by Rachel Hauck
“Okay, but Dad needs to drop me home first.”
Tim winced. “He already left. Mom wanted to stop by the drugstore to pick up his medication.”
“Then you’ll have to take me, big brother.” Taylor popped him on the arm.
Will blurted, “I’ll take you.”
Tim grinned. “Thanks, Will. See you later, Taylor.” And he was gone.
Will jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “My truck is on this side.”
Taylor picked up her Bible and journal. “How convenient for you. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you fixed this.” She walked toward the foyer. “I need my coat.”
“I’ll drive around front to pick you up.”
She started down the aisle. Will turned toward the side door as Grandma came up behind him. “Remember my advice now—from the other night.”
Will smiled down at her. “I will.”
Taylor talked to herself. “Just be cool. Don’t agree to anything. No dinners or walks in the park. Just thank Will for the ride home and say, ‘See you tomorrow.’”
Taylor hopped inside the warm cab of Will’s truck. She chuckled softly as she thought of Jordan’s heat-deprived car Friday night.
“Did I miss something?” Will asked, waving to Bobby, Elle, and the kids as they passed in front of the truck.
Taylor waved, too, then said, “Jordan’s car doesn’t have heat. We were so cold that night.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“He’s sweet.” But he wasn’t Will.
Will turned south out of the church parking lot, the afternoon sun burning bright and warm through the windshield. Patches of grass showed along the road as the warm sun melted the snow.
“Beautiful day,” she said without really thinking. The words simply flowed from her heart.
“You’re beautiful.”
She looked at him. “Stop—”
He turned onto Main. “I mean it, Taylor.”
She stared ahead, letting his words sink in, allowing herself to enjoy the compliment—for a moment. Then she asked, “What about Mia?”
“I told you we’re friends.” Will looked over. “I ran into her at Sinclair’s Friday night. She insisted I go with her to Peri’s for coffee. I couldn’t say no without being rude.”
Taylor nodded. “I see.”
As he neared the Hansons’, he asked, “Are you sure you aren’t hungry?”
“Well, maybe a little. I told Tim I wasn’t hungry partly because I am watching my spending. I didn’t want to splurge on a big lunch I don’t really need.”
Taylor knew when she left New York it would be tight, but she’d planned to have a job long before now. The offer from Will to work at Lambert’s Furniture came just in time. She might not have to sell her new BMW.
Will pulled into the Hansons’ driveway. He shifted the transmission into PARK and turned to Taylor. “How about a little basketball?”
“What? No.”
“It’s a beautiful day, the snow’s melting, and I need a little exercise.”
Taylor reached for the door handle. “No thanks.”
“Win or lose, I buy lunch.” Will regarded her with his deep-set blue eyes, his arm propped on the steering wheel.
“No.”
He touched her arm. “One-on-one. Milo Park. Burgers at Sam’s afterward.”
Taylor’s lips formed the word no, but her stomach lurched when she pictured one of Sam’s burgers. “I don’t know … “
“Stick-in-the-mud.” He winked and laughed.
“Stick-in-the-mud?” She jerked the door open and stepped out.
“Heard it from Mia. She called me a stick-in-the-mud when I hesitated about going for coffee with her.”
“I always thought more of you, Will. A little name-calling never seemed to move you before.”
His gaze intent on her, he asked one more time, “Milo Park in a half hour? I need to change.”
“You’re on.” Taylor stepped the rest of the way out of the truck and slammed the door shut.
Walking up to the house, she muttered to herself, “Right, Taylor. Say no. Just tell him thanks for the ride and see you tomorrow.”
Sam’s was quiet on Sunday night, so when Taylor and Will entered, they had their pick of booth or table.
“Any one you want, Will,” Sam called to him. “How are you, Taylor?”
“Fine, thank you, Sam.”
Will led the way to a table by the fireplace. “I never get to sit here; these tables are always taken or reserved.”
Janet came up behind them. “Evening. What would you two like to drink?”
“Diet soda and a large water for me,” Taylor said, draping her coat over the back of a chair. “Same for me, Janet.”
Taylor sat down and regarded him. His cheeks were red from playing ball, and his hair stood on end where he’d combed it with his fingers. “You were one terrible basketball player today.”
He laughed. “I had lead feet this afternoon.”
“Thanks for talking me into it. It was fun.”
Janet set their drinks down and pulled out her order pad. “Do you know what you want?”
Will looked at Taylor and ordered for both of them. “Cheeseburgers—”
“With the works,” Taylor added.
Will nodded. “And fries.”
“Extra fries.”
Janet lowered her pen and pad. “Are you starving, Taylor?”
“Yes.”
“Anything else?” Will asked.
“Side salad for me. Light dressing on the side. No croutons.”
Janet snickered as she walked away.
“Have to watch my calories,” Taylor said to Will.
He shook his head, laughing with an echo of pleasure. “You amaze me, Taylor.”
She fiddled with her straw wrapper. “How so?”
“You have your own way of living life. You go for your dreams. You understand God’s grace—”
“But you understand His peace.”
“I do. But it’s been a lot of years pursing peace to be able to abide in it.”
