Page 19 of Heart of Stone
“I really am sorry, Reid. I would hate to think I did something that might jeopardize my position at?—”
“That’s utter nonsense, Natalia. Reid isn’t going to fire you over something so trivial as a holiday decoration. While I would certainly take any serious concerns that he has about anyone’s employment at Sandstone Heart into consideration, I can assure you that this is not one of them. And should my son want to fire anyone, I wouldhopehe’d have a legitimate reason before even considering something like that. People’s livelihoods are involved.”
“Sometimes, sir, it’s far more than that,” Natalia murmured.
My dad offered her a slight nod of understanding, and it was all I could do not to bark with laughter at the absurdity of it all. Natalia knew what she was doing. In fact, more and more, I believed I hadn’t been wrong to consider the possibility of my father setting all of this up on purpose. The only question remained whether Natalia was in on it or not. She certainly seemed to be.
Turning my attention to my mom, I held up the empty plate and smiled at her. “This was wonderful. You did an amazing job on it. Sometimes I forget what it’s like to have a home-cooked meal.”
She smiled at me. “You can thank Natalia for it. She cooked and brought it over for your father and me.”
Just like that, Sylvia Erickson had wiped the smile from my face.
Slowly, I returned my attention to Natalia and glared at her. Her face was as bright as ever as she said, “You don’t need to say anything, Reid. I’ve got to admit, I’ve never seen anyone eata meal I’ve made with such enthusiasm. That’s all the praise I need.”
I growled.
Whether that sound registered for anyone, I didn’t know. Because a moment later, Natalia stood, still smiling, as bright as ever. “Anyway, I should go. I didn’t realize Reid was coming for a family visit, so I’ll leave you all to it.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Mom assured her.
She shook her head, waving her hand in the air. “It’s okay. Honest. I need to get back to my place anyway, so I can get some sleep before a new week starts. It was so lovely to have some time to spend with you, and I’m thrilled you’re truly on the mend. I’ll come by to visit again soon.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Dad said.
“No, no. It’s okay. Stay and enjoy the time with your family. I’ll see you soon, too.” Her eyes shifted to mine. “See you tomorrow morning, Reid. Have a good night.”
The next thing I knew, she was gone.
And all I wanted to do was follow her. But I knew it was only so I could say everything I’d refrained from saying in front of my parents.
Or, at least, that’s what I told myself the reason was.
SEVEN
Natalia
I’d already had a wildly productive morning when the door to my office was flung open just a few minutes before nine on Monday.
Though startled by the brash entrance, I wasn’t surprised by who I saw there.
Reid Erickson—utterly furious, albeit rather handsome. Grouch or not, I couldn’t deny that simple fact.
Try as I might, I was unable to prevent the corners of my mouth from tugging up with a smile. Without him saying a single word, I knew what Reid’s visit was about, where the fury came from, and not only did I expect it, but I was also more than prepared for it.
Even still, I waited for him to speak whatever thoughts were on his mind. And as I waited, I gave myself the opportunity to take him in again.
It shouldn’t have bothered me that he seemed to get more and more handsome every time I saw him, but in some strange way, it did. Maybe that was just my own frustration with him taking over, though. It bugged me to no end that he seemed tohave such disdain for me when I’d gone out of my way to be nice to him.
“What’s this?”
If I didn’t believe he was genuinely irritated, I might have found the way he frowned at me slightly amusing.
I dropped my eyes briefly to what he’d held up in his hand and stated the obvious. “It appears to be a basket of muffins. Pumpkin ones, if my senses are to be trusted.”
He clenched his jaw and squinted at me. “I’d already gathered that much. What were they doing on my desk?”
So, he’d made an assumption. Was I on his mind that much?
