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Beverly and her father had a small office building downtown. For the most part, they didn't do much at all there except to house their tools and the occasional meeting with potential clients. Typically, though, clients would rather Beverly and her father travel to them and their offices to be on site and see the project or at least the plans for it.
Maybe she could spruce up the office too. It would be nice to have some pictures that showed before and afters of their handiwork. That would look great on brochures too.
She powered up her laptop and tried to get started on some of the pictures, figuring she could also post them on the website. In no time at all, she was lost in her work, and she didn't realize someone had entered her office until someone cleared their throat.
She jumped, her hand flying to her chest. "I'm so sorry, Sir," she said. "I hadn't realized anyone had come in."
Beverly shut her laptop and stood from behind her desk. She held out her hand.
The man, tall and handsome with brown hair beneath his cowboy hat, smiled at her real wide. "Howdy, ma'am," he said.
She returned his smile as they shook hands. His grip was firm, and she made sure that her grip was equally firm. Her father used to say you could learn a lot about a person based on their handshake.
"I'm Beverly Young," she said, "co..." She briefly shut her eyes and then opened them, forcing her smile to widen. "I'm the owner of Nails R Us."
"I assume you don't have any openings in the next few days, do you?" he asked desperately. "Forgive me. I'm Roy Griffin. I work at Hidden Creek Orchard, and what with that storm we just had... I'm sure you're inundated with work."
"Actually, no, I'm not," she said, trying hard to ignore the swell of hope welling within her chest. "I'm might have an opening. What precisely do you need?"
"At least for now... I'm just looking for a consult to see if the storm damaged any of the buildings structurally. From there... worst case scenario, I might need help with that. We can see how it goes."
Beverly nodded. "I can do a consultation like that. Not a problem."
She reached for her car keys next to her purse.
"You're ready now?" Roy grinned at her.
"If that doesn't work for you—"
"Trust me. That's perfect," he assured her. "Would you want me to drive us over? I don't mind."
"I don't normally do that," she said. "I can follow behind you."
"Oh, sure. Of course. I didn't mean to put you on the spot."
Beverly laughed. "You're fine," she said.
Thankfully, Roy had turned to the door because her cheeks had to be pink. Roy was a very good-looking man. He really was fine, but she was going to be as professional as ever.
The best part? He hadn't asked about her father.
But what would happen if the project was large enough for him to want to hire her? Would he be willing to let her help with it being just her? Or if she put out the word to high schoolers? He was clearly strong and capable, based on the way his flannel shirt fit over his biceps. No doubt there were other strong cowboys who worked at the orchard. This might only be a consultation, but that would be better than nothing. That he hadn't batted an eye about her being the owner and a female was a blessing, especially after how those other men had treated her. That still smarted.
Beverly climbed into her car and nodded to Roy, who had started up his truck. He nodded to her and pulled out of the lot, her right behind him.
The orchard was only fifteen minutes away, and she marveled at the sight of the place. Sure, there was signs of the storm's damage everywhere, but she could see that the place was beautiful.
She parked next to Roy's truck. There were several other trucks and one car in the lot as well.
"If you will follow me," Roy said. "I'll walk you through the entire place, and you can make notes. There's one building, a shed for our tools, that I'm sure is kaput."
She laughed and then winced. "I'm sorry. My father used to say kaput all the time because it made me laugh since I was... I don't know. For forever."
He laughed too. "It is a fun word, even if it means more work for me."
Roy led her through the orchard, showing her the damage from the storm. Trees had been uprooted, and torn branches littered the ground. The shed where they kept their tools had been completely destroyed, its roofing ripped apart by strong winds. He pointed out a few other buildings that were damaged but still standing, and he showed her a barn that was still in good condition, and then the hay barn that needed an entirely new roof.Actually, on second thought, it would need a new reconstruction.
The two of them walked deeper into the orchard, stepping over broken twigs and leaves as they went. Roy explained how he and his team worked hard to keep Hidden Creek Orchard running smoothly. Beverly marveled at how well-maintained the place was despite its current state of disarray.
