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“You’d better be careful. Alex might hear you,” she teased.
He waved off the matter and reached for his mug of coffee. “We’re not exactly engaged, you know.”
Ellie smiled at her friend; Jax was more like a brother than a boss. They’d met six years prior when his family had joined her church.
After a quick swallow, Jax put his cup down and looked at her. “I guess you want to know about Cole?”
“Well, the thought had crossed my mind.” She smiled at him. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Jax, but—”
He held up his hand to stop her. “It’s all right. You have a right to know what’s going on.”
Jax got up and walked over to close the door. He settled back into his chair and took a deep breath. His eyes fixed on his desk. “It’s like this, Ellie.” He stopped long enough to look up at her. “I needed someone to relieve me of some responsibilities.”
“But why—why Cole?”
Jax gave her a sympathetic look. He got up and walked around the desk to the chair across from her. “Look, Ellie.” He grabbed her hand. “You’re an excellent worker. I know you wanted this promotion, and I’m sorry I couldn’t offer it to you, but honestly, Cole has more experience in the business realm. He’s just a better fit for the job.”
“So you feel he is more qualified?” Her nose pointed up.
Jax nodded. “It’s not that he’s better than you, just more experienced.”
The words pierced her pride, exposing raw layers of pain. She said nothing.
“Things won’t change all that much. You’ll go on doing what you’ve been doing.”
“But you said yourself he is my supervisor, right?” She knew her question sounded childish, but right now she didn’t care.
Jax shrugged. “I guess, technically, yes. But you don’t have anything to worry about.” He squeezed her hand like an encouraging brother. “Your work is better than good enough. You’re the main one keeping us going right now. If you weren’t writing those offers and overseeing the construction sites, I don’t know what I’d do. Chad, Morgan and Tim do their best, but they just don’t have the drive that you do.”
She softened. “I’m sorry, Jax. I’m just a little edgy.”
“Dieting again?”
She winced a little before nodding.
“Ellie, you are perfect the way you are. Why do you always diet?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I like food. Fat grams stick to my body like leeches on reverse.” Then in the moment of silence that stretched between them, she was struck with inspiration. “Want to go to lunch?”
“It’s nine-thirty,” he answered dryly.
He could be such a spoilsport.
Jax shook his head and walked back over to his seat behind the desk.
“So, what exactly is Cole going to be doing?”
“He’ll be helping me some with the banks and financial side of things, but mostly, he’ll be checking out job sites, gathering information, overseeing things.”
“Like employees?”
Jax nodded and shrugged.
A knock sounded at the door. “Come in.”
“Hey, two of my favorite people.” Cole’s smile almost chased away Ellie’s bitterness.
Almost.
“May I come in?”
“Yes, I was just leaving, anyway.” She stood and crossed the room. He stepped in front of her.
“Seems we’re both always coming or going. Don’t leave on my account.” His eyes held her in place. Her breath caught in her throat. “Please.” He said the last word for her ears only.
His scent, the depth in his voice, the intensity in his eyes, unnerved her. “I have to go,” she squeaked. Quickly, she brushed past him and darted through the door. Once outside Jax’s office, she gasped for air, realizing only then she had barely breathed from the moment their eyes met.
After lunch Ellie gathered her things and walked toward the kitchen where she heard Jax’s voice.
“I’ll be back later, Jax. I’m headed to the Gregory job site,” she told him.
Cole rounded the corner. “Hey, is it okay if I tag along? I need to check on some things.”
Ellie stopped. “Well, uh—”
He held up his hand. “I won’t bite, I promise.”
Ellie wished she could make the same promise. Her lunch salad had done little to improve her spirits.
Cole looked at Jax. “I’ll check on the mechanicals and make sure we’ve got the appropriate permits. Check on the guys’ progress.”
Ellie felt her face flame with heat. Those were her responsibilities. She glanced at Jax, but he quickly turned away. “I’ll see you later.” He waved them off and headed back toward his office.
Her mouth opened like a baby bird’s at mealtime. She glanced up to see Cole staring at her and clamped her mouth closed. Cole and Ellie walked outside to her car and climbed inside.
“Nice car,” he said, stroking the leather upholstery.
