Her chest tightened. She’d be giving up control, but she had to. She hadn’t really been living before she met Evan.
She printed out her week’s schedule, put it on the desk between them and braced herself. “All right. What do you suggest I delegate?”
Hayden blinked at her. “Seriously?”
“Yes. You know everything that goes on around here. You probably have a better idea of what people are capable of than me.” The tension was tight in her chest and she regulated her breathing. It was all right. All she was doing was investigating the possibility of letting go of some things. It didn’t mean she had to do it.
Hayden stared at her for a moment and then grinned. “This is going to be fun.”
Chapter 16
Carly’s head was spinning by the time they were finished. “You think I can delegate that much?”
The amount Hayden had highlighted on her schedule was terrifying. But the scariest thing was the excitement beginning to simmer in her stomach. The idea she could let go of so many of the things she hated to do was so tenuous, she was afraid to hope.
Hayden grinned. “Not only do I think you can delegate that much, but I also believe you can make it seem like you’re giving them all a prize. A lot of your executives would love to go to all these lunches and dinners. They’re envious. If you split it up evenly between them – charities to one, business to another, and the schmoozing and networking to someone else, they’ll love it. You go to the meetings that mean the most to you, and then divide up the rest.”
It was so damn appealing. It had never occurred to Carly that her staff might actually want to do it. For her, it had always been a chore. She was the head of the company, which meant she had to do it all. There was really only one thing she loved to do and that was the work with the refugees and with Casa Flanagan, but she could continue that. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again. “Let’s do it. Can you arrange a meeting?”
Hayden whooped and made a note.
“What about these regular meetings?” She had different weekly meetings almost every day. “Surely I have to go to those so I’m aware of what’s happening in the company?”
He tapped his pen against the table. She’d never seen him this nervous.
“Too far?” she asked.
“No. I, ah, I was thinking perhaps I could go in your place?”
“You?” She was surprised. “Don’t you have enough to do? Why would you want to?”
He chuckled. “Not everyone hates meetings as much as you, Carolina. I can go and give you the summary. But that’s only if you trust me enough.”
“Of course I trust you. You’re my right-hand man.”
He looked relieved. Did Hayden not realize how much she valued him? She’d tried to show him.
“But I don’t want you to be overworked,” said Carly. “Do you really have time?”
He hesitated and then got to his feet. “Hold on a second.” He dashed out and retrieved a document from his desk, clutching it to his chest. “I’ve been working on this. It’s only an idea, you might not like it. It’s probably a bad idea.”
She held out a hand, giving him an encouraging smile and he gave it to her.
It was a very detailed proposal. He’d obviously been working on it for a while. It listed all of his regular tasks, added the tasks he wanted to do, and highlighted those he could delegate to others. He made a case for hiring an administrative assistant to work with him. Carly checked the figures, and the workload. It was more responsibility than he’d had before, but he was up to the task, she was sure.
“Would you really be happy with this much work?”
Hayden stopped tapping the pen and nodded. “There’s not been a lot of challenge lately, because my boss does most of my work.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “All right.” It was an easy decision. “Write a position description for the assistant and do a new one for yourself. You might want a new title too. Send them to HR when you’re done. I’ll tell them to expect it.”
“Really?” He seemed surprised.
“Of course.”
He beamed at her. “Thank you, Carolina. You won’t regret it.”
The use of her full name saddened her. Evan’s comment from the other day echoed in her head. “Call me Carly.”
He grinned. “Thanks, Carly.” He got up to go.
“Wait a second.” She scribbled a figure on a piece of paper and handed it to him. “Would you be happy with this new salary?”
He glanced at the paper and his jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
She grinned. “Seriously. You’re worth every penny. Now get to work. You’re going to be slammed over the next couple of weeks while we make my job easier.”
He laughed. “Yes, ma’am.” He saluted and walked out.
Excitement bubbled over. She reviewed her new schedule, which had scribbled notations all over it, and calculated how much extra time she would have in her day. She could spend a whole day programming if she wanted to. She laughed.
Getting sick was the best thing that could have happened to her.
***
The week at work was the best Carly had had in a long time. Though occasionally she got twitches that she was letting too much go, and she did attend one or two meetings just to make sure the handover was smooth, generally she had far less stress to deal with. To her surprise, her executives were all keen to take on different charities and business meetings, which left her with Casa Flanagan, which she supported with the Comunidad software and second-hand computers.
Hayden had run the two new position descriptions past her and she’d approved them, leaving the hiring of the admin assistant up to him. And the best news of all, she’d spent the equivalent of a day working on her app and had it close to the testing stage.
She’d spoken with Evan every night after work. He was busy painting, but they had arranged to spend the weekend together. She was driving to his place and then they were going somewhere – she wasn’t sure where. It was quite thrilling to have a whole free weekend in front of her where she didn’t know what was planned.
