Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1)

by Claire Boston

  “Nah. That’s about it.”

  “Great. Why don’t you go home?”

  “Hallelujah to that.”

  Bridget chatted with the incoming shift supervisor and made sure he knew about the sticking level transmitter.

  “Bridge, that thing always sticks. It’s the nature of the stuff. It’s murder on equipment. It usually unsticks itself.”

  “If the tank overflows we could be in serious trouble.” The likelihood might be low but the consequences were very high.

  “All right. I’ll get one of the guys to raise a work order.”

  “Thanks.” She’d have to remember to check it was done. Part of the problem was the guys on the plant were so used to its quirks, they didn’t recognize the potential incident. “Don’t forget to remind your guys not to cut through the units.”

  Each section of the plant was a separate unit, surrounded by a concrete containment area. Roads divided the units and workers were meant to use those roads, but too many of them took shortcuts to save time. It was also bad practice, as everyone had to sign on to the exact unit they were working in so they knew exactly where everyone was if an emergency occurred.

  “Sure thing.” He turned to his computer.

  Bridget sighed. She’d been dismissed. Most of the guys thought she was overly safety conscious to the point of being pedantic but she couldn’t help it. She knew what it was like for someone not to make it home from work.

  “Have a safe shift.” Replacing her hard hat, she strode across to the administration building where her office was located. She had another hour or so before her new boss arrived and she wanted to write some notes so he knew the current status of safety at the plant.

  Stopping by the breakroom, she poured another coffee, greeted a few co-workers who were early starters like herself, and then retreated to her office and turned on her computer. She opened her email, scanned quickly to make sure there was nothing urgent, and then began to type a report for the new manager. Management might not think she was capable of doing the job, but she wanted to give her new boss a good first impression.

  A knock on her door had Bridget glancing at the time. Already half past nine and she hadn’t left her computer. She turned around to find Anthony, the human resources manager, standing at the door.

  “Bridget, I want to introduce you to our new safety manager, and your new boss. I thought the two of you could have a chat, and then you could call a department meeting and introduce him to the team.”

  Bridget stood. “Sure, Anthony.”

  He turned to gesture the person into the room. “This is Jackson Gibbs.”

  Bridget’s stomach dropped and she gasped. She blinked quickly, hoping her eyes were playing tricks on her.

  They weren’t. Jack was standing there, with the thick brown hair she’d dug her fingers into on Saturday night, and those brown eyes looked as stunned as she felt.

  Holy hell.

  The disappointment felt like a heavy brick in her stomach. The one guy she’d connected with since Lionel, and he was her new boss. In one carefree moment she’d broken both her dating rules. This was why she had the damned rules in the first place.

  Pushing aside her shock and regret, Bridget stepped forward. She didn’t have time for self-pity now. She needed to act professionally, and the minute she got Jack alone, she had to swear him to secrecy. Saturday night never happened.

  She smiled, her hand outstretched. “Nice to meet you.”

  * * *

  Jack took Bridget’s hand automatically, shaking it as he tried to process what he was seeing. The gorgeous, feisty woman who had captured his thoughts all of yesterday was now standing in front of him, and she was part of his new team.

  “Likewise,” he replied.

  Her hair was tied back in a messy bun and she was wearing a high-visibility yellow long-sleeved shirt with cargo pants and steel-toed boots. Not the sexiest attire, but she made it look good.

  In the next breath he remembered part of the conversation they’d had on Saturday night. She’d been angry about not getting the job she’d applied for. His job.

  Shit, this was messy.

  Why hadn’t Anthony mentioned that one of his team had applied for the job? Surely he knew there could be disgruntled feelings Jack should be aware of.

  “I’ll leave you to bring Jack up to date with the safety department,” Anthony said. “And I’ll see you at the manager’s meeting this afternoon, Jack.”

  He acknowledged Anthony with a nod as he left and then turned back to Bridget. She brushed past him and closed her office door.

  “You can’t tell anyone about Saturday night,” she said. Her eyes were fierce.

  “No, of course not.” He wasn’t the type to kiss and tell.

  “Good. It never happened. We need to pretend we don’t know each other.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  “It won’t work. People talk.”

  “It’s all right, Bridget. Colleagues get involved all the time.”

  “Not me. I have my rules.”

  That’s right. Her second rule was not to date co-workers. Jack hadn’t given it much thought, hadn’t imagined it would be a problem. He smiled, trying to make it as relaxed and casual as he could. “You broke one rule on the weekend.”

  “And look where it got me.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Jack. I won’t deny I enjoyed Saturday night, but it can’t go any further. I won’t break my second rule.” As if sure of his acceptance, she indicated the small meeting table in her room. “Have a seat. I’ve written a short report on the latest issues.” She handed him a document before opening her door and calling, “Ken, department meeting in half an hour. Can you book a room and tell the others? I’ll introduce our new boss then.”

  “Sure thing, Bridge,” came the reply.

