I don’t know if it’s possible, but is there a way to tap into the pharmacy I see on the front rendering next door? Maybe a breezeway? It would be so much easier if we can send the pharmacy the prescriptions and the patients can walk right over without having to go outdoors.”
Nikki and Austin beam at his suggestion.
“My sister, Everleigh, is actually the pharmacist over at Nelson’s Drug Store. The owner Doc Nelson is retiring, so he’s left her in charge. I’m sure it’s something I can talk with her about. But it’s a great suggestion.”
“Thanks. Let me know what she thinks or if she has any other ideas.”
“Absolutely. It’s still a bit early, but I’m sure we can head over to the location and you can look it over before demolition tomorrow. If you’re around, you are welcome to join, and then we can head over to Angie’s diner for lunch.”
“Sure.”
The two men head out of the office and Nikki follows, stopping at her desk.
“I’ll meet you guys at Angie’s in an hour. I want to get some work done, if that’s ok.”
Austin winks at her and nods his head in approval, then escorts Brooks out of the building.
Nikki watches in awe as the two men exit the room, not sure if Carson could handle another good-looking man added to its rolodex.
WHEN AUSTIN HAD FIRST seen Brooks walk into his office with Nikki sauntering under his draped arm, he had initially seen red. But as he and Brooks had started discussing the new build, Austin had loosened the constraints around his heart…and ego.
As the two large men pile into Austin’s oversized pickup truck, the cab instantly shrinks in size.
It seems to shrink even smaller when Brooks chimes in, saying, “So, you’re the one that knocked up Nikki.”
Before placing the truck in gear, Austin steers his gaze towards Brooks in fury, but relaxes when he sees the grin on Brooks’ face. Realizing he was only joking, Austin shifts the vehicle into drive and they make their way towards the dilapidated school.
As the old brick and mortar building comes into view, Brooks lets loose a low whistle – one that betrays his sense of regretful astonishment. Austin’s gaze focuses on the far left wall. What was once an imposing feature reaching up the full three stories is now a mass of clay and shale on the ground. It recently fell during a late season thunderstorm with winds reaching upwards of 75 miles-an-hour within their valley. Unfortunately, it would actually make demolition more difficult since the structure was not considered completely sound.
“It’s a shame that we couldn’t have used the original building, it was beautiful and dated back to the 1860’s.”
“Tell me a bit about how the town came to be. It’s a good bit away from Asheville or any other heavily populated town.”
As the two men step out of the truck and walk around the large chain link fence that’s been erected around the perimeter of the building, Austin delves into the history of Carson, North Carolina.
“Carson was built as a coal town in 1820. Two brothers, Edward and George Carson, were bankers from Richmond, Virginia and came searching for a plot of land to call their own near the expanding town of Asheville. They found this spot, a two-day journey, and decided to make it home. The men had come with all their treasures and quickly established a Main Street and their homes and business. They were smart business men, after all. They immediately got communication established with both Asheville and Richmond, and people all over were flocking to their new community in search of coal and gemstones.
“Soon the men had a growing community of people coming from all walks of life, all wanting to make Carson home. They invested money from their coal and banking busines
ses, and constructed a school and business fronts. Within twenty years, the town had grown to a population of over a hundred, with its own doctor, teacher, lawyer, police official and bank. The town was established enough to be self-sufficient and more people flocked daily.
“A few of the descendants still reside here, working at the coal mine. And recently, since the plastic manufacturing plant opened up on the edge of the county, we’ve seen a new resurgence of people.
“Let me tell you, Brooks. I have been so busy. Connelly Construction is in high-demand all over the world, and that’s not just me tooting my own horn: I really work to keep my main office here and not in Atlanta, which is where the rest of my employees reside. Carson is my home and now we’re on the map as one of the top wine destinations in the country. It’s a great place to be.”
“Well, if that wasn’t your attempt to sell me on the place, I can’t wait to hear your spiel,” Brooks claims, chuckling as he gazes up at the large edifice.
