Page 25 of Pining for You

Glad for the break, I grabbed the bag I’d packed my lunch in and settled beside Brad on the truck’s running board.

“How you holdin’ up?” He opened a large container revealing large portions of rice and vegetables mixed with beans, a couple of power bars, an apple, a banana, and several energy drinks.

Jealous, because I’d worked up an appetite after all that physical labor, I withdrew one of the two PB&Js I’d packed this morning. “So far, so good.”

He eyed my lunch. “You need to bring more food. Especially protein. Cheese, beans, meat, something more substantial than a PB&J. You’re going to get lightheaded otherwise.”

With that pronouncement, he grabbed one of six bottles of water from his cooler, cracked one open and handed it to me. “Finish this before we get back to work. You’re going to need to hydrate, too.”

“If I drink that whole thing in the next half hour, I’ll have to find a bush to pee behind or knock on the neighbors’ door and ask to use their bathroom if they don’t want me mooning them.”

“Nope. You’re sweating it out already.” He cracked open a second bottle, downed half of it, before saying, “You get dehydrated real easy if you don’t keep up your water intake. As the day gets warmer, the more water you need to drink.”

“Are you always such a mother hen?” I teased, though I lifted the bottle and to my amazement, went through at least a third in one session. I’d been thirstier than I’d guessed.

“Part of the job as your supervisor.” His tone softened. “And with you? It’s my privilege to make sure you’re properly taken care of.”

I snorted, spewing a mouthful of water down my chest. “Where’d you get that line? From another one of your sisters’ rom-coms?”

He lifted a hand and stroked the side of my neck, sending a shiver right down to my core. “Not a line. Not one that I remember hearing in a movie, anyway. I remember how you said you hated working outdoors in your family’s tree farm or helping your dad look after his clients’ properties. That you preferred working in an office, using your brain, and yet here you are. So I’m going to try to make it as…well, comfortable isn’t the right word, but I am going to make sure you look after yourself.”

“I have bills to pay and didn’t have a job to pay them.” I couldn’t help the bitterness filling my voice. "At least we'll see more of each other, right?"

The huge smile he gave me after that statement made me feel a little better. I was going to have to watch myself with this guy. It would be so easy to tell him all my secrets, and then he'd run screaming.

10

BRAD

We’d been working together for over a week. Chloe had been a quick learner and had passed her wood chipper training with flying colours. Friday evening, I pulled the company truck into the Prunery’s parking lot and parked it in the usual spot. Chloe climbed out and together we unloaded the equipment and hauled it to the workbenches where we busied ourselves cleaning and sharpening what we’d used that day.

John was talking with Blair, the B Team leader, as I set my chain saws on the bench. He glanced up, frowned, rocked on his heels a couple times before returning to his conversation with Blair.

“Did you see that,” I said to Chloe, keeping my voice low. “How John rocked liked that? That’s a sign he’s not happy about something.”

She repositioned herself to the side of the bench so it would appear she was still working but would have a better view of John. “He’s not doing it now. What would he be unhappy about? We’ve not done anything to make him unhappy, have we?”

I heard her unspoken, “Have I?”

“Nope, nothing but happy clients here.” I placed my hand on her shoulder and patted it once. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”

But when I checked John by looking at his reflection in the “We’ll go out on a limb for you” sign hanging over Team B’s workbench, John was back to rocking on his heels once more. Staring at me.

The moment Blair walked away, John narrowed his eyes at me and hooked his thumb toward his office. Shit.

I walked over to John’s office, but hesitated in the doorway, watching as Chloe said something to Finn, then Finn called to Evan, and how the two men followed Chloe to the truck.

To my satisfaction, they helped her unload the rest of our gear and carried it to my—our—workbench. To my relief, instead of walking away from her, Evan stayed with her. Was it relief? Or jealousy? Had I been hoping that I would be the one to show her how to do all those things, to give me a reason to be with her?

John leaned a hip against his desk. “Calhoun, get your ass in here and close the door.”

Double shit. Now I felt like I’d been called into the principal’s office. But this time I had no idea what I’d done wrong.

The moment the latch snicked in the door, John said, “How long you been bangin’ Pogue’s daughter?”

Triple shit. There was no use lying about it, might as well come clean.

“Dating her,” I corrected, my teeth clenched together. “Why?”

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