No Sunshine When She's Gone (15 page)

Carrie would never give up Jill’s purpose for the trip. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m right.” He seemed pleased with himself. “Jill’s not busting my balls. She’s quiet and nervous. She’s imagining babes in their twenties, hot and single. All of them into Aidan.”

“How involved is Aidan with the ladies?” Carrie hoped for inside information.

Mike gave her a strange look, then barked his laughter. “Do you really want to know?”

She bit down on her bottom lip, held her breath. “Tell me.” She could take it. But could Jill?

“Come inside and see for yourself.”

J
illian Mac was one step inside the construction trailer when she realized Carrie was not behind her. She’d hoped for her friend’s support. Instead the door had abruptly closed. She worried about Carrie being stuck outside with Mike Burke. They had nothing in common, and even less to say to each other. The guy was an ass.

“How may I help you?” the receptionist asked Jill. The older woman was seated at a desk so large, it seemed to swallow her small body. She could barely be seen behind an enormous bouquet of yellow roses.

She had a fragile but friendly face, from what Jill could see. Her auburn hair had hints of gray, and was pinned in a loose bun. Wire-rimmed glasses sat low on her nose. She wore a peach blouse with a string of short pearls at her neck. Her scent was classic Chanel.
Agnes Spencer
was scripted on her nameplate.

“I’m Jillian Mac, and I’m here to see Aidan Cates,” she said. “I’ve been told he’s off-site at the moment.”

Agnes glanced at the wall clock, which was big and round and easy to read. “He phoned a few minutes ago, and is on his way back now,” she informed Jill. “Can I assist you in any way?”

Not unless you can introduce me to Aidan’s girls, Jill wanted to say, but didn’t. She hesitated. “It’s personal.”

Agnes didn’t question her further. She nodded to a row of straight-back chairs, lined against the wall. “You’re welcome to wait.”

“Thank you.” Jill chose a seat at the far end. This gave her a vantage point of the comings and goings and all that was happening in the office. She’d yet to see any young, hot women. Did Aidan prefer blondes or brunettes?

She looked around. The office was immaculate. This wasn’t just any construction trailer; it appeared custom made. The overhead fluorescent lighting was modern. There wasn’t a single scuff mark on the white vinyl tile floor. Framed pictures hung on the back wall. She squinted. They were family photos, parents with their children.

A second woman stuck her head around a partition. Her gaze was narrowed and her brow was creased. Her long gray braid draped over her shoulder. She wore a high-collared blue blouse. “Agnes,” she called to the receptionist. “Did Weller Plumbing drop off their project invoices?”

“Not that I’m aware, Mary,” Agnes replied.

“I’m printing checks for Aidan to sign,” Mary went on to say. “I’d wanted to include Weller in this week’s accounts payable.”

“I can give them a call,” a third woman said, coming from the back of the trailer. She walked with a cane. Tall and full-figured, she was the oldest of the three, if Jill was any judge of age. Jill figured her close to seventy. She wore her hair in a snow-white bob. Her black pantsuit was perfectly tailored. An antique cameo was pinned to her lapel. She appeared all business.

“Nora, I’ll take care of Weller,” Mary said to the statuesque woman. “You’re in the middle of reviewing project contracts and bids. Johnny on the Spot has yet to deliver the porta potties. We’re still waiting for several insurance binders.”

Mary then ducked back behind the divider. Jill assumed she was the bookkeeper, since she had access to the checkbook.

The door opened, and Carrie and Mike entered. Carrie’s eyes were wide and her color was high. She looked a little frantic while Mike wore his usual smug expression.

Carrie came to sit by Jill. She nudged her friend, whispered, “We need to talk privately.”

“Difficult to do,” Jill said.

“Trust me; it’s a need-to-know.”

That sounded important.

Nora interrupted whatever Carrie might have said, noting her own concerns. “Michael, we need you to refill the watercooler, please,” she requested. “Mary wanted hot tea and the dispenser gurgled at her. We were able to lift off the empty bottle, but the full five gallons were too heavy for us to replace.”

Michael
, Jill mouthed to Carrie. The man didn’t flinch. Jill forced back a smile. This was a side of him she’d yet to see. Michael sounded very professional. The man with his hands jammed in his pockets was hardcore Mike. Jill sat back and watched him deal with the older woman. He surprised her.

