by Jennie Adams
The guy hadn’t wanted anyone else to have influence in Stacey’s life. Thank goodness her sister had finally sent the man packing.
Cecilia wanted to undo Stacey’s history and get her out of there because she’d been tricked. Those wishes were unrealistic, and she knew it, but she hated it that Stacey’s life had been impacted so deeply by this whole situation.
Well, for now it was time to face Linc. Cecilia didn’t feel ready, but she had no choice.
She forced herself to open the office door and to speak to Linc, who lounged with pseudocasualness against a pillar partway across the courtyard.
‘I’ve finished my call. Thanks for giving me privacy for that.’
‘It was no problem.’ He started towards her.
Cecilia didn’t know what else he might have said. Anything, or nothing at all. But suddenly she couldn’t stay there to find out. Not right now. Not until she could get her emotions under better control. If he was sympathetic she might fall apart. She couldn’t let that happen.
‘I need to do a few things in the repurposing shed.’ She blurted the words and turned on her heel. ‘I’ll be back in a bit.’
She couldn’t even speak to him about getting Jemmie to come out of the retail section and cover the office during her absence. Cecilia couldn’t say anything more at all. But she had her back turned before Linc reached her, and she walked herself quickly far enough into the rear of the nursery that no one would see her until she could blink back the well of emotion that threatened to overcome her.
It wasn’t perfect. She shouldn’t walk out on a busy office. But she needed time to gather herself.
Cecilia walked on and set to work on regaining her control—because that was what she needed to do.
* * *
Linc wanted to go after Cecilia. To ensure that she was okay. Although clearly he couldn’t ensure any such thing, because she wasn’t. The heartbreak she must have tried so hard to shore up before she opened the door minutes ago had been etched on her face.
That had shouted more loudly than any voice could have done for her to be given privacy to regroup. Even so, it had taken all his resources not to stride across the courtyard and take her into his arms.
She had a sister.
That sister was in a correctional facility.
Linc hadn’t known either of those things.
What had Cecilia’s sister done to land her where she was now? How long had Cecilia been trying to cope with this reality?
‘Linc, I could use your help.’
The request from Cecilia’s second-in-command forced his attention back to his surroundings, to the busy plant-nursery office. He’d called in Jemmie to help out, and the phone still kept ringing. The rest of the world remained unaware of Cecilia’s turmoil and wasn’t about to grant any concessions.
Jemmie went on. ‘Will Cecilia be gone long? I’ve got an enquiry about one of her orders, and the amount of money involved is too substantial for me to make the judgment call alone. Unless you want to decide, Linc?’
‘She won’t be gone much longer.’ Linc would have to go and find Cecilia before he let much more time pass. ‘What exactly is the problem, Jemmie? I may be able to resolve it.’
He did just that, but he had no sense of satisfaction—only a gnawing awareness of the passage of time.
Linc frowned, checked his wristwatch again and got to his feet.
As he did so Cecilia stepped into the office space.
‘Thanks for helping out, Jemmie.’ She spoke as though nothing were amiss. ‘You can head back now.’
The office phone rang. Cecilia answered it as Jemmie left. Again, Cecilia’s composure seemed rock solid.
Except she was pale, her beautiful eyes looked as though she’d been crying and she wouldn’t fully meet his gaze.
Linc waited while Cecilia took the call. When it had ended, he spoke carefully. ‘I didn’t know you had a sister.’ He hoped that by acknowledging this in some way he might help Cecilia to feel less uncomfortable. ‘I’m sorry that I heard the start of your conversation. If I’d known—’
‘Stacey is my twin.’ She searched his gaze. ‘I wouldn’t have expected you to know anything. This whole situation has been...challenging.’
‘I can imagine.’ Linc took care to allow that search and to keep his expression as open as possible. Cecilia might feel comfortable enough to confide in him a little more—not because he harboured some morbid curiosity about her difficulties, but because he cared.
He refused to ask himself whether that kind of care should fall within the realms of an employee/employer relationship. It fell within his realm.
After a moment Cecilia simply said, ‘We hadn’t spoken for months. We went through a really bad patch. Both of us were partly to blame, but I—I can see now that I let her down, and I regret that so much. Today was the start of turning that around, at least.’
‘I’m happy for you—that there’s a chance for you to get things on a better footing with your sister.’ His words emerged in a deep tone. Linc hadn’t managed to be there for his brothers when they had needed him vitally. For Alex most of all. He’d never forgiven himself for what he’d allowed to happen. His heart squeezed for Cecilia.
He cleared his throat. ‘If there’s anything—’
‘Thank you.’ She spoke quickly and seemed to force herself to draw a slow, deep breath. ‘There’s nothing. And it’s busy.’ She turned to her computer. ‘I should get on with this work.’
Linc conceded to her need to refocus her attention and did the same, but her situation and his own memories from the past remained in his thoughts.
He’d hated the orphanage so much—the discipline and the emotional darkness and the complete lack of love or hope. Alex and Brent had saved him—had given him their brotherhood and let him love them and be loved in return.
