Following Love, page 6
Their grad school romance had been whirlwind and ended in a Las Vegas chapel officiated by Elvis Presley and witnessed by two Martian aliens. His mother, Adel Graham, had lain in the bed for a month when she found out that her youngest son, her angel, her baby, had been tempted into marriage. Everything from then on went slowly downhill. Forester, once kind and gentle, had become cold and distant. His mother had convinced him that the marriage was a mistake. He’d believed her as twenty-eight-plus years of momma’s boy pull and influence far outweighed their budding love. Forester had succumbed and the marriage was all but over.
Julian seemed to be nothing like that. There was something innately exciting about being with him that piqued her interest. Although they’d only had a few conversations and granted their first meeting would be considered more of an altercation than introduction, they had started something and made a connection.
Being with Julian was like being the only woman in the world. He gave his total attention. He listened completely as she’d talked even when she confided in him the pain of her loss, surprising herself. She’d never spoken of the accident outside of her doctor’s office. Even with her aunt Ellen, as close as they were, she never opened up completely. Julian seemed patient and kind, and she’d decided while making cookies with her son that he was different. She didn’t know him well, obviously, but she got the sense that he was a good man. And she needed to know a good man.
So early Monday morning she packed up a small basket of chocolate-chip cookies and took them into the office. It wasn’t until she asked around that she found out that Julian was actually one of the company owners. Then she realized that he must have been instrumental in her securing the position in the company. Deciding to thank him personally she found his office and left a short note along with the small basket of cookies.
Shortly afterward Willamina gave her an abridged tour of the facility then introduced her around to coworkers, including to the other two owners, Jordan and Darius, Julian’s two brothers. They were near carbon copies of Julian, the same strong build, the same smooth-chocolate complexion, the same gorgeous eyes and the same jovial smile. Dena couldn’t believe it when she heard her first bit of office gossip, that all three brothers were currently unmarried. She was sure that the women in the county must be mad or at the very least crazy.
After the tour and a brief conversation with Darius and Jordan, Willamina took Dena to her new office and gave her detailed records of the company’s newest client, the county government. A multimillion-dollar account, they had been awarded a bid to build a new office complex. It was a major undertaking and everyone in the office was excited about it.
So for the next few hours Dena immersed herself in the exact details of the project, including records and files both computer-generated and hard copy. She spent a good bit of time sorting, purging and reorganizing to get a basic handle on what was going on.
The start of the project’s files, several months ago, was accurate, concise and detailed, but as of a month ago they’d turned scattered and confusing. And going through the process was like putting together a puzzle without actually knowing what the finished picture looked like. As she dug deeper into the files, she discovered a number of questionable accounting practices. It wasn’t until she heard the slight knock on her open door that she realized how late it had gotten.
She looked up from the computer monitor and the mass of papers and files already cluttering her desk and smiled. Her heart jumped as soon as she saw him. “Hi,” she said, removing her reading glasses and pushing back her hair. Dressed casually in slacks and a polo shirt, he looked like a breath of fresh air standing there. His eyes, light in color, focused on her and she nearly fell out of her chair.
“Good afternoon. Welcome aboard,” Julian said as he stood in the doorway. His expression was firm and stoic, which made him that much more sexy. Her stomach quivered as she remembered the last time she’d seen that expression, when he was leaning over her. “May I?” he asked.
“Yes, please come in,” Dena said, standing to greet him.
Julian walked into the office and stood across from her desk. “I see you’re already getting acclimated.”
She nodded, looking down at the numerous files in front of her. “Trying. I’m getting there slowly. It’s an exciting opportunity. I’m looking forward to being involved.”
“I see.” He nodded while still looking around, avoiding eye contact. “Well, how do you like us so far?”
“I didn’t realize that you were one of the owners. Somehow I think you had something to do with me getting this job.”
“Not at all,” he said truthfully. “We needed an experienced administrative assistant with ample knowledge in tax law and tax codes on board, especially for this contract. You applied, Willamina did the hiring. Believe me, I had nothing to do with it.”
She smiled, not really believing him. “Well, thanks anyway, and thanks again for the ride home last Friday.”
“Don’t mention it. How’s it going so far?”
The businesslike demeanor put her off at first; she hadn’t anticipated the drastic change. “There’s a lot of information and the previous records are pretty scattered and some of the computer files are incomplete.”
“Unfortunately just before Mattie broke her ankle, Willamina went out on bed rest for a few weeks. With both of them out, we hired a few temps to fill in.”
“No offense, but they didn’t do a very good job.”
“Which is why they’re no longer employed here. Needless to say Willamina was furious with us when she came back. That’s when she suggested we hire someone more suited for the position.”
“Well, I’m no CPA but I’m catching on quickly. I do have a few questions about the contract and several of the subcontractors you hired. My predecessor left quite a few things open. Maybe in the next couple of days, if you have the time, you could sit down with me for a little bit and brief me on some of the particulars. Your brothers told me that you were the point man on this job.”
“Sure, of course,” he said, and took a seat.
“Now?” she said, surprised by his prompt attention and immediate response.
