CHAPTER 2
I was up early enough to watch the sun rise, something I seldom do because dawn in a forest isn't spectacular. The trees get in the way. But sometimes, like that morning, the wilderness dawn can have its own special beauty. The growing light outlines the evergreens until they make a jagged silhouette along the horizon. It's pretty.
But I soon turned from the sunrise and started pacing the floor, wondering what our new employee would be like. I couldn't imagine. And I wanted time to figure out how to not chase this man away because Carlos needed help.
I decided that as soon as the introductions were done I'd hide in my office, which has window walls, in order to see the new employee without being seen. I wouldn't exactly spy on him. Rather I'd be observing. After all, it was my responsibility to make sure the new employee could do what needed doing. Could take over the manual part of Carlos' job until the horse whisperer was okay. To make sure he was strong enough. Hopefully, he'd be a giant.
Carlos would never admit there was a chore he couldn't handle, including mending fences, which meant that this new hire must have other skills beyond carpentry, such as sweet-talking old men. If he didn't Carlos would have sent him packing.
Whatever he was like, I'd soon find out, and after I introduced myself, I'd park my butt in the office and behind corners and fences and whatever piece of equipment happened to be nearby so I could watch. Okay, I'd spy on him. And I wouldn't feel guilty. I'd be nice, I'd be sweet, I wouldn't be judgmental or critical but I'd be all over him if I so much as saw him let Carlos do one single thing he shouldn't be doing. I'd keep Carlos safe.
With my plan firmly in place, I left my apartment at the precise moment the sun's orb became visible through the trees. I barely reached the bottom step when a Chevy pick-up, old but purring in the way of all well-cared for engines, pulled into the yard. The engine went silent and a moment later, a man stepped out.
Tall, moving with the controlled ease of someone in top physical condition. No wonder the fence was now intact. An athlete or a member of the military? As he neared enough to see his haircut, I decided it was the latter. Hair several shades darker than my own mousy brown, his was shiny and almost black.
I was out of the building in a flash and moving towards him, hand outstretched and a smile pasted on my face. Then he came closer still and I found it necessary to remind myself that I was Maggie Squires and I was his boss. He was like a giant towering over a pigmy… me… though he was only a head taller than my five feet and I'd long ago come to terms with my short stature and had dealt with many giants in short order. But there was something about this man that went beyond mere physical stature. Perhaps it was the military background. Or something else, something more basic.
I put out my hand. “Welcome to Green Forest Stables.” So far so good.
After that we were at a standstill, me trying to follow up my greeting with something incredibly brilliant, he waiting patiently or me to say anything because I was obviously not done talking, when Carlos came up. "I see you made it."
Hazel eyes swiveled between Carlos and me curiously.
Carlos looked from the new man to me. "Didn't get your name yesterday. The boss, here, was wondering what to call you."
"Maxwell Abrams. Max."
Carlos beamed. "I told you about him, Maggie. He's here to help with the work." When I said nothing, he added, "So you can do your work instead of following me around like a puppy. I believe there's a pile of papers on your desk so high you can't see over it."
"Right. Yes." I moved from one foot to the other. Wondered what to say next. Wished Maxwell Abrams was older. Or younger. Or homely. Or would say something so I didn't have to.
He didn't. Instead, he looked at me with no expression at all but eyes that were clearly intelligent enough to know how nervous I was. I wondered why he did manual work instead of something that challenged that obvious intelligence, and then criticized myself for letting my mind wander to such irrelevant subjects when I should be making this new man comfortable.
Finally he spoke, with no inflection at all. "I look forward to working at Green Forest Stables."
I muttered something and went inside. Ran. Escaped. Wondered how I'd managed to flub something as simple as getting to know a new employee. Stared out the huge windows at the two men, deep in conversation, with Max Abrams glancing towards the office every so often, and wished I'd not run away so obviously and, instead had sauntered breezily to the office. Vowed to bite my tongue, promised myself that if he did something wrong I'd make allowances, that I'd be nice, that I'd make sure he knew he was appreciated and I'd do all those things if it killed me.
Wanted: Sharpshooter Page 2