“Thanks.” Once she closed her door and started the engine, Ellie clicked on the radio station, turning it up loud enough to discourage any conversation. She knew this whole mess wasn’t really Cole’s fault, but who else could she blame? Jax was her friend and trying to run a business, she couldn’t blame him. Things were what they were. She’d have to get used to it. Still, it would take a while for her wounded pride to heal.
Cole reached over and turned the volume down. “Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?”
Great. Just what she wanted. “Sure, what’s up?” She tried to make her words sound cheerful, as if his presence didn’t bother her in the least. And it didn’t, really. Though his cologne was a little distracting. Made her think of a log cabin in the woods. And, of course, a log cabin made her think of maple syrup and pancakes.
“Look, I don’t know what happened, really, but for some reason, we got off to a bad start. I’d like to change that.”
“There’s no problem,” she said, as if voicing it made it so.
“Come on, Ellie, we both know there’s a problem. I know I can’t fix it, but I’d like to start again.”
“You can’t fix it because there’s nothing to fix.” Couldn’t he just let her lick her wounds and allow her time to get over the disappointment?
“He says you’re a great worker—”
Oh, now he was patronizing her. “You don’t have to rattle off my attributes, Mr. Preston. I’m not someone who has to be praised to be happy.” Her breath came in short gasps, but she continued. “I’m not mad. There is no problem.” She kept her gaze fixed on the road, her voice even and calm. Though she didn’t look at him, she could sense he was smiling at her. A taunting smile. Mocking her. Okay, she might have to hurt him.
“Suit yourself.” He settled into his seat. “I just didn’t want you to feel threatened, that’s all.”
“Why would I feel threatened?” Now, he was making her really mad.
“Because I’m your boss.”
He was gloating, pure and simple. “Why would that make me feel threatened?”
He shrugged. “I think you feel threatened because you don’t like change.”
She gasped and turned to him. “Look, Cole, you know nothing about me, so please don’t try to analyze me!”
She pulled onto the side of the road at the job site, slammed into park with more force than she’d intended, and jumped out of the car. Cole followed suit. She knew she would regret her anger later, but for now it simmered like a sauna bath.
Instead of taking the usual care when walking at a construction site, she plunged the heels of her shoes into the muddy ground. When she lifted her left leg, her shoe stayed put. She teetered and swayed like a Hawaiian dashboard doll. Desperate to maintain her dignity, she jerked on her foot and fell into the waiting arms of Cole Preston.
The construction workers whistled and cawed from the house. Ellie wanted to curl up and roll away.
Cole whispered into her ear, “What shall we do for an encore?”
She turned a disgusted face at him and yanked herself free from his arms. “You are the most egotistical man I have ever met!”
He laughed out loud and bowed as she made her way past him.
Her only solace came from flicking specks of dirt from her shoes across his pant legs as she went.
Ellie took a sip from her teacup. “Thanks, Mom. This hits the spot.”
“Your headache is better, then?”
Her mother’s worried gaze met Ellie’s. “I’m much better.” Ellie could see her mom visibly relax. “What would I do without you?”
Her mom waved her hand. “You’d be just fine. The Lord would give you someone in my place.”
“No one could ever take your place, Mom.”
Her mother fidgeted with her teacup and glanced around the room. “Ellie, don’t you think your couch would be more functional if you placed it against that wall? Then you could see out the patio while—”
“Oh, here we go. I’ve told you, Mom, I’ve got enough battle scars from my childhood. Remember? From when I bumped into furniture that you kept switching around the room?”
Her mother’s mouth formed into a pout and she hung her head.
Ellie laughed, causing her mother to brighten.
“Don’t you get bored with it the same way all the time?”
Ellie shook her head. “I like to keep things the way they are. Why fix something that’s not broken?”
Her mother remained silent, giving in on the issue as if it were the first time, though they had had the discussion many times before. “Ellie, your headaches usually come on because of stress. Anything you want to talk about?”
Ellie put her cup on the coffee table, straightened her pillow and leaned against the back of the sofa. “It’s Cole Preston. I try, Mom, I really do, but I just don’t like the man.”
“What is it you don’t like about him?”
“Everything. He’s pushy. He’s demanding. Always trying something new.”
“Ah.”
