Broken Pieces (Healing Heart Book 1)

by Maxene Novak

  She looked back at him, “I just can’t believe I was stereotyping you like that.” She rolled her eyes but Clay knew it was at herself and not him. It only made his smile bigger. “I guess I was expecting something more flashy like a Corvette, or an Audi.”

  “You’ve been reading too much Fifty Shades, haven’t you?” he chuckled and Lorie’s face went completely red. He had been joking, but now he had a feeling that was exactly where she had gotten that whole Audi idea. “Trust me, you won’t find any red rooms in my house,” he winked at her, “but there might be a sexy Corvette parked in my garage that I save for weekends and vacations.” Lorie started laughing, and Clay was certain that her laugh was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

  It wasn’t long before they pulled up to the home. Lorie was craning her neck to look out of the car window as they pulled around the driveway and parked in front of the building. Clay parked the car and walked around to open the passenger’s door for Lorie. He held out his hand to her and she took it without looking away from the home. They both stood there for a couple of minutes. Lorie just staring at the home, and Clay staring at her. Finally, she blinked and looked at him and in a voice almost as soft as a whisper she said, “It’s beautiful.”

  Clay gave her a half grin. “Just wait until you see the inside.”

  He took Lorie by the hand and led her inside. The house had a beautiful entrance with tall ceilings and it opened right up to the living room. The main floor was open concept with the living room flowing into the dining room and large eat-in kitchen. In the center of the kitchen was a beautiful island large enough for eight people to sit at while also being used to prepare food for the guests at the home. “It’s like a real home,” Lorie said while she walked around the kitchen admiring the six-burner stainless steel stove and oven. “A home with high-cost finishes, but a real home none the less. Nothing like what you see with most orphanages or children’s homes. It’s wonderful.”

  Clay traced his hand along the marble countertop of the island. He hadn’t realized that he’d been nervous to hear her opinion of the place until he heard her say it was wonderful. He felt a weight of nervous energy lift off of him with her words. “I don’t want the kids that come here to feel like they’ve been stuck in some institution. I want them to think of it as their home because that is what it will be. For however long they have to stay here I want them to be comfortable, and to show them that they are more than just a number. I want the house to be run like a family and I thought by making it a real home in appearance it would help the kids who live here feel like they are at home and that they are a valued member of the family here.”

  Lorie walked around the island and rested her hand on Clay’s upper arm. The move felt so intimate that Clay struggled with the urge to both snatch his arm away and lean into her touch at the same time. “I will make sure that they do,” she told him. The conviction in her voice told him that she truly meant what she said. He had no doubts that he had made the right choice in picking Lorie to run Children’s Haven. He couldn’t imagine anyone who would be a better fit for the atmosphere he wanted to create there.

  Clay took her to the room located off the other side of the entrance from the living room where a beautiful office had been set up. A mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room facing the entry way, and there were multiple large filing cabinets to keep files on the children who would be staying in the home. Bright artwork hung on the walls, and there was a large bay window to the right side of the room with cushions in place, turning the opening into a nice sitting area. “This will be your office. There is another office on the third floor furnished so that the other staff will be able to share it. Since you will be in charge of the daily operations, and likely the one here the majority of the time, I wanted your office in the most convenient location.”

  “Well, it’s definitely the nicest office I’ve ever had,” Lorie replied. She ran her hand over the wood of the desk and turned around to face him. “Can we go upstairs? I would like to see where the kids will be staying. If my office is this nice I’m guessing their rooms will be even better.”

  “Absolutely.” Clay motioned for Lorie to go ahead of him. The stairs were to the right when they exited the office. He took her through the rooms on the second floor first before taking her up to the third floor. All in all there were ten bedrooms, each large enough to comfortably house two children or teenagers. Clay had gotten full-size beds for the kids to have. If they were going to share rooms they would at least sleep comfortably while they did it. Each room had its own en suite bathroom with double sink vanities for the children in that room to share. Downstairs there was one full bath and one half bathroom so it wouldn’t be necessary to run upstairs.

  “These bedrooms are huge. I know people who live in apartments the size of these rooms. This is great, Clay.” Lorie hadn’t stopped smiling since they walked into the house. He was glad she loved it; that had been his hope.

  “I’m glad you like it so far. There is one more room I want to show you.”

  “There’s more?” She sounded amazed and he laughed.

  “Yes, there is more,” he told her. “Come back downstairs.”

  Lorie followed him back downstairs. He took her to a door down from the office he’d shown her a little earlier, just behind the stairs. “This, is your room.” He opened the doors to a large master bedroom, fully furnished with beautiful, sleek black furniture. A beautiful red and white bedspread with pillows covered the king-sized bed. On the left wall was a large walk-in closet and a beautiful master bathroom suite complete with a standing shower and jetted tub, a dual vanity sink with marble countertop.

  Lorie looked around the room. Judging by the way her eyes seemed to grow wider and the overall look of disbelief, Clay knew Lorie was shocked. “Why would I need a room? Especially this room?”

  “You’re going to be working crazy hours. This allows you to stay here and have somewhere comfortable to sleep when you need it.”

  “Are you saying that you expect me to move in here?” Lorie asked.