“Yes, I’m all yours. What can I do for you?”
Oh, Lord, don’t ask that. Dena’s thoughts veered quickly away from the stack of files on her desk and traveled along a straight line into her bedroom. She literally had to snap her wandering mind back to reality.
“Great,” she muttered, nearly breathless as she opened her notebook and checked the questions she’d written down earlier. She handed him a file and asked him for an update, then prayed she could get through the next few minutes without making a complete and total fool of herself.
She did, barely. For the next half hour they discussed the particulars of the contract, the bid and the job. There were several points of contention that they both agreed could be worked out later. At one point she referred to some figures on the monitor. Julian stood and walked over to stand over her.
He leaned one hand on the desk and the other on the back of her chair. The close proximity was maddening. At one point she turned to say something not realizing just how close they were. Their faces were just inches apart. Suddenly she remembered him hovering over her when she was drenched with lemonade and then again in her dream. She lost her concentration three times and actually needed him to repeat himself. It was embarrassing, yes. Mortifying, definitely. But having him that close was also heaven.
As a distraction she shuffled the papers on her desk in the guise of looking for a particular invoice. She found it and handed it to him. Much to her relief he leaned up and walked back to the seat across from her, sat and studied the paper.
Then midway through another one of their discussions his cell phone rang. He excused himself and answered. Dena glanced away, recognizing a personal conversation when she heard one. There was obviously a woman on the other end and as per his end of the conversation, he wasn’t too happy to hear from her.
When he hung up, he apologized and prepared to get back to work when his phone rang again. A shadow of frustration darkened his face as he answered, obviously expecting a repeat of the previous conversation. But apparently it was someone different. He agreed several times, apologized then promised to be wherever as soon as possible.
He stood as he hung up. “I’ve got to go. We’ll have to work on this later. But feel free to talk to Darius or Jordan, either will be happy to answer any questions you might have.”
“Sure,” she said.
He walked to the door then turned. “By the way, I got the cookies. Thanks, they were delicious.”
“You’re very welcome.”
As he left Dena closed her notebook then turned back to the monitor screen she’d been scanning before he arrived. She sighed, realizing that her focus had been shot. Frowning she cupped her head in her palm and leaned on the desk. What was wrong with her? It seemed that every time she saw Julian her hormones raged like a high-school student on prom night. She needed to do something about it. One way or another she needed Julian Hamilton out of her system.
Chapter 5
It was the perfect interruption.
Ten minutes more in the office with Dena, and Julian was sure he’d need crutches to walk out. He shook his head miserably. His brothers had known exactly what they were doing when they’d hired her. He’d forgotten that it was the start of a calendar quarter and since they each took turns in the office each quarter and it was his turn, he wasn’t sure how long he was going to last.
And the brilliant idea he had of going into her office stone-faced and aloof disappeared as soon as she’d looked up and smiled. This had to end. There was no way he was going to survive much longer.
“You’re late,” Ellen said as she met Julian in her driveway with her hand on one hip and the rolled up plans slapping against her leg. “Your crew dropped off some supplies and is long gone.”
“Evening, Mrs. Peyton,” Julian said.
“Don’t ‘Evening, Mrs. Peyton’ me. I called you over two hours ago. You’re losing daylight and you know that I need this grill up and running by next month.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, smiling and shaking his head. He got out of his truck and walked around to the backyard. She followed. He looked around the open space seeing the more than adequate job his crew had done the Saturday before. Gone were the remains of the horrendous cinder-block wall and the hunks of dried cement. The patio, which he had put in a year earlier after another Ellen Peyton disaster, was back to its original state.
He walked over and bent down, checking the cracks and dents unavoidably left by the heavy machinery. Rubbing his hand over the surface he eyed the level plane. It was as he suspected, he needed to do some prep work before beginning work on the built-in grill station. “Did you see the plans Jordan worked up for you?”
“Yes, they’ll do just fine with a few alterations.”
“Changes?” he said, knowing that there would be.
“A few. I had one or two new ideas, but all in all, it was a good start.”
Julian nodded. “I’ll have him call you or stop by tomorrow if his schedule isn’t too tight.”
“Not necessary, we’ve already discussed my alterations. He sent over revised plans this afternoon.” She unrolled and gave Julian the altered plans. “Mind you, I’ll be happy to do it myself if you’re too busy.”
“No, not at all, Mrs. Peyton. I’ve already put you on my schedule, but if I get tied up at work either Jordan or Darius will be over to continue the job. We know that you’d prefer working with one of us.”
She nodded, slightly disappointed that she wouldn’t be more hands-on involved. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Thanks, but I grabbed a bite earlier,” he said evasively but with good reason. Many an evening, he or one of his brothers sat in Ellen Peyton’s kitchen enjoying a tasty home-cooked meal after working on something in her home. He headed back to his truck to get his supplies.
“Are you sure? I was just about to start dinner. I believe it’s one of your favorites, smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, homemade apple pie and sweetened iced tea.”