“Ah, what?” Ellie couldn’t hide the edginess in her voice.
“Well, honey, it’s just that you’ve never adjusted well to change.”
“Mom, please, I’m not a child anymore. I can adapt.”
Her mother raised an eyebrow.
“I can,” she repeated, defensively. They sat a moment in silence. She hated it when her mother was right. “Okay, so I don’t like change,” she admitted with some reluctance. Ellie sighed and adjusted her blankets. She looked at her mother. “I’m still struggling with this whole partnership thing.”
“Really?”
“Well, it’s just not fair.” Oh, she could kick herself for sounding so childish. Her mother stared, saying nothing. Ellie felt like a bug under a microscope. With everything in her, she tried not to squirm. She knew she was wrong. She had to let her bitterness go, but could she? Sighing, she leaned back into her pillow.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Ellie. As you get used to his ways, you’ll get along fine.” Her mother smiled.
Ever the optimist, Ellie thought. “Is Dad coming for dinner?”
Her mother came over and fluffed the blanket around her. “Yes. In another hour or so.”
“The vegetable soup smells so good.”
“You’d get a decent meal once in a while if you could get away from work long enough to come to our house. I had an awful time finding enough food in your cupboards to come up with dinner.” Her mother finished the last tuck on the blanket and stood up. “By the way, why do you have so much cabbage in your refrigerator?”
Thoughts of the new soup diet came to her. She’d only been on it for two days and already the thought of cabbage made her want to pulverize the pale green heads when she passed them in the produce section of her grocery store. She never told her mother when she went on diets. Her mother always complained about today’s women being too thin. According to her mother, unless a woman carried an extra twenty pounds, she looked sickly.
Ellie loved her mother.
“I heard cabbage is good for you.”
Her mother eyed Ellie warily. Nothing gets past Mom. Ellie closed her eyes in hopes of stopping further discussion about the cabbage.
“Sounds like you’ve got a few things to pray about.” Her mother rubbed a warm cloth against Ellie’s forehead.
Ellie smiled. Her mother’s answer to everything: “Pray about it.” Ellie knew she was right, but something stopped her when she tried to pray about Cole. She dismissed the thought that her attitude was wrong when she approached the matter with the Lord.
Her mother said something else, but the words were lost in a hazy dreamworld. A world of stability where things didn’t change, where she felt safe.
A world without Cole Preston.
Chapter Three
The next week passed in a blur. Chaos in the office kept Jax and Cole busy. Ellie worked hard to avoid them both. She was tired by the time Friday arrived, and felt relieved when five o’clock rolled around. With a glance at the clock, she grabbed her purse and walked from the office toward her car. The afternoon’s winds had swept the sky clean as evening settled upon the city. Ellie pulled in a deep breath. The air smelled sweet with summer. Though she felt tired from a full day’s work, stepping outside had revived her spirits.
Jax walked up beside her. “So, will you go with us tomorrow?”
She frowned.
“Come on, Ellie. It will be fun.” He lifted puppy-dog eyes to her, which always made her give in.
“Isn’t it enough that I have to work with him every day, Jax? Must I see him on the weekends, too?”
“It’s not like we do this every weekend. A trip to Chicago, a day of sailing on Lake Michigan. Please? I could use some relaxation, and Alex wants to go with another couple.”
“Look, Jax, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, they are a couple. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, they are a couple. Cole Preston and I work together. We are not a couple.”
He stepped back and held up his hands. “I know, I know. I didn’t mean you were a couple.”
Ellie took a deep breath. “I hate like everything to do this, but I will do it for you, Jax. That is the only reason.”
He smiled like a dieter who’d lost another pound—a smile she hadn’t worn in weeks. He grabbed her with both hands and promptly placed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re the best, Ellie.”
She shook her head and smiled in spite of herself. “Just you remember this the next time you need a partner.”
He groaned.
“Seriously, Jax, I’m doing this for you. The last thing I want to do on a Saturday is spend my day off with Cole Preston.”
“Why don’t you like him?”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. After all, Cole was Jax’s best friend. “Besides the fact he’s got an ego the size of Texas?”
Jax threw back his head and laughed. “I guess he does at that. But then I need someone with confidence in the business.”
