His eyes darkened and he turned away from her. When he turned back, his voice was thick. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
Her heart melted a little and she fought against it. Yes, a gut-wrenching Lifetime movie moment. Don’t get sucked in. It’s their life, not yours. Jack trotted up to her and collapsed on the ground. Julietta trailed behind him.
“He won’t play anymore.”
“I think you wore him out, honey. And he’s thirsty.”
Sadie reached into her backpack and pulled out a water bottle and bowl. Julietta knelt beside Jack and petted his back while he noisily slurped up water. She looked at Sadie and her lips turned up at the corners. An almost smile that was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
“I like your hair,” she said.
Sadie touched the tangled mass of black curls. She’d put it up in a ponytail, but some tendrils had escaped. “Thank you. I like yours. I wish mine was so straight.”
Julietta reached out and touched one of the tendrils. Sadie had the sudden and unexpected urge to grab her little hand and kiss it. To tell her it would be okay one day.
Julietta moved her gaze from the curl to Sadie’s eyes. Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. “My mom used to curl my hair,” she whispered.
From the corner of her eye, Sadie saw Wyatt’s entire body jerk as if he’d been touched by electricity. Everything else faded away and a buzz filled her ears. She kept her eyes on Julietta’s. This was something. This was important. Tension radiated from Wyatt. Was this the first time Julietta had mentioned her mother? Probably. She was going to completely mess this up. She always said the wrong thing. She took a deep breath.
“Did she curl all of it?”
Julietta looked relieved, which only increased Sadie’s anxiety. It had been a test. She’d mentioned her mother in front of a stranger to see what would happen. She didn’t know whether to acknowledge it or keep talking about curls.
“No.” She touched her temple. “One. Right here. When she was curling her hair in the morning, sometimes she’d give me a curl, too.”
“I bet it was very pretty.”
Julietta’s gaze remained on Sadie’s. The girl wanted her to say something. But what? She was no good at this. What if she said the wrong thing and made her cry? Ruined the progress Wyatt had made? She moved her eyes in a quick glance at him. He dipped his chin in the barest of nods. Keep going, the nod said.
Uh...
“Did you like having the curl?”
Oh, now, what a stupid question. Come on, Sadie. Think.
Julietta nodded. “I miss it sometimes.”
Oh, dear God. She misses her mother. She blinked away the tears stinging her eyes. Think. Her mouth went dry.
“I’ll bet your Uncle Wyatt would be happy to curl it for you if you wanted.”
Jack picked up on her anxiety and leaned against her. His warmth steadied her. Julietta glanced over at Wyatt and back at Sadie as a frown crossed her features. She’d said the wrong thing.
Julietta leaned in closer. “But he’s a boy,” she whispered.
Sadie managed not to laugh, but she couldn’t stop the smile. She caught the girl’s hand in hers. “I know. But you know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think he loves you very much. And I think he’d be willing to learn how to do the curl if it would make you happy. That’s what I think.”
Wyatt took Julietta’s other hand. “This is true, Jujube.”
Julietta glanced between the two of them, her little face serious. “Would you show him how?”
“Sure. Anytime.”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll learn curls.” Wyatt climbed to his feet. “Come on, Jules. It’s way past lunchtime. Tell Ms. Sadie thank-you for letting you play with Jack, and go get your bike.”
“Thank you, Ms. Sadie.” She bent to hug Jack’s neck. “Thank you, Jack.”
As she ran to her bike, Wyatt let out a breath. “Wow. Thank you. That was the first time she’s mentioned her mother.”
“I thought so. Scared the heck out of me. I hope I did all right.”
He took her hand and squeezed. “Perfect. Honestly, thank you.”
A pang of regret plucked at her as he let go of her hand. It had felt good. “Anytime.”
“Come on, Uncle Wyatt. I’m starving!”
“Hold on,” he called back to her. He turned and his gaze met hers. A moment of supercharged heat flared in Sadie. His hand reached out before falling back to his side. A rueful smile turned up one corner of his mouth. “Guess I’ll see you Monday, huh?”
