The Boss Next Door (Harlequin Heartwarming)

by Fox, Roz Denny

  “You’re right.” He cleared his throat. “You have my word this won’t occur again. I hope you’re not going to let one lapse on my part affect your relationship with Keith.”

  She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

  “Good. So, now shall we have coffee and a slice of that cake?”

  “I, ah...no. Have some if you’d like. Or save it for breakfast. It’s late. I need to get home, Garrett.”

  Almost relieved—because he didn’t know how he’d have managed to keep his composure as they sat knee to knee at his table—he escorted her to the door. “You’ll still go to St. Louis on Saturday? Keith’s counting on it.”

  She nodded. “But it’d be better not to spread the news around. There’s no sense causing unnecessary talk.”

  “I agree.” He said it easily, knowing he’d deal later with the lead sinker in his stomach. “I’d walk you home, except if Keith woke up to an empty house, he’d panic.”

  “No need to feel obliged. I am capable of looking after myself.”

  “When you care about someone’s welfare, it’s not an obligation.”

  Sherry had no comeback for that. She knew Garrett stood in the doorway and watched her walk all the way home. Twice she battled the urge to turn around and wave, but didn’t trust herself not to run back and make a mockery of both their trite proper speeches.

  Fighting raw emotion, she unlocked her door, stepped inside and tripped over an array of boxes. Then a sudden blaze of light made her blink in surprise.

  Yvette crossed Sherry’s line of vision and slammed a stack of Tupperware into one of the boxes. “Well, well, well.” She circled Sherry, inspecting her flushed cheeks. “So Garrett left the party early for a quick roll in the hay with his so-called babysitter. Wait till everybody on campus hears that Ms. Goody Two-shoes has feet of clay, after all.” She ended her tirade with a bitter laugh and called into the kitchen, “Lorraine, come here. This you won’t want to miss.”

  Sherry bit back a groan when the flight attendant who lived a few doors down materialized in the archway. Sherry realized her cheeks were still red. There was nothing she could do to salvage that situation. Her only avenue was to divert attention from herself. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”

  “I’m moving in with Lorraine.”

  “Not with my Tupperware,” Sherry said. “I sat through all those parties and shelled out my cash. You never went.”

  Lorraine smiled. “Because there weren’t any men. Come on, Yvette. Let Sherry have her bowls. Neither of us cooks, anyway.”

  “I figure this stuff’s community property.” Yvette closed the lid to the box.

  “For crying out loud,” Sherry exploded. “This isn’t a divorce.” The minute she said it, Sherry felt a wrench. As if she heard the bonds of a friendship tearing. “Yvette, look at us. Are we going to let a man drive us to catfights?”

  “Garrett’s not a backstabber—you are, Ms. I’ll-never-need-a-man. I, at least, don’t pretend to be something I’m not. Let’s go, Lorrie.” Yvette latched on to the doorknob. “I’ll pick up my stuff tomorrow after she goes to work.”

  Sherry stood amid the half-packed cartons for a long time after the two women left. Yvette’s barb had hit its mark. Sherry took pride in doing for herself, not depending on a man. She’d taken basic courses in carpentry and auto mechanics. One of her strongest beliefs was that women should have the integrity not to change themselves for men or compromise their own principles. Was she guilty of that herself? She’d have to watch herself around Garrett Lock. She’d let a man she barely knew turn her inside out and upside down.

  She went to bed vowing to keep him at arm’s length from this day forward.

  * * *

  GOOD PLAN. And one that seemed to work, because it was as if Garrett went to work the next day having made the same vow. He took care not to single Sherry out in a department meeting where he discussed the budget.

  She didn’t know what arrangements he’d made for Keith, but Sherry didn’t see Lock for the remainder of the week. Friday morning, Sherry remembered she hadn’t told Garrett that Ron had okayed their keeping Rags. Rather than phone him, she dictated a crisp note. So crisp, Angel remarked on it when she brought the memo in to be signed.

  “You and Macho Man had a fight, huh?” Angel stacked the incoming mail.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Sherry said tersely. “He’s our boss. Kindly refer to him as Dean Lock. My superior is all he’s ever been.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Excuse me?” Sherry glowered at her.

