A Change of Heart (Perfect Indiana#3)

by Barbara Longley

  “It will be once we have everything in order. Right now we’re working on getting the nursery ready.” She let out a happy sigh. “You’ll have to come over sometime.”

  “I’d love to.” Paige had made her feel so welcome. She had an open friendliness that drew Cory in, and she hoped to get to know her coworker better.

  “We’ll plan something in a few weeks,” Paige said. “We’d better get back to work. Once you get everything loaded on your desktop, we’ll go over the website.”

  “Would you mind telling me who does what, so I’ll know who to go to if I have questions?”

  “Sure. My husband heads up design and does the photos and graphics for ads. Noah is in charge of the production and finishing crews, and I do the marketing and retail stuff. I used to maintain the website as well.” She grinned. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to let that go. We’re looking for retail space in Evansville, and eventually we’ll expand from there. We’re also developing a catalog. My hands are already more than full.”

  “What does Ted do?” Warmth flooded her cheeks. It was a reasonable question under the circumstances, right? They were talking about what everybody did, and it wasn’t like she was more interested in him than in anyone else. Because she wasn’t.

  “Honestly, Ted is the backbone of L&L. He’s been taking care of the order processing, shipping, payroll and all of the business administration stuff.” Paige’s expression grew solemn. “Frankly, we’ve all been a little worried about him lately.”

  “Oh?” Cory’s curiosity piqued, she straightened. “Why is that?”

  “He’s been unhappy. He snaps and snarls at everyone. Noah believes it’s because he has too much on his plate. He’s hoping having you take over a few of his responsibilities will help.” She shrugged. “I think it’s more than that.”

  “Like?”

  “He’s worked around the clock for the past five years and needs a break.” She leaned back in her chair and stretched. “My brother had the woodworking skills, but Langford & Lovejoy Heritage Furniture was all Ted’s idea. Noah agreed to form a partnership with him on the condition that Ted get his business degree. He did, plus a master’s, all the while putting in a ton of hours here. If you ask me, he’s suffering from burnout.”

  Cory pondered what Paige had shared, along with what she’d heard in the hallway on her way to the conference room this morning. Ted’s issues went deeper than burnout. She was sure of it. What ate at him? “Why doesn’t he take a vacation?”

  “Good question.”

  Maybe she’d ask him once she had the chance. Then again, his problems were none of her business. As if he’d heard them talking about him, Ted appeared in the doorway with several papers in his hand. “You can fill these out this afternoon.” He laid them on her desk. “Are you two ready for lunch? The crew’s already headed over. Noah and Ryan are waiting downstairs.”

  Ready for lunch in an unfamiliar setting with a group of men she didn’t know? Hell, no, but she wasn’t ready for this job either. She wouldn’t have taken it if Brenda’s words hadn’t scared her shitless. They’d ignited a tiny flame of self-preservation and whatever fight she had left in her. Brenda had been right. If she didn’t take a step in the right direction now, she’d end up an agoraphobic with no life and serious hygiene issues. “Sure.” She rose from her place and waited for Paige to precede her.

  “Have you met the day crew?” Ted held the elevator door open for them.

  The interior of the freight elevator loomed dark and sinister before her, and once again her heart raced, sending a chill down her spine. She swiped a palm over her damp forehead. “Um…I think I’ll take the stairs.”

  Ted’s face fell. “Oh, right. Sure.”

  She moved a little closer to Paige, relieved when they moved toward the stairway. “Bunny introduced me to the crew when I got here.”

  Paige snorted. “How does a guy like Wesley Holt get a nickname like Bunny?”

  “It’s from when we were kids. He’s the oldest of five, and he had to keep an eye on all of his younger siblings. His sister and I are best friends, so I was usually included in any games they played. Wes is fast. Nobody could catch him in a game of tag or capture the flag. Somebody said he was quick like a bunny, so we all started calling him Bunny.”

  Ted smiled, his expression warm. “And Squirrel?”