Reality slammed back to her. “Y’all have a great weekend.”
She returned Julietta’s wave and sank back on the ground. She looped an arm around Jack. “Why’s he gotta be so damned nice on top of all that gorgeous, huh, Jackie Boy?”
* * *
NORMALLY, WYATT WOULD pick a spot where he could see the entire room. But the seating had been decided for him. Molly directed him to the same small classroom where he’d taken the personality tests. The building had obviously been a private residence, and Sadie had kept much of the layout intact. Her office and this room had once been bedrooms. There was another room down the same hall and a bathroom between them. A young man sat at the round table in the center of the room, sifting through a folder. There was another folder on the table with his name on the front. The guy looked up as he approached.
“Morning,” Wyatt said as he took his seat.
“Hey. You starting today, too?”
He held out a hand. “Wyatt.”
“Aaron.”
He shook the kid’s hand and opened his own folder. More forms. Great.
“You don’t seem the type.”
Wyatt met his eyes. The kid looked to be all of eighteen. If he was twenty, Wyatt would eat the candles off his next birthday cake. “What do you mean?”
The kid shrugged. “You’re a little older, I guess.”
Wyatt stared at him until the kid’s cheeks showed a little color. He was only thirty-one. Not exactly ready for the nursing home. He gave his own shrug. “I guess.”
“It’s a great gig, though. A couple of my buddies work here.”
“What’s great about it?”
“It’s better than flipping burgers. Pay’s decent. Work’s not bad. And you can rack up some serious tips.”
“Tips?”
That was interesting. He’d have guessed a tip at Christmas would be normal. But tips, plural? What would earn a tip and how often? Was there something going on behind Sadie’s back? Boys would be boys, after all. And a college kid turning down strings-free sex seemed a little much to believe.
“My buddy Noah, he gets tons of tips.”
“What’s he gotta—”
There was a clatter on the hardwood floor and flash of black-and-white fur streaking through the room. The dog jumped to put its paws on the table across from them, tongue falling out of a doggy grin. Wyatt had to smile back.
“This our teacher?” Aaron asked.
The dog let out a playful yip.
“Jack!”
The dog dropped to all fours as Sadie came in. She frowned at Jack, whose tail wagged hard enough to shake the entire back end of his body. Sadie pointed out the door.
“Bed!”
Wyatt brought a hand up to cover his smile. She was sexy as sin. She wore that wildly curly black hair loose this morning, and he wondered how it would feel in his hands. Those full pink lips formed an irritated pout and made him want to make them smile again. She’d never have to order him to bed, that was a fact. She was dressed in jeans and a white Cleaning Crew T-shirt. The uniform looked much better on her. Especially the jeans. Especially her ass in those jeans. He shifted in the chair and dropped his gaz
e to the dog. Walking slowly out of the room with his nose pointed at the floor, he was a canine con artist of the finest sort.
“Good morning. Sorry about that,” she said. She took the seat across from them.
While she seemed perfectly composed with a smile lingering on her lips and her hands folded on the table, Wyatt could see the pulse point at the base of her throat fluttering. Why the nerves? Her hands were clasped tightly and her entire body was taut. Her gaze met his and a faint pink stain touched her cheeks, so he concentrated on the folder in front of him. Was he making her nervous? Why? Did she suspect something? Was he not acting his part well enough?
Maybe you should stop drooling over her. That might be what she’s picking up on.
“Today, we’ll go over the information in the packets. Most of it has to do with policy and procedures. Pretty dry stuff. Since there’s only the two of you, I hope we can get through it quickly. I’ll give you a tour. Then I’ll introduce you to your preceptors. You’ll spend at least two weeks with them—more if you or your preceptor thinks you need it—then you’ll be assigned to a partner. You’ll be on probation for three months.”
She rolled her eyes in Aaron’s direction and gave him a skeptical look. “But since Noah recommended you, I should keep you on probation for a year or so.”
