Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1)

by Claire Boston

  “I want to talk to you about the safety audit and the corrective actions list,” he began.

  “Sure, I brought all of my notes.”

  Jack swallowed, bracing himself for the unpleasant task. “From what I can see, only two corrective actions have been completed. They were the least important items.”

  “They were the quick wins. We didn’t need money to fix them.”

  “These issues are very troubling. There could be a major incident if we don’t get them fixed. Shouldn’t they have been a priority?” He couldn’t prevent his tone from being accusatory. This was a big deal.

  She arched an eyebrow, tilted her head and glared at him as if he was a piece of dirt. “You don’t think I know that?”

  “There’s no evidence of it.” He crossed his arms and leaned forward.

  Bridget sifted through her papers. “This is the complete action plan and project outline I wrote within two days of getting the report.” She handed him a couple of documents. “This is a copy of the capital expenditure request I submitted after management finally agreed the changes needed to be done. It took me a month to convince them I knew what I was talking about and wasn’t just spending money for the sake of it.” Her eyes flashed and her spine was rigid. “Here are the quotes for all of the expenses, and I could show you two dozen emails I’ve sent chasing up the capital expenditure request, not to mention the number of times I’ve raised it in management meetings. I can’t get the damned funds to fix the problems.” She was breathing heavily by the time she finished.

  Shit, maybe he’d missed something when he’d read all those documents. “We’re waiting on funds approval?” he asked, unable to believe management could be that ignorant of the problem.

  “Yes.” She let out a deep breath, obviously trying to regain control of herself. “I can’t convince anyone of the seriousness of the issue. The general manager, Kevin, is certain it’s not a big deal, just the company wanting to cross every t and dot every i, and the funding request is sitting somewhere at head office awaiting approval. No one will tell me who has it, and when I suggested I’d call myself and ask, I was told in no uncertain terms I wasn’t allowed to. There are processes to follow and no one wants to ruffle feathers at head office.”

  “This is ridiculous.”

  She nodded. “I know. Even if we get the funds tomorrow, we’re going to have to hire people to be able to complete the work before the next audit. It’s going to cost far more than I originally budgeted and we don’t have a hell of a lot of money to begin with.”

  Jack closed his eyes. He’d heard about these kinds of issues at other companies, but that was generally when head office was in another country. When it was less than an hour down the road he didn’t think there’d be a problem.

  “All right. I’ll raise it in the meeting this afternoon,” he said.

  “Good luck.”

  He ignored the doubt in her tone and turned to the next issue. “What’s the problem with replacing the fire equipment? Some of it has expired.”

  “Same problem. Budget was approved, but getting the expenditure signed off is proving difficult.”

  “Why?”

  “They’re saving money wherever they can. They don’t consider it essential as the equipment is working, it just doesn’t fully comply with the standard.”

  Jack made a note to bring that up today as well. He was going to be really popular with his peers.

  “Did you really think I was that incompetent?” Bridget asked, tilting her head to the side and meeting his gaze.

  Shit. What was he supposed to say to that? “I couldn’t comprehend how something this serious could be ignored. There didn’t seem to be a good explanation.” He felt about as big as ant.

  “There isn’t a good explanation,” she said curtly. “Now, can I help you with anything else? I’ve got work to do.”

  Her posture was stiff and her eyes dared him to raise any other issues. There were a couple of things he wanted to ask her about but they weren’t important right now. He would leave it until she’d had a chance to calm down and wasn’t feeling so hostile toward him. Not that he blamed her.

  “No,” Jack said finally. “I’ll let you know how the meeting goes.”

  “Thanks.” She left the room.

  He ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t have time to worry about Bridget’s feelings, though he knew he would anyway. He had a couple of hours to figure out how to convince the management team of the urgency of the situation and to give him the money he needed.

  * * *

  Bridget headed out to the plant. She was not in the right frame of mind to speak to anyone and at least she could do her inspections undisturbed while she cooled down.

  Jack thought she was incompetent.

  She’d given him all her reports, documented the status of everything, including that they were waiting for finance, and he still thought her inept. Wasn’t that typical?

  It was just as well she had her two rules. She couldn’t date someone who didn’t respect her skills. She’d tried every way she knew to get people to listen to her: she’d emailed, called, gone to speak to them one-on-one, raised it in management meetings and discussed it with the managers separately. The problem was that they all had projects they wanted funded, projects they thought were more important than hers. Plus no one wanted to disrupt the production schedule, and part of Bridget’s project would require a line shutdown. Even emphasizing it was a safety issue didn’t matter. She didn’t know what else she could do.

  Stopping at the edge of the administration boundary, Bridget took a few deep breaths to calm herself. It wasn’t safe for her to be so distracted going into the plant. She had to clear her head and be mindful of the potential hazards. She checked her personal protective equipment, that her radio was switched on to the correct channel, and she had her inspection clipboard, and then swiped on to the section of the plant she was going to.

  Her ear plugs blocked a lot of the noise but there was still a rumbling hum of the machinery around her and a bad egg smell in the air from the sulphur pit. Each step made her aware there was a lot around her that would be dangerous without the proper controls. But that was her job – to make sure the controls were in place and being followed. It was her task to make sure everyone went home at night.