  “Nothing,” Angel said. “Sheesh. I believe you, I believe you.”

  “Good. Then go out and squelch the gossip about us.”

  “No need. Everybody’s talking about Trudy Morrison now.”

  “Trudy? That nice Trudy from English?”

  “She’s pregnant. No dad in sight.”

  Sherry schooled her features. She hated the way gossip streaked around their campus.

  “You already knew,” Angel accused her. “And you didn’t tell me?”

  “I didn’t know. But if she is pregnant—which I doubt—it’s her business.”

  “You’re such a killjoy lately. Why don’t you just go out with Macho Man and get it out of your system? Maybe you’d quit being a grouch.”

  “What?” Sherry dropped the microphone to her Dictaphone. It bounced twice before she regained possession of it.

  Angel tossed her blond braid over one shoulder. “Oops. ’Scuse me, boss lady.” She snatched up the correspondence Sherry had signed and ran. “I hear the telephone.”

  Sherry glanced at her call commander. Not a light blinked. Still, feeling more than a little embarrassed, she let Angel go. If it was that obvious she was frustrated, she simply had to hide it better—and that meant keeping her distance from Lock.

  She might have stuck to her resolve if he hadn’t popped into her office at twelve, when Angel and both clerks were at lunch. Attached to the phone, Sherry watched him stride to her window and stand looking out over campus, his hands buried in the pockets of dry-cleaner-creased jeans.

  Swallowing fast to rid herself of the pain that suddenly attacked her throat, Sherry abruptly terminated the call. “Dean Lock,” she managed, “is something wrong?”

  He turned slightly, light and shadows playing over his deeply scored cheeks, blue eyes almost indigo in the late-autumn sun. “I promised Keith we’d meet Nolan, Emily and the kids at the high-school football game tonight. President Westerbrook has invited all the deans to his house for cocktails. He’s hosting an administrative contingent from Norway. They’re here to set up a student-exchange program.”

  Sherry waited, certain he’d eventually get to the point.

  He raked long fingers through already skewed hair. “I’d ask Nolan to pick Keith up from school, but he’s not authorized. Not only that, I got your memorandum concerning Rags. When I leave Westerbrook’s, I should go by an all-night market and buy dog food, a collar and a doggie bed, if they have such a thing.”

  When he gazed at her expectantly, Sherry cut through his roundabout speech and ventured a guess. “Would you like me to collect Keith from day care?”

  “Would you?”

  “You have to ask? Shall I take him to the game? Or would you rather we swung by a pet store?”

  “Do you mind going to the game? I’d like to surprise him with the dog myself.”

  Sherry forgot her promise to be reserved. “I love football. And I hate going alone. So, Keith and I’ll meet you back at your place about ten?”

  “Good. Great.” He grinned. “Keith has missed you, Sherilyn.” He stopped short of saying he had, too.

  “I’ve missed him.” Her eyes lingered on Garrett, then she hurriedly glanced away.

  “
Look, this is stupid. You’re still going with us to St. Louis tomorrow, aren’t you?”

  “Won’t you need me to go by and check on Rags?”

  “I’ll call a dog walker so that someone stops by. Anyway, Keith’s spending the weekend with Carla. I’ll drive up Sunday afternoon again and pick him up.”

  Her heart beat a light tattoo. “I did promise you a tour of St. Louis.”

  “And breakfast at the Featherstone.”

  “Rain check? That’d be sure to cause talk.”

  “I’m inclined to say who cares? Logically, I know you’re right. Okay, we’ll leave half an hour earlier and stop at a café on the outskirts of town.”

  “You’re sure we won’t be compromising our work relationship?”

  “I am. And Sherilyn...I feel bad about Yvette moving out. Are you able to make the rent?”

  “Yes.” It was kind of him to ask.

  He rocked forward on his boots. “What we do on our own time is nobody else’s business.” He looked fierce.

