Next August (4 page)

I put out my elbow to walk her down the stairs and I get that same electrical feeling I did when she touched me in the hospital. I wonder if she feels it too, or if it’s just me.

I open the Jag door and she doesn’t move.

“Have you changed your mind?” I frown at her. Please don’t change your mind.

“No, I’m just surprised this is your car. I thought we would be riding in one of your designs. Is this what you drive every day?”

I’m confused. I look at the Jag and then back at her.” You don’t like it?”

“No…. it’s beautiful. I’m…. . just a little afraid to sit in it. Maybe I should go change my clothes.”

I laugh out loud at her. “You look perfect. Just get in the car.”

She finally climbs in and I reach in and buckle her seatbelt. I climb on my side and do the same. She fidgets with her dress and bites her lip. Music always relaxes me, so I turn on XM radio to one of my all-time favorites: Frank Sinatra.

She laughs.” You like Sinatra?”

I smile back at her.” Who doesn’t?”

“You would get along with my father. I grew up listening to his music.”

A farmer and I have something in common. Who would have thought? Maybe we’re not so different after all. I put the car in gear and ease out onto the main road.

“So where are you taking me for this business meeting?” She looks at me.

“To my house.” I’m glad I have my aviator glasses on so she can’t see how nervous I am about bringing her to my home.

“Wait. What? I thought this was a business meeting.”

“It is. I conduct business at my house all the time.”

“Don’t you live in Seattle?”

I glance over at her.” What makes you think I live in Seattle?”

“That’s where your company is located.”

“Who has been stalking whom now?” I ask.

“Anna!” She blurts out.” She made me check you out.” Her hands are clasped together and her knuckles are turning white.

I reach over and place my hand on hers.” It’s okay. I was only teasing you. You should check anyone out before you get involved with him.” I realize as I said that last part that it was a poor choice of words.

“Is that what we are doing? Getting involved?”

“No…. I meant anyone that you are going to work for.” Why do I let her get me so flustered?” Just so you know, I do have an office here in Moab. I work out of there Tuesday through Friday. I’m only in Seattle on Mondays.

She looks straight ahead and is quiet for the next long thirty minutes. I watch her periodically from behind my glasses. She has a slight frown on her face like she’s thinking hard about something. Just as we are about to turn into my driveway, she blurts out, “Can you at least tell me what the job is?” Then her eyes get big as she sees the gated entrance.” You live here?”

“It’s just a house. I’ll explain everything while we eat.”

I don’t pull into the garage, instead, I park out front. I get out and open her car door.

“This place is beautiful,” she says.

Almost as beautiful as you
, I think, but I keep my mouth shut.

CHAPTER FIVE

Nashville

His house is a mansion. His car alone says it all. Money. He opens the car door for me and reaches across me to unbuckle my seatbelt. He smells so good, and I have butterflies from his touch. Everything about him is so overwhelming, but I find myself drawn to him. or maybe it’s just curiosity. He is far away out of my playing field. I’m used to pickup trucks and barns.

His front yard has a fountain. A huge damn fountain that spurts colored water into the air. It’s beautiful, but I don’t really see the purpose. He grabs my hand and it feels possessive and confident. I need to remember this is a business meeting. He walks me into the house, and it’s equally overwhelming. It’s very modern, with an immense artisan chandelier in the entryway. To the left, I see what looks like an office with an extensive library.

He continues to hold my hand and walks me straight to the back of the house, into a large kitchen with an island bar for seating and a great room off to the side. The entire back of the house is lined with large glass doors that open up to a deck area with an infinity pool, complete with a cabana. Something I have seen only in magazines.

My eye catches the only piece of furniture that doesn’t fit in. It is an old piano that sits in one of the corners of the room. It doesn’t look like it has been used in years. There are a few pictures scattered on top of it. The room is decorated in blues and browns. The couch consumes half of the room. It is all-white and L-shaped with large cushions. On the wall hangs a gigantic television set. I suddenly feel completely out of place here. I start to fidget.

I hear a clinking noise behind me. There is a woman in the kitchen stirring a pot. August releases my hand and heads to the bar.” Is dinner ready, Stella?”

“Five more minutes, Mr. Rylan.” She clears her throat.” Why don’t you ask your guest if she would like a drink?”

“I’m sorry Nashville, this is Stella. She’s my housekeeper, cook, and a lifesaver.” He smiles shyly.

“It is very nice to meet you, Ms. Nashville,”Stella says politely.

“It is nice to meet you too, please just call me Nash.” She extends her hand to me.

“Good luck with that.” He laughs.” She has worked for me for years and I can’t get her to use my first name.

“Nash, would you like some wine?” Stella asks me and winks. August’s mouth is hanging open, and I laugh despite my nerves.

“I would love a glass of anything you have that’s white.” I lean into August. “I like her.”

“She has just moved down on the list of my favorite people.” He says teasingly.

Stella pulls her lasagna-laden spoon out of the pan and points it at him.

“You be careful Mr. Rylan; I could put some really bad things in your food.”

I laugh out loud again, which seems to be infectious because they both start laughing.

All is forgiven when Stella hands him a bourbon and glass of white wine. He pulls out the chair at the bar for me to sit down and he sits beside me. Stella dishes up a colorful salad.

“Thank you,” I say. She smiles sweetly at me. I wait to eat as I watch her fill our plates with lasagna. It smells heavenly, and she adds what looks to be homemade bread with butter. I wipe my mouth just in case I’m drooling.

