Page 9 of Todd
She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes again. “Mr. Bishop, I spent my mother’s final months in Florida, where it was hot as hell. And crowded. No matter where I went… to the grocery, to the doctor’s offices, then to the hospital, I was surrounded by people. Some were rude, some were wonderful, some were indifferent, and some did all they could to make life better. But I never had a chance to be alone and just breathe.”
She pressed her lips together, realizing she was sharing far more than she’d intended in a professional interview. But something in Logan’s expression encouraged her honesty.
“As soon as I stepped off that plane and started driving here, this place called to me.” Her lips pressed together tightly. “I realize that might sound stupid, but if I’m going to work for you, then I need to be honest. I can do the work required to take on whatever LSI Montana needs. I can be part of the camaraderie of your business. But I also want to be somewhere that allows me just to breathe.”
Logan’s slow nod felt like validation of everything she’d been feeling since her arrival. She held her breath, suddenly aware that her entire future hung on his next words.
His smile transformed his entire face as he reached across the desk with his hand extended. “Welcome aboard, Ms. Hargrove.”
Relief flooded, settling the nerves that had fired since she’d first received his call for an interview. She eagerly grasped his hand. “Sadie, sir.”
“And you can call me Logan.”
Her smile felt like it might split her face as the tension she hadn’t fully acknowledged finally released its grip on her shoulders. After last night with Todd and now landing this dream position, she finally felt like her world was stabilizing on its axis again.
“I’ll have someone show you around and then connect you with Mary,” Logan explained, already moving into logistics mode. “She’s our support coordinator and a former Army logistics specialist. To be completely honest, she’s already the real power behind LSI Montana’s daily operations. She’ll handle all your paperwork and can get you started immediately if you’re ready.”
“That sounds perfect,” she managed, trying to keep the tremor of excitement out of her voice. From Logan’s amused expression, she wasn’t entirely successful.
“Do you have housing arrangements?”
She shook her head with a laugh. “I literally arrived yesterday, and I’m staying at a hotel downtown. I’ll start looking for an apartment soon.”
“Rental options are extremely limited in this area, and what’s available tends to be expensive despite the remote location,” Logan warned. “I’ve constructed a bunkhouse with six private rooms, a communal kitchen, a large common area, and three bathrooms. There’s no charge for LSI employees. Mary has her own place in town, so you’d be our first female resident. One bathroom would be exclusively yours, and all rooms have secure locks. I guarantee you’ll be completely safe. No one I employ would be guilty of inappropriate behavior.”
The offer was beyond generous, and practical considerations made the decision easy. “I appreciate that more than you know. And I trust your word completely.”
Her mind was already spinning with the possibilities of a legitimate career with a cutting-edge security firm, built-in housing that would let her save money, new colleagues to build relationships with, and the vast Montana landscape to heal her soul. For the first time since her mother’s diagnosis, the future felt full of promise rather than merely something to endure.
She was so lost in euphoric planning that she barely registered when Logan opened the door and called out, “Todd, this is Sadie. Would you give her the full tour? Introduce her to everyone and then get her settled with Mary for all the employment paperwork.”
As she stepped through the doorway, her gaze landed on a familiar figure, and her heart stopped completely.
Todd?Her Todd from the bar. The Todd who’d made her feel alive again last night. The Todd whose naked body had been wrapped around hers just hours ago, whose whispered words had made her believe in possibilities she’d thought were permanently lost.
His eyes widened in shock, and he sucked in a sharp breath, clearly as stunned as she was by this impossible coincidence. But just as quickly, his expression shuttered into something cold and distant, and he gave her nothing more than a terse nod of acknowledgment. “Certainly, Logan.”
She swallowed hard as Logan disappeared back into his office, leaving her alone with the man who’d held her body… and her heart, in his hands just that morning. Turning to face Todd fully, she searched his face for some sign of the tenderness she’d seen there in the darkness of her hotel room.
Instead, she found a scowl that made her stomach plummet.
“Jesus, last night was such a fucking mistake,” he groaned, appearing pained before she could even form a proper greeting.
The words hit her like a physical blow, stealing her breath and making her chest contract around sudden, sharp pain. She understood the complexities of workplace relationships. God knows, her military and CIA background had drilled nonfraternization policies into her consciousness. But she would never characterize what they’d shared as a mistake.
“Seriously?” The word burst from deep inside her gut, carrying all her confusion and hurt.
“Come on, let’s walk,” he said, his gaze darting around. “I don’t want anyone else overhearing this conversation.”
He started moving without waiting for her response, and she hurried to match his longer strides, anger beginning to build alongside the pain. As soon as they were well away from any buildings, she found her voice. “You know, you don’t have to be such a prick about this.”
“Prick?” His chin jerked back. “I’m not trying to be a prick.”
“Oh yeah?” The fury was rising now, burning away the vulnerability. “I understand this situation is unexpected, but there’s no reason to trash what happened between us last night.”
He looked away for a moment, and she caught a flash of something… conflict, maybe even anguish, moving through his eyes. But when he turned back to her, his mouth was twisted. “What happened between us last night?” he began. “Look, Sadie, this puts everything into a different light.”
She tilted her head, her hands landing on her hips in a mirror of his stance. “Different light? What do you mean by that?”