“I can’t remember the last time I abided in peace.”
“This morning, at church.”
Tears stung her eyes. “For a moment, yes.”
“Life’s been difficult the past month, Taylor. Give yourself a break.”
“The past month? Will, my life has been one big anxiety attack for years. Fighting to advance my career, working eighty-hour weeks … Dating so-called Christian men whose morals are no different than most non-Christian men’s. Worried about money. Worried about friends, worried about gray hairs and wrinkles and the world coming to an end.”
Will sat back. “The world coming to an end?”
“Once I get into a worry cycle, it’s hard to stop.” She snickered.
“Memorizing and applying Scripture changed life for me. Grandpa and Grandma taught me about living a life of peace—about being a man of peace.”
“That’s what I admire about you, Will. You are so peaceful.”
“I’ve had to work at it—change my thinking.”
Janet set down Taylor’s salad. Sam tossed another log on the fire. “Temperature’s dropping,” he said.
Taylor picked up her silverware. “I could use a few lessons.”
“I could teach you. Pray with you.”
She smiled. “I’d rather not, Will.”
“Why not?” He couldn’t let her comment go.
She looked him square in the eye. “You know why.”
“Tell me.”
She sighed, her fork loose in her hand. “I’ll fall in love with you.”
“Then we’re even.”
thirteen
By Friday noon, Taylor and Markie had mapped out their work flow and created a project plan that started with the day they purchased the new system to “go live.”
Happy with the plan and the demo HBS gave them earlier in the week, Taylor recommended Lambert’s Furniture purchase HBS for t
heir accounting, timekeeping, and inventory system.
“Knock, knock.” Will smiled and held up the papers in his hand. Harry followed, his tail wagging.
“Come in.” She returned his smile, remembering her Monday morning promise to lighten up with Will yet maintain a safe distance. She had concluded that playing the gruff, once-rejected woman didn’t fit her character or God’s.
But it took until Thursday evening to stop daydreaming about their Sunday afternoon basketball game and eating burgers afterward at Sam’s in front of the fire.
They’d had a great time that day. Being in Will’s company always felt like coming home at the end of a hard day: peaceful, warm, and sheltered.
She drew a deep breath. “Did you sign the HBS deal?”
Will walked over to the fireplace and turned on the gas. “It’s always colder on this side of the building.” Harry sniffed Taylor’s leg then passed by to curl up by the stone hearth.
“That’s why I wear a parka and drink ten cups of coffee.”
He laughed and handed her a copy of the contract. “You are an excellent negotiator. The salesman couldn’t stop telling us how amazing you were.”
“Let’s see if he put in my last request for changes to the terms and conditions.” She skimmed the contract down to the fine print. “Yep, he did.”
“If you wanted a job with HBS, Taylor, you could probably get one.”
She snapped her head up. “What?”
“He asked about you. I told him that you were only consulting.”
“Thank you, but I know some things about HBS internally. Not my cup of tea. They make a great product, but I wouldn’t want to be on the inside.”
He nodded.
“Thank you, anyway, again.” She looked down when their eyes met.
“You’re welcome,” Will said then left.
Taking her wide desk chair, Taylor felt disappointed with the simple, straightforward business conversation she’d just had with Will. Was she crazy or did she really want him to pursue her? Never mind her continuous song of “I’m not available”?
Her phone rang just as she reaffirmed, again, that falling in love with Will did not fit her agenda. “Taylor, it’s Indiana.” She smiled. “I was going to call you.”
“I have a job lead for you.”
She stood, shooting her chair across the hardwood floor. “Really? Where? What?”
“Boswell Global in Sacramento is looking for a CFO.”
“You’re kidding.” Boswell Global was a hot new dot-com company.
“A friend, Alex Cranston, is their human resource director. We were talking, and he wanted to know if I knew any qualified financial officer candidates.”
Taylor sank toward her seat, which she realized wasn’t there, so she perched on the edge of the desk. “Did you tell him about me?”
“I did. They’re looking for young, chic, savvy executives. You’re perfect for the job.”
“Indiana, that’s incredible,” Taylor said. She asked several questions about the position, jotted down Alex Cranston’s e-mail address, and thanked Indiana one last time.
“I wouldn’t recommend you if I didn’t think you were qualified, Taylor.”
They talked a few more minutes about old job acquaintances and then said good-bye. Taylor felt as if she were flying. She balled her fist and allowed herself one controlled squeal.
By the hearth, Harry lifted his head and whined.
“I’m fine, Harry,” she said, her hand pressed to her forehead. “Lord, I can’t believe You answered my prayer with Boswell Global.”
Without wasting any more time, Taylor launched her e-mail program and composed a warm, but brief letter to Alex Cranston and attached her résumé.
California, get ready to meet Taylor Hanson.
At Peri’s, Will ordered and took a stool at one of the high, round tables. He waved when his grandparents came in holding hands. “What are you young people doing?”
Grandma laughed. “Having lunch. Your grandpa is addicted to Peri’s sweet coffees.”
Grandpa shook Will’s hand. “Hardly fair to call it coffee with so much whipped cream floating on top.”
