His Small-Town Family. Lorraine Beatty

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      For some reason, she had a hard time seeing Ethan working in a stockroom, even though he’d worked there all afternoon on Saturday. He looked more suited to the outdoors. She could easily see him leading a safari or heading up some archaeological dig or maybe even exploring jungles. She brushed the fanciful thoughts aside. “Uh. No, actually, I have some sales I need to set and fixtures I want moved.”

      He nodded. “Point the way.”

      Nicki stood and came around her desk. She’d anticipated Ethan stepping back out of the doorway to let her through. Instead he stepped farther into the office. They collided in the doorway, wedged together. Nicki found herself with her hands pressed against his chest and with Ethan’s hands grasping her upper arms. She refused to meet his gaze, but she couldn’t ignore the warmth under her palms or the solid mass of his chest as it rose and fell beneath her hands. She held her breath, forcing herself to focus.

      “Uh, the display window.” She pushed past him into the hall, taking with her the lingering scent of soap and musky aftershave. She made a mental note to keep a safe distance from Ethan Stone.

      “First, I want to dismantle this window display. Then these smaller shelves down here need to be taken apart and stored. You can put the merchandise in the back for now. I want two gateleg tables placed end to end right here. You’ll find them in the stockroom near the furnace.”

      Ethan stood beside her listening intently, hands resting on his lean hips. “Having a sale?”

      “Yes. A ‘Get a Jump on School’ sale. All this old merchandise has got to go.” She turned to find his lopsided grin in place. Like before, it warmed his dark eyes, but this time she was close enough to read the glint of appreciation in his gaze. For her? Silly thought. She took a step back only to snag her jeans on the corner of one of the old aluminum shelves. She tilted backward. Ethan’s strong hand clamped on to her arm. She grabbed his other arm to steady herself, acutely aware of the muscles beneath her hand. Quickly, she let go and straightened. What was wrong with her today? When had she become such a klutz? “See why I want these things out of here?”

      “I’ll take care of it.”

      Moving to the wooden checkout counter positioned deep inside the store on the east wall, she tapped it lightly. “I’d like to move this counter closer to the front door.”

      Ethan hunkered down, tapped the wood, examined the base, then stood and did the same on the other side. “I think it’s only screwed down. It shouldn’t be too hard to move it. It’ll leave some ugly scars on the floorboards though.”

      “Can you do that? Move it, I mean?”

      “Yes. But are you sure you want to?” He stood brushing dust off his hands. “Putting it closer to the door might create a congestion problem on busy days. The customers coming in are going to be forced to move around the ones in line.”

      He was right. Nicki’d been thinking only of the aesthetics, not the practicality. Her poor judgment at work again. She bit her bottom lip. “I’ll think about it. Let’s leave it for now.”

      After Nicki pointed out a few more changes she wanted to do quickly, Ethan went back to the stockroom, and she went to check on Sadie. After her talk with her mother the other night, Nicki had harbored some doubts about hiring Ethan without properly vetting him. Her confidence in her ability to make good decisions was fragile, and her mother’s comments had stirred her insecurities like the blades of a blender. Now Nicki knew she’d made the right choice. Ethan was capable, handy and willing to follow her direction.

      Nicki tiptoed into the small room off the office, which she’d transformed into a mini nursery, to check on Sadie and found her sleeping soundly. She never tired of watching her little daughter. Gently, she stroked her downy soft hair, listening to her sweet baby breaths. Her heart swelled with a love so strong tears threatened to burst forth. How was it possible to love one small person this much?

      Back at her desk, she checked on the store bank account. Her dad had followed through. The account balance now showed a healthy total. There was enough to pay the outstanding bills and make most of the changes she wanted to do. Of course, it all hinged on what Gary found in the books.

      Movement drew her attention to the doorway as Ethan walked past, carrying a bulky gateleg table in each hand. He carried them as if they were nothing more than sheets of cardboard, though the muscles in his upper arms attested to their actual weight. She had to drag the things step by step whenever she wanted to move them. Having a strong man to help around the store would be a blessing. Charlie had been a faithful employee, but he was a slightly built, thoughtful man who would rather help the customers than wrestle the boxes in the stockroom.

      A few minutes later, Ethan stopped in the door, tapping lightly on the frame to get her attention. “The tables are up.”

      “Thank you. I’ll show you where the other things are in a moment.”

      He nodded. “I didn’t see a time clock or a sign-out sheet anyplace. How do you want me to keep track of my hours?”

      “Oh. We use the honor system. Arrive at nine unless we’ve made other arrangements. An hour for lunch. Leave at six. Same with overtime. You tell me what you worked, I’ll pay you for it.”

      “You must have had trusted employees in the past.”

      “I did.” She hoped that she could trust him, as well.

      His eyes warmed again, and the corner of his mouth moved. Without a word, he patted the door frame lightly and turned away, only to turn back again and catch her gaze. “You can trust me, Ms. Latimer.”

      “Nicki. You can call me Nicki.”

      He smiled. “Nicki it is.”

      Nicki blinked, unable to look away. He’d smiled. A heart-stopping, knee-weakening, melt-your-insides smile that created deep creases at the corners of his mouth and revealed strong white teeth made more dazzling against his tanned skin. She swallowed through the sudden dryness in her throat, feeling dazed and warm all over.

      He disappeared down the hall, and she released a pent-up breath, fanning herself with her hands to ease the heat in her cheeks. A moment later, she heard the thump of a box landing on the floor and the whiz of a utility knife slicing through tape. A sense of confidence washed through her—something she hadn’t felt for a very long time. She’d made a good decision hiring Ethan. Hopefully it was the first of many more. If she could collect enough good decisions, maybe they would bury the one horrible one she’d made when she’d married Brad.

      * * *

      Ethan rolled his shoulders, wincing at the twinge. His back was sore, his neck ached, and his legs were protesting the stooping and lifting he’d done all morning. But he felt better than he had in months. Honest work. Simple work. And nothing to trigger a memory from his past. All in all, it had been a good morning.

      He wasn’t sure what had triggered his small flashback yesterday. Perhaps seeing the soldier or anxiety over joining a new PTSD group. Thankfully he’d been able to hold off the images. This time.

      He could hear Nicki in the front of the store, her voice warm and pleasant as she waited on a customer. She had a way of making each person feel that their business was appreciated. He was going to like working here. He liked working for Nicki. She was a confident, capable woman. Yet there was also something fragile about her, as if her determination СКАЧАТЬ