  Her palms grew damp at the thought of what Garrett’s statement suggested. “Agreed,” she whispered. “I’d be happy to walk Rags and feed him if I get home from work before you do.”

  He dealt her a strange look. “Taking care of Rags is going to be Keith’s responsibility.”

  “Definitely. But I’m offering to help if you get tied up here.”

  “Accepted. Now I’d better scram before the little pitchers with big ears get back.”

  Grinning, Sherry trailed him to the door. And she gave it her all to make sure Angel didn’t see she was on pins and needles for the rest of the day. She left on time, making no mention to Angel about picking up Keith to go to the game.

  Keith was thrilled to see her. They had a good time at the game. Or they did until Emily asked Sherry to drop by the next day for a fitting on her bridesmaid’s dress.

  “How about Sunday afternoon? I’m busy tomorrow.”

  “Working again? Sherry, when will you learn to say no?”

  Sherry hadn’t realized Keith was listening. He stuck his head around Mark. “Sherry’s going to St. Louis tomorrow with Dad and me. I hafta stay through Sunday, but Dad’s coming back home tomorrow night.”

  “Really?” Emily and Nolan chorused. Both studied her with exactly the same gleam in their eyes.

  “No big deal,” Sherry said as calmly as she could. “Keith’s visiting his mom. Garrett asked if I’d give him a quick tour of St. Louis.” She held her breath, glad when the home team made a touchdown that claimed Em and Nolan’s attention. It ended the game and the crowd started to disperse. Cheers for the winners effectively cut off further talk. They’d parked in different lots, so they said goodbye at the gate.

  Garrett was home with Rags and all his new paraphernalia when Sherry walked Keith to the door. Although Garrett invited her inside for coffee, she saw Yvette and Lorraine sauntering down the walkway, so she declined.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she murmured. “I don’t want to intrude on your special night with Keith.”

  “Okay.” Garrett didn’t understand her refusal and was disappointed. He named a time to leave in the morning, then wondered as he watched her disappear into the star-studded night if she really wanted to go to St. Louis with him, or if she felt obligated because he was her boss. Like he’d felt obligated to attend Westerbrook’s gathering this evening.

  Garrett tucked the notion away, planning to ask her pointblank the next morning.

  A plan he immediately forgot when he found her waiting beside his truck first thing Saturday.

  They enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at a truck stop on the freeway. Keith bubbled over with excitement. He talked constantly about Rags. But once they reached St. Louis, he fell silent. The change was so obviously connected to his visit with Carla that Sherry felt compelled to offer him some encouragement.

  “I’ll bet your mom has wonderful things planned for the two of you, tiger.” Squeezing his shoulder, Sherry bolstered him with a big smile as Garrett drove past the Gateway Arch. “Look. There’s a tram to the observation deck. You feel like you’re up in the clouds. It’s clear today, so you’ll be able to see quite far.”

  Keith slumped lower in the seat. When they turned down a street of stately homes, the boy slid his sweaty hand into Sherry’s. “Will you walk me to the door?” he asked her in a stage whisper.

  “Oh, Keith.” Sherry darted a quick glance at Garrett. “It’s not my place. But I’ll tell you what. If this good weather holds, Monday after school I’ll take you skating in the park.”

  “Okay,” he said. “Can Rags go, too?”

  “Sure. Why not? You have a leash, I hope?”

  “I got one,” Garrett said, making a wide swing into a circular drive.

  Sherry gazed at the manicured lawn and the huge columns supporting a pristine white structure. She couldn’t help it—she whistled through her teeth.

  Garrett laughed and so did Keith. Sherry kept her next thought to herself—that the place looked like a funeral home.

  She waited in the truck, but couldn’t help noticing Garrett’s tense walk as he led his resistant child up the marble steps to the door. After what seemed to Sherry like a long time, a beautiful woman answered their knock. When Garrett gestured and the woman assumed a rigid stance, Sherry surmised she was viewing Carla. A blade twisted in her heart. Garrett’s ex was gorgeous. He must feel a little bad about losing her. Trying to ignore that disconcerting thought, Sherry turned her gaze elsewhere.