Julian’s mouth watered instantly but there was no way he could stay knowing that Dena would be home soon. He needed to stick to the plan. He’d come to level the cracked and gouged patio surface and prep for the next phase of work. “Maybe next time,” he said, hoping she didn’t hear his stomach growl as he lowered the back flap of his truck.
“Suit yourself, but I’ll make a platter for you just in case you get hungry later.”
Julian smiled. “Thanks, Mrs. Peyton, that would be great.”
“So how do you like my niece so far?” she said, changing the subject drastically. “I knew you’d want her as soon as you met her.”
Taken off guard, Julian, without a firm grip on the load, turned and wrenched his back as he tried to lift a bag of cement. He dropped it. “I beg your pardon?” he said, wincing from his strained back muscles.
“And of course I just knew she’d be perfect for you,” Ellen continued.
“Huh?” Julian added, presuming now that he must have been sucked into an alternate reality.
“Dena, my niece. I knew she’d be perfect and that you’d want her in the office as soon as you met her. Her credentials are impeccable. She knows all the office computer programs, she’s a hard worker, organized and detail-oriented, and did I tell you she also has her law degree? She’s not practicing right now, of course, but still, I knew she’d be an asset to Hamilton Development Corporation. I knew you’d want her.”
“Yes,” he said, then muttered, “I certainly do,” just before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “She is a definite asset.”
Ellen smiled, seeing Julian’s reaction. “My sister’s only grandchild, she’s had some recent heartache, poor dear. Mind you, don’t let those construction workers of yours give her a hard time or you’ll have to answer to me. And don’t let that tough-as-nails demeanor of hers fool you, she’s as sweet as my homemade apple pie. Oh, Lord, speaking of apple pie, I’d better check on my pie. It’s still in the oven. Do you need me for anything?” she asked.
“No, ma’am. I’ll call you if I need you,” he said, giving the standard reply. Ellen nodded and hurried back into the house. Julian sighed with relief. The conversation had taken him off guard. He knew of course that Dena was Ellen’s great-niece, it was just the way she’d put it that had taken him off guard. She’s perfect for you. She didn’t know how right she was.
His thoughts started down that path and he could feel his body harden. Dena was plaguing him again and she wasn’t even here. There was no way he was going to keep his vow if she was around. He had to do something.
Now focused on work, he unloaded a few bags of dried cement and carried them around to the back of the house. He stopped when he was nearly run over by a young child on a training-wheel bicycle.
The young child stopped suddenly, making a loud screeching sound of bad brakes with his mouth, then looking up at Julian with a helmet ill-fitted to his tiny head. “Hi, who are you?”
“Hello,” Julian said with laughter in his voice. “I’m Julian Hamilton.”
“Hi, Mr. Toolyian Hamydon. I’m Dillon, I’m three.” He held up four tiny sausage fingers, rechecked and held one finger down. I’m almost four, see.” He let go, allowing the fourth finger to pop up.
“Well it’s nice to meet you, Dillon.” He shifted the heavy bags of cement in his arms and continued to the work site. He dropped the bags and looked around again. A load of red bricks, a wheelbarrow and several other supplies had been left by his crew. He visually checked everything and made a mental picture of what needed to be done to get the job started.
As he stood with his hands on his hips he realized that Dillon had come up beside him and was mimicking his stance with the huge bicycle helmet still on his head. He chuckled. “Okay,” he said, looking down at the top of the helmet.
“Okay,” Dillon repeated in a squeaky deep voice, trying to imitate Julian. “I guess we better get started, right?” he asked, looking up at Julian as his helmet slipped forward to cover his eyes.
“Yep, I guess we’d better.” Julian, realizing that Dillon was by his side for good, didn’t even bother dissuading him. Julian reached into his tool belt and pulled out his work gloves.
Dillon looked at his tiny hands and frowned. He reached up and tugged on Julian’s jean leg. “I don’t got no globes.”
Julian smiled wide. “You don’t have any gloves.” Dillon shook his head sadly. Julian walked back to the truck and dug in the glove compartment and pulled out a pair of men’s soft suede leather gloves, a gift from an old friend. Dillon, right by his side, looked at the gloves and frowned.
“They’re too big,” he complained.
“We’ll make them work,” Julian promised as he pulled out a strip of Velcro and wrapped it around the suede gloves. When he finished the fit was perfect, albeit visually outrageous.
Now gloved and ready, together they gathered more tools. Julian carried a mixing shovel and trowel, and Dillon carried several rags. When they went back to the job site Julian strapped on his tool belt and Dillon took off. Moments later he returned with his play-school plastic tool belt and his brand-new yellow hard hat. “Ready,” he said proudly.
Julian burst with laughter.
Dena left the office far later than she intended but she was so engrossed with the work set before her that she hadn’t realized that dusk had begun to settle. She hurriedly left but drove home with thoughts mingled with tomorrow’s chores. It felt good to get back to work and to just for a few hours not think about her troubles.
That’s why she loved law so much. She enjoyed being totally engrossed, of straightening and figuring out problems and finding workable solutions while staying within the parameters of the law. As she drove down her aunt’s street she noticed an unfamiliar truck in the driveway. She pulled up beside the truck and got out.
