Page 56 of One Sultry Summer

“She likes coffee, I don’t think she’d want a sweet tea.”

My mom thought for a moment. “Would you like an iced cappuccino?”

“That sounds delicious. What flavors do you have available?”

“Let’s see, I have vanilla, caramel, or hazelnut.”

“Mmm, they all sound wonderful. May I please have hazelnut?”

“Of course, I’ll bring that out to you as soon as I’m finished.”

“Thank you, Abby. I hope it’s not a bother.”

“Shucks no! I’ll have that out in no time.”

We walked back to the dining room, and I saw Valerie sitting with Mr. Graves still in conversation. He was nodding as she spoke, which was a good sign. We sat at a table nearby to give them time to discuss Valerie’s decision.

“You know, when I saw him in the lobby earlier, I had no idea he was Valerie’s boss because I’d never met him before.” She bit her bottom lip. “Here I thought, ‘Oh he’s a good-looking guy’. Then we got to talking and he was very charming. When Valerie came to the table and said his last name, I felt I was a horrible person for being attracted to the enemy.”

“Victoria, you don’t have to feel horrible aboutit. At the beginning, I didn’t like him or his company because I had a preconceived notion about it. Let’s see how their conversation unfolds before we decide he’s the bad guy.”

“You’re right. Valerie has always had a good head on her shoulders.” My mother dropped off a cappuccino for each of us. Victoria was willing to tell me about Valerie’s adventures growing up. We sat and enjoyed each other’s company while we waited patiently for Valerie to wrap up her impromptu meeting.

Chapter 21

Valerie Masterson

As I sat down, there was still a storm raging inside me. It was a mixture of anger and disappointment that I couldn’t shake. Mr. Graves’ calm demeanor reminded me of something Wyatt had said earlier. Perhaps I did pique his interest, as there’s no reason for a man to fly seventeen hundred miles just to pick up a resignation letter. I calmed down and waited for him to talk first.

“Valerie. Let me start by saying I came here to talk to you face to face.”

“Why?”Calm down, Valerie, let the man speak. Damn, even Wyatt is in my head.

“I value you as an employee and trust yourjudgment.” I bit my tongue and waited for him to expand on what he was saying. “I know when I denied your suggestion, it pissed you off and you took it personally.”

“Of course, I took it personally. How could I not?”

He took another visible breath. His hands rested calmly on the table, fingers interlaced, conveying a sense of control and assurance. His eyes met mine with a steady gaze, showing sincerity and concern.

He leaned slightly forward, emphasizing his engagement and willingness to understand my perspective. “This is another reason I came. You’re compassionate about this town’s community and passionate about any project you take on. Frankly, I don’t want to lose you as an employee.”

I bit my lip before I responded. “I’m sorry I overreacted.”

“Don’t apologize, Valerie. I’ve always liked howyou say exactly what’s on your mind.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.” He looked down at my wrist, his eyes filled with worry. “What happened?”

“I fell when I was running during the storm.”

“You mean during the twister?”

“Yup.”

“How bad is it?”

“It’s a minor sprain.”

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