She gave him a curious look. “Okay, I just have to ask you. Are you being cautiously serious or guardedly business-minded? Is this you, or maybe a slightly interview-infused-with nervousness you?”
He pulled his sunglasses from his face and she saw the intriguing brown eyes that had been hidden from her view. “Both. Maybe. What’s the difference?” His expression said he really wanted to know. “I’m pretty accustomed to focused business relationships. Successful businesses are built on solid, mutual goals and respect.”
She blinked at him.
“I’m doing the over-serious thing again, aren’t I?”
She simply nodded.
“Ok, actually, where I just came from — the business I just left, the owner my dad — insisted that to make a business relationship work, there had to be a strict level of professionalism. Total separation of personal and professional lives.”
She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in those beautiful brown eyes. “And you believe that, do you?”
“Whether I believe it or not is irrelevant.” He offered her a confident grin. “It’s what I’ve been taught, Miss Holman. This job is important to me, so if I get the chance, I’ll give it my full attention. Now, that doesn’t mean I can’t loosen up a little bit. I sure don’t want a formal workplace.”
He continued, “Other than, of course, to make sure the work is done and done right. I just left a business where it had become all work and absolutely no fun and I sure don’t agree with that philosophy entirely. But it’s not advantageous to either one of us to mix too much business with pleasure. Not if we’re going to do this right. But I do want to, like I said, enjoy what we’re doing.”
They stared at each other for a moment.
She held onto a chuckle. “Okay, I gotta tell you, Jack. That’s not gonna work for me.”
He seemed taken back before letting loose with a deep sigh. “Alright, you got me. I’m a bottom-line kind of guy. But like I said, this position is very important to me.”
“Glad to hear that. About the job being important, that is.” She arched her eyebrows mischievously. “So your business style is no-nonsense, serious and stuffy. No offense.”
“None taken,” he assured her. “But I think you’re misunderstanding. I do think we have to be serious. But, having said that, I don’t want to come across as stuffy. I think I’m more serious-focused. Or at least that’s how I see myself.”
“So if I accidently laugh while I’m being serious-focused, you’re ok with that.”
“Sure. That would be ok.” She almost laughed again when he caught himself. “Oh, you’re good.”
Hailey gave him two thumbs up. “You’re catching on.” She eased into a smile. “We could have fun in spite of yourself, Jack Stinson.”
“Hire me and we’ll see if we can come to a mutual agreement regarding workplace decorum.”
Well, she mused, at least he was trying his hand at her brand of humor.
“Jack, my father believed work should be fun and so do I. We’ve always been successful and good at what we do, and enjoyed every minute of it. You and I could both have some interesting adjustments to make.”
He nodded his agreement. “It could certainly be a disastrous combination.”
“Or,” she countered him with a spark of a daring in her voice, “It could be a match made in Heaven.” Her brain went into scramble mode. “A business match, of course. That’s what we’re talking about. Business.”
Nice recovery, she mentally jabbed herself.
His eyes regarded her for a long moment before his lips broke into a decidedly more comfortable grin. “You do have a way of putting things, Miss Holman. And you’re right. I could use a good dose of loosening up.”
“And ‘some’ people say I could use a good dose of seriousness.” She leaned toward him, lowering her voice. “But I’ve never been good at taking my medicine. If you’re around here long enough, you’ll find that out.” She dug in her jeans pocket and retrieved two silver wrapped chocolate kisses, offering him one.
He declined with a shake of his head. “No, thanks.”
She unwrapped both chocolates and held them to her lips. “Good, more for me.” She popped them both into her mouth with obvious pleasure. Comfort food. “Okay, enough small talk.”
Still chewing, she motioned for him to follow her. By the time they reached the porch steps, she had devoured the candy. “Let’s get on with the interview, Jack. That’ll ease some of your pain.”
“My pain?” He gave her an odd look.
“Another joke. Ha. Ha?” She gave her head a good-natured shake. “We’re gonna have to do something about this serious case of seriousitis.” She stepped onto the first step. “I think you’re just out of practice. Be thankful it’s not terminal.”
He followed a few steps behind. “So you think there’s hope for a hopelessly serious bull-headed workaholic.”
“There’s always hope.” She opened the storm door for him. “Welcome to our home.” She made a sweeping gesture through the open door.
Jack stepped across the porch and stopped before the door. “There’s some beautiful workmanship in this house,” he said, running his hand along the framework of the door.
She nodded in agreement, letting her eyes roam lovingly over the solid wooden porch.
“My dad built this.”
He nodded his approval. “Amazing work. Quality. Rare to find these days.”
“That’s for sure.” She stepped inside the door, still holding it for him. “You won’t find much around here that doesn’t have my dad’s own special touch.”
He moved forward but then turned to take one more look around the porch. “Did your father really build this entire house?”
Hailey nodded proudly. “With help from my uncle and a few old cronies around town. You’ve heard of an old-fashioned barn raising? Well, this home was an old-fashioned house raising. A real community effort. My father had many, many friends.”
“Had?”
