Page 237 of Daddy's Naughty List

As Louisa examined her reflection in the full-length mirror, uncertainty niggled at her. The sweater brought out the emerald sparkle in her eyes and the skirt flattered her figure, but would Ben take her seriously? Was the hat a crazy idea? She nervously fiddled with a lock of her wavy chestnut hair.

"Get it together, Lulu!" she chided herself firmly. "Today is about the carnival, not your silly schoolgirl crush. You've got to focus." She gave herself a resolute nod in the mirror.

Louisa's heart raced as she approached the meeting room, her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door, only to see Ben already there. He sat at the table, his sandy blond hair tucked under a Stetson as he studied the sketches she had left behind.

At the sound of her entrance, Ben looked up, his piercing blue eyes locking with hers. A warm smile spread across his rugged features. "Lulu! Good morning. I was just admiring your sketches."

A blush crept up Lulu’s cheeks as she returned his smile shyly. She loved how he called her Lulu. Mark never did that. "Thanks, Sir. I'm glad you like them." She moved to take a seat across from him, her hands trembling slightly as she set down her notebook.

“I’m looking forward to working with you,” he said. He was so professional, so distant.

“Me too,” she squeaked, already feeling silly in her hat.

They began, working on a map of the woods near the Maple Cabin, thinking about which stalls could go where, and what the decorations might be like.

Lulu found herself stumbling over her words, her tongue tied in knots. She mentally kicked herself. Why did he have this effect on her? She had never been good around her bosses, but then, she had never had a good boss before.

After a couple of hours, Ben suggested they take a coffee break.

“I’d love that,” she said with a nod. “I’m kind of a coffee addict back home.”

Ben smiled. “Nothing wrong with that. But how about we go for something festive? A cinnamon-spiced latte, perhaps? Something to get us in the festive mood?”

“Great idea!”

Ben fetched them the lattes from the ranch coffee shop and brought them back to the meeting room, the cinnamon scent filling the air.

“I love your hat, by the way,” he said as he handed her the cup of coffee.

“You do?” she asked, blushing. “I wasn’t sure if it was . . . unprofessional.”

Ben looked at her, his brows knitted together. “You worry about that, even in a place like this?”

She winced. “Maybe it’s silly. I mean, you know I’m a Little, so I guess I have nothing to hide.”

Ben blinked at her. "Tell me more about your job back home." He leaned forward with genuine interest.

Louisa fidgeted with her pen. "Oh, it's nothing special, really. I design greeting cards. Pretty boring stuff." She gave a self-deprecating laugh, avoiding his gaze.

But Ben shook his head, his eyes filled with admiration. "Are you kidding? That sounds amazing, Louisa. Greeting cards are hardly boring. They can be funny, sweet, romantic, serious. Think about every major event in a person’s life. How do we celebrate it? With a greeting card. When people get married, when they graduate, when they get older, hell, even when they die. There’s a card for everything. And helping to craft those cards for all those important moments . . . it’s a big responsibility.”

His words made Louisa's heart flutter, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I guess that’s true. And it’s kind of why I got into it in the first place. The problem, I guess, is that my boss . . . well, he doesn’t make it a very nice place to work.”

Lines appeared on Ben’s forehead. “He’s mean to you?”

“I guess he’s very result-oriented. And he thinks everyone works exactly like him. One snap of the fingers and out pops a new greeting card idea. But for me, well, the process isn’t linear. I need time to daydream, to doodle, to think outside the box. And ideally, to be myself, though that’s not always possible. . . ”

Ben nodded. “I get that. You need a boss that appreciates that everyone has a different style of work. Who understands your individual strengths.”

She smiled. “That’s exactly right.”

“You know, I’ve worked with a lot of people in my time. I’ve always found that understanding that everyone’s different is the best way to get the best out of everyone.” He paused. “My problem is that I care a little too much. I guess it’s very time-consuming, trying to support that many people.”

“It must get exhausting. Hard to find the time for yourself,” Lulu said kindly.

Ben smiled. “I find it quite energizing most of the time, thankfully. But . . . I’m not sure the people around me do.”

Lulu wanted to press Ben on that further. There was a sadness in his eyes now, and she wanted so badly to help him make it go away. But she saw him shaking his head, as though trying to push the thoughts out of his brain.

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