Spying on the Boss

by Janet Lee Nye

Josh grinned but said nothing as he took out another mockup and handed it to Wyatt. It was essentially the same positioning, but instead of the smiles, the guys were posing with crossed arms, looking cocky. The copy at the top read “Coming Soon” and below, “The Cleaning Crew. Coming soon to the greater Columbia area.” There was a phone number listed.

  “We’re beginning to offer service in Columbia. This ad is going to run a few times in late May to introduce our name to a new market. We’ll go back to word of mouth recommendations once we have a client list started. We want to time this with summer break. The plan is to see how strong the interest is, then take on limited numbers of customers. We’ll run the cleanings from here at first. If it takes off, I’ll move up there and start hiring a new team.”

  This news was greeted with a wave of questions. Josh answered them patiently. “That’s it, and daylight’s wasting. Noah, Sadie told me she talked to you Friday. You and Wyatt are teaming up for the time being. If you need anything, call me, not Sadie. I’ll be representing us at the funeral so I might not call back right away. Noah, before you leave, get with Molly. You never got checked off on the new floor stuff. Do it. This morning or I’ll kick your ass.”

  “Gee, where’d you learn that management technique?” Noah said as he rose from the table.

  “Sadie Martin’s School of Not Taking Lame Excuses,” Josh replied. The room erupted in laughter.

  Noah nudged one of the guys. Brad, Wyatt thought his name was. “Remember the time Sadie sat and listened to you go on about the test you had to ace and how you were up all night studying and that’s why you overslept?”

  Brad laughed. “She sat there and let me ramble on for about five minutes then said, ‘it sounds plausible, except for the drunk pictures you put on your Facebook page at three this morning.’ You can’t get anything past her. Nothing.”

  “Hey, man,” Noah said to Wyatt. “Let me get with Molly and get this done. Our first appointment isn’t until ten, so we’ve got some time.”

  After the guys cleared out, Wyatt sat in the waiting room while Noah did the paperwork. A clack of toenails caught his attention and he smiled as Jack came bounding into the room. “Hey, Jackie Boy,” he said, holding out a hand. The dog came to him and accepted ear scratches before abandoning him for Molly.

  “You big goofball,” Molly said. She reached into her desk drawer for a doggy treat. “Sit. Good boy. Do you need to go pee?”

  Jack yipped. Wyatt stood. “I can take him out.”

  “Would you? That’d be great. I can finish up with Noah and you two can get going. He can be off leash in the backyard.”

  He took Jack out and watched as he ran the perimeter of the fence, stopping to lift his leg all the way around. There must be some border collie in him. He made his way back to Wyatt and sat, panting up at him with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Wyatt squatted down to take the shaggy head between his palms.

  “You’re a good dog, aren’t you?”

  “Depends on whether he knows if you have treats or not.”

  Wyatt stood and turned at the sound of Sadie’s voice. Wow. His mouth fell open and his eyes may have bugged out of his head a little. She had her hair down, black curls cascading in a river of silk, and her hands were slipping an earring into a lobe. The picture he’d seen did not do justice to how incredibly beautiful she was. She was wearing a black dress that made her skin glow. It was a perfectly modest dress with sleeves to the elbow, the hem below her knees and a not-too-deep V at the neck, but it clung to every curve on her body. He forced his eyes off her body and up to her eyes. He was having trouble breathing. And thinking. Perhaps because most of his blood had shifted farther south.

  “Jack. Inside.”

  The dog slipped past her with a whine, but his tail whacked against her leg on his way. She frowned and bent to brush off the dog fur, and he was given a wonderful view down the front of the dress. Now he couldn’t breathe at all. Spots danced before his eyes. She straightened and a frown crossed her face.

  “What’s the matter?”

  He shook his head. “Huh? Nothing. Waiting on Noah.”

  “You looked weird there for a minute.”

  You’re beautiful, he wished he could say, and I’d like to kiss you and peel that dress off and do things to you. “No. I’m fine.” He cleared his throat and forced himself to remember why she was dressed up. “You holding up okay there, boss?”

