“Well, kiddo, believe it or not I’ve actually been there.”
His eyes lit up, and so did mine as I realized I’d finally won him over. “Really?”
“Really. And I’m happy to tell you that it is really cool, and the food is really good.”
He looked over the moon, like some long-kept theory had finally been confirmed. “I bet the ice cream is the best. That’s my favorite.”
“Yep, and they have all different kinds. So good.”
Now he was smiling. “That’s what I love to do with Dad the most. When he has a day off, we go out and ride the horses and then after that we go out to get ice cream.”
“Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It is.” He appeared inquisitive. “Is that why you’re here? To hang out with my dad and ride the horses and get some ice cream? Can I come if you are?”
“I’m here to see if I can work with your dad. Work is how grownups afford things like horses and ice cream.” This didn’t seem too interesting to him – couldn’t blame the kid. So I decided to get him back on my side. “Hey, maybe if I start working with your dad, I can take you out for ice cream sometime? I bet we’d have fun.”
His face lit up again. “Yeah! Dad’s working all the time, like all the time. There’s this place downtown called the Tea Kettle and they have the best banana splits.”
“Oh, I know all about the Tea Kettle and their famous banana splits. I used to go there with my dad when I was your age.”
He seemed to think that was the coolest thing he’d heard yet. But before either of us could say anything else, footsteps approached, and Amy appeared at the entrance to the kitchen.
“Well, turns out he’s on his way. He should be here any second.” As she spoke, the revving of a powerful engine rumbled through the house.
Kyle’s eyes lit up. “Dad’s here!”
He jumped up and ran from the kitchen with as much speed as his little legs were capable of. My heart began to race once again at the idea of seeing Craig. A glance out of the window revealed a massive black truck, so big I’d need a stepping stool to get in it. Then the front door opened.
“There’s my little dude!” His voice was as deep and booming as the engine of his truck.
“Dad!”
Moments later I heard the heavy footfalls I remembered. Then, before I had a chance to compose myself, a huge figure stood in the doorway.
And he was even hotter than I remembered.
It was a damn good thing I wasn’t holding my coffee mug, because the sight of Craig Johannsson would’ve been enough to make me drop it.
He wasn’t just as good-looking as I remembered. If anything, he was even more handsome. Tall, built, imposing, exactly as I recalled when I was a little girl. And he hadn’t gone soft in the slightest. Craig was still a wall of muscle, barrel-chested and broad-shouldered. His hair was sandy and longish, his short beard matching. His eyes were dark green and brooding, his face still sharp.
And between my legs I felt a tinge, a heat that radiated out through my body. I was turned on, for sure. I couldn’t remember the last time a man had made me feel like I did at that moment.
Craig looked me up and down, his eyes moving over my body. But not in a checking out kind of way – more like he was trying to figure out who the hell I was and what I was doing in his kitchen. One big hand was stuffed into his jeans’ pocket, the other on his hip.
“Can I help you?” His voice was gruff and deep.
“Craig. I mean, Mr. Johannsson.” I rose and headed over, extending my hand. “It’s me, Cindy Samuels.”
That didn’t appear to ring any bells. As I approached, I could see the fatigue in his eyes, like he’d had a long night and didn’t get much sleep. I remembered what Amy had said about Friday nights being his night out and wondered if that meant he was hungover. It’d make sense – I remembered him and Dad throwing back drinks like there was no tomorrow when they’d hang.
“Uh, Cindy?” He snapped his fingers. “Drew’s kid.” His eyes flashed for a moment, as if he’d finally put it all together. “Shit, that’s right – we were meeting today, right?”
My hand was still outstretched. Craig glanced down, realized what was expected, and finally took it. His skin was warm and rough and made another wave of the tingling heat rush through my body. I’d need to put that all aside, I noted. Can’t exactly be crushing on someone who might end up being my new boss.
We let go of one another’s hands as I said, “Yes, we’re meeting about a possible job on the farm.”
