I’ll just bet he did.
Sarah nodded. “He’s so good to the animals. And tell him I’ll have a check for him...soon.” That was the best she could promise.
“Not to worry, boss. Les is happy to help.” Shelly smiled slowly. “He’s one of the good ones.”
“He is. You two make a great team. With the animals.” Sarah crossed her fingers and waved both hands. “Think positive things.”
On her way to Will’s office, Sarah was impressed again with how pretty the morning could be. All those years of sleeping until ten had meant missing cool dawn air with birds singing and the fresh appeal of a brand-new day.
Dancing until last call was nice, too, but the next day was always less fun.
It was hard to say which was better, but with enough breathing room to keep the shelter’s doors open, she wasn’t sure she’d go back to the way things were.
Not that her friends would still welcome her to the VIP section, anyway.
“Fake it till you make it, Sarah,” she murmured under her breath as she parked. One quick swipe of lipstick and a few nervous adjustments of her hair and she was sliding out of the car, her hands clenching the files so tightly that her fingers ached.
Pushing back her shoulders made a confident strut easier. Yanking on the door to find it locked almost turned that strut into slapstick. She bobbled her files and cursed under her breath.
“You’re early. I didn’t expect that.” Will and Chloe were standing behind her. “We got a late start. Someone had to stay up until she’d finished storming the castle.”
Uncertain how to answer, Sarah held her paperwork like a shield, but Chloe muttered, “Saving the princess is important work, Dad.” She glanced at Sarah. “Round Table Realm. It’s a game. There are swords. He’s not very good at it.”
“I would be worse,” Sarah said. Video games had never been her thing. “Are you a knight?”
“Better. A magician.” Chloe shrugged. “If I had a tablet, I could be a wizard by now.”
“And if I tell your mother how much time you spent playing that game over the weekend, you could be grounded from the game. Forever,” Will said.
Chloe slid into the chair behind the receptionist’s desk and immediately started clicking. Before Will could say a thing, she held up a hand. “Facebook. Email. Just the usual.”
Instead of arguing, Will turned to Sarah. “Do you make coffee? I know, I’m the worst. But if you could, you would be a lifesaver.”
Determined to ignore her sudden awareness of Will Barnes, his deep voice, broad shoulders and entirely too intelligent daughter, Sarah nodded. Finding the kitchenette with the industrial coffeemaker wasn’t difficult. Getting the coffee going took two false starts but eventually what dripped out could be called coffee.
“How’s the arm?” Pausing in front of the receptionist’s desk seemed the polite thing to do. Apparently, it was her day to start awkward conversations with people for her own good.
Chloe frowned up at her, the question clear on her face.
“The scratch. Everything okay?”
Chloe immediately glanced down at the pink stripes on her arm. “Oh, yeah, it’s fine.”
“You seemed a little shaken when you left.” Why was she even bringing this up? Will had let it go. She should definitely watch it float away in the breeze instead of catching it with both hands.
“Yeah, I mean...” Chloe studied the computer screen. “She surprised me. I was half a second from telling my dad we were taking Jelly home. Then she attacked.”
Sarah sipped her cup of coffee and thought about that. Will had threatened her with his idea of a terrible punishment if she planted the adoption idea.
He really should have thought that through.
“Attack seems a little strong. Jelly was afraid. She hurt you, but she was only doing her best to protect herself.” She knew very well what that was like. High school had been one big experiment in the best way to keep people from hurting her. An occasional swipe now and then was a good defense.
“Maybe. Or I just don’t know how to handle a cat.” Chloe shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t hurt her, did I?”
Ah, so it was more than the scratch.
Sarah snorted. “Come on. Jelly? To handle Jelly, sit still. That’s it. She’ll be wrapped around your neck like a scarf five minutes later.”
Chloe glanced at her. “She’s pretty sweet. Claws excepted.”
“I saw her this morning, staring down the hall. She’s a people cat.”
Chloe tilted her head.
“You know, like a people person. She wants to be around people. Give her another shot.”
Will’s swift finger-across-the-neck motion caught Sarah’s attention and ended her conversation.
If Jelly and Chloe were meant to be, she’d done the best she could.
Les and Shelly. Chloe and Jelly. Maybe Sarah was meant to be a matchmaker.
When she set the mug in front of Will, his glare was loud and clear.
“You wouldn’t want her to be scared of dogs and cats for the rest of her life,” Sarah said as she eased into the chair across from him.
“No.” Will sipped his coffee. “I don’t want that. I also don’t want a cat.”
Sarah held up both hands. “Then we’re on the same page.” For now.
“I’m behind schedule. Show me what you’ve got.”
Go time. You can do this. You’ve been over and over the figures. He wants to help because he’s a good guy. Don’t panic. Charm. You’ve got this.
When Will slid the stack of her work across the desk instead of waiting for her to answer, Sarah understood that trying seduction at this point would be the easiest, fastest way to destroy all her chances. So, like it or not, she was going to have to take her chances with her brain.
“I had already gotten a few quotes. The roof, repairing the fences. With those big-ticket items addressed, my focus would change. We’d bring all the utilities up to date, pay our standing accounts and have a fresh start. That’s part one of the plan.”
