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Laura opened her mouth—obviously to argue—but Walt got a ping on his phone and smiled.
“My lady friend just texted, looks like dinner is ready early.”
Laura frowned. “Lady friend? Is she coming to the house tonight?”
“No, I’m staying with her. Have been awhile now. You can have my old place,” Walt said casually. But Laura looked like she’d just been struck with a sack of sawdust.
“Dad, when did this happen? Are you two serious? Are you telling me you’re living with this woman?”
“Roberta,” he said. “And yes. Gotta run, sugarplum. Jake will take you to your new home. And so happy to have you back!”
It was clear where Laura got her spark from, but Walt had his quirks for sure. Because the man all but ran out, leaving Jake standing in the middle of a shit storm, which had nothing to do with the actual storm churning outside.
“What the hell just happened?” Laura said, looking at Jake, then watching her father get into his car and honk as he drove his old ’83 El Camino away.
“Looks like we’re working together,” Jake said.
“No, he said I had to ask you? The floor man. Which is not happening. This shop is important to me. It was my mother’s and special, and I’m here to restore it.”
“It’s foreman, and yeah, you do have to ask me when it comes to using the warehouse in any way.” Which included money. “Since I know the accounts and the business plan and I run this place, that’s not such a crazy request.”
But Laura shook her head like she’d just been hit in the face. Like this was something devastating in her world. Was she really so stuck-up she refused to ask “the help” for . . . well . . . help?
After a long moment, she mumbled something that sounded like, “I can do this,” and then faced Jake.
“Don’t mistake this crazy scheme my father has set up as me reporting to you, or me somehow putting my life in your hands. I’m doing this on my own. And I’m not going to tolerate you telling me what to do.”
Those words came out harsh, like they’d been broken from deep in her chest, but Jake couldn’t think about why right now. Whatever she’d done the past ten years wasn’t his business. Baughman Home Goods was his business, though. And he’d make sure it stayed in good shape and in the black.
“And stop with the muscles,” she said, looking at his chest again. “Get a baggier shirt, for God’s sake, I can see everything.”
He smiled. “So does this mean you don’t want to join the company softball team?”
She rolled her eyes.
The woman might irritate him, but she had his heart racing in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.
A challenge.
And she wasn’t as immune to his charms as she’d like to pass off, because she was back to staring down at his belt. So he flashed her a smile and flexed for good measure.
“If you think I won’t go after what I want, you’re mistaken. Because I will. And this flower shop is mine. And the entire business will be, too, since it is connected. So I hope you enjoy working under a Baughman.”
Oh, he could get on board with doing a lot more than working under her.
“You know, I do enjoy my job very much. Actually”—he leaned in a little—“rumor is, I get to work here as long as I want for the rest of my life.”
Oh, she did not like that statement, because her scowl hardened and her pretty face looked ready to crack with fury. But she’d heard Walt same as he had. This was up to them. Thirty days to show how each ran a business. Walt would retire, and good thing for Jake. He’d already been doing a pretty good job running the business so far. He wasn’t interested in destroying Laura’s dreams. In fact, he would continue to think of the warehouse and shop as separate.
“You know what they say about rumors?” she said in a calm, vicious tone. “They make an ass out of you.”
He frowned. “I think you’re mixing up your sayings.”
“Nope, I said it right.”
A low hum worked its way up his chest. He’d forgotten how much fire she had. They’d never been enemies. But they were never overly close. He wasn’t a band geek pining for her attention anymore. He was in charge of the Baughman legacy, the warehouse, and the business funds. Being friends with her had been nice, but fighting with her was kind of fun—a new development that, as of now, got him hot. Laura Baughman was a challenge and a turn-on. One look at her told him she’d forfeit her flower shop endeavor the moment one of her manicured nails broke. Another part of him wanted to believe in her. But he didn’t know Laura like he had ten years ago. Who knew what she was willing to do and where she was willing to run? Because while he didn’t know the details, she’d run away from home once, only to run right back.
He’d never expected Laura to ever come home, and honestly, Jake had never thought she’d really claim any part of the business if she did. And she already had ideas. Something he’d get to the bottom of, but first he had to make her aware of this situation.