  “I was the resident tree-climbing expert. I started out as Monkey, but Wes said there weren’t any monkeys native to Indiana. So the Holt clan changed my nickname to Squirrel.” They left the stairs and walked into the production area. “Kid stuff.”

  Stuff that had given her a sense of home after the rug had been ripped out from under her when her dad died. The Holts gave her a place to belong, and even if they were a ragtag bunch, they’d stuck together and protected one another.

  They joined Ryan and Noah, leaving by the front door to walk to the diner with Noah leading the way. Ryan and Paige held hands in front of her, while she and Ted took up the rear.

  She checked out the town of Perfect as they walked. Nice. Well maintained and litter free, the small town had an old-timey feel to it, as if the redbrick and limestone office buildings and storefronts had seen a lot of history. They all had window boxes or planters on the sidewalk filled with a variety of flourishing spring flowers in bloom. She suspected the town had an ordinance against shabbiness and peeling paint. How had she ended up here again?

  “My ancestor founded this town.” Ted came up beside her, and she edged away a little. “My great-great-great-grandfather Tobias Lovejoy ended up here after the Civil War and decided to put down roots. There are a ton of Lovejoys living in or near Perfect. In fact, Noah’s wife and I are first cousins.”

  “It’s nice. Quiet.” What would it be like to have a large extended family? Her mom had been an only child, and so had she. All her grandparents had passed, and it had been just the two of them for as long as she could remember.

  Ted continued to walk next to her. “My aunt believes Perfect holds magical healing powers for veterans.”

  She flashed him a skeptical look.

  “It does. I’m here to testify to that fact,” Noah said over his shoulder. “Something about the peacefulness just seeps into your soul. Wait until you’re living in the carriage house for a while. You’ll see.”

  “Ceejay and Noah’s house is right on the banks of the Ohio River.” Ted glanced sideways at her. “By the way, Noah has an appointment this afternoon, and he asked me to give you a ride home. Are you going to be all right with that?”

  Alarm raced along her nerves, and she bit her lower lip to squelch the panic. Relax. Paige had assured her Ted was harmless, and he’d been nothing but nice to her so far. “Sure. Thanks,” she murmured.

  “I know you heard me ranting about—”

  “Yeah. You didn’t want to hire me.” She lifted an eyebrow and glanced at him. “I got that loud and clear.”

  “No. It’s not that I didn’t want to hire you. It’s…” He shook his head. “It seems silly now. I’m glad you joined L&L.” One side of his mouth quirked up. “This is it. Aunt Jenny’s diner is a landmark in Perfect. Most days we have our lunch here. I hope you’ll join us.”

  “We all hope you’ll join us,” Paige added.

  She pasted a smile on her face, and remained silent. Whatever savings she’d managed to amass while in the military had been spent supporting herself and her court case for the past year. Lunches out were not an option. In fact, she wondered how she’d make it to her first paycheck. Cory followed everyone into the retro diner. The black-and-white tile floor and red Formica tabletops looked like they were straight out of the fifties. And the smells. Lord, she’d fallen into comfort-food heaven. Her mouth watered and her stomach made embarrassing rumbling sounds.

  Two tables had been pushed together in the back corner. Kyle, John and Xavier—the production crew—had taken the seats against the wall, leaving the end chair in the corner free. Noah headed for the corner sea
t as if he owned that particular space. Ryan and Paige took the places to Noah’s right. Ted offered her the chair next to Paige, which would’ve hemmed her in between them. “Do you mind if I sit on the end?”

  “Not at all.” He switched places with her and sat down.

  “Hey, kid. Where’s your aunt today?” Kyle asked, leaning forward to look down the table. “Is she OK?”

  Ted tensed beside her, and she remembered how he’d shouted at Ryan for calling him kid earlier that morning. Was it being called kid that got to him, or was there something wrong with his aunt?

  “She’s spending the day with Ceejay and the kids,” Noah answered. “We have our ultrasound this afternoon, and Jenny is babysitting.”

  “Are you going to ask about the gender or keep it a surprise?” Paige asked.

