Knee Deep in Love: A Sweet Traveling Romance Novel (All Roads Lead to Love Book 1)

by Vivian Porter

  He dropped a stack of papers at least an inch thick on top of her desk, landing with a resounding thud. As usual, there were no pleasantries with the man. It was simply “do this” and “do that,” and he never asked if she had other plans.

  “David?” she inquired.

  Aaron gave her an incredulous look. “David Maxwell, the new construction manager I hired last week. I thought I told you about him.”

  Candice bit her tongue to keep from coming unglued. She glanced over his right shoulder at the clock on the wall, which now read 4:56 p.m.

  “I’ll get started on these,” she replied.

  Trying to reason with him was pointless, and she needed the extra pay anyway, so Candice sat at her desk with a resigned sigh as Aaron shuffled his way out the door without a thank you or goodbye. She picked up the receiver on her desk phone and dialed her sister’s cell number. “Hey, Whitney. Do you mind staying with Sarah a little while longer? It looks like I’ll be a couple of hours late getting home.”

  Whitney agreed, and they talked a few more minutes before hanging up. As Candice sorted through the pile of papers on her desk, she couldn’t help but envy her coworkers, who steadily streamed by her door on their way to the front entrance, probably bragging to each other about their weekend plans.

  There’s got to be more to life than this, she thought. Perhaps someday she’d be fortunate enough to find out.

  Almost three hours later, Candice trudged through the front door of her home, mentally and physically drained and searching for the closest place to crash. She slipped off her jacket and kicked off her heels as soon as she stepped inside, tossing her purse on the table in the foyer before slowly making her way to the adjoining den. Her six-year-old daughter, Sarah, and Whitney were cuddling in the recliner, watching one of Sarah’s favorite cartoon DVDs and drinking from matching juice boxes.

  “Mommy!”

  Sarah ran and jumped into her arms, and Candice swept her up and gave her a big hug.

  “Hey, doodlebug,” she replied. “I’ve missed you today. Have you been good for Aunt Whitney?”

  Sarah nodded enthusiastically and pointed to the kitchen. “I drew something for you. It’s on the fridge. You want to see it?”

  Candice kissed her cheek. “I would love to.”

  Sarah squirmed out of her arms and took off for the kitchen while Candice went to the sofa and collapsed. Every muscle ached, and she moaned happily when the fluffy cushions and pillows closed around her body like a warm hug.

  “Well, aren’t you all bright and bushy-tailed this evening,” Whitney commented. “Tough day?”

  Candice kicked her feet up on the coffee table in front of the sofa and closed her eyes while trying not to drift to sleep. “I’m so sorry I’m late. Aaron decided to give me two weeks’ worth of work at the last minute, and I couldn’t just tell him no because they were important documents that needed completing by Monday.”

  She heard Whitney grunt. “I’d be shocked if you ever told that man no. I love you, sis, but he’s taking advantage of you. You’re supposed to be the receptionist and not his personal assistant.”

  Candice waved a tired hand in the air. “I know, I know. Please don’t start with this again. You sound like Mom.”

  Sarah came running back to the den and jumped on the sofa beside her, jolting her awake. She shoved a pink piece of construction paper in Candice’s face and bounced excitedly. “What do you think, Mommy? Aunt Whitney helped me draw your face and clothes.”

  Candice studied the paper closely and flashed Whitney a sinister look when she saw the dark circles drawn under her eyes. Sarah had also covered her in a gaudy, long-sleeved dress covered with hideous yellow and brown flowers on it and, to top it off, had drawn ugly brown loafers on her feet.

  “That was so sweet of Aunt Whitney,” she replied, sarcastically. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I kind of resemble Grandma Anne in this picture.”

  Whitney started laughing, and Sarah’s jaw slackened when she grabbed the paper and looked at it again. “You do, Mommy! I didn’t notice that.”

