“You look stressed,” I comment, and he scoffs.
“This is how I always look.”
“Permanently stressed?”
“I just need my virtual assistant to get up to speed and things will settle down.”
My brother works hard. Too hard if you ask me.
“Why don’t you hire a local?”
Sawyer looks at me like I have rocks in my head. “There’s no one here in Whispers who would work.”
“What about Nikki?” I suggest.
His eyes bore into mine.
“I already approached her about it,” he mutters, and now I'm intrigued.
I quirk an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And?”
“And… she rejected me.”
I cough out a laugh.
“Rejected you?” It’s obvious that she needs a day job, with James to look after at night, and I would’ve thought that working with Sawyer would mean more money for her than working with Rochelle at the diner.
“It’s never happened to me before.” I can tell my brother's ego is bruised just from his tight expression.
“Why wouldn’t she accept?” I ask quietly, almost to myself.
“I asked her a few weeks before you turned up. Saw how she seemed quick to learn and knew about admin and computers a bit. I have no idea why she declined the opportunity; most people I talk to would die to work for my firm.”
“You’ve lost your shine,” I tease him, even though I’m left with more questions than answers.
He sighs. “She’s a hard one to get to know.”
“She keeps things close to her chest,” I admit, thinking about our chat today, the way she let a little more about herself slip than she intended. I’m eager to get to know her. I sometimes find I want to call her just to hear her voice. But I have to tame myself.
“Well, Rochelle did say she has a history.”
“She needs a car. Why wouldn’t she take the job if she obviously needs the cash?”
“Maybe she has a record. You can't really work for a law firm if you have a record.” Sawyer watches me at that statement, and my face contorts, knowing that woman doesn’t have a bad bone in her body.
I’m already shaking my head in denial. “There’s no way.”
“I guess time will tell. You know as well as I do that all secrets come out eventually.” Sawyer stands, throws a cushion at me, and walks out. Leaving me sinking deeper into the silence, knowing that I’m not going to let anything hurt her.
Not on my watch.
13
Nikki
“You know, the sheriff and I have been talking…” Rochelle starts, looking at me from where she’s icing a cake.
Wiping down the counter, I look up at her, waiting.
