room cleared quickly. A jolt of excitement surged through Flynt. He could examine Jessie’s drawing at last. If he wasn’t mistaken, Corby would be forced to admit that she was the right person for the job.
She stepped back into the room, her lunch pail in hand. “Did you plan on eating with us?”
“Not today. I want to talk with Corby.” He did. After he’d reviewed her work.
“Very well.” She rubbed her lower back with her free hand.
He’d noticed her roll her shoulders a few times as she worked, too. “Are you all right?”
“Just a bit stiff, that’s all. I’ll see you later.” She left, her boot heels thudding on the wooden floor.
Alone at last. He stood before her drawing, scrutinizing every detail, checking every angle, verifying every calculation. His admiration grew. If her final inked copy was on par with her penciled version, Corby would have no choice but to accept her as a member of the team.
Flynt strode to Corby’s office and opened the door. A whiff of cigar smoke greeted him. “Do you have a minute?”
Corby beckoned Flynt inside. “Come to lobby for your candidate, have you?” He snuffed out his cigar.
“Her work is outstanding. You can see for yourself.” He held out a hand toward the Den. “I assigned her a drawing that would challenge even the most seasoned draftsman, and yet she tackled it without hesitation.”
“You want me to hire her, don’t you? Even though she’s already created a stir? I saw the trail of men heading her way. They were like ants drawn to a sugar bowl.”
Flynt plopped into one of the chairs in front of Corby’s desk. “They’ve been trooping by, yes, but the novelty will fade soon enough.” He certainly hoped that was the case. George was so infatuated it was a wonder he’d gotten any work done. Not that Flynt could blame him. Jessie was a distraction, albeit a pleasant one.
“And if it doesn’t? What then?”
“I’m sure it will. But if not, I’ll do whatever’s necessary to restore order.”
Corby’s bushy eyebrows formed a V. “You’re not smitten or anything, are you?”
“No, sir!” He wasn’t. He couldn’t be. “It’s just that she’s what I need. I mean her work is.”
“I see. So you’re asking me to set aside my concerns and offer her the job? Well, son, since you’ve assured me you’ll do whatever’s necessary to make this work, I’ll take a look at her drawing. And I’ll keep an open mind.”
“I appreciate that.”
Corby followed Flynt to the Den and studied Jessie’s drawing—with a magnifying glass. Flynt waited expectantly for his boss’s assessment.
At length Corby completed his examination. “She’s good, I’ll grant you that, but I have my reservations. We’ll have to see how things go. Now, if you’ve seen enough and are satisfied with the way she goes about her work, do you think you could resume yours? I don’t want us to fall behind.”
“Certainly. Arnold’s tooth has been troubling him, so he headed downtown to have it extracted. He’ll be out this afternoon and tomorrow, so I can use his board.” Because Arnold had been in pain, he’d said little to Jessie. His glare had done the talking for him. Evidently he didn’t like having her there any more than Kurt did.
“That will do, until her drafting table arrives.”
Flynt couldn’t hide his surprise. “You’ve already ordered one? But I didn’t think you wanted—”
“I’m not blind. I saw how adamant you were about hiring Jessie. I have my reservations, but I wouldn’t be much of a manager if I didn’t take my engineer’s preferences into account. And you want the lovely lady.” Corby clapped a hand on Flynt’s shoulder. “Can’t say as I blame you. If I were a young man, my head would be turned, too.”
“It’s not like that. She’s the best qualified.”
“So you’ve said. Her board will be delivered tomorrow.” Corby headed toward his office, stopped and spun on his heel. “Just see that your men get their work done, or I’ll have to intervene.”
Flynt blew out a breath. He’d worked hard to ensure that things in the Den ran smoothly, but they’d gotten a lot more interesting. He would have to do some serious thinking about how to regain control without singling Jessie out because he wanted her on his team. More than he cared to admit.
* * *
The rugged beauty of the Sierra Foothills appealed to Jessie. From her seat in the back of the wagon sent to transport Flynt’s team from their offices down to Placerville’s main street at the end of the workday, she had a good view of the valley below. A few sprawling oaks and some scrubby manzanita bushes dotted the steep sides of the ravine to the west. All the pine trees for miles around had been cut down to provide wood for the growing town.
Somewhere far below, Weber Creek wove its way through the gorge. As the hot, dry summer wore on, the water currently flowing freely would dwindle, leaving residents eager for the first rain of the season come September. Not too many years from now, thanks to the efforts of her new employer, the El Dorado Canal would carry the plentiful water from alpine lakes in the Sierras to the thirsty valley below. Being part of such a grand undertaking was a dream come true. And she would be part of it because she’d gotten the job and would be working alongside Flynt. He’d told her just before quitting time that once she completed the inked version of her drawing the next day, he would sign off on it.
The handsome engineer sat to her right on the plank wagon seat. She stole a glance at him, as she had several times during the day. Why she felt herself drawn to Flynt, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was the creases that bracketed his mouth, evidence of many smiles, or his wavy hair that begged to be touched. Not that she would ever dream of doing such a thing, even though that unruly lock had fallen across his forehead. Again.
She shifted to a more comfortable position. Because Flynt’s stool wasn’t designed for a person of her stature, her shoulders and lower back had begun protesting even before George had invited her to eat lunch with him. They ached now, but a good night’s sleep should help.
George had claimed the spot to her left. He scooted nearer. Because Flynt was on her right behind the driver’s seat, she couldn’t move without getting uncomfortably close to him.
“Are you as happy to be working with us as we are to have you?” George asked.
The overly friendly fellow might like having her there, but Kurt, seated opposite her, had gone out of his way to register his complaints. She could deal with his outward hostility, but she found Arnold’s withering looks and brooding silence unsettling. His departure before the lunch she’d shared with the other members of Flynt’s team had been a relief.
“I’m excited about the project.” Ever since she’d heard of John Kirk’s plan to harness the water from high atop the Sierras, she’d dreamed of working to bring it about. When her previous boss, Mr. Bishop, had told her he’d secured an interview for her with the El Dorado Water and Deep Gravel Mining Company, she’d had a hard time believing it. And yet here she was, the newest