  Bridget came back inside and closed the door behind her. “If I leave it open, we’ll get disturbed.”

  She was very businesslike, not at all like the woman he’d met on the weekend, the woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

  He couldn’t be quite so businesslike. “I think we need to talk more about the other night.”

  “There’s nothing more to talk about. I won’t date a colleague.”

  “What if I’m not happy with that?”

  She frowned at him. “Then you’ll have to learn to deal with it. We didn’t know we were colleagues at the time. It can’t happen again.”

  But that was the problem. He wanted it to happen again.

  “Now let me explain what’s been happening in the department.”

  Jack had no choice but to let the matter drop, for now. He would find out the reasons behind her rules later. At the moment he had to focus on his new job.

  * * *

  By the end of her overview, Jack felt sick. The safety situation in the plant was appalling. The company safety audit had issued a number of corrective actions at their last inspection, some of which were now urgent. The problem was they only had a set amount of funds with which to fix the issues, and they all seemed to be priority one to him. But despite the audit occurring several months ago, Bridget hadn’t started any of the main actions. As annoyed as she was about not getting the promotion, it was obvious why she hadn’t: she’d clearly not been effective.

  He could hardly say that though. He’d have to raise the issue and find a way to resolve it immediately. It was not how he’d hoped to start his new job. No, when he’d applied, he’d just wanted to get back to Houston. He wasn’t completely qualified for the role – sure his safety skills were top notch, but he didn’t have the official university degree, and his knowledge of training and environment – the other two sections of his responsibility – needed to be improved. He had no experience working in an oil refinery, only mine sites and processing plants. He’d hoped to be surrounded by staff who knew the plant and knew their areas so he could learn from them.

  He’d never been responsible for so much and Jack sudde
nly felt he was in way over his head. He’d have to fake it until he made it.

  “We’d better get to the meeting so you can meet the others,” Bridget said. “I’ll find out which room we’re in.” She disappeared across the hallway and he glanced at her report. His brain was too overwhelmed to make sense of the words.

  “We’ve got time to grab a coffee,” Bridget said, returning to the room. “I’ll show you to the breakroom.”

  The administration building was a maze of hallways and Jack took note of the locations Bridget pointed out. They eventually made it to the meeting room where his team was assembled. As safety manager he had responsibility not only for safety, but also environment and plant training. He had three safety officers, a fire officer, two trainers, two environment officers, and Bridget, who would now return to her original role as group leader of safety.

  After the introductions had been made, Jack stood at the front of the room.

  “I’m really looking forward to working with you,” he began. “Bridget has given me a good overview of the department, but I’d like to hear a little about what you’re working on. We’ll go around the table and you can tell me your top two priorities.”

  The environment officers went first, and as each person spoke, it was clear most were enthusiastic about their job. There were a range of ages and experiences. A couple of his safety guys had been at the plant for over ten years and Jack was hoping they would have a good understanding of what was required – though with the current state of the plant, maybe he was being too hopeful. Aside from Bridget, there were two more women on his team, one in environment and the other in safety.

  Jack took notes and asked questions, and when they were done he gave a spiel about how important safety and the environment were to him and how he was always open to suggestions for improvement. There wasn’t much more he could say at this point because he didn’t know enough. This week would be a getting settled and fact-finding week.

  Then he would work out what to do about Bridget.

  * * *

  Bridget returned to her office and closed the door. She shook her arms, trying to release the tension that had taken hold from the moment Jack had walked into her office. There was no way she was going to open herself up for that kind of gossip ever again. It had ended so badly last time.

  She slumped down on her chair and rested her head on her arms. She should have stuck to her rules on the weekend. She’d been foolish to get caught up in the moment, to not assess the risks. This was worse than awkward.

  But at least it proved she was right to have her two rules – if only she’d followed them.

  A knock on her door had her getting to her feet. She didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. There was a lot of work that needed to be done and little time to do it.

  When she opened the door one of the planners was standing there. “There’s an issue with the upcoming shutdown. Can you come take a look at the paperwork?”

  She grabbed her hat and safety glasses. “Sure. Lead the way.”

  * * *

  Bridget arrived home from work and poured herself a glass of white wine, before flopping on the couch.

  What a day! After the meeting with Jack she’d spent the rest of her time fighting fires – not literally, thank goodness, but figuratively. She was still wrestling to get her capital project approved so she could do some of the urgent safety repairs the audit required. Every time she checked its status she was told it had been moved to the next person. There were just too many people in the line who needed to sign off on it. Currently it was sitting at head office, probably invisible in the mass of emails in someone’s inbox. But she wasn’t allowed to contact any of the people directly. She could only speak to the accountant on site who would follow it up. It was so damned inefficient.

  Tanya breezed into the living room. “You’re home finally!” She poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the sofa next to Bridget. “I’ve been dying to tell you about my weekend.”

  When Bridget had arrived home from her mother’s yesterday Tanya was out, and there was no way she would have been up this morning before the sun like Bridget.