Chin resting on his hand, Will squinted at the itemized list she’d made.
“And the bottom line for those necessities is...” He flipped to the next page. “Your handwriting is some of the worst I’ve ever seen. And I specialize in helping medical professionals with their finances.”
“Yeah. Sorry.” Sarah tried to imagine what might excuse terrible handwriting, something that would earn some sympathy, but nothing came to mind.
“Thirty thousand dollars. That seems...conservative.” Will stretched back in his chair. “Does that even cover the new roof? That place needs at least twice that much in physical improvements.”
“Right. I think so, too.” Sarah had gone back and forth over her figures all weekend. Asking for more would mean she could afford a broader scope of improvements, but keeping it to the bare minimum strengthened her chances of getting an agreement.
If she whipped out a secondary plan at the meeting, one that would get the shelter back up to full speed at a somewhat higher price tag... Well, maybe Rebecca, Stephanie and Jen would think she was an expert planner.
And once she got them inside the shelter, the warm fuzzies would make it easier to write a bigger check.
Will slid the notepad back to her, folded his hands over his stomach and stared up at the ceiling.
After a quick check to make sure he wasn’t looking at something horrifying, like a hairy spider, Sarah tried to settle comfortably in her chair to wait.
“Why not get your dad or one of his cronies to write a check?” Will’s chin dipped down. “Wouldn’t that be painless?”
Sarah studied his face. There was no way he hadn’t heard about her father’s escape, not in a town this size. Even if his stepsister hadn’t passed the juicy, satisfying gossip along, surely someone else had.
But why pretend otherwise? A test to determine what her answer might be?
Their eyes locked while she tried to figure out how to pass it
. Then she got angry.
Sarah stood to pace in front of his desk, but after one lap, she had to kick off her heels. Apparently, spending a few months out of the shoes had ruined her ability to enjoy them.
But pacing barefoot, even on his carpeted floor, lacked some of the punctuation she wanted.
“He’s gone, accused of embezzlement. That’s why the shelter’s donors bailed. Believe me, if I could do this without asking for help from the people of this town—who seem almost gleeful at my current situation—I would.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “If I could leave it all behind, I might. But someday soon, he’s coming back with an explanation. Life will be normal again.” Those shoes that pinched her toes would fit like a dream, she’d be able to talk her way out of tight spots and Paws for Love would be out of trouble. Normal.
“But you’ve got friends, don’t you? What about your mother?”
Sarah rubbed at the ache in her chest. It wasn’t Will’s fault that he couldn’t remember her mother had died while she was in high school. She’d been the furthest thing from a friend to him at that point.
“She’s been gone for years. Without Dad, I’m on my own.” Telling this guy, who had a good reason to hate her, that she had no friends to count on was humiliating. “I took a position as the director of the shelter—” she crossed her arms to prevent herself from using air quotes around the word director “—because I was bored. Now I can’t walk away.” She dropped back into the chair. “Think this is karma coming around?”
Sarah grimaced. More than anything she wanted to rest her head on his desk and cry out the tension and fear that made it hard to sleep at night.
But she needed his cooperation.
Will Barnes was not the kind of guy who’d let emotions influence his decisions.
He didn’t answer her right away.
Oh, don’t be silly. Everyone does things they regret when they’re kids. Everything is going to work out.
Wouldn’t it be nice if that’s what he said? But no.
“What you’ve got here is a good start. From this point, you need to collect more bids, demonstrate financial due diligence.” He shook his head. “And I’ll set up a meeting with Rebecca.”
Sarah clasped her hands under her chin, the wave of relief almost overwhelming. She’d managed to avoid tears so far, but her defenses were failing. Fast.
“But your presentation will need some work. Fire up your computer. They’re going to have to be able to read the proposal.” He wagged a finger at her. “And whatever you’re thinking about what happens next, make sure it goes in the request. Try honesty.”
The corner of his mouth turned up.
Sarah thought about pretending shock. She could brace one hand on her chest and blink wide eyes at him in protest. Honestly, she was surprised he’d anticipated her bait-and-switch idea.
“Okay. All the cards on the table, one gamble for the whole high-dollar total. I can do that.” She picked up her files and notepad while she slipped her shoes back on, somehow reluctant to leave now that she’d gotten what she’d come for.
“Chloe seems a little young to be manning the receptionist’s desk.” She shifted from one foot to the other while she evaluated the best way to make a breezy exit.
“The last one quit unexpectedly,” he said.
That might explain why the door had been locked and the coffee unmade.
“Maybe Jen can help you find a replacement.” The alarms blaring at her to shut her mouth, avoid bringing up Will’s sister, who’d been one of her favorite targets, always hit a second too late.
“Yeah.” His lips tightened. “She might have her own ax to grind with me, too.” He slid down in his chair. “But that won’t impact her decision on the shelter. You’ll be wading through your own trouble there.”
She pursed her lips. “That’s not all that comforting.”
“Right. That’s my point.”
Neither of them smiled but some of the tension evaporated and Sarah was reminded of the connection she’d felt to Will while they sat on the couch in her cramped office.
