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Can’t say I blame her after the scandal that rocked our small town because her husband left Mary for another woman. That relationship didn’t last.
“Well, in that case, thank you for everything you’ve done for Carson Construction,” I say. “I’ve appreciated all the work you’ve done to make the company run so smoothly. I’m going to miss you. When are you leaving?” I make a mental note to send flowers to Jayne’s mother.
“Tomorrow. I’ve got a flight out early afternoon.”
We talk for another minute or two and end the call.
I don’t have a backup plan when it comes to who I can hire. Jayne has been with me from almost day one, when I started the company. I hired her once I realized I couldn’t do everything myself. Back before business picked up.
I head for the living room. Lance and Pete are pulling up the old carpeting so we can replace it with laminate flooring. “Hey, Pete. Is your sister still looking for a job?”
He looks up from the strip of carpet he’s removing. “Nope, she landed one last week at the medical clinic. She’s their new receptionist now that Gladys has retired.”
Retired? I swear Gladys has worked at the clinic since the turn of the century. The last century. “That’s great.” Great for Pete’s sister, but it doesn’t help me.
“I’m going for a coffee run,” I announce. “You guys want anything?”
I grab their orders and climb into my truck. Lance is keeping an eye on Butterscotch while I’m gone.
Zara’s working the front counter when I enter Treats. “Hi, Troy,” she says brightly. A little too brightly.
“Hey. Is Jess still around?” Her bike and Bailey’s trailer are where she usually leaves them out front.
“Her shift ended about twenty minutes ago.” Zara walks to the front of the counter. “I need to talk to you in the staff room.” Her voice is low, her tone carefully neutral, but she doesn’t seem overly upset. I try to take that as a good sign.
I follow her down the short hallway that leads to the public restroom and the staff room.
We walk into the staff room. No one else is here. Zara doesn’t bother to sit on the couch or armchair, and neither do I.
“Did she have another flashback?” I ask.
Zara nods, worry pulling at the corners of her mouth. “It wasn’t as bad as last time. The power went out for a brief moment. Keshia and I found her huddled next to the wall, shaking badly. She didn’t have a knife this time, so she wasn’t at risk to herself or anyone else.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” The words come out in quick succession, my concern for Jess squeezing the trigger.
Zara’s eyes widen for a nanosecond, and a series of emotions flash on her face. Her expression finally settles onGet over yourself, dumbass. “Didn’t realize I was supposed to, Troy. Keshia and I knew what to do this time. We didn’t need you riding in on your steed and rescuing the damsel with one of your golden kisses.” Her mouth jerks up in abustedsmirk.
The concern in my chest loosens slightly, and a chuckle releases low in my throat. “She told you we kissed, huh?”
“She might’ve mentioned it. Or I might’ve guessed because it was kind of obvious from her expression. So, what are you planning to do now with all that hot chemistry between you two?”
“Sorry, that intel is need-to-know only, and you don’t need to know anything about it.”
Zara shakes her head the way Mom did when I was a kid and she caught me sneaking a snack before dinner. “Except Jess is my friend. And as her friend, it’s my duty to make sure she’s happy.” Zara eases out a long-troubled breath. “So…any suggestions what to do about the flashbacks?”
“How is she otherwise here?” I suspect I know the answer, but I want to hear it from Zara.
“Things haven’t changed much. She’s tense most of the time, other than when she’s with Bailey. She tries to pretend she’s fine, but I think she’s so scared of what happened her first day here, she can’t relax.”
My gaze drops to Bailey’s crate. “I might have a solution, but it means you’ll lose her as an employee.”
“If you have a better solution than Jess always being on edge, I’ll deal with it. Like I said, she’s my friend too, and I hate seeing her struggle so much.” Zara studies my face. “Any idea yet what happened to her?”
“Not a single clue. She doesn’t want to talk about it. I’m just happy she agreed to see a therapist.”
Zara nods, the movement slow and thoughtful. “It’s a good thing the state’s covering it. Seems my company insurance plan is sadly lacking when it comes to mental health. I need to get on that.”
I inwardly winced at the first part, but it must have registered on my face a second later if the way Zara’s eyes narrow is any indication. “Damn. The state isn’t covering the therapy, is it? You’re the one paying for it.”
