“About twelve weeks pregnant?” She let go of her hair. “Thank you. It wasn’t my plan to become an unwed mother, but here I am. I know you must be disappointed that you hired me and I’m springing this now. I’d like to keep my job, if I could. Come back after the baby is born. If that’s okay.”
“I’m sure that could be arranged. If I don’t fire you after tonight because you mess up the tickets.” He grinned. “Just kidding. Like I said, you’ll do fine. I’m sure Patty would be willing to cover for you while you’re on leave. If not, my sister’s done this before. She probably wouldn’t mind leaving the boys with her husband for a few nights to come in.”
“That’s very understanding of you, Dean. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re a modern company with an understanding that a woman can have both a family and a career.” He bit the end of his tongue. He had no idea if they actually had a maternity policy in place. “Can I ask a question?”
“Sure, I guess.”
None of your business, Dean. But it slipped out anyway. “Is this what your confrontation was about in the bar? You told that wannabe cowboy he was about to become a dad?”
Her lower lip trembled, but she drew it in and held it for a few seconds. “He doesn’t want anything to do with this situation. So I’m filing for child support. He’s probably going to demand a DNA test, but I’m willing if it means my son or daughter gets what he or she deserves.”
“If you need help, you let me know. I’ve got friends in the courthouse. We’ll get you what you need. What the baby deserves.” He would’ve offered anyone the help, but London looked as though she really needed the assurance. “We’re family under the Trulove roof.”
“That’s nice. Thank you.”
“So I guess asking you on a date is out of the question.” He blurted it out before he could think. “Seeing as you’re going to be focused on the baby and all.”
She stared. Her mouth opened a little, then she pressed her lips together. “That’s—that’s real sweet of you, Dean, but, yes, I think it’s better if I leave men out of the equation as much as possible for now. Not that I’m not flattered. I am. You’re a good-looking man. You have your own business. Which you should probably focus on. I wouldn’t want to distract you from it.”
Honey, you distracted me from the get-go. He managed to keep his mouth closed. Shut down by that pretty face twice. This was one of those wrong place, wrong time scenarios everyone talked about.
“Sorry.” She lifted the pendant again. “So, is it okay if I come in late next Tuesday?”
“It’s fine. I’ll mark it on the calendar so I don’t forget. Thanks for letting me know in advance.”
She drew in another breath. “If things were different, I would have said yes. I want you to know that.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Huh. That’s nice to hear.”
“It’s the truth. Thanks again. For the pep talk and for permission to miss the morning. So far everyone has been nice and things are going good. I really do want to keep this job.” She started to rise. “I’ll see you later.”
“What was it about him?” He shouldn’t ask. Again, her life was none of his business, but how could she have missed that the jerk she’d met in the bar was...well, a jerk?
“Stupidity.” She settled back in the chair, shrugged and gave him a sad smile. “You hear a lot of stories about women being attracted to bad boys. I knew better, but I let it happen anyway. It’s my own fault. I’m adult enough to admit it. To handle the consequences.”
“It’s a big step.” Plenty of his friends had children and he adored his nephews, but he hadn’t been in a committed relationship in almost a year. Hadn’t really thought about children with his last girlfriend. They’d been serious about birth control.
“You have no idea. I’m scared to death.” She folded her hands in her lap. Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed them together. “It’ll be hard, but worth it, I think. Sometimes my mind churns so fast over it all , I have to laugh because I have to many feelings, it seems like my thoughts will explode.”
She was frightened, but happy. Happy pretty much trumped everything else. “You’ll do fine. You’re bright and Patty’s pleased with your progress so far. You have an income, a place to take the baby at night, friends. Family?”
“Family.” She lowered her gaze. “Not so much. I don’t really want to get into it right now, Dean. But thanks for letting me talk to you. For understanding. I was nervous about talking to your dad. I don’t know if he would have been so nice.”
Dean rested his elbows on the desk. “He would never turn away anyone who needed help. Not that it’s a pity thing. We genuinely care about our staff.”
“I see that. Guess I got lucky when Patty mentioned the opening here. I’m sure she’ll be missed, but I’m glad I can step in for her.”
His cell phone dinged. “Me too. I have to answer this. It’s Juan. Have you eaten supper yet?”
London shook her head. Her ponytail bounced. “I was thinking about a salad.”
He grimaced. “You have to do better than that. There’s a place in town that sells the best fried chicken.”
“Honeybee’s?” She grinned. “It’s tempting.”
“Tell you what.” He rose from his seat, then pulled his wallet from his pocket. “Get me the three-piece meal and get whatever you want. We can squeeze it in before the auction starts.”
“Oh, no.” She held up her hands. “I can pay for my own supper.”
“Don’t say I never tried to be chivalrous. Pay for your own, but take my money to pay for mine.” He waved a twenty dollar bill at her. “See you in a while?”
She took the bill. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
* * * *
Even in a small town like Swells, after school and after work traffic made navigating the streets a chore. London fought the urge to honk her horn at slow-moving vehicles in her way. It seemed like half of them—mostly the dualies and pickups with hay bale beds—were headed toward Trulove Cattle Company. They didn’t know her boss was waiting for his supper, probably impatient for her to come back.
