Read Online Behind Closed Doors by Sherri Hayes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sherri Hayes
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sleep.
Somehow he did manage to get a solid eight hours of sleep. The only reasoning he had was all the physical labor he’d done the day before. Even with that, the first thought that crossed his mind as he worked toward consciousness had been Elizabeth laying on the hotel bed sleeping, her face relaxed, her hair feathered out on the white pillow. No matter how much he tried, he didn’t seem to be able to escape her. Not even at his parents.
Even though his mother hadn’t pried anymore the day before, she’d obviously decided to take a more direct approach this morning. Seconds after she set his breakfast in front of him, she said, “Jan told me you have a new assistant.”
He didn’t answer right away, but eventually responded with a quiet, “Yeah.”
“How’s she working out? Is she as efficient as Tara?”
“More,” he answered honestly. Tara had been good at her job, but Elizabeth went above and beyond. Whenever a client had called in, she’d gone out of her way to get all the information he needed, sometimes even thinking of things that would have never crossed his mind until much later in the process. Whenever she’d made a fresh pot of coffee, she’d asked if he’d wanted some even though she didn’t have to. Everything in the office was now organized and labeled so he could locate it quickly. She was clearly over qualified for the job, and he knew he should encourage her to find something more suitable, but if he were honest, he didn’t want to. And what did that say about him?
His mother nodded. She didn’t seem surprised.
“So you like her,” she said matter-of-factly.
He nearly spit out his coffee. “What?”
“Well,” his mother said, wiping off the counter behind her, “good people are hard to find. You just make sure to take care of her, treat her right.”
He didn’t respond. All that work he’d done yesterday to push Elizabeth to the back of his mind went out the window.
The coffee in front of him turned cold and he didn’t care. His mother’s words rang loud and clear. Terry had been right; he’d been a jerk all week. He couldn’t keep doing that and expect people to keep working for him. But more importantly, he’d been avoiding Elizabeth. He’d forced her to tell him her past and then he’d left her, just like everyone else in her life had. No matter his feelings, he couldn’t continue treating Elizabeth as he had this past week.
Suddenly he didn’t feel so good.
He walked over to the sink and dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain before rinsing it out. He wanted to get home and apologize. Elizabeth deserved that from him at least. Without saying a word to his mother, he slipped out of the room to retrieve his duffle bag. Once he had everything, he intended to say good-bye to his parents and be on his way. When he turned the corner, he crashed into his younger brother Trent, nearly bowling him over.
“Hey, there you are,” Trent said, getting his footing again and pulling Chris into a hug. “I thought I’d have to send out a search party or something?”
Chris snorted. “Sure you were,” he said, returning the hug. “Maybe you ought to work on your footwork first. I’m sure Gage can help you with that if you want.”
Right away Trent went to grab Chris’s shoulder, but Chris was quicker and managed to sidestep him easily and wrap his arms around Trent’s waist.
“Now, now, boys. Behave yourselves,” their mother said, shaking her head.
The brothers straightened up and smiled, responding as they always did. “Yes, ma’am.”
Marilyn Daniels didn’t stand more than five feet four, but that didn’t mean she was to be underestimated. Her four boys had learned at a very early age that when their mother spoke, they listened.
She walked over, giving them each a loving pat on the cheek, and left the room. Chris turned back to his brother. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Yeah, well, Mom called me last night to see if I wanted to
Somehow he did manage to get a solid eight hours of sleep. The only reasoning he had was all the physical labor he’d done the day before. Even with that, the first thought that crossed his mind as he worked toward consciousness had been Elizabeth laying on the hotel bed sleeping, her face relaxed, her hair feathered out on the white pillow. No matter how much he tried, he didn’t seem to be able to escape her. Not even at his parents.
Even though his mother hadn’t pried anymore the day before, she’d obviously decided to take a more direct approach this morning. Seconds after she set his breakfast in front of him, she said, “Jan told me you have a new assistant.”
He didn’t answer right away, but eventually responded with a quiet, “Yeah.”
“How’s she working out? Is she as efficient as Tara?”
“More,” he answered honestly. Tara had been good at her job, but Elizabeth went above and beyond. Whenever a client had called in, she’d gone out of her way to get all the information he needed, sometimes even thinking of things that would have never crossed his mind until much later in the process. Whenever she’d made a fresh pot of coffee, she’d asked if he’d wanted some even though she didn’t have to. Everything in the office was now organized and labeled so he could locate it quickly. She was clearly over qualified for the job, and he knew he should encourage her to find something more suitable, but if he were honest, he didn’t want to. And what did that say about him?
His mother nodded. She didn’t seem surprised.
“So you like her,” she said matter-of-factly.
He nearly spit out his coffee. “What?”
“Well,” his mother said, wiping off the counter behind her, “good people are hard to find. You just make sure to take care of her, treat her right.”
He didn’t respond. All that work he’d done yesterday to push Elizabeth to the back of his mind went out the window.
The coffee in front of him turned cold and he didn’t care. His mother’s words rang loud and clear. Terry had been right; he’d been a jerk all week. He couldn’t keep doing that and expect people to keep working for him. But more importantly, he’d been avoiding Elizabeth. He’d forced her to tell him her past and then he’d left her, just like everyone else in her life had. No matter his feelings, he couldn’t continue treating Elizabeth as he had this past week.
Suddenly he didn’t feel so good.
He walked over to the sink and dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain before rinsing it out. He wanted to get home and apologize. Elizabeth deserved that from him at least. Without saying a word to his mother, he slipped out of the room to retrieve his duffle bag. Once he had everything, he intended to say good-bye to his parents and be on his way. When he turned the corner, he crashed into his younger brother Trent, nearly bowling him over.
“Hey, there you are,” Trent said, getting his footing again and pulling Chris into a hug. “I thought I’d have to send out a search party or something?”
Chris snorted. “Sure you were,” he said, returning the hug. “Maybe you ought to work on your footwork first. I’m sure Gage can help you with that if you want.”
Right away Trent went to grab Chris’s shoulder, but Chris was quicker and managed to sidestep him easily and wrap his arms around Trent’s waist.
“Now, now, boys. Behave yourselves,” their mother said, shaking her head.
The brothers straightened up and smiled, responding as they always did. “Yes, ma’am.”
Marilyn Daniels didn’t stand more than five feet four, but that didn’t mean she was to be underestimated. Her four boys had learned at a very early age that when their mother spoke, they listened.
She walked over, giving them each a loving pat on the cheek, and left the room. Chris turned back to his brother. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Yeah, well, Mom called me last night to see if I wanted to
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