“He passed away in October.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” His concern was genuine. He stepped onto the blue flowered rug inside the door. “I was under the impression that he … that this was … a family business.”
“It is. I’m still here,” she stated, letting the storm door close lightly on its own behind them.
“Well, I know, but I mean, are you planning to … ”
“Run the business myself? You bet I am. Hopefully, with your help.” She motioned for him to follow her into the living room.
“I see.” He took slow steady steps behind her steady, energetic ones.
“You seem surprised.” She stopped in front of the sofa and turned to face him. A faint smile tipped the corners of her lips. “Have you been talking to my mother?”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. I suppose it seems strange that I could take on such a huge project, me being a woman and all.”
“No, of course not. I don’t think I have any doubts that you’re very … capable.”
The amused smile faded from her lips and was replaced by a solid, determined grin. “I’m more than capable, Mr. Stinson. My father put a great deal of trust in me with the business while he was alive. I didn’t let him down then, and I don’t intend to let him down now.”
“I’m certain you’re more than able. It’s just that in this world today, a beautiful woman … ” His face turned the deepest shade of tomato and he redirected his comment. “You’re obviously intelligent. But to run your own base station? That’s tough work. I can’t picture it.” He crawfished around the words. “Right now. Yet, I guess.”
“You can probably picture me in the kitchen a lot easier, right?”
“I’m getting into so much trouble here. I didn’t mean to insult you but
that’s about all I’ve done since we started talking. I’ll be honest, in our business my father never hired women in a leadership capacity.” He held up both hands in self-defense. “I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, I’m just saying that’s the way it was. We had admin assistants, and a few worked in the warehouse, but as far as decision making processes were concerned … ”
His somewhat embarrassed voice faded as he seemed to search for the appropriate words. “Not that I agreed, like I said, but my father believed men were captains of the business world. My mom was strictly in charge of household affairs. Entertaining, decorating, things of that nature.”
“And your sisters? Were they banished to the galley as well?” Her eyebrows raised in his direction.
“No sisters. Just me and a younger brother.” More heat rose from his neck to settle in his cheeks. “I know it sounds archaic, but, yes, if I’d had sisters, I’m certain they would have been raised the same way.”
She hoped her face remained friendly yet certain. “That’s a really sad story, Jack. My dad involved me in the business from the very beginning. He taught me that women were just as capable,” she emphasized the word, “as any man. He’d have waited a long time for a son to work with since he ended up with three daughters.” Her steady words ran at him in a wave of determination. “He encouraged me to take my rightful place in the business, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am he did.”
Jack looked as if someone had stuck a sword into the pit of his stomach. “Sometimes that’s something to be thankful for and sometimes it’s not.”
She eyed him with curiosity, and motioned for him to take a seat on the pale pink and white chintz sofa.
This guy had to work out.
Not because his chocolaty brown eyes intrigued her.
Or because of the uncharacteristic way Kisses had taken a liking to him.
Or because she sensed he was a good man, but somewhere inside of him, he was dealing with something really painful. Just like she was.
But mostly, she soundly notified her practical side, because if he didn’t, her mom would bird-dog her every move to keep her from finding another potential employee.
CHAPTER THREE
Jack continued to study the woman standing before him. Something about her was different from anyone he’d ever met. Different in a good way. A really good way.
That would be great, he reminded himself, if he was looking for a woman in his life right now. Which he wasn’t.
He had to get his feet on the ground and stay focused on the immediate objectives at hand. Find a job he enjoyed. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty again. Like in the early days when he followed his great-granddaddy around the hangar, handing him tools and learning how to fix planes.
That’s how Jack liked it. That’s what he seriously missed. Before shareholders and marketing specialists. Before bigger, faster, impersonal service. Before it became something Jack didn’t recognize or want to be a part of anymore.
He admired Hailey Holman instantly. Her obvious commitment to what she believed in was commendable. Her sense of humor was attractive, but man, he didn’t need any complications right now. And those blue eyes could definitely spell complications.
She brought him back to reality with a resolved nod. “Let’s talk about getting you to work. I’d like to get started as quickly as possible, before the ERA is revoked and I have to go back to the kitchen where I belong.”
He took the seat she offered and set his briefcase on his lap. “Great idea,” he agreed.
As soon as the words left his lips, he felt the crimson in his cheeks intensify. “I didn’t mean it was a great idea to go back to the kitchen. Or that your rights could be revoked. What I meant was … ”
She silenced him with an uplifted hand. “Ease up, Jack. I know what you meant.” She shook her head as her lips once more broke into an amused grin. “Honest, Jack. If you’re going to work around here, you have to lighten up. You take everything so literally.” The grin intensified.
“If you think men are superior to women in the workforce, it’ll be my most enjoyable task to show you otherwise.” Her sky blue eyes held a glint of challenge. “We all have our own strengths and weaknesses — men and women. That’s how God made us.”