He said nothing, nodding slowly as he took in a slow breath through his nose. Craig looked me up and down again, like he was trying to make sense of what he was seeing. “Cindy Samuels,” he finally said. “Shit, you’re really all grown up.”
“I am. And ready to work.”
He nodded, then stepped around me and headed for the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup of black coffee. Mug in hand, he turned his attention to me again.
“You’re gonna have to bear with me – late night last night and I kinda forgot we were doing this thing.”
“Well, good thing one of us remembered.” I offered a bright laugh that came out a little too enthusiastically.
“Yeah, good thing.” He nodded in a direction over my shoulder. “Why don’t we take this into the office? Better place to talk.”
“Sure!” Again, just a touch too enthusiastic.
Jesus, Cindy. Get your shit together or he’s gonna think you’re an airhead.
He strode past me, the scent of cigarettes and whiskey and…something else, something animal and raw, following him. Whatever it was, the combination was mega sexy and made me want to follow him wherever he went. I grabbed my mug and we were off.
We walked together, and a minute or so later we were on the second floor stepping into a big office. The walls were wood, and the combination of mounted guns and animal heads on them gave me the impression of a hunting lodge. He dropped into the leather chair behind his desk and gestured to a seat across from him.
“Make yourself comfortable. Have a seat.”
“OK!” Once more, way too chipper. I made a mental note to calm the hell down. I sat down and didn’t waste any time opening my bag and fishing out all the information I’d brought with me. “I have my college transcripts here and my resume –such that it is.” I set them neatly on the desk and pushed them, one after another, toward Craig.
But he didn’t seem interested in the slightest. His dark eyes flicked down for only the briefest of moments before turning his attention back to me. “You’re really a right-to-the point kind of girl, huh?”
I nodded. “No sense in messing around. You have a job, and I’m here to see if I’m the right person for it.”
The faintest hint of a smile formed on his lips. “Normally, that’s exactly how I’d do things. But the situation’s a little different. You’re my best friend’s kid. I’ve known you since you were yay-high.” He held up his palm about four feet in the air. “And now you’re in my office asking me for a job.”
“True. But I’d like to know as soon as possible if I might be a good fit for the job.”
“Do you even know what the job is?” He took a sip of his coffee. “Or are you so eager you just went ahead and rushed over here before finding out that tiny piece of info?”
He had me there. “No, I don’t know what it is. That’s what I was hoping to learn meeting with you.”
“The job could be shoveling goat shit for ten hours a day for minimum wage. That work for you?”
It sounded gross as hell and I had no idea if he was serious. “Well, that’s not my ideal job, of course. Or what I went to school for. But I need a job so I can get back to New York. So, if that’s what I have to do, that’s what I have to do.”
He nodded slowly. “Want to go back to New York, huh? Why in such a rush? Aren’t you happy to see your old man?”
“Of course I am – it’s one of the only good things about being back h
ome. But New York’s where I’m meant to be, so that’s where I need to go.”
“And there’s a little bit of an implication with what you’re saying.”
“Is there?”
Another nod before another sip of coffee. “You went to New York to make it. And you’re back here. Which means you didn’t make it. Which means that you had a year to pull something off, but you didn’t. And that makes me wonder about what kind of employee you’d be.”
I stopped short. As I tried to figure out what to say in my defense, he leaned forward slightly and took a look at my resume.
“Couldn’t give a shit about college grades. But your resume looks like mostly serving jobs, coffee shop here and there. And none lasting longer than a couple of months. Now that’s what I call a red flag. What’ve you got to say to that?”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, suggesting I’d better choose my next words very carefully. My heart raced and I felt totally on the spot. Almost like I’d made a mistake. Wasn’t this guy my dad’s best friend? Why was he being a dick to me?
“I tried to make it in New York, yes. It was hard. I went to interview after interview, but no one wanted to hire me without experience. So, I worked where I could. But the service industry wasn’t exactly a good fit for me, so I didn’t last long. And it didn’t help that I had to call in a bunch to go to interviews on short notice.”
