When he and his son disappeared down the hall, Shannon sent a quick text to her friends, canceling her appearance, then put the kettle on. By the time he returned from the bedroom, the tea was ready.
“How is he?” She placed the two cups on the table.
“Dry and sleeping.” He gestured toward the steaming tea. “Thank you for that...and for staying.”
“I let my friends know I’d be late.” She raised a hand when he started to protest. “I want to finish this with you. We only have two names left.”
He studied her for a long moment before dropping his gaze down to the list and pointing. “What about this one?”
“Sally Steinacher drinks.” When Oliver opened his mouth, she continued. “Not just socially. She has a problem. The family did an intervention last year and she went through treatment, but she’s fallen off the wagon. Last week when I was in Vicker’s Corners, I spotted her coming out of a liquor store with a sack.”
“Perhaps she was buying for a friend or a family member,” Oliver suggested.
Shannon gave him a pitying glance. “What kind of friend or relative would send an alcoholic to buy them liquor? Even if someone were that stupid, Rachel and I ran into her later on the street and we both smelled alcohol on her breath.”
Oliver lined through her name with a single precise stroke of his Montblanc pen, the same way he’d done with the previous three names. “We’ve now reached the last person on the list. Is Cissy Jirovec a possibility?”
The hopeful look in his eye vanished when Shannon shook her head.
“She used to live in Horseback Hollow. Cissy calls Vicker’s Corners home now. She’s a nice person and I know she did a lot of babysitting while she was growing up.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
There was something about having those vivid blue eyes focused on her that Shannon found unsettling. “The problem isn’t with Cissy. It’s with her boyfriend.”
“I wouldn’t be hiring him.”
“Wayne used to live in Horseback Hollow. He has a bad temper.”
“What does her relationship with this man have to do with her suitability for the position?”
“Wayne has a child from a relationship with another woman in Lubbock. Several years ago he lost his temper and broke his daughter’s arm. The doctors in the ER found other healed injuries when they examined the little girl. He was charged with felony child abuse. I read all about it in the Lubbock paper.”
“He did this to his own child?”
“He did.” Shannon nodded solemnly. “I would hope Cissy wouldn’t invite Wayne over while she was watching Ollie. But if Ollie were my son, I wouldn’t take the risk.”
Just as he had with the previous four names, Oliver drew a line through Cissy’s name. With one hand he crumpled the sheet of paper.
“I might have hired one of these women.” There was a look of restrained horror on his face.
“On the surface they look good. But, don’t despair. The placement agency you’re working with is top-notch. They’ll do a good job of screening the candidates for you.” She offered him a reassuring smile. “You’ll find that right someone soon.”
Oliver shook his head. “I think I’ve just found her. I want you to watch Oliver.”
“Pardon me?”
“Name your price.”
“Mr. Fortune Hayes—”
“Oliver,” he interrupted, offering her a smile that turned her bones to liquid. “If we’re going to be living under the same roof, it makes sense to be on a first-name basis.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “What are you saying?”
“We should be on a first-name basis. Don’t you agree?”
“I—I suppose.”
“Splendid.” The smile that split his face made him look almost boyish. “Shall we shake on it...Shannon?”
“Shake on what? I haven’t agreed to any deal.” Shannon stuck her hands behind her back. Thank goodness the words came out casual and offhand.
“Smart woman. It’s always best to discuss terms on the front end.” He leaned forward in a companionable gesture, resting his forearms on the table.
The gesture somehow made him seem more approachable and appealing. Although if he got much more appealing, Shannon might jump him and rip off that pristine white shirt and perfectly knotted tie.
When Shannon didn’t speak, he simply smiled. “You obviously know your negotiating techniques. Okay, I’ll toss out an amount.”
“We’re not negotiating,” Shannon protested. “Look, Mr. Fortune Hay—”
“Oliver,” he said, once more not playing fair by flashing that enticing smile. “We decided on first names.”
“Okay, Oliver.” Shannon raked back her hair with her fingers, her heart pounding. Why did she feel as if she was in a race she was destined to lose? A race that, in some ways, she wanted to lose? “I—”
Before she could say more, he tossed out a number that had her forgetting what she’d been about to say.
“I believe that’s a fair offer.”
“Per...?” She really didn’t want to say per month if he meant every two weeks, but it was an amazing sum of money either way.
“Week.”
Shannon tried to control her expression by counting to ten in her head. The amount was five times what she’d been making in Lubbock. She swallowed past her suddenly dry throat and shifted in her seat. “If you’re offering to pay that much, I’m surprised you don’t have women—and men—beating down the door to work for you.”
“That’s not the salary the agency suggested. They told me the going rate in the area and I agreed to it.” His gaze searched her eyes. “I’m a businessman, Shannon. I’m willing to pay for quality. It’s as simple as that.”
Shannon never considered she could be bought, but then again she’d never been offered so much money for a position she knew she’d enjoy. Working for her father was fine, but he really didn’t need her. Little Ollie did.
Oliver turned his head slightly to the side. “What do you say?”
Shannon wiped suddenly sweaty palms on her jeans. “Before we discuss salary any further, I’d like to know your expectations.”
He nodded