  Pleased her friend was excited about something, she settled in for the tale. “All right. Regale me.”

  Tanya clenched her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut. “Hal is an absolute sweetie. I think he might be the one.”

  Bridget smiled. She’d heard that before. “So you had a good time?”

  Tanya rolled her eyes. “So good. And he has stamina.”

  Bridget held up a hand. “I don’t need to know any more.”

  “All right. So anyway, on Sunday he called and took me out to dinner. We talked for hours and just gelled, you know? He’s busy tonight, but tomorrow we’re going to the movies.”

  Bridget raised her eyebrows. That was unusual. Generally by this stage Tanya had scared off any guy with her enthusiasm. It appeared Hal was as into her as she was into him. It was nice.

  “Sounds great,” Bridget said. “I’m happy for you.”

  Tanya grinned and took a sip of her wine. “So, what happened with his brother – what was his name again?”

  “Jack. He insisted on seeing me home and I broke my first rule.”

  Tanya grinned. “You go, girl!”

  Bridget shook her head. “Not so good,” she said. “Turns out, he’s my new boss.”

  Tanya had her wine glass halfway to her mouth and she stopped, mouth agape, wine splashing on to her top. “You’re kidding?”

  “I wish I was.”

  She brushed at the wine. “He’s the schmuck who stole your job?”

  “He didn’t steal it.”

  Tanya waved away her protest. “When did you find out?”

  “This morning when the HR manager brought him into my office to introduce him.”

  “Oh, that sucks. How did you take it? How did he?”

  “It was a shock to us both but I handled myself all right.”

  “I’m sure you did. Nothing shakes you, Miss Unflappable.”

  She grimaced at the nickname Tanya had given to her at college.

  “So are you going to see him again?”

  “I’m pretty sure I’ll see him every day at work.”

  Tanya gave her the look. “You know what I mean.”

  Bridget took a sip of her wine. “Rule number two.”

  Tanya placed her glass of wine down on the coffee table. “You can not let the Lionel affair affect every potential new relationship. He was a jackass, he treated you badly, but not all men are Lionel.”

  “He almost ruined my career,” Bridget reminded her. “I could have handled breaking up and still working with him, but he blamed the whole incident on me. I lost my job and my reputation. I’m lucky Jeremy convinced Dionysus to give me a chance.” Jeremy was the fire officer at Dionysus but had worked with her and Lionel previously. It had been a horrible six months and she’d had to cope with a broken heart, betrayal and a potential lawsuit all at once. She was not going through that again.

  “That’s not likely to happen again. Love is a risk, Bridge. You’ve got to open yourself up to it.”

  Bridget shook her head and got to her feet. She didn’t want to talk about this now. “It is a risk, and while the likelihood is low, the potential consequences are far too high. It’s not worth it.” She put her empty wineglass on the kitchen sink and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

  It wasn’t until she was standing under the cool spray that she unclenched her fists. She was right, no matter what Tanya said. Relationships at work were a bad idea and one with her boss was even worse. She needed to be one hundred percent focused, had to make sure she didn’t miss any safety issues, had to ensure that each person who came to work left in the same state. A relationship would distract her. Bridget was sure she was right.

  The only problem was going to be ignoring her attraction to Jack. When he’d been in her office, her whole body had been aware of his presence. She’d
doggedly run through her report, ruthlessly ignoring her physical reactions. It had been a relief to escape the small space and head to the meeting. After she’d introduced him, she’d moved to the other side of the room so Jack could take control of the proceedings. She’d admired the way he’d spoken to the team and could see they were already taking to him. He said the kinds of things you wanted to hear.

  But then again, she’d heard it all before. The real test was if he delivered on his promises.

  Chapter 4

  Jack’s first week at Dionysus proved to him what an enormous job he’d taken on. So much of the equipment they used was outdated and the corrective actions loomed overhead like a cloud threatening rain. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and it weighed heavily on him. Did he really have the skills required? Was he kidding himself?

  He shook his head. There was no point getting down on himself. It wouldn’t help. He needed to concentrate on the main problem, which was the audit actions.

  What had Bridget been thinking? She’d prioritized the actions but had barely begun fixing them. He was not looking forward to his meeting with her this morning. Hoping he’d misinterpreted the information, he’d spent the weekend reading reports, checking and cross-checking the data. It had taken him hours.

  In the end, every way he examined it, the plant desperately needed to address safety. He had to get to the bottom of why, and it was going to be a hell of an awkward conversation. From what he could tell, the staff loved her. Perhaps that’s why she’d been left unsupervised.

  Working with Bridget had been harder than he expected. Her laugh echoed down the hall and he often heard her calling out greetings to people. There was something about her voice that warmed his body. He had to get a grip.

  But right now, he had to deal with her from a work perspective. He looked up at the knock and gestured Bridget into his office. He ignored the way his heart sped up at the mere sight of her. “Shut the door behind you.”

  A frown flitted across her face but she did what he asked and took a seat at his meeting table.