  Her eyes held a bit of sadness when she looked into his but a small smile played at one corner of her mouth. “Yeah. Tired but holding up.” Her hands came together, fingers rubbing against themselves. “A little nervous,” she continued in a whisper.

  “Why?” He stepped closer and put his hand over her entwined fingers. Their restless motion ceased and she didn’t pull away.

  “I’ve never been to a funeral before.”

  He looked up from where his hand rested against hers to her face. And there it was: the quick little quirk of the lips before she pressed them together. Another tidbit she hadn’t meant to let slip. Wonder if those slips are just for me. Or does she do it with everyone? He suppressed the question of how one could get to be Sadie’s age and never have attended a funeral. He ignored his urge to pull her into his arms and tell her it’d be okay. “They’re all pretty standard. Hymns, prayers, preaching.”

  Her gaze dropped to their hands, and he squeezed hers a little more firmly. He thought she’d pull away now, but she still didn’t. When she looked back at him, she gave him a lopsided smile. “This is going to be a full mass, communion and everything. Catholic funeral.”

  “Ah. Jumping in the deep end, I see. You’ll be okay. I was at one once. The priest knew there were non-Catholics in attendance and he let us know what to do when.” He saw the tension leave her shoulders and gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “You’re welcome.” He wanted to hug her. Put an arm around her shoulders. Something. A movement in the kitchen caught his eye. Josh. Staring at him. Like a brother daring him to put one finger on his sister. “You’ll be fine,” he repeated.

  He followed her through the kitchen to the waiting room. She picked up her purse and told Molly she wouldn’t be back until late. Wyatt couldn’t keep his eyes off her as she walked out the door. Noah peeked out of the conference room.

  “One minute, dude. I’m about done.”

  “Okay,” he said, crossing the room to collapse in a chair. Dear God. He had to get out of here. He had to get off this job. Molly was staring at him. A sympathetic smile crossed her lips.

  “She keeps her heart locked up pretty tight. But I’ll bet you could find your way to it.”

  Wyatt started to protest but she gave another one of those smiles and turned her back on him, keys on her keyboard clacking in time to his racing heart.

  * * *

  WORKING WITH NOAH had none of the awkwardness that his first days with DeShawn had. Noah was an outgoing guy. Talked almost nonstop. This was a good thing. Talkers loved to answer questions. He watched the younger man as they drove to their first stop. Noah was outlining their day. He was as detail oriented as DeShawn and had his routine down to a fine science.

  “How do you do this full-time and go to school?” Wyatt asked.

  “I’m part-time at school. Usually do evening or night classes. Some of the guys are in school full-time. They’ll work one or two days a week, put their classes on the other days. Sadie’s very flexible with school schedules. She wants us to finish school.”

  “What else is she flexible about?”

  Noah laughed. “Not much. She’s got her rules. You’re just off orientation, so you know what I’m talking about.”

  Wyatt appraised the young man sitting beside him. He’d taken no offense to the “flexible” question. Straight up would work
with him. “No kidding. But I heard there were ways to pick up extra tips.”

  Noah shot him a hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar look. Huh. Was he wrong? Was there something going on behind Sadie’s back?

  “There are. But you gotta keep it quiet.”

  Wyatt waited him out. They pulled into the driveway of a house perched at the edge of the Wando River. It was an ordinary brick ranch, but Wyatt knew the location put it in the million-dollar range. Sadie had some wealthy clients. Noah shifted in the seat so he was facing Wyatt.

  “It’s nothing. Like, this lady.” He motioned with a thumb at the house. “Sometimes she’ll call and ask me to pick up her dry cleaning. Leaves me a ten-dollar tip. There’s one who likes to put new flowers by her porch every couple of months. She’ll leave them out with a twenty and I pop ’em in the ground. Got a hundred once for hauling junk to the dump. But you can’t let Sadie know. She worries about us getting to the next job on time. Doesn’t want us cutting corners because we’re running late.”

  Wyatt almost laughed at Noah’s conspiratorial tone. Marcus was hoping they were running a male prostitute ring, and they were picking up dry cleaning.