  “You don’t have to move in full time, but it gives you somewhere to sleep when you work nights.” When Lorie just kept staring at him, Clay crossed his arms and went on. “Remember, I did my research on you. I know that you are highly dedicated to helping kids, which means that you will inevitably stay late and this gives you the option to just sleep here so you’re not trying to drive home late at night. I thought you would like it.”

  “I’m not saying that I don’t like it. It’s beautiful, I just wasn’t expecting this. Any of it. This whole house is so beautiful, and this room…” Lorie looked around the room again, silent for a second, “this room is like something out of a magazine. I’ve never imagined living somewhere this nice, let alone working in a place as beautiful as this. It’s a little overwhelming but I’m ecstatic that there are children who need a home that will have the opportunity to live here. That is wonderful.”

  “Don’t think about it too much. Just take care of the kids and yourself.”

  When Lorie looked at him again, Clay felt like she was trying to read him. She moved closer to him and looked him right in the eye, “Why are go doing all of this? I mean, I’m thrilled that you want to help children who are in need, but this is more than anyone would usually do.” She waved her arms around, indicating the house. “The extremes you have gone to here to make sure the kids will be happy, comfortable, and well taken care of… What makes you care so much for these kids? Do you know someone who lost their family?”

  Clay began looking around the room sporadically. He was looking at anything that wasn’t Lorie. She was asking things that he had no intention of sharing with anyone…ever. All of that was in the past and that is where he intended for it to stay. “I have the money to help, so I want to help. Let’s get out of here. I could use some lunch and I have to make sure I make it back to the office on time. I have another meeting right afterwards.” Clay turned around and left the
room, effectively putting a stop to Lorie’s unwanted questions.

  ***

  Lorie

  Shit! Lorie cursed herself. Why did she have to be so damned nosey? Clay was her boss, not her friend. It wasn’t any of her business why he wanted to help out these kids so badly, and now she had crossed a line. The minute she started asking personal questions Clay shut down. She watched it happen. His whole body went rigid and he avoided looking at her, his eyes darting all around the room but making sure to never land on her. Lunch was full of forced politeness and false smiles on Clay’s part. Where Lorie had initially wondered about Clay’s motives for inviting her to lunch any signs that he was interested in her as a woman vanished the second she had opened her big mouth.

  As soon as they finished eating Clay drove Lorie back to her car. He was no longer offering to open the car door for her or help her out. Instead he stood in front of the car and waited for her to get out of the car on her own. He shook her hand stiffly and excused himself to go back to work. Lorie quietly got in her car and looked back in time to see Clay run his hand through his hair before the elevator doors shut and he was gone. She leaned forward and put her face in her hands massaging her temples. Hopefully this wouldn’t result in the loss of her new job. She could handle Clay being cold but she couldn’t handle losing such an important job. She knew that she would be able to help the kids who would stay at Children’s Haven, and she would be highly upset if her nosiness made her lose that opportunity. She wouldn’t see Clay again until the ball on Saturday. She prayed that things would be back to normal by then.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Lorie

  “Here, wear this.” Heather held up Lorie’s sapphire teardrop necklace and matching earrings. The stone on the necklace was two carats, and each of the earrings had a full carat weighted sapphire stone. They were large enough not to get lost in contrast with her ball gown, but not too conspicuous to look like she was seeking attention. Lorie turned around and Heather clasped the necklace behind her neck, then Lorie put on the earrings.

  When she turned around to face Heather she held the sides of her dress out by her hips and did a poor version of a ballerina’s twirl. “So, how do I look?”

  Heather’s smile was beautiful and she winked at Lorie. They had been best friends since high school, and Lorie knew Heather would never lie to her. If she had a hair out of place Heather would be the first one to tell her. Physically, they were complete opposites. Where Lorie was blonde and curvy, Heather had long brown hair, brown eyes, and the thin frame of a runway model. It was her friendship with Heather that had inspired Lorie to pursue a career in social work. Heather’s parents had been junkies her entire life. The fact that Heather was healthy was a miracle given all of the drugs her mother took while pregnant. Heather had been the one to find their bodies when they overdosed. She was fifteen when she went home from school and found them dead in their bedroom surrounded by their own vomit. Heather didn’t have any other family to take her in and would have been put into the system if it hadn’t been for Lorie’s parents. The minute Lorie’s mom and dad found out about Heather’s parents, they stepped up and opened their home to Lorie’s friend. They had been disappointed in Lorie for not letting them know about Heather’s home situation a lot earlier on, but they didn’t give too much grief since Heather had enough to deal with at the time. Lorie’s parents never treated Heather like she was anything but family anyway, so the transition to her living there and becoming family was seamless.

  Heather took a step towards Lorie and gave her a tight hug, then she snuck in a quick smack to Lori’s ass and they both started laughing. Heather grabbed Lorie by the shoulder and turned her around so she was facing the mirror. “You look amazing.”

