Page 141 of An Engagement for Erica

“What’s going on with Tucker?” she asked.

TC got comfortable in the chair and she sat on the couch across from him.

“I know what is going on at the plant.”

“The fact that people know about our relationship?” she asked. “It’s not a big deal.”

“I think Tucker might think otherwise.”

Which meant he probably did tell his grandfather. Really!?

“Which is my bad for not using my words more carefully,” she said. “I was in the middle of something and that is no excuse. When he said he needed to talk to me, I called as soon as I could.”

The fact she was working her ass off on a pitch for a big job wasn’t Tucker’s concern.

She knew it was a long shot and didn’t want to fail at it.

It took a lot of selling of herself and her experience during her pitch. She’d been starting to doubt herself by the time the call ended but wasn’t going to let it show.

To be told what was going on at TCN Industries hit her that maybe she wasn’t as good at her job as she thought.

It was a fleeting thought that passed as quickly as the words shot out of her mouth and she would have done anything to have made sure the safety was on the gun before she pulled the verbal trigger.

She just didn’t expect Tucker to get so defensive.

“Maybe he needs to hear that. But I went there to make my appearance known. I didn’t walk around the plant floor as I’ve done in the past.”

“I’m sure that would have tired you out,” she said. “And maybe you wouldn’t have wanted people to see that either.”

TC smirked. “I’ve got my pride, like my grandson. Maybe he’s got more than me. But the fact I was on the executive floor and seen, people know I’m doing well. It’s as if they can breathe again.”

“Tucker wouldn’t have appreciated that your appearance was needed to calm down some wagging tongues,” she said.

“No,” TC said. “He won’t. He wasn’t there. Which is why I did it the way I had. Tucker is out of town meeting with some vendors. He’ll be back later tonight.”

She hadn’t known that and it would explain why she hadn’t heard from him.

Though she did tell him when she was going out of town.

“I think maybe you needed to visit yourself as much as you thought people needed to see you. The familiar will help you and you can see for yourself that Tucker is doing a great job.”

“He is,” TC said. “I never doubted it. Everything he’s given up and done has been for me. I shouldn’t have put that pressure on him.”

“I don’t think he regrets moving back here,” she said. “It had always been his plan.”

“Just not this soon,” TC said. “And I’d like to think that maybe fate played a hand in things that you were here too.”

She forced a smile and looked down. When she did she realized that her left hand was bare.

Crap.

She moved her hand to her side as if she was hiding it. “Could be that,” she said softly.

TC was still sharp as a tack. “I know you’re not engaged to my grandson.”

“What?” she asked. “Why would you say that?”

“Because I might have been confused in the hospital, but I’m not stupid. I remembered and then started to piece things together.”

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