  She gave a start when she unexpectedly heard a sharp thump in the pickup’s bed. A second later Garrett jerked open the driver’s door. He landed in the seat with a whomp, and after two twists of the key, ground the gears.

  “I could murder her,” he snarled, backing out too fast. He jammed on the brakes and stopped abruptly at the street. “Something’s come up at work again. Carla can’t have Keith stay tonight, after all. In fact, she ordered me to pick him up no later than four.” Looping his arms over the steering wheel, he sent Sherry an anxious look. “Do you mind staying in town for the whole day? It’ll mean getting home late.”

  Sherry shook her head. “So that was Keith’s suitcase you threw in back?” she asked insipidly.

  “Yeah.” He shrugged. “I have to admit Keith wasn’t exactly heartbroken. So, what do you want to do?”

  “You might be sorry you asked. I need a slip and shoes to go with my dress for the wedding. Since we’re here for the duration with all these beautiful malls, you can take me shopping. I could use some help picking out a gift for Nolan and Emily, too.”

  “You’re a good sport, Sherry. I had visions of you throwing a fit. That’s what Carla would have done if the situation had been reversed.”

  Suddenly Sherry’s outlook got a whole lot brighter. Garrett didn’t sound like a man pining for his ex. Not even a little.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  AUTUMN LEAVES had begun to drop from the trees and lay strewn about. Sherry loved to crunch them beneath her feet. The sun straggled through the trees, but there was a nip of fall in the air. “Are you ready for Halloween?” Sherry asked Garrett as they wandered along the pathways of Laumeier Sculpture Park, another pastime she enjoyed. It pleased her that he’d asked to see the work of artists on display there before they went on to the mall.

  He caught a red-gold leaf that floated into his hand. Smiling, he tucked it behind Sherry’s ear. “Keith’s school sent a note home saying the room mothers host a small party on Friday. Will our complex get trick-or-treaters? Mark asked Keith to make the rounds with them in your folks’ neighborhood. I’m not keen on them going alone. Figured I’d hang out in the background with a flashlight.”

  “We have very few kids show up in our area,” she said, retrieving the brightly colored leaf and twirling it between her fingers. />
  He watched her kicking through leaves like a kid. Grasping the hand that didn’t hold the leaf, Garrett toyed with the pearl ring on her finger. “Come with us. Nolan said your mom’s making fresh doughnuts.” He made it sound like the biggest incentive.

  Sherry savored the feel of their joined hands, liking the sensation. “Dad makes cider every year, too. When we were kids the whole family fixed popcorn balls. I hope Emily and Nolan keep up the tradition in their home. This year Mom’ll go all out for Mark and Megan. I predict she’ll be in a blue funk after the wedding, when they finally move into Nolan’s house.”

  Sherry stopped to stare at a bronze sculpture, but Garrett knew she was seeing a time gone by. “So, will you go?” he pressed, carrying her fingers to his lips.

  She tried unsuccessfully to snatch her hand back. “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Sherilyn, it’s your family. If anyone’s intruding, it’s Keith and me.”

  “Not true,” she said. “You were invited. Although—” she grinned “—I could crash the party.” She let him keep her hand, after all, and they swung their clasped hands jauntily as they found the next statue.

  “The close-knit family you have is what I wanted for Keith. But my mom and dad retired to Florida before I got married. Carla was raised in foster homes. And now,” he said broodingly, “I’ve left the few roots I’d put down in Huntsville.”

  “So is this a permanent move?” Sherry asked, trying not to sound personally interested. “Some of the staff think you have your eye on a vice presidency at a more prestigious college, and Wellmont is just a stepping stone.”

  “Me, a VP?” A rumbling laugh shook Garrett’s chest. “At Westerbrook’s last night, someone introduced me as Wellmont’s renegade dean.”

  “Probably Hadley from Accounting, right?” At his nod, she made a rude noise. “If brains were made of leather, he wouldn’t have enough to saddle a flea.”

  Garrett laughed harder. “I’ll second that. Are you sure you weren’t born in Texas? You’re full of country sayings.”

  “I listen to country music.”