  “If they can tell, we want to know.” Noah grinned. “Ceejay has her heart set on a girl. So does Lucinda. I think Toby and Micah are starting to make our little girl feel outnumbered.”

  “Where are you two from?” Cory turned to Paige. “You don’t sound like southern Indiana to me.”

  “We were born and raised in Pennsylvania.” Paige picked up the specials sheet. “Noah moved here five years ago, and I joined him a couple years after that.”

  Ryan put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “She couldn’t resist me.”

  “True.” Paige turned an indulgent, love-filled expression toward her husband.

  Cory’s gut twisted, and a hollow ache spread through her. She’d never have what they had. Never. Sergeant Dickhead had seen to that. She let the conversation go on without her, noticing Ted didn’t contribute either.

  After her conversation with Paige about Ted, and what she’d overheard this morning, the dynamics of the group fascinated her. Hyperaware of Ted beside her, she was dying to ask questions that were none of her business. Everyone ordered the special of the day, and she did the same. Her mouth watered at the thought of meat loaf and mashed potatoes. Yep. Her appetite was definitely coming back.

  After lunch with the crew, they returned to work and Cory continued to set up her computer while making small talk with Paige. The rest of the afternoon flew by, and her nerves were on edge at the thought of the ride home. She’d be alone with a guy she didn’t know. Logically, she knew nothing was likely to happen. One man had raped her, and it didn’t equate that all men were rapists because of that experience. And yet, here she was, a shaky, quaking mess. Logic didn’t factor in.

  Paige shut her computer down and straightened the piles on her desk. “What did you think of your first day?”

  “Perfect seems like a really nice town, and this business is unique. I was military for eight years. It’s going to take some time to get used to the way things are done, but it’s great.” Taking her cue from Paige, she closed things down for the day.

  “We all have our routines at the end of our shifts. I clean out the coffeepot and get it ready for the night crew. I’m sure we’ll come up with something for you.” She stood up and grabbed her purse. “Come downstairs when you’re ready to leave.”

  Gulp. “I’ll come with you now if that’s all right.” Ted and Ryan had headed down the back stairs ten minutes ago. She didn’t want to be alone in their office, or on the second floor for that matter. Wesley and his dog emerged from the third floor just as they reached the stairs.

  “How’d it go today?” He scrutinized her.

  “It went fine.” He’d changed since their days in the trailer park. Wesley’s face had grown more angular, more intense, all traces of youthfulness gone, replaced by a hardened maturity. His hazel eyes held a haunted look, and deep lines etched the sides of his mouth. She hadn’t seen him smile once since she’d returned to Indiana. She missed his smiles.

  His brow lowered. “For real?”

  Gratitude flooded her. “For real. I’m glad you’re here. You know that, right?”

  “Same back.” He pulled her in for a quick hug, releasing her before she could react. “Things are going to get better. You’ll see.”

  She nodded. Wesley was the big brother she’d never had, and she’d missed him terribly once he’d left to join the marines. Maybe he was right, and being back home in Indiana would help her. She stepped into the production area just as the night crew began to filter in. The presence of more unfamiliar men made her anxious to leave. Wesley and Paige introduced her. She nodded a greeting and left to retrieve her belongings. She’d stashed them in the closet located between the storefront and the work space.

  Ted appeared with his car keys in hand. “Ready?” He took the cardboard box she carried.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She gripped the shoulder strap of her duffel bag and followed him out to the alley. He led her to a classic Mustang convertible. “This is yours?”

  “Yep.” He set her box inside the trunk and turned to take the duffel bag from her. “My aunt’s husband was the original owner. He died in Vietnam, and it sat under a tarp in the carriage house bay for years and years.” He opened the passenger door for her and walked around to the driver’s side. “Aunt Jenny gave it to me when I graduated from high school.”

  She hesitated before getting in. The top was down, and that helped. Plus, he’d been so courteous. Finally, she climbed in and ran her hand over the cream-colored leather bucket seat. Nice.

  Ted reached back to the floor behind him and drew out a Dick’s Sporting Goods bag, dropping it in her lap. “I got you something.”

