“Fat chance,” Michelle muttered.
Not wanting to have to defend her brother (mostly because there was no good way to do so), Emily went on. “I had the accountant give me a tour.”
“The accountant?” Michelle asked around a bite of her sandwich.
“Yeah. Catherine Gardner. The place is huge. It’s not just dogs and cats. They have goats and horses and donkeys and some livestock on occasion. I’m going back tomorrow to sit with Catherine and go over some numbers.” She put a forkful of salad into her mouth and looked up as she chewed, only to see her two friends exchange a glance, then look at her with knowing expressions. “What?”
Sandy shook her head. “Oh, nothing. Right, Michelle?”
Michelle nodded with great enthusiasm. “Oh, right. Absolutely right. Nothing at all, except…” One corner of her mouth quirked up and Sandy made the same face.
Emily set her fork down and gave them a look. “Except what?”
With a shrug, Sandy bit into another French fry. “We were just curious what this Catherine might look like.”
Emily poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue and tried hard to smother a grin. She was unsuccessful.
“I knew it,” Sandy announced, pointing a finger at her. Michelle joined in on the not-so-gentle ribbing with her trademark tinkling laughter, which was totally not what people expected from a tall, solidly built black woman.
“Knew what?”
“She’s hot, isn’t she?” Michelle asked, her dark eyes glittering with delight.
Emily made a show of being nonchalant as she answered, “I don’t know. She might be.”
“Yeah,” Sandy said, picking up her last two fries and pointing at Emily with them. “We’ve met you, so…” She let the sentence dangle as she chewed, her eyes holding Emily’s in a stare-down until Emily finally let out a cry and looked away. Sandy held both arms up like she’d just scored a goal. “You can’t out-stare me, Breckenridge. I don’t know why you try.”
Emily shook her head as her laughter subsided and she caught her breath. “I don’t either,” she admitted. When both friends looked expectantly at her, she sighed in defeat. “Okay, okay. Yes, she’s hot. She’s very hot. She’s…I-could-look-at-her-all-day hot. That kind of hot. Stunning. Gorgeous.” Both Michelle and Sandy opened their mouths to speak, but Emily silenced them with a held-up finger. “But,” she said, before either could speak. “This is business. I’m new to this job. I don’t need any distractions. I’m just looking. I promise.”
Michelle said, “Mmhmm,” which made the other two laugh.
“I promise,” Emily said again. “Looking but no touching.”
Sandy glanced at Michelle, a puzzled expression on her face. “Have we heard that before? Because I think we’ve heard that before.”
“Oh, we have most definitely heard that before,” Michelle replied, neither of them looking at Emily.
“All right, Key and Peele. You’re hilarious. I get it.” Emily shook her head and went back to her salad.
“When are you seeing her again?” Sandy asked. “Oh. Wait. Sorry. I meant, when is your next ‘business meeting’ with her?” She made air quotes with her fingers.
“We have a business meeting tomorrow.”
“A business meeting?” Michelle asked. “Or a ‘business meeting?’” She, too, used the air quotes on the second mention.
“I hate both of you right now,” Emily muttered, knowing they were just playing but feeling a little picked on.
Sandy pushed at her shoulder. “Oh, you do not. We’re just messing with you, babe.”
“Well. We are and we’re not.” Michelle’s voice took on a bit of a serious edge and Emily looked up at her. “We’re looking out for you. That’s what we’re doing. You know that.” She held Emily’s gaze until Emily had to nod in agreement.
“You are. I know.” Emily grinned and, to lighten the mood, added, “She hates me anyway, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Well, now I know you’re talking crazy,” Michelle said. “’Cause hating you is not possible.”
“Oh, believe me. It is and she does.” Emily forked a bite of salad into her mouth and chewed while her friends shook their heads in tandem.
“Then she’s an idiot. Why in the world would she hate you?”
Emily squinted as she searched for words. “I think…” She chewed some more, conjuring up an image of Catherine Gardner in her head. “She seems a little…buttoned-up? Straight-laced?”
“Rigid?” Sandy offered.
