Hearts Under Construction. Diann Hunt

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СКАЧАТЬ toward Jax before rising to make her way to the kitchen. This time both men were facing her. She decided the stranger beside Jax must be a new client. Then again, maybe not.

      Feeling a bit curious, Ellie sat back down and eyed them further. As they stood together she could see the stark contrast between the two. Jax stretched to just about five foot eight in his thickest-heeled shoes. His brown hair was almost as long as Ellie’s, stopping just under the earlobes. Small stylish glasses framed blue eyes, making him look every inch the professor. He looked uncomfortable in his suit and tie, like a snake wanting to shed its skin. Sweaters or relaxed shirts and work pants appealed to him.

      Ellie guessed the man beside Jax at six feet. His long legs stretched nicely into casual jeans and a brown T-shirt spread tightly across his broad shoulders. A light gel held his dark, wavy hair perfectly in place. Stylish sideburns ended where his firm jaw began.

      They laughed and Jax slapped the other man good-naturedly on the back. Interesting. Jax didn’t usually chum around with clients or employee candidates like that. Her eyes narrowed. She concentrated hard, trying to figure out the identity of this stranger.

      The men looked up in time to catch her indulging in the shameless scrutiny. Ellie felt her face burn. She swallowed a silent gulp and turned away, deciding now was a good time to visit the kitchen.

      She glanced at her watch. In fifteen minutes, she would meet with Jax. She figured she had time to grab a quick cup of plain coffee with sugar—since there were no mochas available—and prepare for the good news. After all, she felt sure today he would offer her the partnership. This was one change for which she was ready. Jax had spent considerable time contemplating the matter of replacing his former partner who had retired in the early part of the year. On Friday, he had told the sales staff he would announce the new partner on Monday. He had started to talk to her about the matter last week, but a telephone call had interrupted their conversation. Had he been going to offer it to her then? A shiver ran through her.

      Ellie had worked hard to prove herself in the past couple of years. In her opinion, the other salespeople didn’t seem to care as much about the company. It seemed logical for Jax to pick her for the position.

      Arriving at the coffeemaker, she poured herself a cup of the hot liquid. She had always liked the smell of coffee better than the actual taste, but like the masses, she had learned to acquire a tolerable acceptance of the brew. From the counter, a cream-filled doughnut called to her, but she ignored it, deciding her nervous stomach couldn’t handle it this morning.

      Turning from the doughnut, she leaned her back against the counter and took a sip from her mug. Ellie mentally reviewed her wardrobe and thought of the new clothes she might purchase. Her things were growing threadbare, after all. A slight movement in the hallway caught her attention. The stranger was walking toward her.

      She straightened herself, placed her mug on the counter, and turned to the man whose woodsy scent reached her before he did.

      “Good morning.” Tall and confident, he thrust his hand toward her. “I’m Cole Preston.” She liked the way he said that. Confident and…soothing. Definitely soothing. Like raindrops pattering against a rooftop on a chilly afternoon.

      She pulled out her best smile. “Ellie Williams.” Eyes the color of coffee beans gazed down at her. His warm hand dwarfed her own. Something about him made her want to snuggle into a blanket by a roaring campfire and sing “Kumbayah.”

      He nodded with recognition. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

      His comment surprised her. She wondered why Jax would talk about her to this man. Still, strains of “Kumbayah” persisted. “Oh?”

      “Um-hum. Jax says you’re a great employee.”

      They stood silent a moment while Ellie tried to figure out where this whole conversation was going.

      “Guess partners discuss such things.” His teeth sparkled like a toothpaste advertisement.

      She stared at him, wondering if she had heard right.

      He kept smiling. “I’ve just signed on as Jax’s new partner,” he announced, practically rocking on his heels. “I guess I shouldn’t have announced it until he does, but since you’re his right-hand gal, as he puts it, I thought I could tell you.”

      “Kumbayah” came to a warbling halt. “P-p-p-partner?”

      He shoved his hand into his pocket and nodded with an air of superiority. Before she could utter a word, Jax strolled up beside her. “Good, I see you’ve met Cole,” he said with a nod and a grin. Jax looked at Ellie, then Cole, then back to Ellie. He raised his eyebrows, his smile faded. “Everything okay?”

      “Everything’s fine,” she managed through clenched teeth.

      Cole just stood there. Smiling. “I told her the news.”

      Jax gave a hesitant nod. “Oh.”

      Cole kept smiling.

      Ellie wanted to cry, but Cole’s gloating pushed her to anger, keeping her tears in check.

      “Do we have a meeting, Ellie?” Jax asked, glancing at his watch.

      “Yes,” Ellie said with as bright a tone as she could muster.

      “Could we scoot that back an hour? I have a few things to attend to.”

      “Sure, no problem.” No hurry to get to the meeting now. Ellie reached deep within herself for some semblance of civility and turned to the new partner. “Well, Mr. Preston, welcome aboard.”

      “Please, call me Cole.”

      She wanted to call him something else all right, but Cole wasn’t it. “Cole,” she said with all the warmth of an iced mocha.

      Ellie made a beeline for the bathroom. Her hands trembled and her chin started to quiver. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this.

      Once inside the empty bathroom, she locked herself in a stall, allowing silent tears to drop. How could Jax betray her? Why didn’t he give her a chance? Father, I thought this was all settled. Her heart told her she had settled the matter. God had not. It took a few moments for her to swallow that revelation. Once again, she had jumped ahead of the Lord. Still, how could this not be the best thing for her? Hadn’t she earned it?

      What did her reading in I Samuel 15 say this morning? She strained to remember. Feeling puffed up with a victory in battle, King Saul decided he knew best and disobeyed the Word of the Lord.

      Pride bred disobedience.

      Like Saul, had Ellie taken matters into her own hands? She prayed a rote prayer for forgiveness, barely aware of the proud seed of bitterness that took root in a corner of her heart.

      She yanked some toilet paper from the roll and dabbed at her face. Thankful that the room was empty, she stepped out of the stall and checked her makeup in the mirror. Tidying her hair, she looked at her reflection. “Well, it’s time to buck up.” She took a deep breath and walked through the door.

      Morgan Somerville, another sales associate, approached. “Hey, Ellie, did you meet the new partner?”

      Ellie nodded and kept walking as if she had an important СКАЧАТЬ