Climbing into the car, she rolled down her window and looked up at him.
“We’ll pick you up at seven o’clock tomorrow morning,” he said.
With a reluctant nod, Ellie turned on the engine and pulled her car into gear. She waved goodbye and looked in her rearview mirror in time to see Cole join Jax in the parking lot. Her stomach knotted. With a glance at the glove compartment, she decided even the hidden candy bar could do little to calm her spirits. Just one day, she told herself. No big deal, right? She would go along for Jax’s sake.
She took a deep breath; the tomato-juice diet wasn’t working and it made her too edgy. Someone at the office had told her about a new low-carb diet. She decided she’d like to try that one. Once her car pulled up at the traffic light, Ellie glanced again at the glove compartment. Her fingers danced lightly on the steering wheel. The light stayed red. Finally, she reached over and pulled out the candy bar. Maybe she’d try the low-carb thing next week.
The doorbell rang much too soon. Ellie grabbed her canvas bag and purse then headed for the door.
“Good morning.” Jax and Alex met her with a smile. She wondered why they both came to the door. Probably afraid I would back out and it would take two of them to haul me, kicking and screaming, to the car. She smiled with the thought.
“Hi.” Although Ellie did not want to go on this outing, she had to admit she felt a twinge of excitement. The day already boasted of warmth, sunshine and fun. She followed Jax and Alex to the car, taking note of their appearance. Ellie decided Jax looked nice in his navy shorts, a white pullover with a navy collar and stylish sandals.
Auburn hair fanned across Alex’s shoulders in waves. That color was reflected by a chunky necklace of browns and tans nestled at the throat of her cream-colored blouse. Brown shorts with a matching belt and sandals completed her outfit. At her side, she carried a cream wide-brimmed hat. She appeared to have just stepped out of a modeling shoot.
Ellie glanced down at her own sensible shorts outfit. They say you can tell a lot about people by the clothes they wear. She imagined her clothes said she hadn’t glanced at a fashion magazine in months. Besides, the inside of a person was what really counted. She tried to ignore the storm gathering around her heart. Come to think of it, she wasn’t exactly model material in that department, either.
“Beautiful day,” she said, pulling on her seat belt.
“We’re going to have so much fun!” Alex said with more enthusiasm than Ellie had ever seen from Jax’s date. Ellie had to admit she was glad she had come after all.
Jax put on his sunglasses then edged the car out of the driveway.
“Did Cole already make arrangements to rent the boat, or will we have to do that when we get there?” Ellie asked.
“Oh, it’s all taken care of. Seems he has a friend there who is loaning us his sailboat.”
“Of course, he would think of everything,” she muttered under her breath. She looked around the car then up at Jax through the mirror. “Did you bring any chocolate?”
Jax shook his head. “Eat your energy bar.” He pulled into the blur of traffic.
Finally, at Cole’s house, Jax went up to the door to let Cole know they were there. Alex chattered about what fun they were going to have, but Ellie didn’t hear much once she saw Cole step outside. She watched as he lifted a cooler, placed it on the porch, then closed the door behind him. He caught up with Jax and walked toward the car. His long legs sported khaki shorts and he wore a comfortable shirt, revealing the strong arms of a disciplined man.
After some small talk, Jax turned on the radio and they settled into a comfortable ride. Ellie took a deep breath and decided now was as good a time as any to get things straightened out with Cole. She whispered so the others couldn’t hear. “Hey, about the other day—”
“Forget it. I stepped out of bounds and I’m sorry.”
The apology surprised her. “Me, too.”
Cole smiled and winked, chasing the dark mood from her heart. She thought the day might turn out all right after all.
Once settled on the boat, a warm breeze carried them a good ways onto the lake. Ellie sat with her eyes closed, willing herself to relax in the comfort of the summer sun. Though the temperature rose to an uncomfortable degree on land, the wind lifted mists of lake water around them, making the air perfect.
Hearing Alex laugh, Ellie peeked over and saw Alex playfully jabbing Jax. Ellie turned away, not wanting to intrude upon their private moment, and glanced at Cole. His head was back, his face tilted heavenward. Golden sunlight sprayed across his already bronze body, causing his skin to glisten.