  If she wasn’t sitting out of arm’s reach, Candice would’ve pinched her sister for being so mean like she used to do when they were kids. Whitney was obviously enjoying herself, the way she laughed and carried on, but Candice rolled her eyes and chose to ignore it.

  “I saved you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. I made it myself. Are you hungry?” Sarah asked.

  It made her heart swell seeing how excited Sarah was, but it also made her ache for the many things she was missing out on because of her job and other responsibilities.

  “I’m starving,” Candice answered with a smile. “You knew exactly what I wanted for dinner.”

  Sarah hopped off the sofa and took off for the kitchen again. “I’ll get it! I’ll bring you some of the bananas and pineapple I mixed with the green jello too.”

  Curious, Candice looked over at Whitney, who started snickering. “Yeah, you might want to eat that slowly so the tart flavor doesn’t hit you all at once.”

  While Sarah was busy in the kitchen, Candice rested her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes again. She really wasn’t hungry, but she would never tell Sarah that, especially after such a sweet gesture. What she really craved was a long hot bath and then eight—or ten—hours of uninterrupted sleep.

  “You should get out and have some fun this weekend. Go shopping. See a movie. Go dancing. Just do something. Sarah can spend the weekend at my house.”

  Candice was grateful for the offer, but the last thing she wanted was to spend her time off away from the comfort of her home. “That’s sweet of you, but my car payment is due next week and so is Sarah’s school tuition, so right now I can’t afford fun. Of any kind.”

  Whitney got up, and when she walked over and sat beside her, Candice kept her eyes shut. She didn’t have to look at her sister to know she had a poor, pitiful expression on her face, and she didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her.

  “I’m worried about you,” Whitney said. “You’re working your fingers to the bone to support Sarah, and you never take any time for yourself.”

  Candice opened her eyes and gave Whitney an affectionate pat on the leg. “Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I promise.”

  She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t have the chance to disagree with her because Sarah entered the room at that time, carrying a Styrofoam plate, which she brought over and set on Candice’s lap. “Here you go, Mommy! Dig in!”

  Candice cast a worried glance at Whitney when she saw the heaping mound of green jello filled with chunks of bananas and pineapples sliding around on her plate. Some of it had melded with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, turning the bread a soggy shade of green.

  “Like I said, eat slowly,” Whitney whispered in her ear while attempting to stifle a giggle.

  Candice gave Sarah a tentative smile before taking a cautious first bite.

  “Mommy, what makes you smile the most?”

  It was a simple and innocent question, but the look on Sarah’s face while she waited for Candice to answer was the same anxious and excited expression she kept while watching cookies bake.

  “You make me smile the most,” she replied.

  Sarah’s look went from giddy to exasperated. “I know I do, but what else makes you smile the most?”

  Candice laughed as she pulled the bedsheet over Sarah’s shoulders. They were in the middle of their usual routine. Every night after she crawled into Sarah’s bed, they would lie face-to-face and Sarah would ask her a ton of questions until she fell asleep. Most of them were easy to answer, but sometimes Sarah managed to stump her like the time she asked why she saw only one of everything when she had two eyes.

  “Hmm, let’s see. Well, listening to the rain makes me smile and so does swimming in Aunt Whitney’s pool.”

  Sarah nodded in agreement. “I like that too.”

  She honestly couldn’t think of anyth
ing else, and they were both quiet for a while. Sarah had a faraway look on her sweet little face, and Candice tucked a stray strand of hair behind her left ear. The love she felt for her daughter was all-consuming as was the protective streak that flowed through every nerve of her body like a momma bear with her cub.

  “I miss seeing you smile,” Sarah said, before covering her mouth to yawn.

  Candice gave her a skeptical look. “What do you mean, sweetie? I smile all the time.”

  Sarah inched closer and draped one of her little arms over Candice’s waist as she cuddled beside her. “You used to smile a lot more before Daddy died. I miss that.”

  The hot sting of tears threatening to overflow as Sarah’s words sank in, and she didn’t know what to say. Her mind wandered to Barry, her late husband who passed away in a car accident last year, and the gaping wound in her heart that was slowly starting to heal.