Except at one vital point in time when Linc had failed in that charter.
And for that he could not forgive himself.
Linc forced his attention back to his review.
He still wanted to take Cecilia in his arms, but today’s revelations had only drawn more attention to the reasons why he must let go of just such thoughts.
He wasn’t worthy of her.
He never could be.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘LINC. I WASN’T sure if I’d see you today.’
It was the following morning—Valentine’s Day—and Cecilia had arrived at the nursery well ahead of schedule. She had wanted to be certain everything was in order for this most lucrative day on the nursery’s calendar.
She had wanted time to compose herself before facing Linc again, if he did come in today, but would that composure even be possible? Yesterday’s phone call with her sister had brought joy. That was undeniable. But it had also left Cecilia feeling exposed.
Yet when she searched Linc’s gaze now, she saw only acceptance and, as their gazes held, awareness.
Cecilia stood on the outside of her office space, and Linc stood on the inside. She tried to pull herself back to the conversation. ‘Did you—did you resolve your business challenge so soon?’
Linc had received a call from his brother late yesterday afternoon and had excused himself to go and take care of whatever matter had arisen.
‘The problem was a joint investment I have with Alex.’ The words were gruff. ‘I’m sorry I left so abruptly yesterday. I had to deal with it quickly otherwise Alex could have lost a sizeable chunk of his portfolio. It is sorted out now.’
‘I’m glad everything turned out okay.’ She was, but her emotions were still a jumble. ‘I had better print yesterday’s orders, ready to start checking stock.’
Cecilia grasped the edge of the door and prepared to push it wider so she could enter.
‘Actually
, I hoped we could talk.’ As he spoke those words he, too, reached for the door.
For long, still moments Cecilia felt the touch of warm, strong fingers over hers. Linc’s fingers.
Aside from a handshake, when she’d first met Linc for her initial job interview, they’d never touched. But now they were, and that one simple touch undermined the slim control she’d had over her seesawing emotions—and over her attraction to Linc.
She wanted to know him better...to explore that interest. Now—today—she felt this. She hadn’t shaken off that old interest in him at all. It had lain in waiting, ready to ambush her for a second time. It was a shock to admit that to herself, and as she searched his eyes, she wondered if those thoughts were reflected in hers.
‘Cecilia...’ Grey eyes searched her face, and his head dipped closer.
Her lips parted and her breath sighed out in a soft exhalation. She leaned towards him, just a little...
In the next moment, shocked at her own lack of control, she pulled back. How could she have ended up standing there with her emotions churning, so in need of his kiss?
Would he truly have kissed her? Had that been his intention?
A peek at his face revealed a mixture of surprise and...guilt?
Then his dark brows drew down, and she couldn’t see into his eyes any more.
‘Today—today will be manic.’ She felt rather frenzied herself. Worked up. Freaked out.
You simply touched hands with him. Pull it together, Cecilia!
And he’d wanted to talk. About her sister phoning? About Stacey being in a women’s prison?
Cecilia did not want to talk about that.
And now they’d almost kissed, and she needed to think about that—to figure out how she felt about that and why, if she’d interpreted it correctly, he should feel guilt over that.
‘Delivery trucks will be arriving, and it won’t stop after that.’
No sooner had she uttered the words than a truck could be heard, backing up to the loading bay.
The driver leaned on the horn.
The office phone began to jangle.
Linc frowned.
Cecilia raised her hands, palms up, towards him. ‘It’s Valentine’s Day. The customers deserve their happiness. I can’t deliver on that if I have to—’
‘You’re right. Now isn’t the time.’
Linc conceded to Cecilia’s declaration. He shouldn’t have tried to bring up yesterday’s shock revelation now, anyway.
But that moment in the doorway, when their hands had touched. He’d wanted to kiss her. He almost had kissed her.
Linc operated with a lot more self-control than that in life. He didn’t get affected by hand touching.
So what was going on with him?
‘I’ll help out today, if it’s going to be frantic. The review work can wait.’
‘Th-thank you. I hope that won’t be necessary, but I appreciate the offer.’
Her relief was heartfelt. Not because he’d offered to help out, Linc imagined, for he knew she could manage just fine without him and had done so for years. Her relief was patently because he’d backed off on his desire for an in-depth conversation. Who could blame her? If the roles were reversed, would he want to talk about it?
Or was her relief because that awkward moment in the doorway had ended?
He waved his hand in the direction of the truck. ‘You get that. I’ll take care of the phone.’
Apparently, the moment had been saved by the ring of the telephone and a truck full of red roses. For now, at least.
* * *
‘So how’s my brother enjoying this business review?’ Brent MacKay asked the question cheerfully while well-ordered chaos reigned all around. ‘I have to admit I was surprised when you told me you’re thinking of giving Cecilia a share in the business. You’ve only ever taken on business partnerships with family up to this point.’
‘It wouldn’t be a gift. She’s more than earned it in hard work over the past six years.’
