Designed for Love (11 page)

“Rose said you were sick,” Wil said, as if that explained everything. Without waiting for an invitation, she slipped past Jillian and headed for the kitchen. “I made you some soup.”

“Soup?” Jillian echoed. Still confused, she turned and followed Wil. “I have soup. There’s a can of chicken noodle in the pantry.”

“Canned soup? No.” Wil abandoned the crackers and ginger ale she’d unpacked and steered Jillian toward the living room. “You need homemade soup.”

“I don’t know what all the fuss is about, it’s just a cold.” Jillian sat and allowed Wil to drape the throw from the back of the sofa around her shoulders.

Wil touched Jillian’s forehead and she leaned into the touch. Wil’s hand felt cool against her feverish skin. “It’s more than just a cold. Now, be a good girl and lay down while I heat this up.” Wil gripped her shoulders and guided her gently back.

When she seemed satisfied Jillian would stay on the sofa, she disappeared into the kitchen once again. Jillian shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her. From the sounds of Wil moving around the kitchen, she could picture the activity taking place there. Wil pulled a pot from the cabinet and placed it on the stove with a series of metallic clangs, then ice cubes clinked into a glass.

Closing her aching eyes, Jillian allowed the sounds to drift in her head. She slid into the comforting cocoon and stopped fighting the exhaustion that swept over her.

*

“Soup’s read—”

Wil strode into the living room and pulled up short as she saw Jillian lying on the couch with her forearm flung across her face. She’d tossed off the blanket and it now lay on the floor. Wanting to let her rest, Wil began to back out of the room.

“I’m not sleeping,” Jillian croaked. She opened her eyes and shoved herself into a sitting position.

Mindful of the bowl she carried, Wil settled on the sofa next to her and handed it to her. “Be careful, it’s still hot.”

Jillian took a tentative spoonful. “It’s good. Thank you.”

“Homemade chicken soup is always the cure.” Wil picked up the blanket and tucked it around Jillian again.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

Wil shrugged. “You don’t have any family here. People should be cared for when they’re sick.”

Jillian had never needed a caretaker; she was very self-sufficient. But she enjoyed Wil’s attention. Since she couldn’t tell Wil that, she opted for a joke. “That damned Southern hospitality again.”

Wil flushed and looked away. “I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

As Wil stood, Jillian grabbed her wrist. “
I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I’m just not used to strangers being nice.”

Wil glanced at Jillian’s hand. “Well, we’re not really strangers, are we?”

Wil’s skin felt hot beneath her fingers and Jillian released her. “No, I guess we’re not.”

“Jillian, I—”

“I’d like it if you would keep me company for a while.” Jillian didn’t want to hear whatever Wil had been about to say. The embarrassment hadn’t fully faded from her eyes and Jillian felt guilty for putting it there. She hadn’t meant to insult Wil’s generosity. She’d just been uncomfortable with the tenderness Wil had shown her. From the first day they’d met, she’d been willing to acknowledge the physical pull between them, but today their connection had another layer. And the more she learned about Wil, the more she felt as if she’d underestimated her depth.

Wil nodded, sat back down, and waited patiently while she consumed the soup. Jillian hadn’t had an appetite all day, but the flavorful broth soothed her and she finished as much as she could before setting the bowl on the coffee table.

“The soup really was thoughtful.” Jillian yawned. “I’m sorry. I can’t seem to stay awake for long today.”

“I’d hate to think I’m boring.”

“Certainly not.”

“Good. Come here.” Wil pulled a pillow onto her lap. She coaxed Jillian to lie down, then stroked her hair off her forehead.

Jillian rested her cheek against Wil’s stomach and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked up at Wil and wondered how she’d come to feel so comfortable with her. From the moment they’d met, Jillian hadn’t been herself. Anyone who knew her would be shocked by the fact that she’d slept with Wil the second time she’d seen her. Not normally a physical person, Jillian found herself constantly inventing reasons to touch Wil, even casually. Now here she was letting Wil see her at her absolute worst. But it didn’t matter because Wil had taken care of her, made her feel secure, and though her head still throbbed, she felt better.