Emily tilted her head to one side, then the other. “No. I don’t think she’s that bad. But who knows? I’m not sure what it is. She’s just kind of…cool when I’m around.” She pointed a fork at her friends. “I can tell you that I’m pretty sure Clark didn’t help matters.”
Sandy snorted. “Clark rarely helps matters.”
“True statement, right there,” Michelle agreed.
“Just be your charming self, Ems.” Sandy smiled at her and Emily was instantly grateful—for about the billionth time in her life—to have these two women as friends. With a wink, Sandy added, “You’ll wear her down eventually.”
“Ha ha.” Emily gave a shrug. “I hope you’re right, though. We’re going to be working together pretty often. I’d like it to be pleasant, you know?”
“Of course,” Michelle said. “No problem. You just get things started on Tuesday. Right?”
“What things?” Emily asked.
“Winning her over,” Michelle responded with a wide smile and a waggle of her eyebrows.
***
“Ms. Gardner? Your eleven o’clock is here.” Amusement tugged up the corner of Catherine’s mouth as she listened to her intercom. It was obvious that Beverly, the volunteer working the front desk this morning, had worked in a professional office setting for years before she retired. They were casual at Junebug. First-name basis, joking and laughing—easygoing. But Beverly always called her Ms. Gardner and acted in a hugely professional capacity at all times. Occasionally, Catherine wanted to tell her it was okay to lighten up. Most of the time, though, she liked the formality of it.
“I’ll be right out,” she said, grabbing several sheets off the printer on the credenza behind her. The credenza that was actually a rectangular folding table and shook perilously the entire time the printer was printing. Catherine had mentioned to Jessica more than once that she was willing to spend her own money and get some nicer office furniture, but Jessica didn’t want that.
“We can’t look too well-appointed,” she’d explained. “The animals need the money and if we have nice furniture and look too put-together, people will donate less. We’re needy and we need to look like we are.”
She was right. Catherine knew that. But she also believed in working hard and saving money to get something you wanted. It was a lesson she’d learned from her mother as she grew up as the younger of two girls with a single mom. If you wanted something, you worked hard, you saved up, and you went and got it. It was the reason she had a second job, the reason she’d always had a second job.
Pulling on a drawer, she winced as it made a metal-on-metal shriek. “I swear this desk is older than I am,” she muttered, yanking a manila folder from inside, noting that she needed more. She jotted a reminder in her phone to stop at Staples on the way home. There were some things she would buy on her own. What Jessica didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
The printouts tucked into the last new manila folder, Catherine stood and headed out toward the lobby. Her path down the hall gave her a full view of the front desk and, in addition, anybody standing at the front desk. In this case, Emily, who was leaning her forearms on the surface and talking to Regina, the volunteer working with Beverly today.
Catherine didn’t intend to scrutinize her, but that’s exactly what she did, even as she slowed her pace just a bit to accommodate the roaming of her eyes.
Emily seemed to be a pro at blending casual and upper-class attire. Catherine had
learned this in their two previous meetings. Today, she wore black boots that stopped just below her knees. They weren’t cheap. Catherine’s knowledge of shoes told her that. Tucked into the boots were dark jeans, snug, and very complimentary to Emily’s behind. Catherine chewed on her bottom lip as she noticed. On top was a tunic-length sweater with purple and black chevron stripes, the sleeves so long that Emily had the ends of them grasped in each hand as she spoke with Regina. Her dark hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail and what Catherine could only assume was a diamond stud glittered in the exposed ear she could see.
In a nutshell, Emily looked fantastic. Classy, casual, sexy.
Catherine chose to pretend she didn’t think that last descriptor.
Taking a deep breath, she quickened her pace and entered the lobby just as Emily turned to her and caught her gaze, her face brightening noticeably, her smile widening as she gave Catherine a quick up-and-down. To her horror, Catherine felt her face warm, but tried to cover by holding out her hand.
“Ms. Breckenridge.”