Mike looked pointedly at Nora. “You shouldn’t attempt to replace the spring water,” he said firmly. “The no-spill water guards can leak. I don’t want you slipping and falling. Absolutely no lifting, do you hear? You could pull a muscle or crack a rib. Aidan would be all over my ass if anything happened to you.”

His jaw shifted. “I’ll deal with whatever you need, I’ve told you that. Just ask me.”

“You’re so busy, Michael, we hate to bother you,” Nora said. “We like to do things ourselves, when we can.”

“You’re a little too independent at times,” Mike muttered. “I’ll change light bulbs and fix the leak in the kitchen sink later today. Wait and let me do it.”

“You take such good care of us.” Agnes beamed. She slid open the bottom drawer on her desk, removed a small cookie jar in the shape of a brown bear with a red bowtie. “Lemon sugar cookie?” she asked, lifting the lid.

Mike was at her desk in a heartbeat. He snagged two. He winked at Agnes. “Will work for cookies,” he said.

“Leave the cookie jar out then, Mike has a full schedule,” Aidan Cates said as he came through the door. He kicked it wide. He was carrying Sadie, who couldn’t make it up the steps on her own. He set his dog down gently. Sadie surveyed the room, spotted Jill, and wagged herself over to her. The pointer was glad to see her.

Jill caught Aidan watching her as she scratched Sadie’s ears. He had
handsome
written all over him. He filled out his white button-down and packed a pair of jeans. His work boots were dusty. His dark eyes were warm and his smile came slowly. “Welcome,” he said easily.

Mike finished off his cookies. “I know why Jill’s here.” He was amused.

“I do, too,” Aidan said. “She came to meet my girls.” He moved from the door and went to stand before Jill. “Glad to see you.”

“Shit,” Mike said. He’d wanted to be the one to break the news to his boss.

Nora
tsk-tsked
. “Language, Michael,” she said.

Mike’s jaw shifted. “Shaye got on my case recently and now you.”

“What you say on the job site with your men is one thing, how you speak in the office with us is another.” Nora sounded like his mother.

Aidan eyed his superintendent. “I just came from the beach house,” he stated. “You’ve created a monster parrot. I spent an hour with Olive, coaxing her not to swear.”

“Were you successful?” asked Mike.

Aidan shook his head. He flashed a telling glance at the ladies and then a warning look on Mike. He lowered his voice, so as not to offend his office staff. “It’s only gotten worse. My sister is beside herself. She invited several city council members to the house for lunch yesterday, and Olive ended everyone’s sentences with the F-bomb.”

“Shaye should’ve covered Olive’s cage,” said Mike. “The parrot would think it was night.”

“Shaye did try the cover,” Aidan informed him. “Olive screeched
‘I can see you’
in a scary voice from a horror movie.”

Jill felt sympathy for Shaye. Olive was a sweetheart. She’d come around eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Aidan touched Jill on the shoulder, and motioned her to stand. He then pressed his hand low on her spine, and gently rubbed her back, a possessive yet comforting gesture. Mike raised an eyebrow.

“Jill,” Aidan began, “I’d like you to meet my girls. Agnes is my receptionist, and she always has cookies. Nora’s my administrative assistant, she keeps my day running smoothly. Mary’s my bookkeeper.” Mary poked her head out, waved. “Jillian Mac and Carrie Waters are with the Rogues Organization. You’ll be seeing a lot of them.”

It took a moment for Aidan’s words to soak in. Jill blinked. His
girls
were old enough to be grandmothers. She felt embarrassed and foolish. And very relieved. She’d worried herself sick for nothing. She realized she liked this man more than she was ready to admit. They’d known each other less than a week, but feelings weren’t based on time.

The girls were pleased to meet Jill and Carrie. Good wishes flowed for a successful joint venture. “I’d like a Rogues jersey on your next visit, if it’s not too much trouble,” requested Agnes. “Size small.”

“Me, too,” Mary called from behind the partition. “I’d need a large.”

“Large for me as well,” Nora said. “The jerseys would be perfect for our casual Fridays.”

Jill loved their enthusiasm. “Jerseys all around,” she said. “I’ll deliver them next time I’m on-site.”