It was later that day. The brothers stood in the busy nursery courtyard.
Linc watched Cecilia stride across the other side of it with a customer at her side and several more trailing at her heels like lovelorn ducklings.
‘The review is progressing nicely.’
Except perhaps for today, when all he’d done was watch Cecilia rush to and fro while he’d fielded phone calls and observed the madness and the mayhem.
He’d taken care of some customers as well, to help share the load.
‘And Cecilia’s different. I’d be comfortable having a shared holding with her.’
Brent’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Oh, yes? Any reason in particular for that?’
Conversely, Linc’s brows lowered. ‘Because she’s a trustworthy manager, and owning a share of the business would only make her more so.’
Linc started towards the nursery exit, where Brent had his utility truck parked out front.
‘You could sound happier about that.’ A corner of Brent’s mouth turned up. He’d drawn level with Linc as they passed through the nursery exit. ‘Anyway, I thought you’d be happy to see all this profit occurring right before your eyes—today at least?’
‘I am.’
Of course Linc was. Any business owner would be pleased to see money coming in. Unless that owner didn’t care just at the moment, because all he wanted to do was take the manager of the business aside and slow her down long enough to—
To do what? Talk to her about yesterday’s startling revelation of her sister’s situation, when he’d already had to concede that it wasn’t the time to have that conversation?
Cecilia had made it pretty clear she didn’t want any such discussion at all and that no time would be the right time for her.
Is that what you feel miffed about, MacKay? Or is it because she recoiled from that moment your hands touched at the door as though her fingernails were on fire?
It wasn’t, either.
Fine—it was both.
Blast it. He didn’t know!
‘Is there anything else you need while you’re here, Brent?’ He slung the final bird’s-nest fern into the back of his brother’s utility truck and turned.
‘Another one of those that hasn’t just had half its foliage knocked off would be a start. I’m quite particular about the standard of plants that go into my landscape garden designs.’ Brent said the words in a dry tone.
‘Ah, sorry.’ Linc glanced at the thing. ‘I can replace that.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ve got enough to do without it if I have to.’ Brent clapped him on the back.
‘Did you know Cecilia has a twin sister? Or a sister at all, for that matter?’ The words passed through Linc’s lips before he could stop them.
Brent was halfway into the driver’s seat of his truck. He settled fully and turned a quizzical gaze Linc’s way. ‘No. Why?’
‘I didn’t, either.’
How could he have known Cecilia for so long and not know the first thing about her personal life? He’d let her into his life. She knew his brothers. She’d been to their warehouse home a couple of times on business matters back when they had all lived there. She’d met Brent’s and Alex’s wives here at the plant nursery when they’d come shopping for things.
That was a lot of ‘letting in’ for a man who held his personal matters as close to his chest as Linc did.
He ignored the knowledge of all the things he hadn’t let Cecilia in about—such as his entire personal life aside from her interactions with his family, most of which had been instigated by those family members rather than Linc himself, if he were honest about it.
Not the point. He hadn’t deliberately shut Cecilia out of any of it.
She wasn’t trying to shut you out, e
ither, MacKay.
Linc didn’t wait for Brent to respond. What could his brother say other than to ask him if he was feeling okay or had received a blow to the back of the head or something? Linc didn’t know what to make of his own thoughts, anyway.
He saw Brent off and went back to helping out around the nursery. Sooner or later this romantic day would end. Maybe then he’d finally be able to focus on getting the review done, and then getting out of here and on with his life again.
The thought should have cheered him, but instead it made him feel unsettled and restless.
* * *
At the end of the day Linc found Cecilia in one of the auxiliary sheds, sweeping up rose petals. Although the room was empty now, except for those remnants, the scent of roses still filled the air.
‘I thought I might find you here. The rest of the staff have gone home.’ He’d come to find her and encourage her to leave. ‘You should stop. You’ve pushed yourself hard today.’
His gaze tracked over her, registering the exhaustion stiffening her shoulders, the faint bruises beneath her eyes. A single deep red petal had caught in her hair.
‘I wanted to get everything tidied up before I left.’ The broom stilled in her hands as she looked up at him. Her face softened, and a weary pleasure lifted the corners of her mouth. ‘We sent a lot of people home happy today, at least.’
In this moment she seemed to have found a true and deep contentment that came purely from wearing herself to the bone in order to give. Linc couldn’t have admired her more.
‘You did.’ He took the remaining steps to her side and gently retrieved the broom from her hold. He placed it against a pillar.
‘You contributed, Linc.’ Her words were unguarded. ‘I saw you helping out that little old lady who wanted roses for all her children and grandchildren.’
He had done that and, in amongst the antsy feelings he hadn’t understood, Linc had found pleasure in giving that assistance.
But so much more had he admired Cecilia’s generosity in doing the same, regardless of her personal circumstances. And now, in her presence, some of his restlessness today distilled into what it had really been. The need for her company, her attention, to focus on her and be with her. He couldn’t explain the feelings. He already knew he had to stay away from her. And yet here he was.