  A few minutes later, she heard Sarah’s deep, even breaths when she fell asleep. Her sweet daughter was honest to a fault, so Candice knew she wouldn’t make such a statement if it weren’t true, and the idea that Sarah worried over her happiness gripped at her heart. As she pulled the bed cover over Sarah’s little body and hugged her close, she vowed to do whatever was necessary to ease her daughter’s mind.

  Chapter 3

  David

  David’s pulse quickened the following Monday morning as he drove through the snowcapped mountains in Lehi, Utah, on his way to work. He’d gotten up earlier than usual, and he’d tried on at least four different shirt and tie combinations and brushed his hair and beard more times than he cared to count. He never realized new beginnings could be so nerve-racking, but then again, he’d never experienced one.

  As he pulled into the parking lot of Mason Brothers Contracting, he took a couple of deep breaths to try and settle his nerves. He’d seen pictures of the company online, but they were nothing compared to seeing the rustic two-storied building in person. He parked his truck and exited the vehicle, and as a cool breeze whisked past him, he wished he’d brought his jacket. March in Texas and March in Utah were two totally different things, and the cooler temperature was definitely something he would have to get used to.

  “David Maxwell?”

  He turned to find the owner of MBC, Aaron Mason, standing near a corner of the building. He recognized him from his pictures online, and David nodded as he walked over to join him.

  “I’m Aaron Mason. Welcome to Lehi. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you, and it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

  He shook Aaron’s outstretched hand. “Thank you. I’m happy to be here.”

  Aaron motioned to the lot behind the main building where several men were moving about on forklifts, loading wooden beams onto flatbed trucks. The area was massive, and there were numerous smaller buildings in a row, filled with different types of wood and some containing jigsaws, sawhorses, and other equipment.

  “I thought I would give you a tour of the grounds first before we go inside so you can get a feel of where everything is and introduce you to some of the guys you’ll be working with.”

  They walked the expansive property for over an hour, with Aaron describing every nook and cranny in great detail. David knew MBC was one of the most prestigious construction companies in Lehi, but he had no idea just how big it was. He tried to memorize the names of every individual he met, but that was impossible, given how many there were.

  “Tell me about some of the projects you worked on in Texas,” Aaron said.

  David slipped his hands inside the front pockets of his dress slacks as they turned the last corner of the main building and headed for the front door entrance. “I mostly worked side-by-side with the architects and engineers and helped design several businesses from Abilene to Lubbock. My biggest project to date was a mall in downtown Abilene, but we worked on some small developments, too, including two churches and a school gymnasium.”

  He glanced beside him and caught Aaron nodding. “Did you ever help with the construction part or just the design stage?”

  They reached the double-door entrance, and Aaron walked a couple of feet ahead of him and opened one of the doors. When David stepped into the huge foyer, he was instantly drawn to the high ceilings lined with wooden beams.

  “I helped with construction, too, as much as I could. It’s my favorite part of the business, and I like getting my hands dirty.”

  He noticed his reply made Aaron smile. “I’ve seen pictures from some of your projects. I was very impressed, and I knew right away you would be a valuable asset to our company. I’m glad you’re on board.”

  They shook hands again, and Aaron’s chest swelled with pride. He felt like he truly belonged there, and the missing pieces of his life were starting to come together at last.

  “Thank you. I can’t wait to get started.”

  He led David through the foyer to the first office on the right, and his heart started racing when he walked inside and saw the beautiful woman who occupied it.

  “Before we go any further, I’d like to introduce you to the backbone of our company and the woman who keeps me in line and keeps this place running like clockwork, our receptionist, Candice Hollins. Candice, this is David Maxwell, our new construction manager.”

  She stood and held out a hand to greet him, and when he closed his fingers around hers, he was immediately struck by the softness of her skin and the warmth that radiated from her body. Her long brown hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders, and she had the most mesmerizing light brown eyes he’d ever seen. She blushed at Aaron’s compliment, and when she smiled, it lit up the entire room.