She zipped into the auction house parking lot, grabbed the plastic sacks containing food, then darted inside the building. Probably twenty men and women milled about, some standing in line for the cantina, others drinking coffee and chatting.
She ignored the appreciative looks at her legs, bared by the khaki skirt she’d chosen to wear today, and pushed her way through the crowd. When she got to Dean’s office, the door was shut. The sack swung back and forth as she knocked. She didn’t dare try to dig out her phone and see how long it had taken her to get back here. How close was auction time? Her stomach fluttered. If things got busy fast, she’d wasted the trip into town.
“Need a hand?”
Dean’s deep voice sent a ripple down her spine. She faced him. “Am I late?”
“Not at all. This is a typical evening on auction night.” He dug a key out of his pocket, then used it to unlock the door. “Did you make it all right?”
“It was busy. The line was longer than I guessed. I’m sorry for taking so long.”
He held the door open as she passed through, then closed it behind him. “Take a breath, London. There’s nothing to be sorry about. We’ve got plenty of time.”
She glanced at the clock over his desk. “I thought twenty, twenty-five minutes at most, but thirty-five. You’ve got to be starving.”
“You always this nervous or is it a special occasion?” He settled into the chair behind his desk.
London puffed out a breath. “It’s my second day at work.”
“So special occasion. It’s fine. Draw up a chair, dig in, then we’ll handle the rest as it comes.” He unknotted the handle of a plastic sack, then pulled out the plastic container. “This mine?”
“I think so. Fork?” She passed him plastic ware. Her stomach jumped. “I forgot drinks. I never even thought to ask
.”
“No sweat.” He reached beneath his desk. “Water? Something carbonated?”
“Water is good. You have a fridge under your desk?”
“Because I’m too lazy to go to the cantina.” He brought out a water bottle and a Coke. “Where’d you work last?”
He had to ask. She tried not to grimace as she pulled the top off her plate. “Rolling Water Casino. I served drinks.” In short-shorts, a faux leather bustier and black fishnets. Not the most glamorous job in creation. The smoke had almost killed her. Night after night in high heels rubbed the worst blisters and callouses on her feet. She’d had her ass pinched more times than she could count.
He buttered a biscuit. “They didn’t tolerate tardiness too well, I take it.”
“Not in the least. I was supposed to get a half-hour for lunch, but the manager wanted us back about five minutes early. I learned to eat everything in a hurry.”
“Don’t rush. It makes me nervous.” He sprinkled a packet of salt across his meal. “Honeybee’s is meant to be savored, not gobbled.”
She tapped her fork against the plate. “Sorry.”
“So the beverage service industry disappointed you. What do you hope to get out of working for an auction company?” He sank his fork into a steaming mound of mashed potatoes smothered in cream gravy. Then he hauled the dripping prize into his mouth.
The mouth that put on an easy smile despite the worry he must surely be feeling over taking his father’s position. The mouth that looked entirely kissable...if she was someone else.
His question made her uncomfortable. It was easy to say she was only working for the check. Obviously she needed money to live, but serving up a sarcastic answer wasn’t the way to win favors with the boss. “I want to provide for my baby.” The words felt strange. Ever since she’d taken the pregnancy test, she’d been trying to adjust to the notion that it wouldn’t just be her in the cramped apartment near the bar. “I’ve got to do better for him or her than just scrub by. The pay here exceeds what I expected. What most people pay for secretarial work to a woman who doesn’t have anything more than a high school diploma and a few credits at the junior college.”
“What would you rather do?” He tore chicken off the bone with his fingers and his fork, but didn’t look at her.
She’d been about to butter her own biscuit, but the question made her squirm. “I’m sure I’ll be happy enough here.”
“I don’t mean anything by it. Just trying to figure out what makes you tick. You must’ve wanted to do something besides be a secretary and cashier.”
London shrugged. “I wasn’t born a trust fund baby, so I always knew I’d have to work until I died. I’ll take about any job that isn’t totally degrading. No plans to be a doctor or a lawyer. I’m not too good with my hands, so nail tech or hair dresser is out. Same with electronics or mechanics. I can change a lightbulb or put a new flapper in the toilet, but otherwise, no thanks. I just roll with the flow.”
“Did you plan to be a wife? A mother?”
She picked up the biscuit, then parted it. “I guess. Someday. I told you earlier about Billy. Well, I have a history of picking the wrong guy. So it’s single motherhood. I can do it.” She was sure of it. Her baby’s father might be a complete loser, but she’d do everything right. Or do her best trying. “You always knew you’d take over here, huh?”
“Yep, It’s my lot, literally and figuratively.” His charming smile made the fluorescent lights seem dim. “I’m satisfied with it. This place makes me happy.”
“What about family?” She all but stuffed the biscuit into her mouth. The sticky sweet taste of honey butter rolled over her tongue, melting into the salty goodness of the biscuit.
“Someday. Trolling bars is probably not the first place I’d look for the future Mrs. Trulove, but there was something about you that made me itch. You didn’t look like you belonged there.”
