Page 138 of Steel

“Fantastic.”

“Your hair is on fire.”

I drummed my fingers on the desk, staring out the window. “What?” Laughing, I snapped my head toward her. “What did you say? Something about a fire?”

“Yeah, inside that big head of yours. You’re not even here. Why are you here?”

“You mean sitting at my desk? I work here. At least I do unless Eric is ready to fire me.”

She folded her arms. “He’s not going to fire you. He needs you. So does that man back there in cowboy land.”

“Please. Steel doesn’t need anyone. He told me to leave.”

“Because all men have hard heads.”

“That’s true. This is where I live. Where Damon grew up.”

“You can start over. You’re not happy here.”

I laughed. “When have I been happy?”

“Every time you were on the phone with me calling from Missoula.”

My glare deepened. “Are you suggesting I move?”

“Maybe. What I’m saying is that you need to follow your heart for a change.”

What was it about Eric’s uncanny timing? I could tell by Brenda’s eyes that he was right behind us.

“Ms. Livingston. I need to see you in my office.”

“Oh, brother,” Brenda whispered.

With a grimace on my face, I stood. “If I come out screaming, be prepared to leave with me.”

She giggled, fighting not to.

I kept my back straight as I walked to his office, automatically closing the door behind me. There he was at the window again just like he’d been before altering my life for good.

The silence was the same. His stiffness was the same.

But I wasn’t the same. Not by a long shot.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Dannon?” As expected, he took a full minute before he answered.

“I asked you this before, Violet. Do you like working here?”

Maybe my answer was also different. “For the most part, yes.”

“For the most part. I could always count on your being honest. That’s an excellent trait. Are there a list of things you would change?”

“Yes.”

He turned around, nodding as he did. “As you might be aware, there have been significant changes recently. We’re going through some… growing pains. As such, I need to have the best employees surrounding me. Changes are needed. I’ll be the first to admit that.”

Well, it would appear my life would be in upheaval again.

He continued staring at me. “Which is why I’m prepared to offer you the position of vice president of operations. You’re highly respected, well liked, have an excellent sense of the changes needed, and are willing to speak your mind. I need someone with those qualities by my side. As you might imagine, that will come with a significant increase in your salary. The offer on the table is half a million with benefits and additional perks.”