“I’m not trying to sell you on anything, but just making it known that we’re a very welcoming community.”
Nodding his head, Brooks turns his attention to Nelson’s Pharmacy next door.
“So this is where your sister works?”
“Yep, we’re so proud of her. All of my sisters are smart, but Everleigh, man. She is something else. She graduated high school a year early and did the same in college. She had her freaking Pharmacist license and MBA by the age of twenty-two.”
“Damn,” Brooks sighs. “A PharmD is a hard program.”
“It is. Unfortunately, she tends to intimidate most people. Girl has both beauty and brains. Of course, I’m good with it because it means I don’t need to beat away any of the men that come sniffing around. Did you want to stop in and talk with her about the walkway?”
“Sure.”
The two men hurry towards the sliding glass doors to get out of the biting cold, the wind kicking up significantly as they linger outdoors.
A bell jingles on the door and Austin looks to his left where he finds an eighteen-year-old Tabitha standing at the register.
“Hey, Tabitha,” Austin acknowledges.
The young woman looks up from her magazine on the counter and stares unashamed at him and Brooks, her jaw slack in awe.
“Hi...um…hey, Mr. Connelly.”
“Is my sister here? I wanted to introduce her to someone.”
As Tabitha continues gawking, she manages to shake her head without losing the gum that is so precariously placed at the edge of her mouth.
“Oh, ok. I was hoping to catch her. Do you mind if I head back to the pharmacy and show my friend here, Brooks, something?”
“No?” she responds questioningly.
Shrugging his shoulders, Austin turns towards his companion and smirks before guiding Brooks towards the back of the pharmacy.
Metal gates run from the ceiling to the floor, securing the shelves and counters for the prescription-only medications.
Glancing at his watch, Austin notices that it’s 11am: Everleigh’s typical lunch time since she opens shop early. She tries to make sure she’s available during the average worker’s lunch breaks.
“Sorry she isn’t here. It’s later than I had thought; must have lost track of time. Anyway, you see that window directly beside the counter with the register,” Austin explains, pointing in the direction of the point-of-sale system. When Brooks replies in affirmation, Austin continues, “I’d like to use that opening as the exit point for the walkway. Obviously, we’ll need to talk to Eveleigh to make sure we aren’t breaching any patient information laws – she may have to relocate her register, but since the framing is already in place, I feel it’s our best location.”
“I agree. I can see from here that it would offer a direct line towards the new construction, and we can build our specifications to match the pathway. My only concern would then be security. We may have to contact someone specifically in regards to that. I noticed that you only have a lone police officer and fire chief. I know that Carson is a safe town, but you can never be too careful.”
“I’m on the town counsel and we’d love to add to our departments, but it just isn’t in our funding. Most of the town works on a volunteer basis for the fire department, and let me tell you, the Lady Busy Bees know what’s going on in this town long before anyone else. My father, the fire chief, thinks we’ll have to start hiring soon though; the town won’t be so safe forever. And my dad isn’t going to be able to keep doing this eternally. So, hey, if you know anyone interested, please send them our way.”
They walk back towards the front of the store and wave towards Tabitha on their way out, a rosy blush covering the entirety of the young woman’s face.
“So, what do you think, Brooks? Do you think you could see yourself here?”
“You know what? I didn’t at first. I thought Logan, Avery, and Nikki were crazy to ask me, but now that I’m here, I understand the appeal. You have more going on in your town than most big cities.”
“That’s true. Before you make a decision though, let’s head to Angie’s. If the food doesn’t convince you to stay, then nothing will…and you don’t know food yet.”
Driving from one end of Main Street to the other, six entire blocks of family run businesses, Austin makes sure to point out the essentials. He shows Brooks the bowling alley and movie theater that take up one whole block; the grocery store, tattoo parlor, Wake and Bake bakery, and bank take up the opposing side. Austin makes sure to indicate Horizons, one of two local bars, the other having recently closed down since the owner passed away.