The biscuit hung in her throat. She took a drink of water to force it down. How wrong he was. “I was practically born in a bar.” Not her proudest admission. “My mom liked bad boys as much as I do—did.”
His brow rose a fraction. “Oh.”
She wiped her mouth. “Yeah. It’s not something I like to discuss a lot. My family life was probably a lot different from yours.”
“Sounds like. But I hear a note of scorn in your voice.”
“I sure didn’t plan to end up like her. She lived off what men gave her. The first several years of my life, we moved around quite a bit. Then the state stepped in and I became a foster kid. I should’ve put my nose to the books and decided to use my free public education, but I wasted that chance. I toed the line, graduated, and went out on my own. I do okay, I certainly get by, and now here I am.” Not making money on her back, not addicted to drugs, not an alcoholic. Better off than a lot of people.
“Doing better than some.” His words echoed her thoughts. “I’m happy you’re happy with the pay and the hours. Glad we could help.”
“Me too. Assuming—”
“I don’t fire you tonight.” He grinned as he finished her words. “I doubt that’s going to be the case.” He went back to his meal, quiet, as though contemplating something. Maybe their conversation, maybe his position in the company.
She used the opportunity to eat as quickly as she could. Patty was likely wondering where she’d gone. “I’ve got to get back to Patty.”
He seemed startled. “Yeah, you’d better. She’ll be opening the office to assign numbers any time now. Thanks for bringing me supper.”
“Any time. Want me to throw anything out in the kitchen before I head off?”
He gathered up his trash on the plate, then stuffed it into the plastic sack. “Thanks.”
Their fingers brushed as she took it from him. Her heart thumped. He might be Prince Charming in a cowboy hat, but she wasn’t Cinderella by any means.
“See you later, Dean.”
One touch, a few smiles, good conversation, that was all they could share. She wasn’t foolish enough to let herself dream about more.
CHAPTER FOUR
London had run back and forth all night, taking the bid slips. She’d run through Dean’s dreams all night too. He liked her. A lot. She was spunky and determined, but maybe a little lost. Her upbringing lent a lot to the uncertainty she displayed around him. A string of jobs that didn’t suit her did too. She continually apologized for the mistakes she made. And if he guessed, the last boyfriend had really shattered what she’d intended to make of her life. He’d like to find Billy Wishall and knock the tar out of him. First for throwing London’s news in her face and second for treating London like she didn’t matter.
He showered and shaved, puzzling over her predicament. Yesterday, he’d meant to go over their policy about maternity leave, then he’d gotten busy. It would have to be today. He’d make it a priority as soon as he got in.
His cell phone rang. The familiar jangle let him know it was his mom. He touched the screen to answer. “Hey, Mom. Everything all right?”
“Hi, baby. Everything is fine. I was calling to see how you thought it went last night. Wish I could have been there.”
She had a smile in her voice, but she always did. Clara seldom let bad news get her down when others were around.
“It was good. Busy. We like that.” So busy, he hadn’t said more than a word or two to London. But she’d looked pretty—and nervous—as she trotted back and forth from the booth to the office.
“Your dad was as restless as a cat with new kittens. We were watching that...what’s it called? Downton Abbey on the DVD. He might as well have been on the moon for as much as he saw of it.” A hint of annoyance crept into her tone. One did not interrupt Clara while her shows were on, even if she did have the ability to rewind if she missed something.
“Give him time. He’ll settle down. When’s your next check-up?”
“Tuesday. I didn’t call about that. I called to hear about this girl Patty brought in to take her
place. What’s she like?”
Tuesday. The same day as London’s doctor’s appointment. They’d be at the same hospital. The town only had a little one and unless serious medical treatment was needed, everyone went to Swells General. His mother’s surgery would be done in Tulsa.
“Dean?”
“Sorry. My brain must’ve wandered off. Her name is London. She’s...nice.” He wanted to say she was sexy as hell, but his mother wouldn’t appreciate the comment.
“Nice? That’s it?”
“She did a good job last night. She’ll be an asset to the company. Dad has nothing to worry about.”
“But what’s she like? As a person. I know Patty likes her, but how do you feel about it?”
“Mom, I barely know her.” But imagined her shapely legs wrapped around him. Her mouth against his. The soft brush of breasts against his chest. He was getting turned on. Not the thing that needed to happen while on the phone with his mother.
“Patty said you had supper with her last night.”
Oh, crap. “She brought Honeybee’s. We sat in the office with the door open, mind you, and talked a little. It’s not like we’re getting married. I’m not hiding any big secrets here.” Except that the newest employee of Trulove Cattle Company had a baby on the way. But that was London’s business. “She’s nervous, but cute. Pretty.”
“Single?”
“Yes, not that it matters. She used to be a server at a casino. She’s not in touch with her family much. I’m not sure what else to tell you.”
“Patty says she goes to church regularly. That’s good.”
“I guess.” A subtle insinuation that he ought to go a little more often and sit beside his parents like he had when he was a boy.
“I’m glad it went smoothly for you.”
“Always does.”
“You could ask her over for supper one night. Everyone likes a home cooked meal.” Clara’s suggestion went deeper than that. It was practically a demand.
“Mom…”
“I brought you up to be a gentleman, didn’t I?”
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