“I’m about to head off. Do you still want a ride?” Hayden stood at the entrance to her office.
“Yes, please.” Her heart was a little giddy. She’d made an impulsive decision during the week and now she was going to pick up the results. Quickly, she packed up her computer and grabbed her overnight bag.
“How are you finding your new role?” she asked Hayden as they rode down in the elevator.
“It’s great, Carly. Thank you for believing in me.”
“I should be thanking you. This week has been the most relaxed I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for making the suggestion.”
They got into his car and she gave him directions.
“Do you want to sit in on the interview for the admin assistant?” he asked.
“No. The person will be reporting to you, so he or she needs to be someone you can work with. If you want a second opinion, though, let me know.” She spotted her destination and pointed. “Over there.”
Hayden pulled up and looked at her. “A Mini dealership?”
She nodded, her smile wide. “I bought a car.”
He shook his head. “I think the flu messed with your head. Either that, or Evan has changed something about you.”
He was right. Evan had seen through her, given her the courage to do what she really wanted to do. “I’ve always wanted one.”
“That’s great. What are you going to do with the BMW?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure.” She got out of the car and grabbed her things. “Thanks for the lift.”
He was smiling as he waved and drove away.
***
Half an hour later, Carly was behind the wheel of her brand new red Mini. She grinned as she navigated the traffic to Evan’s house, stopping at a nearby supermarket to grab some things for dinner. When she pulled up at Evan’s, she tooted her horn and he came out.
“What do you think?” she called as his face broke into a huge grin.
“You bought a Mini.”
She nodded. “It’s all mine. Want to go for a spin?”
“Absolutely.”
He got in the passenger side and Carly drove onto the street.
“What made you buy a new car?” he asked.
“I was thinking about what you said the other day, about which car I would buy if I didn’t care what people thought, and I decided it was time I did something for myself.”
“Good for you,” he said. “So is it as good as you’d hoped?”
“Better. I can’t stop grinning. I feel free.”
“That’s great.”
“How’s your work going?” Carly asked him.
“Really good. I’ve only got a couple more pieces to do.”
“What date is the exhibition again?”
“The fourth of December – it’s three weeks away. I got the invitations this week. I’ll give you yours when we get back.”
Carly had a horrible feeling the date meant something, but she pushed it aside. With her new process of delegation, she could give whatever it was to someone else. She pulled up in front of Evan’s house and turned off the engine. “What have you got planned for the weekend?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said, helping her carry her things inside. “What’s all of this?”
“I said I’d cook dinner,” she said.
“I didn’t think you knew how to, what with the state of your fridge.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Mama would never allow any of her girls to go out in the world not knowing how to cook.”
She put her bags on the bench and gave McClane a pat.
“What are you making?” Evan asked.
“Salpicón.”
“Do you want a hand?”
“No. If you’ve got more painting to do, go and do that. I’ll call you when it’s ready.” She was quite looking forward to making dinner. On the few days a week she didn’t have business dinners she’d never felt like cooking. It was hard to get enthusiastic about cooking for one.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll figure out where everything is.”
He left and Carly got to work. There was a radio in the kitchen, so she switched it on, making sure it wasn’t too loud, and began chopping what she needed.
***
When dinner was almost ready, Carly wandered into Evan’s studio. He was standing in front of the easel, his eyes focused and his hand moving quickly across the canvas. She stood there watching him for a minute. His bangs were hanging over his eyes and he kept flicking them away. His shirt was the one she thought of as his painting outfit, because he wore it often. It must have been white once, but was now covered in splotches of different colored paints. He wore denim shorts and his feet were bare. It struck her that he was so comfortable in his skin. He wore what he liked, he cut his hair when it interfered with his work, and he didn’t care what anyone thought of him.
It must be so liberating to be so confident, to not second-guess every decision and be happy with who you were.
She was learning a lot from the man she loved.
The only time she’d seen him doubtful was about his work. She hoped she could help him with that.
As she stepped into the room, he acknowledged her with a wave, his eyes not leaving his painting. “Almost done.”
She waited where she was for a couple of minutes, not wanting to interrupt his process, when he put down the brush. “Done.” He breathed out a big sigh and moved his neck from side to side, stretching it.
“Dinner’s ready,” she said.
“Great. I’m starving.” He wiped his hands on a rag and cleaned his brushes.
“Can I have a look?”
He nodded.
As she walked over to the canvas, his eyes never left her. It was a little disconcerting.
She turned her attention to the painting. It was his back veranda. A woman was lying on the outdoor couch sleeping, and McClane was curled up next to her with one eye open as if he was checking out the painter. There was a protectiveness about the dog, but also contentedness as well. The woman’s face was partially obscured by her hair, and she seemed peaceful. Carly recognized herself, but she’d never seen herself at peace. Is that how Evan saw her?
