Page 14 of 7+Us Makes Nine

“Does it matter?”

I quirked an eyebrow as Catherine shifted around in her seat. I’d obviously hit a nerve.

“To some it might,” I said. “But to me, it doesn’t. You’re an intelligent woman, Catherine. And I can tell your heart is really with the children. Which is something I want for my own children.”

“Do you have any other questions for me?” she asked.

“If I gave you the position, how long would it take for you to move in?” I asked.

“A week. Maybe two? It would depend on where I’m staying in the house and what I can bring with me.”

“There’s a bedroom downstairs in my home. It’s the only one downstairs. The hallway closes off with a door, and down that hallway is a bedroom with it’s own private bathroom. And the room’s a decent size. If you have couches or chairs, you could easily fit them in there.”

“Sounds like that bedroom is the size of my townhome,” she said with a giggle.

Such a beautiful sound. It had been a long time since a woman had laughed in my presence.

Odd, the things people missed.

“I would, of course, give you an advance on your first paycheck to help you get out of your lease. Assuming you wouldn’t want to be paying rent somewhere you weren’t living.”

“What makes you think I don’t own it?” Catherine asked.

“You were a daycare worker and then a teacher. There aren’t many apartments you could own in San Francisco on that kind of pay.”

Her smile overtook her face as a boisterous laugh fell from her lips. She threw her head back, obviously at ease in my office. And oh, the happiness that filled the room. A smile slid across my own cheeks. A smile so big it made them ache. Catherine laughed without abandon. I liked that. Most women tried to hide their laughter, but not her. She didn’t seem to want to hide anything.

Except the answer to the question about her family.

“You’re very perceptive, Jace.”

Holy fuck.

My name.

From her lips.

“And you’re very intelligent, Catherine. But I do have one more question.”

“Of course,” she said.

“What happened with Lawrence Day? Were you fired or did you quit?”

I watched her lock up as a gate immediately shot up in front of her stare. Her warm hazel eyes grew icy in a split second, and I found out that I’d touched another nerve.

“I was let go,” she said.

“Why?” I asked.

“You’re more than welcome to contact the school should you wish to have an answer to that question,” she said.

“Why won’t you tell me why you were fired?”

“Because there are some people in this world that want to keep their private life incredibly private.”

She eyed me heavily and it made me clench my jaw. She knew who my ex-wife was. I didn’t like the fact that she’d been fired from her previous position. It made me wonder why. But that was the only downside to her I could find. It would be nothing to call up the school and request a reason on the basis of hiring her. But would that anger her somehow?

Why did it care if she was angry? I was her employer. If she was angry, I’d simply find someone else to work for me.

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