“Frankly, I never wanted to be this busy. I’ve turned down more work than I’ve accepted through the years. But with Dylan involved now, it’s different.”
“How?”
“He needs the experience, the variety of work, so that he’ll learn enough to be valuable, and eventually independent. I don’t have the time to spend on frivolous things like cooking and cleaning.” He met her gaze, noted how closed she still looked. “But I haven’t told you the best part—at least for you, I think. I know you want to make a name for yourself in interior design. You’d be part of the package I offer to clients—design help. Not just for the remodeling itself, but for suggestions on how to decorate. You’d be the idea person, and I’d put your ideas into action. We’d make a strong team.”
She finally looked interested. The deep furrow between her eyebrows smoothed out, at least.
“Design work for homes and businesses?” she asked.
He nodded, then he hoped to seal the deal when he said, “That part of the business is strictly yours. You keep what you earn.” As the saying went, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse, and he knew it. “You could probably accrue enough money in a year or two to afford a place of your own, not to mention gathering a client list, something you don’t have yet since you’re new to the design trade.”
“Why are you doing this?”
A big reason why he’d agreed to Dixie’s plea was because of his own past. He rarely thought about it anymore, and gave her only the barest details now. “When I was sixteen, I had to emancipate myself so that I could get away from a very bad situation. I didn’t have a child to provide for like you do, but it was a long, hard road to success regardless. I mostly did it myself, but a few individuals helped me stay afloat, maybe even alive, those first years. I’m paying it back through Dylan, and now you, I hope.” He leaned toward her. “You have pride. I get that, Shana. But don’t let it stand in the way of the opportunity.”
Pride had driven him for a long time, too.
“Emma’s seventeen months old,” she said hesitantly. “It’s a busy, noisy age. Children create clutter.”
Frankly, he hadn’t given that aspect of the deal a lot of thought. He’d wanted to help Shana, and therefore Emma, but the day-to-day sharing of space with a toddler hadn’t been part of his thinking. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said. “My house is large, as you know.”
“Actually, I don’t know. I’ve never been there. I’ve never heard anyone talk about being invited there.”
“I want that to change.” The hermit life had suited him for years, but lately he’d been thinking it was time to embrace his town and its people, not one-on-one as he had for the nineteen years since he’d moved there, but within the entire community. It would help Dylan, too.
“If you’re there to help,” he said, “it will change. I’ve never even decorated for Christmas. Maybe that could be your first job. Emma would like that, wouldn’t she?”
He hadn’t intended to reel her in with a tug on her emotions, but apparently he had. He saw her expression change, softening even more. She wasn’t the same angry, prideful woman as she was when she’d first come into the room. Her daughter would have a Christmas tree. Some things were worth swallowing your pride for.
“Yes,” Shana said softly. “She would like that.”
“She’d have her own bedroom, too. I figure you’ve been sharing with her. So, what do you say?”
A long pause ensued, then she said, “I need to think about it.”
She’d totally caught him off guard. He’d been so sure …
“How much time do you need?” he asked. Really, what choice did she have? Finding affordable housing would be nearly impossible. Why was she stalling?
She stood. “I’ll stop by your house tonight, if you’re going to be home.”
“Anytime after seven.” He followed her to the door, opening it for her.
She didn’t say goodbye but walked straight out of the office, not even stopping to talk to Julia. Bemused, he went to Julia’s office.
“All settled?” she asked, welcoming him in with a gesture.
“She’s thinking it over.”
Julia’s brows raised, then she smiled. “I’ve always admired her spirit.”
“What you call spirit, I call stubbornness.”
“I’m guessing you two tend to clash.”
“We always have. I don’t know why, but she took an immediate dislike to me.” Because of that he hadn’t warmed to her, either. Plus, she was just prickly.
“So, why hire her, especially to live in your house?”
Why, indeed? There was the favor to Dixie, which had also coincided with the fact that Dylan needed to be on his own. And he had some sympathy for Shana’s situation, as well.
“I expect the time will come when she can manage fine on her own, Julia, but for now, she needs someone, and I have the means to help.” He went to shake her hand. “I’ll give you a call when I have her answer.”
“Sounds good.”
He took the stairs to the ground floor and walked to the parking garage. It had started raining since he’d arrived, which meant Shana would be making the hour drive up to their foothill community on wet roads. Her car was held together with baling wire and hope. He didn’t like the idea of her—
He stopped the thought. He’d be a few minutes behind her and would see if she’d had to pull over.
As it turned out, he came up behind her before he’d driven fifteen minutes. He stayed there, going the damn speed limit, annoyed at her for it. Which was entirely unreasonable, he knew, but she generally annoyed him without making much effort to do so.
She also stirred him up, had since day one, but the only thing they seemed to have in common was that they both worked hard. His efforts had paid off. Eventually hers would, too. He admired her for trying to make it on her own, but if she hadn’t had Emma, he never would have made Shana the job offer, Dixie’s friendship or not. Emma would be their buffer. How much could anyone argue in front of a child? He knew firsthand the result of that. It did no one any good.
It was a lot to ask of one so young—being the reason to keep peace between two adults who didn’t like each other much.
But it was the only way he could see this situation working out.
Shana drove home at exactly the speed limit. Every few seconds she looked at her rearview mirror, hoping Kincaid would pull around her and leave her in peace. She needed to think. His being on her tail interfered with that.
If this was the kind of employer he would be, she’d have to say no. She didn’t need supervision or pressure in order to do a job well.
By the time she reached her exit to Chance City, she was beyond irritated, so when