Emily rolled her eyes, but continued to grin as she took Catherine’s hand in her own firm, warm grip. “Haven’t we been through this already? I’m Emily. Remember?” She poked herself in the chest. “Emily.” Turning to Regina, she added, “We go way back, me and Cat.”
“To last week,” Regina supplied, and Emily laughed.
“Exactly. You get me, Regina.”
Catherine shook her head and did her best to keep her own amusement at bay as she saw Regina’s face turn pink. Probably much like her own had just done. Emily Breckenridge sure knew how to dole out the compliments. “Let’s sit in the conference room,” she said, holding an arm out toward the proper door.
“Sure.” Emily pulled a leather portfolio from the surface of the lobby desk and walked ahead of Catherine, who did her best to keep her gaze at eye level.
Once in the conference room, it was much easier to focus on the task at hand. They sat side by side and Catherine pulled the printed sheets from the manila folder while Emily did the same from her portfolio. Before sharing them with Emily, Catherine set them on the table and laid her palm flat against them.
Pressing her lips together, she took a moment, then said, “You know, this is new. This sharing of information, the meeting, the overview. I’ve been here for several years and I’ve never once sat down with Clark to go over figures.”
Emily’s eyes were a rich, warm brown, like the baking chocolate Catherine’s grandma used for cake baked from scratch. Her gaze held Catherine’s as Emily nodded. One corner of her mouth lifted in a half-grin as she said simply, “I know. I’m not Clark.”
Immediately chagrined, Catherine felt her entire body flush with heat…and not the good kind. What was it with this woman and her ability to make Catherine blush? Before she could analyze it further or make any attempt at a recovery, Emily closed a hand over her forearm.
“Hey. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. You were merely making an observation. I’m sorry.”
Catherine gave one nod, carefully extricated her arm, and spread the papers out so Emily could see them. She needed to focus on the business of things, not the warmth of Emily’s hand or the pull of her eyes or that damn smile. This was ridiculous, and it needed to stop. Right now. “So, I’ve printed out the figures going back five years…”
Emily watched the shift in Catherine as if she was observing one of those sand art toys. Just a slight tilt and the colors changed, the shapes morphed, and then the entire thing was markedly different than it had just been. Catherine’s demeanor did the same thing. She’d gone from almost friendly straight back to cool businesswoman. Why she couldn’t be both, Emily wasn’t sure, but it was apparently one or the other. Something to work on…
They got down to business, literally, comparing figures, discussing dates, going over the history of the Breckenridge Foundation and Junebug Farms. Before they knew it, almost an hour had passed and both of them gave a little start when the door opened. Jessica Barstow poked her auburn head in and grinned. “Hey there, Emily.”
“Hi, Jessica,” Emily sat back in her chair, happy to have somebody come in and break up the tension in the air. “What’s new?”
“Not much. Catherine said you were coming in to go over past figures?”
Emily gave a nod. “I’m sure it will shock you to hear that my brother did not have a lot of information to pass along to me.” She said it with a purposeful grin, which Jessica returned, but inside, the fact bugged the crap out of her. Clark had acted like little more than a figurehead and she was baffled as to how her parents had let him represent them and the Foundation for so long without calling him out. He knew next to nothing about what the Foundation gave to Junebug, how often, or anything pertinent. She’d gone in fairly blind. “I thought it made sense to go over some details with Catherine here so we’re all on the same page and I can make sure Junebug gets what it needs from us.”
Emily didn’t know Jessica well, but she knew the face of a pleased woman when she saw it. That was Jessica at that moment. Pleased and…impressed, maybe? Good. At least Emily had accomplished that.
“That’s terrific,” Jessica said, then glanced up at the clock on the wall. “You guys headed to lunch after?”
“When we finish up here, that was the plan. Would you care to join us?” Emily was surprised to be struck by the realization that she was only being polite. She wanted Catherine all to herself at lunch, which was not good. (Sandy and Michelle were going to kill her.) Silently, she wished for Jessica to say yes.
Jessica looked from Emily to Catherine, then back. Then at Catherine again. A glance at Catherine told Emily she was studying the numbers on the sheet in front of her. When Emily looked back up, Jessica was nodding. “I’d love to. Just let me take care of a couple things. Be right back.” With a quick wave, she backed out of the room and shut the door with a click. Emily was confused by her own disappointment.