  She started in the plant administration hut, examining a couple of jobs that were on the go and making notes.

  “On the prowl, Bridge?” one of the guys asked her.

  “As always. Got to make sure everyone’s doing what they should.”

  “No one dares to do otherwise when you’re around.”

  Bridget smiled, but she wished it wasn’t the case. She wanted them to be safe all the time, not just because they didn’t want to get caught. It was often pure laziness that caused the minor incidents, or else a lack of training. While she’d been acting safety manager, she’d made sure all training was up to date.

  However, the laziness was a problem she hadn’t been able to resolve so far.

  * * *

  By the time she’d finished her inspections Bridget was calm. Back in her office, she called the accountant at head office to check if the approval had been forwarded. It was her weekly task before the management meeting and she figured she could give Jack an update before he went in.

  “David Randall.”

  Bridget took a second for her mind to adjust. She’d been expecting the site accountant to answer. She glanced at the phone display to check she’d called the right number, while trying to work out who she was speaking to. The name was familiar. “Hi, this is Bridget from the plant. I was after Laurel.”

  “So am I.” His tone was slightly annoyed.

  That’s when it clicked. David Randall was the Chief Financial Officer for the company. He was one of the signatories she needed. “Maybe you could help me,” she said quickly. “I’m chasing a capital expenditure request I submitted a couple of months ago. It’s for some safety improvements on
the plant.” She held her breath.

  There was a pause. “I know the one. Have you finally refined the scope? Can I approve it yet?”

  Bridget’s mouth dropped open. “Sorry. What do you mean refine the scope?”

  “Kevin called me and asked me to hold off on the approval. Said someone was going to refine the scope and he’d get back to me.”

  She was lost for words. What the hell was he playing at? He’d not mentioned anything about refining the scope. He’d simply said head office was busy and she couldn’t rush them. Bridget had had enough. “Of course. I thought someone would have called. You can approve the request.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll do it as soon as I get back to my desk.”

  “Thanks.” She hung up. How much trouble was she going to get in for that? She pushed her unease aside. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the safety of the staff. She should tell Jack though.

  “Bridge, you coming to training?” Jeremy poked his head into her office.

  Bridget checked the time. She was the backup fire officer, which meant weekly training sessions to ensure each shift knew what to do in an emergency, particularly a fire. It was the one part of her week that she loved. There was a real sense of camaraderie between the operation technicians and a real purpose to what they were doing.

  “I’m right behind you,” she said, grabbing her gear. She stuck her head into Jack’s office but he wasn’t there. She would have to tell him about the approval afterward. She headed for training.

  * * *

  At the end of the day Bridget stopped by Jack’s office.

  He looked up and raised an eyebrow. She glanced down at her shirt which was plastered to her skin and covered in grime. They’d been practicing confined space rescue and she’d been the “injured party”. It had been hellishly hot in the vessel and none too clean.

  “How was the meeting?” she asked. She wanted to know what excuse Kevin had given him before she told him about her conversation with David.

  He shifted in his seat. “I explained how urgent the situation was and Kevin told me to call the CFO. I was just about to.”

  Her jaw dropped. For three months she’d been explaining how urgent it was. She let out a deep breath. It didn’t matter. “About that …” Bridget recounted her phone call and what David said. “I couldn’t let the opportunity pass.”

  He frowned at her but nodded. “Let me know if the approval hasn’t come through and I’ll call.”

  “Thanks.” She paused. “Are you happy for me to run with the project?” He might still doubt her capabilities.

  “Absolutely. You run into any problems you tell me. Keep me updated with weekly reports.”

  She nodded and returned to her own office. Checking her email she saw the approval sitting there, along with the expense code. She grinned. Grabbing her project notes, she found the phone numbers of the suppliers who had been waiting for her call. She called the first one. “We’re finally good to go.”

  * * *

  Jack turned back to his computer after Bridget left. He’d been shocked by the management team’s response when he’d raised the issues. Kevin had waved his hand dismissively. “That’s just Bridget,” he’d said. “She tends to get passionate about most things. It’s not necessary to spend so much money.”

  Jack had outlined just how necessary it was and by the end of his presentation, which had mostly been taken from one Bridget herself had done, Kevin was telling the team it was their number one priority.

  It made no sense. OK, Bridget was passionate about safety, his own conversation with her that morning had proved that, but surely they could see she knew what she was talking about? Why had they not approved the funds in the first place? Could it be something as simple as a personality conflict? Jack hoped not.

  The doubts he had about the company swarmed around in his mind. He had to ignore them, but it was difficult. Bridget was highly competent, possibly more than he was, yet they had chosen him as the new manager, someone untried in a managerial position. He was going to have to work so hard to prove he was as good as Bridget – at least to his team. The rest of management didn’t seem to see it.

  He sighed. The contract he’d signed had ensured Dionysus paid all of his relocation costs but as a result he had to stay for a minimum of a year. Besides, he wasn’t willing to give up yet. He just needed to figure out how to solve the mess the plant was in.