“You don’t like it.” The disappointment in his statement was clear.
She turned to him. “No, it’s lovely. I’ve never seen myself so relaxed. Did you make it up?”
He shook his head. “It was the day you came for the movie night.”
She examined the painting again. “You really are incredible, Evan.” She slipped her arms around his waist.
He hugged her back. “Thank you.”
“Let’s have dinner and you can tell me more about your exhibition. When do you need to finish the paintings?”
“The gallery needs them about a week before the show, so I’ve got a couple of weeks to finish and frame them. I’m using the same framer as I did for the local exhibition, though he’s a bit pricey.”
They were the kinds of details she’d never considered. All of Evan’s paintings had had frames at the exhibition, but not every artist had. “Can I help you pay?”
“No, I have enough savings.”
She wanted to ask how much, wanted to help him, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate it. “Is the curator good?”
He nodded. “She’s got a good eye and people respect what she shows.”
Carly served the food and he took a seat.
“How’s Hayden going with his new role?” he asked.
“He’s enjoying it. So are the executives.”
“I’m glad. Is it giving you enough time to do what you want?”
She nodded. “I have the whole weekend free.”
“I’m glad. I’ve got a lot planned.”
“Are you going to tell me what?”
“Nope. You can wait until tomorrow.”
She didn’t press him. She was quite looking forward to the surprise.
They finished dinner and stacked the dishes.
“Want to take McClane for a walk with me?” Evan asked. “He hasn’t had much attention lately.”
“Sure.” She grabbed a light jacket from her bag. Winter was slowly approaching, and there was a pleasant coolness in the air.
Evan whistled to McClane and the three of them strolled outside. They walked down the back of the property while McClane darted this way and that, sniffing out different smells.
“What drew you to rent this place?” Carly asked.
“The quiet. I’ve spent most of my life in cities – New York, Boston, Milwaukee, Detroit. I was tired of being surrounded by people all the time. I needed my own space.”
She understood completely.
“But people and places are so much a part of my work that I don’t want to be too far away. I do like socializing, just not all the time. This place is perfect for the moment, until I get the urge to move on.”
Carly’s footsteps faltered for a second before continuing. Move on? “You don’t like staying in one place?” she asked, hoping her voice was casual.
“There was never a reason to stay before,” he said. “And so much of the world left to explore.”
She was silent as the hurt sliced through her heart. He wasn’t planning on staying. Did he think what they had was a nice distraction until he moved elsewhere? Because that’s sure as hell not what she thought. She enjoyed talking to him every night on the phone and spending time with him. She’d learned a lot about herself being with him and she’d gained confidence to try more things.
She loved him.
But he obviously didn’t feel the same way.
McClane trotted over to them and she let go of Evan’s hand to pat him. She was an idiot. She shouldn’t have gotten too involved, shouldn’t have fallen in love with the first man who’d treated her like a woman. She should have known he wasn’t after anyth
ing more. She was a foolish, naïve girl.
The dog saw something and dashed off. Carly stood, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to protect herself from the hurt.
“Are you cold?” Evan asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “We can go back, if you like.”
“No, I’m fine.” She couldn’t help leaning into his warmth. She should draw away, but she wanted to take advantage of every moment while it lasted. “So there wasn’t anyone worth staying for?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Most women got fed up of me ignoring their phone calls or forgetting dates because I was painting. They didn’t understand like you do.” He squeezed her shoulders. “This is the longest relationship I’ve had since college.”
The admission made her feel a little better.
They reached the border of the property and turned to walk along the fence line. “It must have taken your mother such a long time to do her garden,” said Evan.
“It was only about a year,” Carly told him. “When they moved in, she designed the garden and we got Barker Landscaping in to review the plans and do the hardscaping. She just needed to source the plants.” It had been such a thrill to buy it all for her.
“She’s done an amazing job. It’s so peaceful.”
It was. Carly enjoyed taking walks through the garden when she went for lunch. “She had many years without any land, so she’s making up for lost time.” It was so different from the apartment where they’d grown up. She’d shared a room with her mother, and her sisters had the other room. There was no garden, no green anywhere near the complex, but her mother had grown herbs on the kitchen windowsill.
“What was it like when you first arrived here?”
“Scary.” It was the first time Carly had admitted that to anyone. “I’d promised Papa I would take care of the family and I couldn’t understand everything people said. The American accent is so different from the Irish brogue of my father. It took me ages to figure out what people were saying.” She’d been too scared to admit she didn’t understand, and would nod her head at anything she was told.
“What about your mother?”
“Mama didn’t learn English until we’d been living here at least a year. Papa had learned Spanish and taught us English, but Mama hadn’t been interested. I made her learn when she was struggling to get a job.”
Change of Heart (The Flanagan Sisters, #2) Page 18
