Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1)

by Claire Boston

  “Smells great, Tanya,” she said, taking a seat at the dining table. She gave him a tentative smile.

  The fact she acknowledged him at all was a good sign. It was difficult with the work thing hanging between them. Would they ever be able to have the easy conversation they’d had in the bar? He hoped so.

  It turned out he needn’t have worried about what to say. Tanya and Hal started the conversation with their plans to go to Jamaica.

  “When are you going?” Bridget asked. She seemed as surprised about it as he was.

  “As soon as we can get the time off work,” Tanya said. “You know what my boss is like. She hates to give us leave.”

  Bridget nodded. “What is it that you do, Hal?”

  “I’m a graphic designer,” he said. “I’m considering branching out and going freelance. There’s a lot of work out there, and a number of websites where you can submit for jobs. That will give me the flexibility to be my own boss.”

  Jack frowned at his brother. He’d never mentioned anything like that to him. As far as Jack knew, Hal was happy in his work. He couldn’t imagine him being organized enough to go freelance.

  “How long have you been thinking about that?” he asked.

  Hal looked at him and then Tanya. “For a while now. Tanya thought it was a great idea.”

  She nodded. “I want to start my own mobile hairdressing business,” she explained. “That way I can work when I want to and have the flexibility to travel. We can see the world together.” She and Hal shared a smile.

  Jack choked back a cough. They were getting serious fast. How were they going to find clients if they were constantly on the move? He glanced at Bridget who appeared as amazed as him.

  “You never mentioned anything to me,” Bridget said.

  Tanya shrugged. “It was always a pipe dream until I met Hal.” She put a hand over Bridget’s. “But don’t worry, we’ll probably save for another six months until we do anything. You won’t need to find a new roommate immediately.”

  Wow. They were completely serious about it. Jack was pleased for them, of course he was, but his brother had never struck him as the responsible type. He hoped Tanya was better.

  Bridget opened her mouth and then shook her head and let out a small sigh. He suspected she’d be talking to Tanya after they left.

  Jack changed the subject. “These ribs are delicious, Tanya.” The meat fell right off the bone and was beautifully tender.

  “They’ve been cooking for hours,” she said.

  “I’ll have to get the recipe from you.”

  “You cook?” Bridget asked.

  “Sometimes.”

  Hal laughed. “He collects recipes, but he hasn’t cooked since he arrived.”

  Jack smiled. “Mom loaded us up with frozen meals that we’re still working our way through.”

  “Yeah, the prodigal son has returned.” Hal said it with a good-natured grin.

  “How’s the house-hunting going?” Tanya asked.

  Jack smothered a grin at the abrupt change of subject. He suspected she was ready for him to move out. She’d stayed over a lot during the last week.

  “I’ve found a couple of places, but the fact I’ve just started a new job doesn’t sit well with the banks.” He’d been to several to ask about loans, because he was ready to buy, ready to settle down. It didn’t seem to matter that he had a very healthy down payment, they were reluctant to give him the money.

  “What about renting?” Tanya asked.

  She definitely wanted him out. He’d have to talk to Hal about it. He could always move in with his mom or his dad if they wanted the place to themselves. His parents had divorced after he and Hal left home and they both had room for him, though his mother lived closer to the oil refinery than his father. It would mean a longer commute but Jack didn’t mind. Especially if he didn’t have to wear ear plugs to bed anymore.

  “I’d prefer to buy,” he said. “I’m ready to settle down.” He ignored the pointed look Tanya gave Bridget.

  As they cleared the table, conversation switched back to the Jamaican holiday and Tanya pulled out some travel brochures she’d picked up. They moved over to the sofas and with Hal and her engrossed in their conversation, Jack sat next to Bridget. She shuffled slightly away from him and he acknowledged the sting of hurt.

  “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” he asked.

  She held herself stiff, upright, as if she didn’t want to relax. “For fun?”

  “For any reason.”

  She was quiet for a long moment. “If it was safe, I’d take Mama back to El Salvador,” she said finally. “She misses it so much, even though she has some bad memories.”

  “Does she still have family there?”

  Bridget nodded. “Her mother, a sister, and two brothers, plus all the nieces and nephews.”

  Jack knew nothing about the political situation in El Salvador. “Isn’t it safe?”

  She shook her head. “There’s too much violence.”

  He couldn’t imagine it. Growing up in the United States made him take certain things for granted. All the time he was in Australia, he’d been secure in the knowledge he could leave whenever he wanted and return to his family.

  “Does your mother keep in touch with her family?”

  “She calls my grandmother every week, and at least one of her siblings.”

  “She must miss them.”

  “She does.” Bridget’s posture had relaxed, but now she seemed sad.

  “So where would you go for fun?” he asked, hoping to distract her and cheer her up.

  She frowned as if the question was difficult. Surely she had locations on her bucket list. There must be places that inspired her or intrigued her.

  “I’d love to trek the Inca Trail, and maybe go to the Galapagos,” she said.

  “Ugh!” Tanya scowled at Bridget. “Sounds like too much hard work. You don’t know how to relax.”