“Thank you for all of your hard work Stella,” August says. I think he’s hinting that it’s time for her to leave.

She places the pans back in the oven.” If you need anything else, you know where to find me.” She opens the back door.” Or you can do it yourself as you often tell me.” She winks at him this time and disappears.

“I really do like her.” I smile at him and start eating my salad.

“She’s awesome. She doesn’t put up with my shit.”

“She seems to really like you, and you’re very comfortable with her.”

“Yea, I guess I am.”

I steal a bite of my lasagna.” Oh my god, this is the best thing I have ever put in my mouth.” I see his eyes dilate and wonder what he is thinking.

“I love your house,” I say, going back to safer territory. “How many stories is it?”

“Three.” He says between bites.

“How many people live here?”

“Do you mean live in the house, or live on the property?”

“Inside the house.”

“Two.” He starts eating again.

Maybe Stella lives in here. He didn’t volunteer information, and I don’t want to pry.” I love the old piano.”

His fork stops midair.” It was my mother’s.”

“I’m sorry. I saw a picture on the internet where you were visiting her grave.”

He stops eating and walks over to the glass doors. He glares out at the mountains.

I wipe my hands and face and walk up beside him.” Did I say something wrong?” His whole demeanor has changed. His beautiful smile is gone.

He breathes out really hard.” No, I can’t blame you for researching me when I did the same to you.”

“I think your stalkery was a little more in depth than me googling a few things.”

He visibly relaxes and turns toward me.” Mine was extensive because I want you to work for me.”

“Can we finish our meal before we finish this conversation?” I take his hand and walk him back over to the bar.

☀

We finish our food and end up on the couch.” So what is this position you have for me?” I can’t imagine what he’s going to say.

“I need a full-time nurse on staff.”

“In Seattle? At your design company?”

“No, here at my house.”

“I don’t get it.”

“For my father. He had a major stroke a while ago and I’ve been taking care of him ever since. I need someone here five days a week while I work. The nurse that had been taking care of him retired.”

“August, I have a full-time job that I love. Besides, I was under the impression that your father was dead.” This really is a business meeting. I had hopes that maybe it was a little more. Stupid me for thinking that he really liked little ole country me.

“For all intents and purposes, he is. As far as the world knows, he is dead. I’ll make it worth your while. Every year my company gives out scholarships solely for nurses. I was in an unfortunate accident when I was young and had to spend some time in the hospital. The nurses took such good care of me. It’s my way of paying it forward. You can use the scholarship to pay off your student loans. I’ll pay you double what the hospital pays you.”

Holy shit, he’s serious.” Why me?”

“Because I was very impressed by how you took care of me. I need that care for my father.”

I get up and start pacing.” I don’t know August, I…. .”

“You could use the money to help your parents before their house goes up for foreclosure.”

I walk back over to him.” Give it to me!”

His turn to look confused.” Give you what?”

“The fucking file you have on me.”

He looks angered for a moment but gets up and walks out of the kitchen toward his office. I don’t follow him.

He comes back with a folder and hands it to me. He still looks pretty pissed off.” You need to watch your mouth.” He states flatly.

“You are unreal.” I open the file and look at all the information he has on me.” You can have every detail of my life in a folder and I can’t say the word fuck!Well fuckity, fuck fuck!” I know it was childish, but I am infuriated.

He takes a deep breath and starts counting. He makes it to ten and seems much calmer. “Let’s both sit down and try this again.”

I sit down and throw the folder on the coffee table. I cross my arms across my chest.

“I have to fully investigate all my employees.”

“I didn’t apply for a job with you. You sought me out and had already gathered all of this information on me. There’s a difference.”

“Okay. I get why you’re angry.”

I think he’s lying. I don’t think he gets any of it. I think he's so used to being in control and getting whatever he wants that he has no clue how to interact with other people. It’s kind of sad really. I soften just a little toward him.

“August.” I touch his hand.” If you want to know something about me just ask me. I’m pretty much an open book. I have nothing to hide.”

“I’ll try to remember that in the future.” His shoulders relax. “So will you take the job?”

I really would like to help my parents and pay off all my school loans. It would be nice to be debt free, and save my parents’ farm.

“Yes. I accept the position.”

“Good. Before we go any further I need you to sign a nondisclosure.” He hands me a paper out of the folder.

“I don’t understand. What is there for me to tell?”

“Unlike you, I do have secrets about my family. I can’t risk them coming out. You can’t tell anyone my father is alive.” He watches me carefully as he hands me a pen.

I sign it.” I would never tell your secrets anyway.”

“Not even to Anna?” He stares at me waiting for my response.

“Not even Anna. What goes on in your household is yours to own. It’s nobody else’s business, but I will have to be inventive when it comes to what exactly I’m doing for you as a nurse. I stand.” Can you take me home? I think I’ve had enough fun for one night.”

“We need to go over some details.”

“You can fill me in on the drive home.”

I listen to him talk for thirty minutes. He has a lot of demands. I need to give two weeks’ notice right away. He wants me to live at his house in the spare room across from his father. I only agreed to live there during the week while I was working. He doesn’t own my weekends.

This whole night was not what I envisioned at all. Yes, I ended up getting a really good job, but at what cost? I was stupid to think there was anything between us. I’m admittedly a little disappointed, but at least I know where I stand with him now.