Just then, she didn’t want to leave Redmond. But she needed to eventually—maybe sooner than she’d planned.

“I got a call from a competing firm,” Jillian said. Her sluggish mind muddled through the offer again, but she knew she wasn’t in any shape to make a decision.

Wil’s fingers paused in her hair. “And?”

“He made me an offer I shouldn’t refuse.”

“Don’t you mean
can’t
refuse?”

“No. Shouldn’t.” It was a sweet deal. Only two weeks ago, the thought of going back to Cincinnati and helping them surpass her former employer would have inspired her bloodlust. Maybe when she was feeling better, thinking clearly, she wouldn’t dread taking the job. “It’s conditional. He wants me to start in three weeks.” She chuckled. “I think he’s afraid if he doesn’t get me signed on quickly, someone will make me a better offer.”

“Is it a good firm?”

“They’ve got a great reputation and are doing a lot of high-dollar development deals. There’s potential for me to make a ton of money.”

“Sounds like a perfect fit for you.”

“It is.” Jillian nodded slowly.
Or it would have been two weeks ago.

“I thought you were tired?” Concern darkened Wil’s eyes to the color of new denim.

Jillian reached up and traced Wil’s jaw. “I am.”

“So, sleep.” Wil’s fingers skated over Jillian’s brow, then she caught Jillian’s hand and held it.

Turning on her side, Jillian cradled their joined hands against her chest and closed her eyes. “You’ll stay?” she murmured, though she was too drowsy to wait for Wil’s response.

*

“I need to pull your crew off the Sealy job.” Wil’s father didn’t wait for her to get settled in the chair across the desk from him before he broke the bad news.

“For how long?” She sat slowly, not panicking. It wasn’t unheard of for a crew to be shifted for a day or two to help finish another project. Then if they kicked things up a notch, they could easily make up any time lost at Jillian’s.

“A couple of weeks. Three at the most. Alton’s crew isn’t going to have the school renovation done in time. I need you to go over there and help them catch it up.” He twirled a pen in his fingers and with the other hand flipped through a stack of papers.

“You’ve got be kidding.” Now she was panicking. “We’re on schedule. Jillian’s going to be pissed.”

“We’ll have to give her a break on her rate or something. The school is one of our biggest accounts, and it’s got to be done before the new school year starts up.”

“Dad, this just looks bad.” She understood the need to complete the school project. But they’d made a commitment to Jillian’s job, and Wil’s mind raced for a solution that would allow her to honor it.

Her father sighed and threw the pen down on the desk in front of him. “I know. We’re overextended and this one got away from me. I’m going to have to do something about those lazy college boys on Alton’s crew. But for now we need to clean up their mess.”

“Let’s split my crew. I’ll send Tracy and Patti to the school. If we work our butts off, Andy and I can keep Jillian’s on schedule.” Wil didn’t even want to think about telling Jillian they’d be off her job for a few weeks.

Their truce had been tentative at best, and Wil readily admitted it was her fault. But she was still shaken by the feelings caring for Jillian while she was ill had stirred. And she couldn’t stop replaying Jillian’s drowsy declaration that she’d been offered another job and now dreaded the day Jillian would tell her she had accepted the job and was leaving. Wil had never felt the aching tenderness that had swept over her while Jillian had rested with her head pillowed in Wil’s lap. She had fled as soon as she was certain Jillian was sleeping deeply enough not to notice. In the three days since then, they’d gone back to polite reserve while Wil tried to convince herself that nothing had changed.

Bud seemed to be considering her proposal, but he shook his head. “Three of you need to go to the school. Either you or Andy can stay on at Miss Sealy’s. That’s the best I can do.”

“There’s no way one of us can get everything done.”