Jack wanted to climb down into that hole he’d so effortlessly dug for himself. From now on, he’d keep his big mouth shut. If she was going to be his boss, that was actually fine with him. He believed it didn’t matter whether a person was male or female, just so they could do the job. But he could hear his father now. This would be one more thing for Marshall to ridicule his oldest son about.
He quickly flipped the clasp on his briefcase with an efficient snap, welcoming the thought of talking business. Certainly that was a safe topic. Maybe he wouldn’t embarrass himself further if they just stuck to what he knew best: airplanes and profit sheets. He hadn’t had anyone to banter back and forth with like this since … ever. That spark in her eyes when she laughed stirred something inside him. It was something like a cross between guarded intrigue and a magnet pulling him toward her. Even her teasing half smile drew him in and made him want to smile back at her. But the most fascinating thing was … she didn’t seem one bit aware of how amazingly gorgeous she was. This woman was going to keep him on his toes. Or frustrate him to no end. He wasn’t sure which.
• • •
Hailey found herself secretly enjoying Jack Stinson’s uneasiness. Not in a mean way of course, but she enjoyed the good-natured teasing and joking that once filled their home. Her sisters could be fun, but it wasn’t like when their dad was with them.
The semi-straight-faced, bordering on formal, applicant in her living room seemed a perfect candidate for some rounds of lighthearted fun. Potential is what he has.
Hailey tossed him a jovial smile before heading for the brown leather recliner across from the sofa. Her dad’s favorite chair had been a comfortable refuge, especially during the past six months. The soft leather still smelled like him.
On her way, a glimpse of her reflection in the large beveled mirror hanging above the chair caught her off guard.
Who is that?
Her disheveled reflection made her suddenly wish she’d taken the time to brush her hair and change from her dirty work clothes before he arrived. She must reek of oil and dirt from the morning’s work under the plane. Her eyes canvassed the sparkling hardwood floors. They picked up the pristine reflections of the crystal vases filled with fresh begonias resting on Grandma Holman’s antique side table.
She must look like a sack of tumbleweed in comparison.
Stop it! No big deal, she thought, feeling a bristle of indignation.
But this was, after all, an interview. A business meeting. It would merely have been more professional to present herself in a more positive light. Professionally speaking.
Not that she felt the need to make a good impression on Jack Stinson, or anything. It was nothing like that.
What was it her father always said? “Do the best with what you’ve been given, and leave the rest to the Almighty.”
She shook off the uninvited thoughts traveling through her mind.
Besides, she thought with a touch of annoyance, I don’t have to defend myself to myself.
She slid her fingers through tangled hair, wishing a comb or brush would drop from the ceiling fan above her. She caught him staring at her expectantly. “I’ve been sanding a few spots on the belly of the Skycat this morning. Getting ready to paint.”
She felt flustered. What was wrong with her? She never acted like this. Giddy. Like a diva. That’s what she called her sisters: divas. She raked her bangs back impatiently. Since when do I have anything to prove? Don’t be a woman right now, Hailey. Be a businessperson. Looks don’t matter, anyway, remember? “I’m sure I look like a wreck,” her mouth announced
without warning.
His only comment was a slight squint in her direction.
She smiled an uncharacteristically self-conscious smile at Jack, eyeing his pocketed pullover shirt. He looked perfectly presentable, with an unusually sharp crease in his designer jeans. I’ll bet he irons everything. She had friends from college who ironed everything and Hailey had always teased them. Jeans, bed sheets, pajamas … of course, if that’s what they wanted to do, more power to ‘em.
She gave herself a mental jab in the ribs. Her cheeks continued to burn. Oh, for heaven’s sake. She hadn’t blushed in years, and now … consistently in less than one hour. She stretched her hand out in his direction. “How ‘bout that résumé?”
He retrieved a crisp professional folder from his briefcase and handed it to her. Taking it from his hand, the sight of her younger sister, Felicia, and her mother poking their nosey heads around the corner from the kitchen caught her eye. Hailey gave them a brief, tight-lipped grimace on the sly, hoping Jack didn’t pick up on the two eavesdroppers behind his back. Felicia held a hand pressed firmly against her own mouth to stifle a giggle, while Rinnie Holman shot her oldest daughter daggers through impatient eyes.
Hailey paused. “Uh, tell you what.” She reached across to lay his résumé on the coffee table between them. “I’ll get us some iced tea. We can sit on the porch. It’s safer … better! It’s better. Airy. Nice fresh air.” She hopped to her feet. “Sugar? Lemon or lime?”
“No sugar. Just a squirt of lemon.” He gave her a wry look. “In the glass, please, not in your sister’s face.”
She nodded as she hurried to the kitchen, his first attempt at levity escaping her notice. At any moment her mom could huff into the room and tell the poor guy to get lost. Or worse. Rinnie Holman was typically a kind Christian woman, but when it came to planes and the business — that tongue!
And it would be like Felicia to come right out and tell him about his adorable brown eyes and nice shoulders. Neither of them could be trusted to show tact. If anyone was going to do anything embarrassing in this family, it would be Hailey — and she wanted to keep it that way.
Broken Wings, Soaring Hearts Page 3