  Bridget flushed. She looked away and waved her hands. “It’s only hypothetical.”

  Jack could tell Bridget was getting uncomfortable. “Everyone has their own ways of relaxing,” he said. “There are some great dive spots in the Galapagos. I’d love to go there myself someday.”

  She smiled at him. “What about you? Where would you go?”

  “Antarctica.” His answer was instantaneous.

  “Why? There can’t be much to do there.”

  “I’d love to dive under the ice. It would be incredible.”

  “Wouldn’t you freeze to death?”

  “You can get special suits,” he explained. He’d watched documentaries showing the underwater world of Antarctica and it fascinated him. It would be the ultimate dive. “Imagine being under all of the ice and seeing things no one has ever seen before.”

  “It could be interesting,” Bridget said.

  “Have you thought any more about learning to dive?” he asked. Maybe that was a way he could get to know her away from work. He could help her get her dive certification.

  She shook her head. “I haven’t had time to look into it yet.”

  “You should. It’s a great experience. I’d be happy to buddy up with you for a dive when you’ve got it.”

  Her face closed down immediately. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine.”

  Jack debated for a moment whether he should push the subject. He wanted to hold her hand, tell her it was OK, there was nothing to be afraid of. But he didn’t know how she would react. He leaned closer to her so Hal and Tanya couldn’t hear. “I know you felt a connection with me the other night. Why should working together prevent us from exploring it?”

  Her eyes turned to stone and she got to her feet. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” She strode out of the room.

  No. She didn’t get to hide. Jack wanted an explanation. If she wasn’t as attracted to him as he was to her, he deserved to be told so he could move on. He walked after her and caught up as she was shutting her bedroom do
or.

  “Wait.” He put a hand against the door to stop her from slamming it in his face. “Don’t run away from me.”

  She flung the door open again, her eyes flashing. “I’m not running away. I don’t have to discuss this with you.”

  “Tell me you don’t feel anything and I’ll drop it,” he challenged.

  She glared at him. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. I don’t do work relationships.” She bit off the last words.

  “They can work. I’ve seen it.” There had been a couple at his last job.

  “You have no idea.” She ran a hand through her hair. “You’re a man. Your actions won’t be questioned. At worst you’ll get a slap on the back and a ‘good for you’.” She took a breath. “I’ll get accused of sleeping my way to the top, of getting my projects approved because I’m dating my boss, and if anything goes wrong, I’ll be blamed for it.”

  She was so fired up, so sure of herself.

  “You’ve been through it before,” he guessed. That put a whole different spin on things. It must have gone really wrong.

  Her mouth dropped open. She closed it and nodded once. Then she closed the door.

  Jack sighed. It was complicated, but he wasn’t willing to give up yet. She was too intriguing, too fiery. He’d just take it slower. He needed to get to know Bridget away from work and perhaps Hal and Tanya’s relationship could help him. They could have more dinners like tonight, which would show Bridget he wasn’t like her ex.

  He was tempted to ask Tanya about what had happened, but it didn’t seem right. He wanted Bridget to trust him enough to confide in him.

  But he didn’t know how long that would take.

  * * *

  Bridget flopped down on her bed and put her head in her hands. She was a fool.

  She’d overreacted and blown things out of proportion. If she’d had her wits about her she wouldn’t have panicked when Jack suggested helping her with her dive certification. The urge to say yes had been so damned strong. He had a way of slipping through the cracks in her defenses and making her relax.

  But she couldn’t do that. Not with him. There was too much at stake, too much to lose, too much that could go wrong.

  And then he hadn’t had the decency to leave her alone. He’d followed her to her room, made her mad, and made her say things she shouldn’t have said. He didn’t need to know she’d been burned in the past. Though he was sure to hear about it sooner or later. Everyone in the industry knew about the Lionel affair. All Jack needed to know was she wasn’t interested.

  But Bridget didn’t have the nerve to say it. She couldn’t lie to him, couldn’t say she felt nothing. It was easier to run away.

  If he wasn’t her new boss … she shook her head. No. It didn’t matter. There was no point playing “what ifs”. She had her two rules for a good reason and breaking the first one had got her into this mess.

  Jack would just have to deal with it, like she was.

  Chapter 6

  The next few days were stupidly busy. Now that her project had been given the green light, Bridget had a mountain of work to do. She worked long hours, collaborating with the guys on the plant.

  Bridget avoided Jack where possible. She had to keep reminding herself that he was her boss and she had to concentrate on her job – keeping the site safe.

  “Bridget, I’ve got the latest results from the line scanning.”

  She looked up at Mike, the plant inspection engineer. His expression was somber. “Bad news?”

  He nodded.

  “We’d better get Jack.” She went next door and knocked on Jack’s door. “You got a minute?” Her skin warmed as he glanced up and met her eyes. She ignored it.

  “Of course.”

  She motioned Mike inside. “Mike’s our plant inspection engineer. He’s got the latest results for you.”

  She stepped back while they shook hands.

  “Take a seat.” Jack gestured for Bridget to join them.

