Page 68 of Love In The Spotlight

“I like that you’re honest,” he said, getting up and standing in front of her. He pulled her into his arms and it felt good to be held like this. “I’ll return the favor and say how sexy you look today, especially considering how cold out it is.”

She’d put on a fitted brown dress, brown tights and brown knee-high heeled boots.

“I’m covered and comfortable. It helps not having to be outside too long. Just long enough to catch my taxi. Wish you could wait for me, but I know you’ve got to get home to Penelope.”

He’d told her he tried to be home to get his daughter to bed. He didn’t pay Janelle to raise his child but to watch her. He wasn’t going to be an absent father like he felt his own dad was even though the man never traveled and lived in the same house.

It reminded her of Nelson’s comment about the older kids having more memories of their father. But time didn’t have anything to do with it in all cases. Jamie being a great example.

“I do,” he said. “Don’t suppose you could get out a little early on Friday? I’ll be around most of tomorrow and will give Janelle the day off in exchange for staying later on Friday?”

Which meant he wouldn’t spend the night, but she knew this was going to happen between their schedules and until he let his daughter know.

“I can try to make that work,” she said. She went to her computer. “I have no meetings after two.”

“Then I’ll be at your place at three,” he said, giving her one more kiss and then pulling her close to his body.

She rubbed up against him. “That is going to have to hold me over until then. Or my toys will. I’m used to that.”

“I need to see these toys,” he said, giving her butt a light tap.

“I just might show you.”

21

A BUSY LADY

“You’ll be back tomorrow?” Janelle asked him on Friday around noon. He was checking in with her now that Penelope was down for her nap. He’d put her down himself and said that he’d be back on Saturday morning.

Penelope was so used to him coming and going for his job that she never thought to ask or question anything.

Unlike Janelle.

“I will be,” he said.

“How is everything coming on the business plan?” Janelle asked.

“It’s good. I know construction will be done in a few weeks. Maybe a month. They’ve got job ads posted to get staff in to set up with production and then will get more done after that. It’s moving faster than I thought.”

“So this isn’t a business trip?” Janelle asked.

He didn’t know why he wasn’t sharing this and should.

The more time he spent with Laken, the more he wanted to bring Penelope into it. He’d need Janelle to help him out with that when the time came.

“No,” he said. “Do you have a minute?”

“You pay me to have a lot of minutes,” Janelle said, grinning. “Tea?”

He looked at his watch. “I’ve got time for tea.”

He wasn’t going to leave until close to two. It’d get him to Laken’s before three, but he wanted to plan on traffic too. She’d be home by then. She’d promised him she was leaving the minute her meeting ended around one thirty, but he also knew that she might get held up.

Janelle moved around the kitchen getting the water hot in the kettle on the stove and putting tea bags in cups.

When they both had a cup in front of them, she sat at the island with him.

“Go ahead and tell me you’re seeing someone.”

---