Aaron laughed and so Wyatt did, making note of the name. Was Noah actually a troublemaker? As much as he disliked Marcus, he was a professional. He’d do a thorough investigation. Even if he was sure Sadie wasn’t the madam of a male prostitution ring, he had to make sure the guys weren’t supplementing their incomes with some hanky-panky. Which meant he was going to be hanging around for a while.
The morning passed slowly. There was no way to make going over policy and procedure interesting. Wyatt amused himself by watching Sadie. She had a snarky, sarcastic sense of humor she tried to keep hidden, but it slipped out in unguarded moments. Several times he’d made her laugh and had been rewarded with a conspiratorial smile. He found himself looking for ways to earn more of them.
“Okay,” Sadie said after they’d gone over how to sign up for their free Planet Fitness membership. She tilted her phone to look at the time. “I’m getting hoarse, and it’s close enough to lunch. Let’s take a break. Meet back here at twelve-thirty.”
Wyatt walked the few blocks and risked his life crossing Savannah Highway to have lunch at Gene’s Haufbrau. The Avondale burger with bacon, pimento cheese and a fried green tomato was worth the risk. While eating, he tried to devise a game plan. Whoever he was put with for initial training would most likely be someone who’d been there a long time. And he was sure the partner he’d be assigned to would be experienced, also. He’d have to gain their trust enough for them to talk freely around him. The age thing might be a problem. While it wasn’t a problem for Sadie, these college kids were looking at him like some sort of relic and it might make them reluctant to let him in on their secrets. If there are any. He dumped his trash and headed back.
The door was unlocked but Molly wasn’t at the receptionist’s desk when he let himself in. He almost called out when a small sound stopped him. He took a few quiet steps toward the hall. Funny how quickly the stealth came back. How familiar the feeling of adrenaline flooding the system, enhancing sight and hearing. A sense of dread drifted through him when he saw Jack sitting quietly in the hall. The dog turned his head toward Wyatt and let out a low whine. Before he could say anything, the dog stood and padded quietly into the room.
Wyatt froze and listened. Another whine from Jack, then the shuffle of feet and a sniff. Then Sadie’s voice.
“No, Lena. I’m okay. It’s just that I was hoping for...” A sigh drifted through the room. “I don’t know what I was hoping for. Not this.”
Silence again. She must be on the phone. He stepped into the hallway.
“I understand. I know it’s the right thing. I wish there was another way.”
More silence. Wyatt frowned, trying to put together the pieces of conversation. It certainly didn’t sound like anything criminal.
“I’m okay. Yes. That sounds good. Tell everyone I love them.”
Personal call. What did you expect? To overhear her booking one of the guys for a sex act? Plans for a drug buy? “Hello?” He stepped into the kitchen and spotted her leaning against the counter. He was suddenly, absurdly unsure of what to call her. Sadie? She was about his age, but also was now his boss. Miss Martin? Ms. Martin? “Hey, you okay?”
She spun around, clearly startled. Her hands wiped across her face and she cleared her throat. “Sure. Wow. It’s been an hour already?” She turned to the sink, filled a glass of water and took a long sip.
“Bad habit I picked up in the military. Being early.”
He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. Her eyes were pink rimmed and her lower lip still wanted to quiver. He had no idea what to do. She was ignoring the tears. Should he? Maybe it was nothing. The call was clearly personal. But he was here for a reason.
* * *
CRAP. SADIE PUT the glass in the sink and turned away from Wyatt’s appraising eyes. I can’t believe I let him walk up on me.
Losing your touch, Sadie girl. Getting soft and stupid.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Again.
“Sure. Got some news I didn’t want to hear. It’s fine. I’m fine.”
She walked out of the kitchen. Fine, ha. What was that old saying? Fine meant fucked-up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. Sounded about right. He followed her. She could sense his gaze on her back and she purposefully straightened her spine and lengthened her stride. Show no weakness. She’d learned the lesson hard and young. By the time she was six, she knew tears and pain were invitations to predators and bullies. In the classroom, she pretended to look for something in a filing cabinet. He perched on the edge of the table, still watching, which was starting to get annoying. Oh, it didn’t bother you this morning when he was getting your jokes and Aaron wasn’t. All that eye contact was causing some serious non-boss-like feelings. She slammed the file shut in disgust.