Will nodded in agreement. “How are things down in the shop?”
“Good. But I’m looking forward to Grant’s return. I retired for a reason, you know.”
Will shook his head. “You volunteered.”
“I did. And I’ve enjoyed it.” Grandpa held Grandma’s chair for her. “But I’m ready to be home with your grandma again and puttering around the basement, working on my own projects.”
“Ethan said Grant will be back after Thanksgiving.”
Grandpa nodded. “He deserves some time off.”
Grandma tapped Will on the hand. “What’s going on with you?”
Will sat in the spare seat across from his grandparents. “We just signed a deal with Hayes Business Systems. Couldn’t have done it without Taylor.”
“What does that mean for the business?” Grandma asked.
Will grinned. “It’s a major software upgrade. We launch our e-business as soon as the installation is done and live. Selling furniture over the Internet … did you ever imagine that, Grandpa?”
Grandpa shook his head. “No, but the Lord is really blessing the business, isn’t He?”
Will nodded. “He amazes me every day. The fact Taylor was available with the talent and experience we needed is a miracle.”
Grandma tapped his hand. “What is going on with you two? Elizabeth and Kavan drove by the park Sunday afternoon and saw you two playing basketball.”
Will laughed. “My cousin, Elizabeth, the romance reporter. Remember when she met Kavan and practically despised falling in love?”
“She’s a changed woman,” Grandma said with a low laugh. “So, how goes the plan to win Taylor? Did you let her beat you in basketball?”
“I’m executing it one day at a time, just like you told me.”
“Will, your order’s up,” Peri called.
Grandma pointed at him. “Don’t let her go this time.”
Will frowned as he stepped over to the counter and picked up his grilled chicken sandwich. “I’ll try not to, Grandma. But she has her own plans.”
“What’s next on the wooing Taylor agenda?” Grandma asked as he took his seat.
Will shrugged. “What should it be?”
Grandma’s expression told him it should be obvious. “Flowers.”
At four o’clock Will walked into Taylor’s office. He gently grabbed her arm and lifted her from her chair.
“Come on,” he said, guiding her toward the door.
“Will, wait. I’m in the middle of something. Where are we going?”
“It’s Friday afternoon. Time to cut out for some fun.”
“I’m having fun working. Markie and I came up with a great plan to move the data from the old system.”
“Good. But it’s quitting time.” He tugged on her arm again.
“You want to tell me what’s up?”
He grinned. “Football.”
She headed back to her desk. “Oh, no. Not me.”
“Lambert’s Furniture needs you.” He bent over her, hands pressed on the arms of her chair. “Ethan challenged Creager Technologies in a touch game, and we can’t lose.”
“Will, I have work to do.” She’d calculated the time it would take to get the office ready for a new system, then change over from the old one, and she needed several more weeks of intense effort. If Boswell hired her, she didn’t want to leave Lambert’s in a bind.
Besides, spending her free time with Will was dangerous to her heart.
“It’s Friday at four, Taylor. Stop and smell the roses.”
“I, um, just don’t want to …” He moved a little closer. She cleared her throat and looked away. “… to fall behind.”
“Next week you can work to your heart’s content. But for now, play football with us. The company needs you.”
Grrr. He was hard
to resist. “I thought Sunday was football day.”
“This is a special game. We have a little friendly sporting rivalry going with the engineering firm.” He reached for her purse and took her hand. “Come on, Taylor. Think of your Lambert’s Furniture coworkers.” He furrowed his brow, apparently attempting to look pitiful.
She broke. “Fine, but that’s the worst pity face I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m new at this.”
She slipped her hand from his and walked with him to the door. “But this is the last time, Will.”
He stopped and faced her. “Why does this have to be the last time?”
She gathered her fortitude, stepped into his personal space, and said, “Because you are dangerous, and I’m not putting my heart on the line.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Well, I am.”
Her heart stopped beating for a second. What? She gathered herself and quipped, “I wouldn’t if I were you. The lifeguard isn’t on duty.”
“I can swim.”
Will was dead serious, and it petrified her. She took her purse from him and headed down the hall. “Give me twenty minutes to go home and change.”
“See you at the park.”
Taylor hurried through the kitchen and up the back staircase to her room.
“Taylor?” her mother called up the stairs. “It’s been a busy day around here for you.”
“Me?” she asked, poking her head around the door.
“Yes, you. Come down.”
“I’m playing football in the park. I need to change and get over there.”
“Oh, Taylor, again? You’re thirty-three. When are you going to start acting like a lady?”
Taylor laughed and looked down the stairs at her mother. “When it becomes as much fun to be a lady as it is to play football.”
Mom’s willowy hand muffled her dainty chortle. “Come down.”
“In a minute.” Taylor changed quickly for football, leaving her jeans and oxford shirt on the floor, her thoughts fractured between a job opportunity thousands of miles away and a handsome quarterback in a little flag football game two miles away.
Taylor bounded down the stairs. “Okay, what’s up?”
“Didn’t you see?” Mom asked.
“See what?” Taylor glanced at her mother’s piquant face.
