trailer.
Jackson followed, intent on leaving before he did something else stupid. He had a tub in his trailer—the only one in camp, if he remembered correctly. For an instant he almost offered her the use of it. Then sanity took hold. He didn’t want her here, and didn’t plan to do anything to encourage her staying. By Friday, she’d have to admit defeat, and depart.
And if life wasn’t as comfortable as she’d hoped, maybe she’d leave even earlier.
“We start work at eight,” he said gruffly, feeling a hint of guilt for denying her such a minor bit of comfort. But he was determined to have her gone in three days.
“I’ll be there. Thank you for fixing the heater.”
She ushered him to the door and practically shut it in his face.
He stood on the step for a moment, surprised by her move. What did you expect? he asked himself as he walked away. He had done nothing since they’d met to encourage any friendly feelings. Still, he admitted he had expected her to try to change his mind—with a smile, or soft words, or an invitation for a drink. The fact that she hadn’t surprised him.
Mandy stood beneath the hot shower some time later and reveled in the warmth. She wished she could have had a nice soak, but the water felt almost as good cascading down as it would sitting in it. Tilting back her head, she wet her hair, relishing the feeling. She wished the lake was warm enough to swim in—not that late September was the time to go swimming in Colorado’s high country. The lake was probably icy cold even in summer. But it had looked inviting.
When the water began to turn cool, she shut it off and stepped out into the minuscule bathroom. It didn’t take long to dry off and don the flannel nightie she’d brought. Nights were cool in Denver, and she’d known they would be cold in the mountains. Combing her hair, she debated using a dryer. Her hair would curl in any case, so she might as well let it dry naturally.
Slipping beneath the covers a little while later, she turned off the light without reading. She wanted to get a good night’s sleep. She had a feeling she’d need all her wits about her tomorrow to prove to at least one critical partner that she was the perfect secretary.
Curiously, she had no doubt that if she proved her worth, Jackson would let her stay until they closed down for the winter. She suspected he was an honorable man, a man of his word.
She grinned in the darkness. He hadn’t wanted to help her tonight. But he had. Without a word of complaint. Another man might have said that was one hardship of working on a remote site—that they all dealt with cold showers—as a way to discourage her. But he hadn’t.
He’d been patient in answering her questions, too, though he was convinced she would never need a working knowledge of the heater or propane tank.
Would he graciously accept defeat when she showed him she could stay the course? Or would he always be looking for fault, searching for any excuse to fire her and get rid of the woman secretary? He’d agreed to the outrageous terms she’d flung out. If she passed, she’d stay. Something about the man told her that. But he was the one who’d decide if she passed, and she knew the deck was stacked against her.
Mandy was already on the phone to the county building department when Jackson entered the trailer the next morning. She’d seen him up on the framework of the main building when she’d crossed to the office, but he hadn’t seen her. He’d been deep in conversation with two other men, comfortably at home on the high skeleton of the new resort. How long had he worked in construction? Probably since he was a teenager, to be so comfortable on precarious structures.
He looked at her with surprise when he entered.
“It’s only a few minutes past eight o’clock. If he could be here by one, that would work,” she said to the woman on the other end of the line.
Mandy tried to focus on the conversation at hand, ignoring Jackson’s presence to the best of her abilities. But something about him sparked an awareness she wasn’t used to. It was as if the air shimmered with static electricity in his presence.
She almost grinned at her frivolous thoughts. If there were electricity present, he’d use it to zap her away.
Mandy smiled in triumph, but let none of her jubilation show in her voice when the woman on the other end acquiesced. “Thank you, I’ll let them know he’ll be here by one.”
She hung up the phone.
“That was?” Jackson asked, leaning against the edge of his desk, his concentration on her. His dark eyes were narrowed, offering no clue to his feelings, yet the intensity was disconcerting. Mandy felt almost as if he touched her. A tangible awareness seemed to grow. Shivering slightly, she tried to ignore her reactions, and smiled in delight.
“The county building department. You’ll have an inspector here by one.” She wanted to jump up and dance around in triumph, but contained her excitement. Jeff had told her how frustrated they’d been with inspection delays. Let Jackson think it was all in a day’s work for someone with her expertise. A few more triumphs like that and he’d have to admit she was more than suitable—she was indispensable!
“And just how did you manage that feat?” His eyes never left hers as he awaited her answer.
“Knowing who to contact and how to apply the right pressure.” And a lot of luck, but he didn’t have to know that part.
He stared at her for a long moment. Mandy caught her breath, held it as her heart rate sped up exponentially. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t break contact, could only gaze into those dark eyes that gave nothing away. What was he thinking? Did he feel any of the shimmering tension that seemed to fill the office trailer?
Abruptly, he nodded once and moved to sit behind his desk. The phone rang and he snatched it up.
She glanced away, slowly letting her breath out and taking another. What had just happened?
She drew a line through that item on her to-do list, trying to focus on all she had to accomplish and not on the other occupant of the office. Getting the inspector out on such short notice was a small victory in the greater scheme of things, but it definitely didn’t hurt that Mr. Doubting Thomas over there had witnessed it. Chalk one up for her side.
Now if she could only ignore him and the strange reactions she experienced, maybe she could get something else crossed off her lengthy list.
Despite the edge of tension that seemed to permeate the office during the morning, Mandy was able to accomplish a great deal. But even as she diligently worked through the backed-up paperwork, she was conscious of Jackson Witt more than she should have been.
The way he ran his fingers through that thick hair had nothing to do with anything, and she had no business noting the gesture each time he made it. His hair was almost black, and thick. When he ran his fingers through it, it looked mussed. Sexy.
She blinked and stared back at her notes. Don’t go there!
The sound of his deep voice when speaking on the phone did not send shivers down her back. That was the draft from the door, she tried to convince herself. But the words before her blurred as she imagined him holding her close and speaking softly in her ear.
When he frowned at something, she was glad that glare was not directed at her, but her heart rate picked up, anyway.