  “My lips are sealed,” he said and climbed from the car.

  He stood for a moment, looking out at the water. The sunshine held a hint of the summer heat to come but the breeze off the water was still cool. He took in a deep breath. He was out of this mess. He had Henry Moody’s assurances and a pending job offer. He was satisfied he’d gone above and beyond for Marcus Canard. He’d turn in his report. Canard could go to hell if he didn’t like it. He could turn in his resignation. The good feeling drained from his chest. Then what? Never see her again?

  He turned away from the water and began hauling equipment into the house. That’s the best solution: never see her again. If he wanted to, he’d have to tell her the truth, and she’d never forgive him. He’d rather be able to imagine she thought kindly of him at least. It’s a bad time anyway. You don’t need to be starting anything up with any woman. Jules doesn’t need any more abandonment in her life. She’s already too attached to Jack. Walk away, man, walk away.

  He had to turn in a resignation to Sadie soon. He felt bad about the expense of training a new employee and he didn’t want to compound the guilt by leaving her in the lurch with no partner for Noah. He decided to give it a few days and chose not to explore his growing sense of loss.

  * * *

  “SO WHAT’S THE story with the pink roses?”

  He and Noah had met up with a couple other teams at Jack’s Cosmic Dogs in Mount Pleasant for lunch. They were gathered around two tables pushed together. Josh’s comment about it making Sadie cry had made him curious. He had no reason to dig into Sadie’s life. Except he couldn’t help himself. The table went quiet, and the guys looked to Noah. He washed down a giant bite of hot dog with a swig of iced tea.

  “The guy who died? He wasn’t her real grandfather, but he came every year at Sadie’s birthday. Brought her pink roses and took her out to lunch. He was a cool old dude.”

  “Wait,” one of the guys asked. “He wasn’t her real grandfather?”

  Noah shook his head. “No. I heard her talking to Josh about it once. Josh was the first guy she ever hired. He had just been kicked out of his foster home because he was eighteen. I think the same thing happened to Sadie. That’s why they’re so close. But I don’t think it’s something that either of them want spread around, so keep your mouths shut.”

  From the flabbergasted faces around the table, Wyatt surmised this was news to many of them. It explained a lot. Her tough-as-nails exterior. Her difficulty letting people get close. Her bond with Josh. His admiration rose even higher. Cut loose at eighteen with no family and she’d built this successful business that at its core owed its success to the feeling of family she’d created. Not an easy feat.

  Noah elbowed him lightly. “Ready, dude? I want to try to finish up early so we can stop somewhere and get those flowers.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  SADIE DROVE SOUTH on Savannah Highway thinking about Wyatt Anderson instead of what lay ahead. She hadn’t missed the flare of heat in his expression. That wasn’t what had stayed with her, though. It was the touch of his hand against hers and the gentle, quiet warmth with which he tried to comfort her. She’d seen the same thing over the long weekend with the Acosta family. Women turning to their men. Mothers holding their children. And she’d stood alone.

  What would it be like? To have someone like Wyatt at her side? Attending this funeral with her? To stand beside each other through all the ups and downs of life? She shook her head. Wish in one hand, spit in the other. See which fills up first. That kind of life wasn’t for her. She was too messed up. Didn’t even know what to do at a funeral. How was she supposed to build a life with another person?

  You’re lonely, Sadie.

  She shook her head against the thought. Her throat tightened and her fingers clenched on the steering wheel. No. Don’t go there. Not now. She drew in a deep breath. Besides, you aren’t lonely. You have Lena and her family. And Josh. Molly. The guys. You have tons of people in your life. She blinked back the tears. Stop it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. She dialed up the volume, drowning out her thoughts with Freddie Mercury.

  The long drive to the church gave her time to get her emotions under control. The church was a small white clapboard building hugged by live oaks dripping with Spanish moss on the banks of the Edisto River. Sadie parked next to Lena’s BMW. Other cars parked nearby let her know that she was probably the last to arrive. No, second last. A nearly silent Prius pulled into the space beside her and she looked over. Sam smiled at her from the passenger seat. She smiled back as he climbed out, handsome and sexy in his Marine dress blues. All sorts of ribbons decorated the front. She didn’t know what they meant, but knew that he’d worked hard to earn them.

