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“Very,” I assured her, feeling my face fill with heat.Oh Lord, I hoped she couldn’t tell what I’d been doing all night with her son.“Um, Elias is picking me up.”
She beamed at me.“I already spoke to Jos.How about I stop by for lunch, and we can celebrate your new job?”
It sounded like something normal mothers did to commemorate major milestones in their daughters’ lives.I pushed down the pain that tried to invade my happiness and embraced the love Gracie so selflessly offered.“I would like that.But only if you have time.I don’t want to pull you away from work if you’re busy.You have clients who need you.”
“Pfft,” she said, waving away my concern.“This is important.Just us so we can talk about…whatever you feel like chatting about.We need girl time.”
“Okay.”I didn’t want to argue, not when it felt so good to have motherly attention and affection.“I’ll see you at lunch.”
“Definitely.”She picked up a napkin and two muffins and pushed them into my hand.“Better take one for Elias.He’s a sucker for Marcy’s muffins.”
Staring down at the offered breakfast, I swallowed the knot that wanted to choke me and pull me out of my happy place.I threw my arms around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze.It was over quickly because I knew I would burst into tears if I didn’t leave.Grabbing the treats and thanking Marcy for the to-go mug of coffee, I rushed out of the kitchen.
Elias pulled up in his huge truck just as I closed the front door behind me.Hopping out, he jogged around to the passenger side to help me inside.Instead of the usual jeans, T-shirt, and leather MC cut, he was dressed in black dress pants and a blue-button down that almost perfectly matched his eyes.It was a major contrast to the casual look I was used to seeing him in, with the ink on his arms hidden.“Morning, beautiful!Oh damn, that muffin looks delicious.Please tell me you’re going to share.”
Laughing, I offered him the second muffin.He had half of it stuffed into his mouth before he even got behind the wheel again.
“Jack give you a hard time about working for us?”he asked after pulling out into traffic.
I felt my face heat all over again, but I shrugged.“The topic didn’t come up.”
“Oh shit,” he groaned.“He’s gonna beat my ass.”
I side-eyed him as I nibbled on my muffin.His gaze drifted longingly to the blueberry goodness I held.His was already gone, and I honestly didn’t know how he’d scarfed it down without choking.
Elias was a little shorter than Jack but not by much, and he was wider in the shoulders.It was obvious he worked out, and not just by lifting heavy stuff at work.His entire body was cut from what I could see.The man was a beast—a handsome, cocky beast.
I had no doubt Jack could kick his ass, but I also knew Elias wouldn’t go down without a hell of a fight.
He paused at a stop sign, and I glanced at him to find him smirking, but I still saw wariness in his magnetic blue eyes.“Seriously, Nishia.He’s gonna be pissed with me.”
“Like I said, the topic didn’t come up.”Stuffing a bigger bite into my mouth, I offered him the rest of my muffin as compensation for the trouble I no doubt would stir up when Jack found out where I was.“Do you still want me to work for you?”
“Absolutely.We need help, and Jack will cool off.”He grimaced as he took a bite of my muffin.“Eventually.”Sighing, he grumbled, “I’ll take payment for the harassment I’m about to endure in more muffins.”
Laughing, I settled back into the passenger seat more comfortably.“Deal.”
Barker & Reid Construction had their own building on the opposite side of town from Sanctuary.It was a modern-style building with lots of windows to let in natural light, and it had solar panels on the roof.Elias and Reid’s mom, Jos, was all about clean energy, and from the history of their main office that Elias gave me on the drive over, they had designed the building around her desire to be green.
Reid, their dad, and uncle ran three of the bigger construction crews, but Elias was their leading architect, while Jos was in charge of the office.I’d seen plenty of their work at Sanctuary and around Creswell Springs.Barker & Reid was the top construction company in three counties, so they were always busy.
Elias wasn’t lying about needing help.The phone was already ringing when we walked in.He didn’t have much time to show me around before the constant ringing got to us both.
“Mom will be out with your new hire paperwork soon,” he said with an annoyed glare toward the receptionist’s desk.“Our last front office person quit about two weeks ago, and we’ve been trying to find the right fit.But so far, no one is sticking around.”
After a crash course in the phone system, Elias guided me through answering a few calls, transferring them to the right person, whether they were in one of the offices or to the construction site foreman’s cell phone.One call led to him showing me how to schedule meetings.Luckily for us both, I was a quick learner, and by the third call, I felt comfortable enough to handle the phones on my own since he had a client who showed up an hour early for their meeting.
“Shit,” he grumbled, glancing at the clock on the computer screen.“Samara isn’t here yet, and she’s taking point on this project.”
“Go take care of business, boss,” I urged.
“You sure?”He frowned from me to the client, a blond woman in an expensive-looking business suit that hugged her curves.She gave Elias a wink, her red-painted lips pouting up at him, and he muttered a curse under his breath.
“Positive,” I assured him and picked up the phone as soon as it rang.“Barker & Reid Construction, this is Nishia.How may I help you?”I listened and pulled up the day’s schedule.
Elias still stood behind me.Turning my head, I cocked a brow at him and motioned toward the phone.“Do you mind?I’m kind of busy.It’s rude to stand over a person’s shoulder.”
He laughed and shook his dark head.“I don’t care what Jack does to me.I’m not letting you go, Nishia.”Walking around the reception desk, he held out his hand to the blonde.“Lynn, how are you?”
