Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
“Why would I do that? You fired me! For doing what your sister wanted.”
“And I was wrong.”
“And you . . . wait, what? You were what?” she asked, gaping at him.
“I was wrong,” he told her. “And I want you to stay. Please.”
“P-please? You said please. You never say please.”
Do not give in. Do not cave.
“Yes. So will you?”
She bit her lip. “Firing me wasn’t very nice.”
Great. Now she sounded like she was five and had just told her friend she was mean for stealing her doll.
“You’re right. It wasn’t.”
“You can be grouchy.”
“I can be,” he agreed.
“And bossy.”
“You’re right.”
This conversation wasn’t getting any better.
“How can I make it up to you?” he asked. “What if I gave you two dollars more an hour?”
Fudge knuckles. She hated that she was so easy to buy. But . . . that would really help her out.
“All right. And I don’t want to ever have to use Estelle again.”
“Deal.” He held out his hand. And against her better judgment, she shook it.
Do not react. Do not.
“Deal.”
8
Faith glanced up as the elevator doors opened. She smiled as an older, thin woman stepped out, wearing a light coat that had seen better days. Her lank, dull hair was pulled back into a severe bun.
Two young boys clung to her hands. They looked to be around four and three.
“Hello, can I help you?”
“We’re here to see Mr. Jones,” the woman said in a defeated voice. “We don’t have an appointment, sorry. But he does know me. Will he . . . will he see us?”
“I’m sure he will,” Faith said, when she had no idea if that was true or not. But she couldn’t turn this woman away. “What was your name?”
“Elizabeth Wilbur.”
She picked up the phone.
“Yeah?” Reuben said.
Since he’d fired her two weeks ago, he’d actually been slightly less grouchy.
Slightly.
But for some reason, it wasn’t getting to her as much as before. Perhaps it was because of the conversation she’d overheard between him and Juliet.
That had made him seem more relatable.
“Elizabeth Wilbur is here to see you,” she said. “Could you fit her in? She doesn’t have an appointment.”
“I’ll come out,” he said before hanging up.
“He’s coming out,” Faith relayed to the nervous woman.
Reuben stepped out of his office and strode over to the woman, holding out his hand. “Elizabeth.”
“Mr. Jones. Thanks for seeing me.”
“Reuben, and any time. Hey, Tommy, Will. You probably don’t remember me.” He nodded to the boys, who stared up at him from behind their mother.
“I’m sorry to bother you . . . if it’s not a good time, we can come back.”
“You’re fine. Please, come in.”
“Would the boys like to stay out here with me?” Faith asked.
Their mother looked at her worriedly.
“I can assure you they’ll be safe with Faith.”
“I even have some chocolate in my handbag. If that’s okay?” she asked their mother.
The other woman relaxed slightly. “It is. If you’re sure?”
“Yep. Do you boys like to color? I’ve also got some pens somewhere in my bag. I’ve pretty much got everything, but the kitchen sink in there.”
“Why would you put a kitchen sink in there anyway?” the older boy asked.
“Well, how else would I do my dishes?”
They both looked puzzled at that.
Reuben was fuming as he escorted Elizabeth out of his office. But some of that anger drained away as he walked in on Faith playing with Elizabeth’s sons. They were all sitting on the floor and the two boys had wide smiles on their faces.
“Oh,” Elizabeth said.
“Something wrong?” he murmured. She better not be about to criticize Faith, because he wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“No, they just haven’t smiled like that since . . . since their father.”
“Faith has a way about her.”
“I can see that,” she said.
“Draw a rabbit, Faith!” Will said.
Reuben was good with names. When he wanted to remember.
“Sure thing, Will,” Faith said.
“With a straw hat!” Tommy added.
“And a bowtie,” Will said.
She hunched over a piece of paper, drawing furiously. He moved around to try and see what she was drawing. Elizabeth moved with him. But Faith remained hunched over her drawing.
She was totally focused on the piece of paper and not on what was happening around her.
That should irritate him. She needed to be aware of her surroundings to keep herself safe at all times.
But he was here. And he wouldn’t allow any harm to come to her.
Then she held the page up. Both boys stared. Surprise filled him as he took in the rabbit she’d hastily drawn.
She was good. Really good.
Faith bounced on her heels where she kneeled on the floor. “Well? What do you think?”
Both boys clapped and she grinned.
Damn. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her look that happy.
Unreasonable jealousy flooded him, and he had to tamp it down.
Yeah, she’d never looked at him that way. But he hadn’t done anything to make her happy either.