  “Remind me again why I turned down your marriage proposal,” she said as she stepped out of her car.

  He took her hand and closed the car door for her. “Remind me why I didn’t try harder.”

  She smiled as he kissed her cheek. He settled an arm around her waist. “Do you remember Carl? He’s our cousin.”

  Carl was dressed in the formal blue of the army. Sadie shook his hand. “I don’t remember meeting you before, but I know who you are. Lito was so proud of you both.”

  “Really? All I ever heard about was Lena and Sadie. That old man thought the world revolved around you two.”

  His teasing brought tears to her eyes. Sam hooked an arm around her shoulders. “Buck up, woman. No crying in the parking lot. You’ve got to pace yourself.”

  Carl offered his arm and Sadie took it. She drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I’m bucked up. Let’s go.”

  The front door of the church opened and Lena looked out. “There you are,” she called while waving in a frantic “come here” gesture. “Aunt Estrella is about to have a fit.” She took Sadie’s hand as she drew near and pulled her into the church.

  Sadie had a brief impression of wood and stained glass and hushed coolness as Lena pulled her down a short hall. The Acosta family was gathered in a small room. “Here she is,” Lena announced.

  “S-sorry,” Sadie stammered to the gathered crowd. “I didn’t know you were waiting on me.”

  Ana stood and took Sadie’s hands in hers. Sadie leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Of course we were waiting on you. I have something important to ask of you.”

  A little wave of motion spread through the room as people shifted. Estrella looked a bit stormy around the eyes and a vague sense of caution rose in Sadie. Lena’s carefully composed face gave her no clue. She looked back to Ana. “Anything, Mamacita.”

  “I would like for you, along with Magdalena, to present the Eucharist.”

  The whisper of caution drowned in a wave of ris
ing panic. Present? The what? “I—I...” she stuttered.

  Lena put an arm around her. “It’s okay, Sades. The wine and wafers for communion. We’ll bring them up and give them to the priest.”

  Sadie’s arm snaked around Lena’s waist. “Uh. Sure. I don’t know what to do, though.”

  Ana took Sadie’s hand and squeezed. “Lena will show you.”

  “Okay.” She felt faint with the sudden worry and fear. She turned to Lena when Ana walked away to greet Sam and Carl. “Is this a problem? Estrella looks like she wants to stab me.”

  “It’s me she wants to stab,” Lena whispered.

  “Why?” Sadie was truly shocked. Lena was the family’s standard to which all the cousins were held. The princess, the perfect one.

  Lena led Sadie to a love seat along the far wall of the room. She sat close to Sadie and leaned close to whisper. “I can’t take communion. And neither can you. Estrella is upset because neither of us is in a state of grace but Mama wants us to present the Eucharist.”

  Sadie felt the panic begin to rise again. She didn’t have a clue what Lena meant. She’d never been a church kind of person. She’d been dragged along with a few foster families but it had always seemed like their church, not hers. Most of what she knew of communion and church was from television and movies. “Should I have said no?”

  “No. It’s perfectly fine. You don’t have to even be Catholic to participate. It’s a funeral. People are tired and grieving. She’ll get over it.”

  “Okay. So what do we have to do?”

  “Basically, get up, walk to the back, get the wine and wafers, walk to the front and give them to the priest. Easy.”

  “Unless I freak out and drop something. What would be worse? Dropping the wine or the wafers?”

  Lena raised her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head. “I’ll carry the wine.”

  Sadie leaned back against the sofa cushion. She closed her eyes, listening to the low buzz of voices around her. Her initial panic at being asked to do something in public was fading. They wanted to include her. Like they always did. Holidays, birthdays, she was there. Why did she still feel like an outsider? Why couldn’t she break through the fear and the walls and believe she was wanted? Her thoughts were interrupted by Lena’s elbow being rammed into her ribs.