“Mhmm. So you’ve got commitment problems, too.”
A surge of defensiveness ran through me. “Listen, I did my best and it wasn’t enough. Maybe I was being stupid by thinking I could make it in New York, but at least I tried.” I felt ashamed as soon as the last word left my mouth, like I’d stepped out of line. But if Craig was bothered, he sure as hell didn’t show it. Instead, he grinned slightly.
“Looks like you’ve got no problems sticking up for yourself. Good trait to have around here.”
“Well, I didn’t expect to have to defend myself like that.”
“Just wanted to push you a little, see what kind of woman you’d grown up to be.”
“And you think you already know?”
Another grin. “Still the same ambitious, hard-headed kid I remember you as. Not a kid anymore, though.” His eyes flicked over my body again. “Not at all.”
I paused, my eyebrows knitting in confusion – what the hell did that mean? Was he talking about how I had grown up into a woman, or how I’d grown up into a woman? No way he was flirting with me. It had to be the other thing.
“Anyway, you’re not a pushover, I’ll give you that. And you can’t be one if you’re gonna work with me. I’m a tough boss, and I expect the best out of my employees.”
“Well, I’d be happy to prove to you that I’m a good hire.”
He raised a finger. “And I won’t go easy on you just because your dad and me are tight. He’s a good man and I’m sure you’re as trustworthy as he is. But if you screw up, don’t even think about trying to play the family friend card.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
He glanced away and took another sip of his coffee, appearing to try to figure out where to begin. “My wife. Don’t think you knew her very well. She passed a few years ago, while you were at college.”
“I heard. I’m very sorry for that.”
“Thanks. Anyway, she wasn’t only my wife – she was my partner around here. More than that, really. She kept this damn place running as much as I did. See, I’m a hands-on-work kind of guy, like your old man. Shit with computers and numbers and accounting books, that’s not my thing. Quinn had a knack for it, though. She was good as hell at her job. So you’d have some mighty big shoes to fill.”
I nodded. “I can do it – administrative work is what I’ve been trained to do.”
“Training’s one thing – actually doing it is another. I’ve got a huge farm, and I own a hell of a lot of properties. You’d have to keep them all straight. The whole idea here is that you free me up to do the kinda work I’m good at. If I have to babysit you, it defeats the whole purpose.”
“Like I said, I’m ready. I might not have a ton of real-world experience, but I’m a fast learner. You might not care about my grades, but they at least prove I’m not dumb.”
He glanced down at my college transcript, his thick eyebrows moving up a bit. “I suppose you’re right about that. And your dad had nothing but good words for you. Though I suppose he’s a biased source.”
“Give me the chance. I know you won’t regret it.”
Craig said nothing for a long while. I could tell he was giving the matter some serious thought. Finally, after several moments, he took a deep breath and spoke.
“Alright. I think we can give this a shot.”
“Yes!” The word shot out of my mouth with embarrassing excitement.
He raised a hand with a chuckle. “Easy now. I’ll start you off at, let’s say a hundred and sixty a day. I’ll pay you under the table, so you won’t have to worry about taxes taking out a chunk. You work hard and you’ll have enough to get back to New York before you know it.”
I was so happy I could scream. Not only was that good money, it was a job actually doing what I was good at. And the quick mental math I did worked out – two or three months and I’d have all the money I needed. I could be back in New York before spring.
Craig stood up and moved around the desk, sticking out his meaty hand. I took it, another worrying tinge of excitement running through me.
“You can start on Monday. Hope this works out.”
“It will. I know it.”
He nodded. “I’ll see you out.”
My heart pounding, the two of us left the office and headed downstairs. I spotted Amy and Kyle, and I gave them a wave. “Nice meeting you both! And a bientot to you, Kyle!” The kid looked confused as hell. “It means see you soon in French.”