Silence reigned for several beats before she turned to Catherine and asked, “That was okay, wasn’t it? Inviting her? I didn’t even think about it.” And that was the truth. Maybe Catherine and Jessica didn’t get along. Maybe they hated each other. Maybe this would be the most awkward lunch in the history of all lunches.
“Oh, no, it’s fine. It’s good. No problem.” Catherine gave a cool smile and gathered up her papers. “Let me go drop these in my office and get my coat, and we’ll go, okay? Meet you at the front desk.”
Emily stood in the doorway of the conference room and watched her go, watched the gentle sway of her hips as she crossed the lobby and disappeared down the hall to her office. When she looked up, she locked eyes with Jessica, who was coming from a different direction and had—as far as Emily could tell—totally busted her watching Catherine. Doing her best to shake it off, Emily smiled and said to Jessica, “I was thinking Magnolia’s for lunch. Yes?”
***
The best thing about Magnolia’s, in Jessica’s mind, was that they were fast. While she very much enjoyed the chance to spend some time with Emily Breckenridge—pick her brain, plead her case, feel her out—there was also a ton to do back at the shelter. It didn’t take long, though, for her to set aside her time worries and just listen…and also try not to let any surprise show on her face. Emily was kind of brilliant, not to mention creative and seemingly genuine.
“Catherine, what do you think of the fundraisers?” It was the second time Emily had made an attempt to pull Catherine—who had remained fairly silent even while paying attention—into the conversation. Jessica watched Emily as she watched Catherine and wondered if something had happened she didn’t know about.
“Well,” Catherine said, then picked up her napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth. “Obviously, I think they’re necessary. You almost always bring in more money when you have some kind of hook. Like the fashion show.”
“That was amazing,” Emily said with a grin, then took a bite of her sandwich. “Different and fun. Was it worth it?”
Catherine nodded. “It was.”
Jessica added, “We’ll definitely do it on a larger scale in the summer when we can spread it out on the grounds instead of being limited to the lobby.”
“And who came up with the idea?” Emily asked, her eyes on Catherine as if she expected it was her.
“One of our volunteers,” Jessica said. “Ashley.”
Emily pointed with a grin. “The one who keeps losing that adorable little dog that’s in love with Catherine?”
Jessica nodded, noting the slight pink flush of Catherine’s cheeks, the way she didn’t look at Emily. “That’s the one. She was mortified.”
“She was. But the whole incident added a fun element of unpredictability to the event, so…” Emily lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Chalk it up to comic relief.” She glanced at Catherine again as Jessica watched how she seemed to study Catherine’s face, looking for…something.
Interesting.
The rest of the lunch didn’t last long, as both Jessica and Emily checked their watches at the same time, then laughed at the tandem gestures. After some good-natured arguing over the bill, Jessica won out and they all headed back to Junebug. Emily said her good-byes, and if she hadn’t been looking for it, Jessica might have missed the way her eyes lingered on Catherine a bit longer than normal.
She’d say it again: interesting…
***
“That was good, huh?” Jessica posed the question as she held the door open for Catherine.
“Yeah. It was.” Catherine stepped in ahead of her and waved to Maggie Simon in the gift shop as they walked past.
“I like Emily. She seems to get it. I think this is going to be good for the shelter.”
Catherine nodded her agreement, but said nothing. Emily was much more engaged than Clark had ever been. She asked insightful questions and seemed to really listen when Jessica talked about the ins and outs of running Junebug, what they needed most, the pitfalls—all those details. Catherine had been quiet for much of lunch, tossing in her two cents when asked for it, but was honestly still a little stung by Emily’s chastising of her. Again. Still, these were the times when Jessica was in her element and, as always, it had been a pleasure to watch, so Catherine had tried to set her focus there, watched as Jessica’s face lit up, her gestures became animated, and her blue eyes sparkled.
Run To You (Puppy Love Romance Book 2) Page 6