Confusion plagued her. She closed her eyes. Cole drove her crazy at work. Always changing things, putting new policies into place, new rules, new guidelines. Sometimes she thought he did it because he knew she hated change. Why would he want to make her life miserable? Was she miserable? Yes, though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe she needed a new job. She loved working for Jax, but she knew he wanted to go into teaching someday. Why couldn’t things stay the same? Why couldn’t Jax be happy in the business? Then they wouldn’t have this mess with Cole. Why couldn’t people be content? Changes, changes and more changes. Nothing stayed the same.
Lord, help me to stop looking at things through negative eyes. I’m sure my attitude has been less than pleasing to You, and I’m sorry. Whatever You want for my future, Father, help me to leave that in Your hands.
“You still with us?”
Ellie opened her eyes to see Cole. Her heart jumped like a playful fish on the water’s surface. “Uh-huh.”
He opened a can of pop. “It’s a great day for this.”
“It’s absolutely wonderful.” She closed her eyes again.
“You hungry?” Cole asked. Ellie straightened, attempting to shake off the lethargy. He obviously didn’t know her well.
“Trust me, she’s hungry,” Jax piped up before she had a chance to answer. They all laughed.
Alex and Ellie pulled the sandwiches and soft drinks from the cooler while the guys checked the boat’s course.
“Are you having a good time?”
Ellie thought for a moment. “Yeah, I really am.”
Alex chuckled. “You said that as if you’re surprised.”
Ellie smiled. “I guess I did.”
“And are you?”
“What?”
“Surprised that you’re having a good time.”
Ellie shrugged.
“You work too hard, Ellie. What fun is that?” Alex pulled the tab on her pop and took a drink.
Ellie watched her but said nothing.
Alex wiped her mouth. “You know what they say, ‘All work, no play makes Ellie a dull girl.’”
Ellie knew there was truth in what Alex said. Not only that, but Ellie’s hard work hadn’t exactly paid off. She pushed the thought away, not allowing it to spoil her day. “You and Jax seem to be having a good time.”
Alex lifted a haughty smile. “And why not? We’re practically engaged.”
“Oh?”
“Well, not officially, but I’m sure he’ll pop the question soon.”
Ellie knew Jax pretty well and didn’t think he was quite ready for that step. In her own spoiled way, Alex seemed to contribute more to the relationship than Jax.
The rest of the day passed as quickly as the gentle breeze. Weary, but happily so, they finally settled into the car as Jax headed the car toward home.
“It’s been a great day, Jax. Thanks for driving,” Cole said from the backseat. Everyone agreed.
Cole looked at Ellie. “I had a great time with you, too.” Before she could linger in the sudden warmth that sprang up at his words, he added, “Oh, by the way, we need to go over the list of contractors next week. Deleting a few, adding some others.”
The impact of his words hit her with full force. “Deleting?”
“Yeah, I’m letting some go.”
“Why?” She knew the answer before she asked. There were a couple of men who always showed up late. But did Cole realize these men had legitimate excuses? One had to drop off his children at the daycare, another had to wait until his wife got home from work to pass off their only car. He came in usually twenty minutes late. She could live with that. After all, he didn’t get paid for the time he wasn’t there. Didn’t Cole have any compassion at all?
“Let me just say I have my reasons.”
Oh, fine, he didn’t feel he owed her an explanation. He was, after all, her supervisor. Who was she kidding? Coleman Preston infuriated her. If she’d been a dragon, she’d have turned him to toast. “I’m sure you do.” She scooted herself farther away from him and closer to the door, turning her gaze out the window.
The man was insufferable.
Cole had been out of the office most of the day on Monday. Ellie assumed he was dealing with the contractors. She had to let it go.
On Tuesday morning, she sat at her desk and pulled open the first file needing her attention.
“Ellie, do you have a minute?”
Swiveling her chair around, she saw Cole standing in front of her. “Yes.”
He pulled up a chair. “I just wanted to let you know the Wilsons called last night. Mrs. Wilson wanted to check on a couple of wall measurements for furniture placement or something. Anyway, you were gone and the matter seemed urgent to them, so I met them at the house last night.”
Ellie felt her defenses going up. She tried to stay calm. After all, he’d done her a favor. She should be grateful.