  She jerked and stared at the bag as if it might be an IED about to explode in her face. Baffled, she asked, “Why?”

  “Noah told me what happened to you in Afghanistan. I want you to feel safe at L&L. That’s my first priority, helping you to feel in control and comfortable at work.”

  Her face heated at the way he talked so frankly about her experience. What happened to her was none of his damn business. Her neck and shoulders stiff, she poured the contents of the sack onto her lap. “Pepper spray and a stun gun?” Tears pricked at her eyes, and the tension leached out of her.

  His gift was so thoughtful and considerate she could hardly stand it. No man would give a woman pepper spray if he intended to cause her harm, would he? “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “Do you have the keys for the carriage house?”

  She nodded, unable to speak for the emotions choking her.

  “Let me have them for a second.” He held out his hand.

  Cory riffled through her purse for the key ring Noah had given her and handed it over. She watched as he attached her keys to the ring on the end of the leather case holding the pepper spray.

  “Use them, Cory. If you ever feel the least bit threatened, use them first and ask questions later.” He sat back and stared at her, one eyebrow raised. “Even if it’s on me.”

  She had to swallow several times before she could speak. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said or done for me.” Glancing into the warmth and sincerity of his wonderful gray eyes, she experienced another flutter, and this time she didn’t mind it so much.

  “I’m hoping someday you’ll trust me enough not to need those.” He started the engine and pulled out into the alley.

  “Why would you care?” She frowned. “You just met me for the first time this morning. What possible difference could it make to you whether or not I trust you?”

  “It just does. We’ll be working together every day. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with that.” His mouth tightened into a straight line for an instant. “I’m taking you grocery shopping before we head to the carriage house. Get whatever you need. Noah said you’ve been out of work for a while, and—”

  Her eyes widened, and mortification burned through her. Obviously Noah had told Ted the entire story of her destitution, not just about the rape. He pitied her. Pity. Something she’d fought against all the years of her youth, and something she abhorred with a vengeance. Ted had probably given her the stun gun and pepper spray out of p
ity as well. Poor little poverty-stricken victim. “I’m not a charity case. I have skills well worth the salary you’re paying me.”

  Damn. A minute ago she’d been touched by what she believed was an act of incredible kindness and sensitivity. Now she saw it for what it was. He viewed her as a pathetic head case.

  She needed to disabuse him of that notion right now. She shot him a pointed look. “If I wanted to, I could get a job as an IT tech just about anywhere.”

  “I’m glad you chose L&L. We need your talent.” The calm steadiness of his tone took away some of the sting. “You’ll be paying L&L back for the advance. It’s not about charity, Cory. We don’t want our employees coming to work hungry. Who can be productive when they’re starving?” A sardonic expression took over his features. “It’s a simple solution to a problem. That’s all.”

  “Oh. Good, thanks.” Mortified once again, she turned away. She was an employee. None of what he’d done or said could be construed as personal. It was all about productivity, and to be productive, she had to be fed and feel safe. That should make her happy. So where was this heavy disappointment sitting on her chest coming from?

  Ted nodded, a little thrown off by the sudden shifts in Cory’s reactions. She’d seemed genuinely touched when he’d given her the pepper spray and stun gun, which pleased him immensely. Why had the offer to buy her groceries turned her into a porcupine with all of her quills standing on end? Hmm, he’d hit a nerve. “Buy enough to last the next two weeks, because you won’t get a paycheck until then, and it’ll be small. You started in the middle of a pay period, and there’s a delay.”

  “Can we do the repay over a couple pay periods?” She kept her gaze averted, the question barely a whisper.

  “Sure.” He could tell the request had been difficult for her to make, and Noah’s advice to tread lightly came back to him. For the umpteenth time today, the urge to protect and comfort her surged to the forefront. He turned into the parking lot of an IGA grocery store. “If you’d like, we can stop at Offermeyer’s butcher shop before we leave. All the meat they sell is produced by the farmers in our community. We like to support the locals.”