Kyle got it, smiling a bit as he waved. I glanced at Craig, who seemed a bit surprised by my rapport with his son. As soon we were outside, Craig opened the door to my car.
“See you on Monday, kid.” Then a strange expression formed on his face. “And, I don’t know. Something tells me I might like working with you after all.”
Then he shut the door and was off, and I wondered just what he meant by those words.
Chapter 6
Craig
What. The. Fuck.
The meeting or interview or whatever the hell it was, went alright. Cindy had carried herself well, and as much as I didn’t give a shit about credentials, her college transcript had showed she had some experience with the kind of work I needed done. And she was motivated – the girl had a goal and I had no doubt she’d bust her ass doing the job right to make it happen.
So, in that sense, it was a success. But there was something else to the meeting, something I hadn’t expected. Namely, that she was about the hottest little thing I’d ever seen in my life.
It was fucking wrong to be thinking that way, and I knew it. But I was a man and asking a man like me not to notice a gorgeous woman like her was like asking a lion not to take a big bite out of a bloody steak. It was in my damn nature.
Once I was back in my office, I shut the door, Cindy appearing in my mind almost instantly. Back when I’d known her, she’d been a cute kid, sure. But a kid. Around the time she was well in her teenage years, it’d been obvious to me that she’d eventually become a lovely young woman. But hell, I’d have been lying if I’d said she wasn’t gawky and awkward. And then there was the whole underage daughter of my best friend thing.
But my thoughts about her then hadn’t even gone that far. She was cute, but I’d of course never thought about her in that way. Now that I’d seen the kind of woman she’d turned into, though, I wondered how the hell I was going to see her in any way but that kind of way.
I closed my eyes and let her linger in my mind. That long, black hair, those blue eyes, that full mouth I could so easily picture wrapped around my…
“Fuck!” I exclaimed, my voice echoing through the
study.
I was pissed at myself. What was wrong with me that I was thinking about her that way?
Just imagining her in that sexy little businesswoman outfit, her big tits straining the buttons of the blouse…fuck. My cock twitched in my jeans, and I scolded my dumbass self yet again for thinking those thoughts. But damn, I couldn’t help it.
I stepped over to my desk to grab my coffee. As I did, I saw myself in the mirror on the other side of the room. Something seemed off. I went over to get a closer look, shocked as fuck at what I saw.
I looked like hell. No, that was putting it lightly – like hammered dog shit. My hair was a mess, my beard like something you’d find on a hobo, and my eyes had big old bags under them. The worst of the hangover had come and gone, but I still looked like a man who’d had way too many bourbons the night before.
I left the office and headed to my bedroom, stripping off my day-old clothes as I walked through. Another glance in the bedroom mirror showed the usual sight – built body, square pecs, abs that I earned when I was a teen and hadn’t managed to lose. I didn’t usually admire myself in the mirror, but it was important to me to keep on top of my fitness. Last thing I wanted was to be one of those middle-aged guys who was more flab than anything else.
I hadn’t hit that stage yet. And if I could get Cindy doing the kind of work I’d been swamped with, that meant I’d be able to have more free time to do the physical shit I was good at. Sounded like a good deal all around.
When I was in the bathroom I stripped out of my black boxer-briefs. A glance down showed my cock was still half-hard, glistening at the end. Fuck. That girl had done a number on me.
“OK. Take a shower and wash her out of your head. No good’s gonna come from thinking about her.” I felt dumb talking to myself, but man, it had to be done. I could only imagine what Drew’s reaction would be if he were to find out the thoughts I’d been having about his precious little girl. The man would run me over with his damn truck.
After getting the hot water going, I stepped inside. Damn, it felt good. I soaped up, the water and suds running down around the contours of my muscles. As I washed, I considered the weekend ahead, what I’d need to get done before starting the next work week. I needed to run into town and grab some groceries, pick up some spare gas for one of the properties, then I needed to try and get Cindy out of my brain.
Mistoletoe Surprise: An Older Man Younger Woman Christmas Romance Page 4