  “I’m afraid Aaron gives me more credit than I deserve,” she replied, with a shy glance in his direction. “It’s nice meeting you, David.”

  He felt like an awestruck schoolboy, and he let go of her hand when his palms started sweating. He stuffed his hands back inside his pockets and cleared his throat, which had suddenly become as parched as the Sahara Desert, before trusting his mouth to form words.

  “Thank you, Candice. It’s nice meeting you too.”

  Aaron put a hand on David’s shoulder and motioned the other one toward Candice. “If there’s anything you’d like to know about Mason Brothers Contracting that I can’t help you with, Candice is the one to go to. She’s been here eight years, and she knows the place better than I do.”

  He laughed when he said it, and Candice’s face reddened again. He could tell she was uncomfortable with the adulation, and she held up a hand to try and keep Aaron from embarrassing her further. “I don’t know about that, but if you do have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

  They talked a couple more minutes, and when Aaron signaled it was time to leave, he had to force his feet to move. He could’ve stood there and talked to Candice all day and been perfectly content.

  “Now, let me introduce you to the rest of the employees. Most of the engineers work on the first floor. My office is right over here …”

  Aaron’s voice faded away as David turned to glance at Candice one last time before they turned a corner of the corridor. She was sitting behind her desk again, but he furrowed his brow when he noticed she was leaning over her desk and covering her face with her hands. She looked up for a brief moment, and although it didn’t look like she was crying, she did have a distant look on her face as she stared at the wall across from her desk.

  He didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however, when they bumped into someone as soon as they turned the corner. He and Aaron came to a complete stop, and the man gripped the two folders in his hands to keep from dropping them.

  “Braxton Lennon! You’re just the man I wanted to see,” Aaron proclaimed.

  The man squinted as his gaze flitted between the two of them, but once Aaron introduced him, he saw a hint of recognition in his eyes. David held out a hand to greet him, and Braxton shifted his folders from one arm to the other before shaking it.
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  “Braxton is the lead foreman here at MBC, and you’ll be working side-by-side with him on a daily basis. Braxton, I’m going to finish showing David around, but why don’t you meet us in my office in about thirty minutes and we’ll get him up to speed on our current projects.”

  Braxton agreed before he was off and running down the corridor again.

  “You might have a time keeping up with that one,” Aaron said. “He’s the best foreman I’ve ever worked with, but he’s as jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs and never still. I wish I had his energy.”

  David laughed at his remark, and as they finished the tour, the anxiety he’d felt in the beginning was slowly starting to dissipate. Everyone he met was genuinely nice, and he could see himself laying down roots in Lehi and with the company. He felt at peace with the whole situation, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

  “And this is your office,” Aaron stated. “Tell me what you think.”

  David opened the door and was amazed at the sheer size of it. The outside wall was lined with tall windows, and the view was spectacular. Beyond the lot behind MBC was an open field that seemed to stretch for miles, and the snowcapped mountains in the distance were the idyllic backdrop.

  The room contained a large desk, an office chair, two leather chairs, three bookshelves, a tall lamp, a filing cabinet, and a large potted plant in a corner of the room. There was also an adjoining bathroom. He could probably fit his office in Texas plus two more inside this one room. It was a bit overwhelming at first, and he didn’t quite know how to respond.

  “I’m guessing by your speechlessness that you approve,” Aaron said with a laugh.

  David grinned widely. “Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

  He wanted to stay longer and explore, but Aaron glanced at his watch and told him they needed to get back to his office and meet with Braxton, so he reluctantly closed the door and followed him. Braxton was already there when they entered the room, and as the three of them started pouring over MBC’s current contracts, David could tell right away that he and Braxton would get along. He seemed very proficient at what he did, and his positive attitude and gusto—or jumpiness as Aaron described it—made him excited and anxious to get started.