  She was curious about what Mike had found. The last time they’d scanned that section of the pipeline it was thin in places, but it was difficult to judge how quickly it was thinning. The previous inspection records had been lost.

  “We’ve got a bad case of corrosion,” Mike began. “The pipeline is corroding faster than I predicted. We need to do something about it ASAP. It’s not going to last until the next turnaround.”

  Jack swore. “What are our options?”

  Mike outlined the few choices available. “I’ve set up a meeting tomorrow with production and maintenance and thought you’d want to be in on this.”

  “Yes, please,” Jack said. “Is it just this section, or are there issues elsewhere?”

  “The inspection was postponed and we’re a few weeks behind, so I can’t tell for sure. Priority is the areas where the records have gone missing. In my opinion, I think that whole line is going to have to go. It wasn’t made from the right material in the first place.” Mike stood. “If that’s all, I’d better get back to it.”

  “Of course,” Jack said. “Can I have a word before you go, Bridget?”

  “What’s up?” she asked as Mike left the room.

  He ran a hand through his thick hair and she itched to do the same. It was luxurious. Then she noticed the dark rings under his eyes and the worry in his eyes.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “No. It’s not.” Jack picked up the report Mike had left and then tossed it down on the table in disgust. “This whole plant is falling apart. It’s ludicrous. We deal in flammable and highly dangerous substances and yet no one realizes disaster could be only moments away.”

  Bridget felt his disbelief and frustration. She’d been feeling the same way since she started here.

  “Dionysus is going through a period of rapid expansion,” she said. “They’ve bought several companies in the past two years, and are consolidating their assets. They’re focusing on systems and processes across the company worldwide and letting each plant run itself.” She wasn’t sure how much Jack had been told before he’d started. “They bought this plant two years ago. It was built in the fifties and much of it is due to be upgraded, but head office doesn’t want to spend any money. As long as we keep pumping out the gallons, we’ll be fine.” Bridget sighed. “When I started here, I searched for the old records, tried to figure out what safety systems they had in place because the documentation was abysmal. Record-keeping wasn’t a strong requirement of the previous owners.”

  Jack shook his head.

  “Since I’ve been here, the number of incidents per month has decreased from ten to two. Most of those are minor or insignificant, but our disabling injury rate is still too high.”

  “That’s an impressive decrease.”

  She acknowledged the compliment, ignoring the warmth that spread through her body. “It’s why management believe everything is fine, but there’s still so much more to be done. If I’m not visibly seen keeping an eye on safety it’s ignored.”

  “How much staff turnover was there when Dionysus bought in?”

  “Not a lot. There was an organizational reshuffle that laid off a few people, but a lot of the guys working here have done so their whole lives.”

  “So they don’t think there’s any need for change.”

  He understood. Bridget let out a deep breath and nodded.

  “How many of our team are as passionate about this plant as you are?”

  “The environment officers, Nick and Sally, are facing the same issues as we are. Jeremy has brought the fire teams up to the best they’ve ever been, but the equipment needs replacing. And the trainers need management support to ensure training is current.”

  Jack pursed his lips. “What were your plans to fix this?”

  She stared at him. She hadn’t expected him to ask for her opinion.

  “Bridge, I know you wanted this job, and from what I’ve seen of your work, you would have had a plan in mind, if not written down. I’d like to hear it.”
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  She ignored the pleasant tingle at being shown some respect. “Our team needs more cohesion,” she began. “Jeremy, Nick, Sally, and I are all new since Dionysus bought the plant. We’ve seen how well things can run when they’re done properly, but there are some, like Dirk, one of the safety officers, who are old school and don’t like change. The thing is they have some amazing knowledge about the plant and if we can get through to them, they’ll be an asset.” She paused. “And finally you’ve got a couple who will do what they’re told, they just need some direction.”

  “A team-building session?” Jack suggested.

  She’d been considering that herself. “I’ve researched a few options. We could do a fun team exercise on one day and then a department brainstorm or action plan on the next day. Find somewhere to stay overnight to completely get away from it.” She met his eyes as she said overnight and her cheeks heated at the intensity she saw in them. She looked away. “But that’s probably stage two. We need to focus on those corrective actions, and now the line issues.”

  “Can we get contractors in to help?”

  She’d been hoping he would ask. “Yes. It’ll cost though.”

  “Send me the details and I’ll do what I can. And while you’re at it, send me the information about the team building.”

  Bridget got to her feet. “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate your help.”

  She smiled at him, a lightness in her chest. “No problem, boss.”

  As she walked back to her office she realized it was the first time anyone in management had thanked her for doing her job. It felt fantastic.

  * * *

  Jack’s heartbeat sped up at Bridget’s smile. She hadn’t really smiled at him since he’d met her at the club. It was so warm, welcoming, and sent heat straight through him.

  He was doing a much worse job than her at ignoring the attraction. In actual fact, he wasn’t sure whether he hadn’t already slipped from attractive stranger to never-going-to-go-there work colleague in her mind. He hated the thought it was a real possibility.