“Anything I can help with?”
She looked at him. There was a faint look of concerned puzzlement in his expression. Proved how little he knew. She didn’t need help. Ever. “No. I’m going to take Jack for a walk before we get started again.”
Thank God he didn’t follow her this time. She and Jack circled the block and she struggled to get her emotions under control while he watered his favorite plants and sign posts. Lena’s phone call had not been unexpected. She wished it weren’t so soon.
When she and Lena became friends and her family learned Sadie was essentially alone in the world, it had horrified them. So they took her in. They’d reduced her to tears with a surprise birthday party once and refused to let her pull away when their love frightened her. Lena’s grandfather was especially concerned about her and she often found ten-or twenty-dollar bills tucked into her jacket or purse after leaving their home. He was the one she’d let get the closest to her heart.
He had decided to end treatment for his cancer and was going into hospice care. While she knew it was probably for the best—an eighty-three-year-old man should have a peaceful exit from life surrounded by his loved ones, not medical procedure after medical procedure—she didn’t know how to deal with the impending loss. The tools of self-preservation learned in childhood would do her no good now.
Jack bumped his head into her hand as they reached the backyard. She squatted and hugged his stupid, furry neck. He wiggled around and licked at her tears.
“I know, Jackie Boy. I’m a hot mess, huh?”
His doggy grin seemed to agree. But he loved her anyway. She buried her face in his fur. Time to suck it up. We’ll cry about this later. We’ll figure out what to do later. For now, you’ve got a business to run.
She found Wyatt sitting alone in the cla
ssroom. He looked up at her entrance and dropped his gaze immediately. Her stomach dropped almost as suddenly. She could feel the awkwardness in the air. He was being nice. Like a normal person. And you messed up. As usual. She took a deep breath. “Hey. I’m sorry. I got some bad news about someone I’m very close to and was trying to process it.”
“It’s okay. Sorry I intruded on a private moment.”
She sat on the edge of the table and rubbed her hands against the backs of her arms. He tilted his head to look up at her and she got caught up in those warm hazel eyes. The concern was still there. But why? Why would he care? A small frown crinkled the corners of his eyes and the urge to spill out the whole story bubbled up inside her. How she used to pretend Abuelito was her real grandfather and how that little fantasy gave her something to hold on to in the seemingly bottomless free fall of her life. How she was terrified to watch him slip away. She was afraid she’d run away and shame herself in front of the family who had done so much for her. Pain and anger and fear rose from her gut to clog her throat with unshed tears.
“Hey,” Wyatt said, reaching for her arm. The frown deepened and his voice was soft, so soft and tender.
She leaped away. Pity. No. Horror at the idea of him feeling sorry for her drowned the pain, at least momentarily. Confusion showed clearly on his face and remorse stung her again. Would she never get this right? Could she not let her walls down?
“Dudes. Sorry I’m late. Traffic is a bear.”
She turned to Aaron with relief. Normally, she would lecture him on punctuality, but he’d saved her from making an even bigger fool of herself, so she forgave him. This time.
CHAPTER SIX
A RUMBLE OF voices greeted Sadie as she stomped down the back stairs from her apartment to the first-floor kitchen. She had enlarged the pantry and turned it into a supply room but had left most of the kitchen intact. It had a stove, sink, fridge. She and Molly had filled the cabinets with garage-sale finds. It was large enough for her to cook up a company dinner every month. She kept the fridge stocked with lunch foods and snacks for the guys. College kids ate constantly, it seemed. All that learning must burn calories. Several of the crew were grouped around the coffeemaker, filling up cups for the Tuesday morning meeting. A burst of raucous laughter exploded from the conference room. When one hires college guys, one endures college-guy humor.
Spying on the Boss Page 4