“I’m sorry, Wil. But the job for the school district is important. There’s a rumor they’re going to overhaul the county courthouse next year, and I’m hoping to get that job. But if we can’t make this deadline we don’t have a prayer.”

“Dad—”

“It’s done.” He cut her protest off with a raised palm.

Jillian was going to be livid. One of them needed to stay and do what they could at Mary’s in order to soften the blow, but she couldn’t leave the task to Andy. The only way she would feel confident that the work was going as smoothly and quickly as possible was to do it herself. Besides, she needed to see Jillian. She’d go crazy working with Alton and thinking about Jillian.

“I’ll send the three of them to the school in the morning,” she said.

“Good. Tell them to report to Alton. Do you want me to call Miss Sealy and explain?”

“No. I’ll tell her.”

Chapter Nine

“Hey, Miss Sealy,” Bill called from the doorway of the hardware store. He flipped the Open sign hanging in the window.

Jillian smiled and waved, but didn’t detour from her path. Accustomed to waking early, she’d been taking regular walks around town, often setting out while the clouds were still painted pink. It hadn’t rained in weeks and this morning promised another scorcher. The air was already warm and humid, and the sun hadn’t even cut through the haze yet.

She passed the post office just as one of the carriers stepped outside with an overflowing mailbag slung over his shoulder. Next door a firefighter raised Old Glory on the flagpole in front of the fire station. Only a few other people walked along the sidewalk, none in a hurry to reach their destination. Jillian reached the corner and waited just a second for a car to pass, then crossed and turned north toward home.

The easy pace of this small town as it began gearing up for the day was so different from the driving rhythm of the city, with its congested traffic and the fast click of expensively shod feet on the sidewalks. Jillian certainly didn’t miss being jostled along by a crowd as she made her way to her office.

The diner was already full of patrons eating breakfast and lingering over coffee. As Jillian passed it, her body clamored for caffeine but she kept her pace, knowing that by the time she got home a fresh pot would be brewing. As soon as the kitchen was functional, Wil had begun to make coffee when she arrived, and by the time Jillian returned from her walk the crew was ready to take a break and they all shared a cup together.

Since she’d been sick, they hadn’t had much interaction aside from this morning ritual. After the compassion with which Wil had treated her that day, Jillian had expected more familiarity between them, but Wil seemed to prefer even more distance now. When her crew was around, she treated Jillian with impersonal respect. And the few times they’d been alone together, she’d acted as if she was in a hurry to get away. Soon taking the hint, and far too proud to try to change Wil’s mind, Jillian had simply left the polite space between them.

As she turned the corner she heard the high-pitched whine of a saw, which got louder as she approached her garage. The overhead door was open and, inside, Wil leaned over a wet saw, carefully cutting a piece of tile. She paused and glanced up as Jillian passed.

“Good morning.” Wil’s stomach twisted with nervousness and she wondered how long she could put off revealing that she was down to a crew of one.

“Morning. Coffee ready?”

“Yep,” Wil replied. Jillian was always somewhat single-minded after her walk.

Wil consulted her notes, then measured the next tile. She was about to turn the saw back on when Jillian reappeared and lounged in the doorway, cradling a mug in one hand.

“Where is everyone?”

Wil took off her safety glasses and set them on the makeshift table. “It’s just me today.”

“What happened?”

“Well, actually, it’s just me for a while. We’ve had a bit of an emergency on another job and I had to send the girls over there.”

“For how long?” Jillian tried not to panic, hoping it would be only a couple of days, and it wouldn’t affect her projected listing date.

“I don’t know. A few weeks maybe.”

“A few…” Jillian was completely at a loss. They were supposed to be finished in less than three weeks. “Which job was more important than mine?”

Wil winced. “The school.”

“Ah, I see. The hometown team gets priority,” Jillian said calmly. Considering Wil’s dedication, she knew if there was a better option Wil would have taken it, so there was no point in getting angry. As an idea formed, she realized she would need her energy elsewhere.