Page 14 of A Lesson for Laurel

“There used to be a time you didn’t like independent women,” Abe said.

“Yeah, well, the ones I have to take care of didn’t work out so well either. Maybe I’ve got shitty luck with women,” he said.

“Or you haven’t found the right one,” Abe said. “Just like me. That is what I tell my mother all the time.”

“You do that to pacify her,” he said. “I say the truth.”

“If you say so,” Abe said.

“I do,” he said. Easton heard his computer going off and knew it was emails piling up.

“Dude, is that work?”

“Unfortunately,” he said.

“It’s Sunday.”

“It’s Monday morning in other places in the world,” he said.

“Better you than me,” Abe said.

“Someone has to make the world a better place,” he said, laughing.

“Get to it then,” Abe said. “And try to get some sleep tonight.”

“I’ll try,” he said. “Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen though.”

“Don’t make me want to fly home or get my mother on your case,” Abe said. “I’m already feeling guilty about this.”

He should have kept his mouth shut. “Just busting your ass,” he said.

He hung up after that and wished it was a joke, but it wasn’t. He most likely wouldn’t get much sleep and needed to do it soon so that he could be up hours before the sun to get things started. Thankfully it was going to rain tomorrow so not much he’d have to do for Abe’s business. Abe already rescheduled a quote for him to show up later on Tuesday afternoon.

Only another month of this, then life could get back to normal.

More like loneliness and he wondered what else he could do to get Laurel’s attention and wished that he’d gotten her number.

5

WHAT SHE FELT

“You’re walking funny this morning,” Poppy Bloom-McGill said to Laurel on Monday morning. “Anything exciting you want to share?”

She turned and grinned at one of the owners. Poppy was pregnant and due in less than a month with her son. “Nothing worthwhile,” she said. “Just got a harder workout in this morning.”

No reason to mention that she’d spent the time doing a workout she’d never done before and with a sexy mysterious neighbor.

Easton didn’t talk much, but when he did, he made her grin.

“Bummer,” Poppy said. “But I know how hard it is when you’re new in the area. How do you like it so far?”

“It’s great,” she said. They were in her office and Laurel had been rearranging things so that she could look out the big windows onto the floor better. She didn’t like her back to the windows so she was facing the door. Now she could go sideways and turn her head easily enough to the factory floor or the door.

“We are glad you are here,” Poppy said. “I know some of the staff can be difficult.”

She snorted. “I’ve dealt with difficult staff before. Remember, I was a union leader. Nothing worse than union members during negotiations.”

“I can only imagine,” Poppy said. “Not my thing. We are much more laid back here, but you’re going to get some that are still bitter that an outsider came in.”

---