  Lorie took in the dress she was wearing. It was elegant and beautiful. She had opted for an understated dress instead of something flashy. This ball was about raising money for the kids, not drawing attention to her attire. That being said, Lorie had to admit the gown was beautiful. It was strapless and flowed down her body to her ankles. The top was black and faded down into a beautiful blue that went well with her sapphire jewelry. It was synched up on the right with a silver clasp and the material just flowed from there down her legs, not too tight but fitting her shape just right. She wore simple black heels with a pointed toe. Heather was right. She looked elegant.

  “Are you ready to go?” Heather asked her.

  Lorie glanced at the clock on her nightstand. “Yeah. I don’t want to risk being late to my first event for work.”

  “Of course not. It would be a shame to keep that sexy new boss of yours waiting.” Lorie turned around and playfully smacked her best friend on the arm. Heather rubbed the spot where Lorie’s hand made contact and winced like the light tap had actually caused her pain. “Ouch! Geez, woman. Don’t attack me because Clay Hale finally woke your body out of its long slumber.”

  Lorie glared at Heather, then they both started laughing. “You’re ridiculous, you know that,” she told Heather. “He’s my boss, nothing else.”

  She couldn’t deny how sexy Clay was, or how a simple handshake had made her body light up like a Christmas tree. She also knew that she had overstepped the boss/employee boundary big time the last time she was with Clay. Asking him why he was so very passionate about helping kids who were in need had been wrong. It was much too personal of a question if she had known him for months, let alone on her second time meeting with him. She was a mix between wanting to see him tonight, and nervous as hell of seeing him. What if he still hadn’t let her inappropriate inquisition go? What if he decided he didn’t want or need such a nosey, inconsiderate person working for him? She took a deep breath and ran her hands down the front of her dress in an attempt at calming herself down. Surely if what she had done had Clay wanting to fire her she would have heard so already. No way he would have her attend the ball for the children’s home if he was planning to fire her.

  “If you say so.” Lorie didn’t miss Heather’s sly grin when she grabbed her keys off of the entrance table. Lorie just shook her head and grabbed her shawl and clutch and followed her out to the car. Heather had insisted on driving her to the ball so that Lorie could have a good time and not worry about driving herself home, but she knew that her best friend was just hoping to catch a peek of Clay.

  When they arrived, Heather pulled the car up to the front entrance and a valet came up to the car and held the door for Lorie to get out. “If you get lucky and don’t need a ride from me tonight just make sure to text me right away.” Heather blew Lorie and kiss and when Lorie stepped out of the car she was still shaking her head at her friend, but she did so with a big smile on her face.

  The hotel’s ball room was decked out. All of the tables were covered in white silk cloth and the centerpieces were made of white roses held together in crystal vases. The lights were brought down low so that the candlelight could create a warm ambience around the whole room. In the center of the room was a beautiful ice sculpture like a frozen waterfall. There were works of art displayed along the walls up for sale to the highest bidders with all funds going to the children of Hale’s Children’s Haven. Lorie noticed that the tables had place settings with names so she decided to find her table and then go check out the artwork up close. She was surprised to not only find her name at a table up front, but directly beside Mr. Clay Hale. Clay’s name was on the setting to her left, and to her right was Jemma Long, Clay’s assistant. The only other person at their table was set across from Lorie to Clay’s left but it was a name she didn’t recognize: Spencer Cole. Lorie placed her shawl over the back of her chair and went to check out the artwork along the walls.

  She was drawn to a large abstract painting of a mother and child. It was bright and beautiful, and despite its abstract nature it was clear that it was made with love. Despite being certain she would never beat out the bids of the high society guests in attendance, Lorie grabbed the pen and pad on the small table under the painting and placed a bid of
fifty dollars.

  “I don’t understand most of this art stuff, but I suppose it is a good cause.”

  Lorie turned around to see who the deep, rugged voice belonged to. Something about that voice filled her with warmth and she had to know who it belonged to. The man staring back at her was huge. Even in a tux it was clear that his body was made up of solid muscle, and his dark five o’clock shadow and scar along his right cheek gave him a sexy, rugged, mountain man look that Lorie had never realized she was into until right at that moment. His messy brown hair matched the beard, and his eyes were soft like milk chocolate.

  It took Lorie a minute to get her brain functioning again before she responded. Finally, she glanced back at the painting. “Yeah, I was never good at seeing the hidden message from the artists myself. I just go for what I find visually intriguing for myself.” She turned back to the man, “You’re right, though. It is a great cause.” She held her hand out and the man accepted her offer for a handshake. What she hadn’t been expecting was to feel that same rush she had experienced when Clay shook her hand days earlier. Imagine the odds of finding two men in one week who affected her the same way after going years without finding anyone who really interested her. “I’m Lorie Young, the director of operations for Hale’s Children’s Haven. It’s nice to meet you,” she left a void at the end of her sentence for the man to offer his name.

  “I’m Spencer Cole,” he said when he pulled his hand back from their handshake. “I have a feeling we will end up working together in some capacity. I was just hired as the new head of security for Hale Inc. From what Clay tells me I will be working with every facility under the Hale name, including the new children’s home.”

  Lorie had to stop herself from groaning. What were the odds that the first two men she found herself attracted to in forever both worked with her in one way or another? The last thing she needed to do while getting herself established in her new career was get involved in a work-related romance. Damn.