  * * *

  Jack arrived home looking forward to a cold beer, sitting on the couch and relaxing. But Hal ambushed him at the front door.

  “Good, you’re home. We’re going to be late.”

  Jack squinted at his brother. “Late for what?”

  “Dinner. Tanya’s invited us both.”

  “It’s Monday night,” he protested. After the day he’d had, the last thing he wanted to do was go out and be sociable.

  “I knew you wouldn’t have plans. Tanya’s had the day off and has been cooking all day. Hurry up.”

  Hal had been out with Tanya almost every night since they’d met. Jack couldn’t remember him ever mentioning a girl when they spoke while he was in Australia, but now every other word from him was about Tanya. He was smitten. It was kind of sweet.

  “Let me take a shower.”

  Standing under the cool spray he closed his eyes and let the water wash the tension of the day away. He didn’t know what to do about Bridget on either a work or a personal level. She was good at her job and so obviously frustrated by the lack of support she received. He could hardly believe Kevin’s attitude himself. If he’d been in Bridget’s position he would have quit long ago. Why did she stay?

  Then there was his reaction to her. It didn’t matter if she was furious with him, there was that spark, that passion that drew him to her. He wanted to explore it further.

  But she had her stupid rules.

  He sighed and turned off the water, grabbing his towel from the rack. Tonight he needed to apologize for his assumptions. He’d insulted her and he understood she was mad, but hopefully they could have a truce. She would be an asset to him at work.

  As for the personal side, well he’d have to see where it could go.

  Chapter 5

  Tanya met them at the door wearing a floral sun dress with an apron that said, “Have you kissed the cook today?”

  “I don’t believe I have,” Hal said and swooped in to kiss her.

  Jack stood back and waited for them to finish.

  He waited a while.

  Finally they broke apart and Tanya invited them in. “Bridget isn’t home from work yet, but she shouldn’t be long.”

  Jack frowned. She should have left work before he did. Perhaps she had some errands to run on her way home.

  “Let me get you a drink.”

  He followed Tanya and Hal down the hall to the kitchen and living room. The barbecue aroma grew stronger and his stomach rumbled.

  “Beer?” Tanya asked Jack, holding up Hal’s favorite brand of beer.

  “Thanks.” He took the bottle she offered, before sitting on the sofa.

  “What’s for dinner?” Hal asked. “It smells sensational.”

  “You mentioned you liked barbecue ribs, so I’ve made you some.”

  “You’re the best,” Hal said, picking her up and spinning her around while she shrieked.

  Jack examined the label of his beer. The sweetness of those two was getting a little sickening. He’d never seen Hal like this before.

  At the front of the house the door slammed shut. His body tensed. Bridget. He hadn’t quite figured out what to say to her. Footsteps came down the hall and as she walked into the room, she saw him and stared. She was still wearing her high-vis gear and her eyes were shadowed with fatigue. He hoped she hadn’t come straight from work, otherwise she was working far more hours than she was supposed to.

  “Hi Bridge. Dinner’s almost ready. Why are you so late?”

  Bridget blinked. She glanced at Tanya. “I had to chat with a couple of
guys on night shift.”

  “Why?” Jack wanted to know.

  “They’d asked me to follow up on an issue. These guys never check their email so I needed to tell them in person.”

  “Isn’t email a standard communication tool?”

  “Not to the guys in the plant,” she said. “They’re barely indoors.”

  “Then it’s something we need to address with the production team,” Jack told her. There had to be an effective way of communicating between shifts. Bridget shouldn’t be working such long hours to combat that.

  “I’ve tried. Though you might have better luck.” She turned to Tanya. “I’ll take a quick shower.” She turned on her heel and left.

  Jack winced at the bitterness in her tone. He couldn’t blame her. If management thought it was just Bridget making a fuss, she’d never get anything achieved.

  Tanya turned to him. “Don’t mind Bridget. Safety is her passion.” She checked the doorway to make sure Bridget was gone. “Her father went to work one day and never came home.”

  Jack’s mouth dropped open. “What happened?”

  Tanya shrugged. “She’s never told me the details. She just says she won’t let anyone else go through that if she can help it. She can be a little intense, but her heart’s in the right place.”

  “Does she often work late?”

  Tanya nodded. “She’s gone before I wake up in the morning, and she comes home after me. They tend to call her after hours and on weekends too, whether she’s on call or not, because they know they’ll get the help they need.”

  That wasn’t fair to Bridget. Jack had to talk to her about it. He wasn’t sure whether the site had a fatigue management procedure, but if it didn’t, he was going to implement one. Everyone needed enough downtime to rest and relax, no matter what their job was. And if the plant was in as bad a state as he suspected, it meant Bridget was constantly working. This was something he could definitely fix.

  * * *

  Bridget returned to the kitchen as Tanya was serving. Her hair was damp and unrestrained, her curls already forming, and she wore three-quarter length pants and a pink top. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted the same shade of pink as her top. It was sexy as hell. Lust shot through him. How was Jack going to keep that image out of his head while he was at work? He would constantly wonder if her toes were painted under the steel-toed boots. Like he needed any more of a distraction.