“Okay. I’m going to go hunt up a computer.”
He hesitated and then nodded. “And I’m going to try to find a temp to answer the phone. I’ll let you know when to be ready. Think you can do this?”
Sarah straightened her shoulders. “I’ve done harder things in the past few months. This will be fun.”
There. That’s the parting line I needed.
She added a jaunty wave. “Thanks for all your help.”
Will didn’t wave back. Which was good. It was a strange thing to do in the first place. Her arm felt out of whack when she dropped it, but she spun on one heel and marched right into his lobby.
With Chloe wrapped up in some game on the computer, headphones covering her ears while she jerked and twisted along with the knight on the screen, there was no audience for her clumsy victory dance, which was filled with more pure happiness than rhythm. It was absolutely nothing like the dancing she’d done in clubs with strangers or her so-called friends. This was not seduction. It was celebration.
She braced a hand against the desk to catch her breath.
And had an idea.
CHAPTER SIX
“CHLOE? ARE YOU up for heading to the diner?” He clicked through to the next email and waited for Chloe to answer his yell. “I need to visit some clients and you can’t stay here by yourself.”
“Um, so...”
Will jerked in his chair. Sarah was hovering in the doorway. “Chloe has headphones on,” she said. “I don’t think she heard you.”
He cleared his throat. “Thought you’d left.”
Sarah took a deep breath, the light pink in her cheeks making her even more beautiful than she’d been back in high school.
That was unfortunate.
“So, I was thinking...” Sarah shifted from one foot to the other, her fingers tangled in front of her.
He wasn’t going to like this. The creeping sense of dread was difficult to ignore.
“There’s this empty desk. It has a computer.” Sarah motioned over her shoulder. “You know? And I need a computer.”
He could see where she was going, but he was powerless to stop her. The part of him that still felt like a high school kid enjoyed watching Sarah Hillman stutter and fidget.
“I could answer the phone in exchange for using it.” Sarah raised a finger. “I did that at Hillman Luxury Autos three days a week.”
Her pleading eyes would give Bub a run for his money.
And Will did need some help.
How badly could she mess up answering the phone?
If she flaked on the second day, he would be no worse off than he was right now.
Like a sign, the phone rang and she darted off to answer it. He could hear her pleasant tone, even if he couldn’t make out the words. Was she going to transfer the call?
“Wrong number.” Sarah was back in the doorway. “I’m pleasant. Professional. I can follow directions.”
This is a terrible idea.
But he was going to do it, anyway.
“Make me a list of the biggest accounts in town.” Will took a deep breath. “All you do is take messages. You do not give any information or ask for details, just name and phone number. I have to follow a pretty strict procedure. If you can’t make that work, you’ll have to...go.”
Her victory dance was adorable and terrible at the same time, as if she’d mixed up gymnastics and martial arts and had never heard of rhythm. But she looked good doing it.
She might be exactly what he needed until the ad brought in actual candidates.
“I can’t have you working here without paying you.” If she did any actual work, he’d know Sarah Hillman had changed since she’d tricked him into helping with her algebra homework.
When she froze, the expression on her face one of delight and terror, he sighed. “Nine bucks an hour.” He hoped she’d storm out. Her dancing resumed and the confirmation
that he’d be spending more time with Sarah wasn’t as horrifying as he would have expected. “And it’s only temporary. Until I can find a suitable replacement, like two weeks max. More like one. A few days.” If he kept going, a fifteen-minute coffee break would be his final decision.
“I’ll do it. You won’t be sorry.” She disappeared around the door frame and then stuck her head back in. “Chloe can stay here with me while you run your errands, but I have to leave early today. There are dogs and cats and Shelly can’t handle everything on her own and I promised...”
“That’s fine. Part-time’s even better.” Then he realized Sarah was still watching him. “Let me know what time you need to leave. We’ll go from there.”
She gave him a thumbs-up.
“And make me a list before you get started on the proposal for Paws for Love. I’ll head out to call on clients and prospects.”
“Great. Chloe and I’ll...hang out.” Sarah held up both hands. “Or Chloe will kill trolls and I’ll answer the phone.”
“Chloe will head to the diner. She and my stepmother have a routine already worked out.”
He wasn’t about to leave Chloe with Sarah. She seemed nicer now, better because she cared about something, but he didn’t want any lingering queen of mean attitude to rub off on his daughter.
His ex was not going to be happy when she heard about Chloe’s unpaid labor at the diner. He’d sold this extended visit as a way to reconnect with his daughter. And they were, but he had to work.
Besides, Brenda needed some time with Chloe, too. His stepmom and Jen were family.
Sarah waved a hand. “Of course. But if she ever needs to hang out here, I’m happy to help.”
Will almost explained again how short-lived this reception job would be, but Sarah was gone.
“I definitely need to get a grip.” Will made sure he had plenty of his new business cards as he lectured himself on drawing a line with Sarah. So far, he’d helped her more than either of them had expected. That was enough. “No more.”
“Here. Twenty names. I starred the ones who went to school with us. I don’t know if that helps or hurts, but you might appreciate the heads-up.” Sarah slid a piece of paper across the desk. “Can you read it?”
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