Continuing down the road, Austin gestures towards the fabric store and salon, located beside the small local newspaper office. The courthouse, fire department, and police station need no explanation, as they stand out significantly in the center of the town. At last they pull into the parking lot for Angie’s.
“Only one restaurant?” Brooks inquires.
“Yea, it doesn’t bother me now, but growing up, it was a pain because you didn’t really have anywhere else to take a date - unless of course, you wanted to drive a good ways. Luckily, Angie - the owner – partitioned off a good amount of the space when she expanded. She was always good about keeping things private if we requested. Of course, if you’re looking to wine and dine a date, you’ll have to try some of the wineries. Roman’s just opened up at Mountain Heart Winery and it’s what I would describe as date appropriate. Nikki enjoyed it the other night.”
Lust seeps through Austin’s skin as he recalls his night with Nikki after eating at Roman’s. Jarring his mind clear, he jumps from the car and guides Brooks towards the back of the restaurant where he has already requested a private area.
As Ethel hands Brooks his menu, Austin holds his hand up to show that he won’t be needing one.
“So, you the new doctor everyone’s talking about?” Ethel asks nonchalantly, gazing down at Brooks.
“Um, perhaps,” Brooks begins, then stands from the table, offering his hand in introduction. “Brooks McCafferty, ma’am. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh my,” Ethel sighs.
Even eighty-year old women seem to be affected by the former ball-player. His jealousy fumes momentarily, knowing that Brooks and Nikki have a familiar relationship.
Did they sleep together?
No, Nikki would have said something, or so he hopes. Though admittedly, her track record for omitting things is pretty strong.
As Brooks sits back down in his booth, leaving Ethel flushed and smiling like a school girl, delicate arms come around Austin’s neck and soft lips press against his head.
“Did ya miss me?” the sweet voice resonates in his ear.
Just then, he looks up to find Ethel and Brooks gazing towards the door, while Nikki stands just past the entrance, clutching at her jacket, her knuckles turning white and her eyes wide in disbelief and despair.
NIKKI FINISHED UP HER report early and hoped to snag the booth at Angie’s before the men retur
ned from the work site. But from the window, she had seen Austin’s red truck headed down Main Street and she realized that she had lost that chance.
Oh well.
Nikki finishes reapplying her make-up. She had a bout of nausea earlier after the boys left the office. It had made her eyes watery and the resulting tears had smudged her mascara and eyeliner. The doctor had given her anti-nausea medication to help whenever she felt the queasiness coming on, which was thankfully less frequent than before, but Nikki avoided taking the small, orally disintegrating pill, more than necessary. Today hadn’t left her with any choice but to take it, however, if she planned on working the remainder of the day: otherwise, she would find herself becoming extremely intimate with the porcelain Gods.
Five minutes later, she parks her car in Angie’s parking lot and shivers her way up to the door, clasping the ends of the jacket around her body as the wind whips around the downy material.
Nikki searches the room for Austin and Brooks, but finds Ethel standing stock-still, staring in her direction. It’s then that Nikki notices the petite brunette with her arms wrapped tightly around Austin’s neck.
As if alerted to her presence, Austin spins out of the woman’s embrace and stands from the table, his eyes locked on Nikki’s frightened expression.
The hormones surging through her system override all of Nikki’s attempts at common sense, and she turns from Austin’s gaze and rushes out of the restaurant. Behind her, she can hear Austin’s heavy steps and his deep voice bellowing her name. She all but ignores his attempts at gaining her attention, until he says the one thing he knows will rile her up.
“Stop acting like a child and fight, God dammit!”
“Excuse me?” she gasps, spinning precariously on her heels, anger radiating from her skin so intensely it keeps the bitter cold from piercing through her jacket.
Coming Together: Welcome to Carson, Book Two Page 9