Aidan’s girls smiled at her.

“There are a few things we need to discuss,” Aidan next said to Jill. “My office?”

“Carrie?” she asked, wanting to include her.

“Take care of business,” Carrie said. “I’m happy here.”

“I’ll be around for a while, too,” Mike informed Aidan. “I’ve a few odd jobs for the ladies; afterward I need to straighten my own office.”

“Your office,” Nora spoke up, frowning, “has become the storage room. I’m sorry, Michael, we don’t have enough space. Your cot had to go.”

Mike remained remarkably calm, Jill thought, for a man who’d been booted from his bedroom. She saw the look he shot Carrie, and that made her nervous. She hoped he had other alternatives that didn’t include her friend. He could always tough it out; perhaps buy a sleeping bag and camp on the floor.

“I spend most of my day in the field,” Mike managed on an even note. “Still, I’m going to need a desk and a computer.”

Aidan stepped in. “Order a partition and whatever else he needs,” he said to Nora. “It might get a little tight, but let’s find room for him.”

“Tight works,” Mike said, “as long as I can sit close to Agnes.”

The receptionist giggled. “You’re after my cookies.”

Mike winked at her. “I also like older women.” His words made Agnes blush.

“Let’s get down to business,” Aidan said. “This way.” He directed Jill through Nora’s office and into his.

A masculine domain, she thought, pausing in the doorway. His desk was massive, and his leather chair looked comfortable enough for a nap. Organized chaos, she admired. His administrative assistant no doubt kept him sane.

“Feel free to look around,” he said. He stood at his desk and read through a stack of messages. “James Lawless called,” he told her. “He’s made travel arrangements for the ground-breaking ceremony next week.”

The Rogues would be coming to town. Jill’s heart warmed. Every person in the organization was like family. “I wonder if he’s picked his roster for slow pitch?”

“He has strong athletes to choose from,” said Aidan. “What position will you play?”

“Second base or shortstop,” she said.

“The infield move fasts.”

“I want to be part of the action.”

“You sound as competitive as my sister, Shaye.”

“As my brother used to say, ‘Winning isn’t everything, but the alternative sucks.’ ”

Aidan grinned. “I understand where he’s coming from.” He continued with, “Where’s your brother now? What does he do?”

Jill had her own reasons for distancing herself from her brother. She didn’t know Aidan well enough to discuss family. Not yet anyway. Avoiding an awkward silence, she gave him a half-truth. “My brother’s a Philadelphia boy. He handles sporting equipment.”

“Does he work for a large chain?” Aidan asked, showing interest.

“Large enough, I guess.” She’d circled his office and admired his plaques for achievement and appreciation. There were framed newspaper articles and photos of finished projects. She especially liked the no-kill animal shelter in Miami and the senior citizen village in Boca Raton. Honor and respect came with each one.

“Tell me about your girls,” she said, taking the focus off her brother. “They seem very nice.”

Aidan took a seat and she sat on a chair facing him. His desk separated them, but he felt a lot closer. He rested his elbows on the desktop, steepled his fingers. Smiled at her with his eyes.

“My girls may be older, but they are productive and efficient. They’re smart and pleasant. They can handle Mike, and he respects them, too. I hired the ladies six years ago when my company was in Panama City building a resort hotel. My previous staff was much younger. They partied during spring break, were always late for work. Two quit without any notice.

“I ran an ad in the newspaper for temporary help. The three ladies showed up together. They were friends. Agnes and Mary lost their jobs when their bank merged with another financial institution. Nora was given a pink slip on her sixty-fifth birthday. She’s seventy-one now, and works harder than two thirty-year-olds.

“The women are widowed. They wanted more in life than a rocking chair and knitting needles. They weren’t ready to retire. They told me at their interview, it was all for one and one for all. They wouldn’t be split up. I was impressed and hired the threesome. They like traveling and don’t mind relocating with each new job.”

“Lucky you, lucky them,” said Jill. “You give them a reason to get up in the morning.”

“I’m glad their reason is here with me,” he said honestly. “Mike calls them my girls. It’s an office joke.”

Jill now saw the humor. “I have to admit I was curious,” she admitted.

“I’m glad,” he said. “It shows you’re interested in me.”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself.”

“To be honest, I had concerns you wouldn’t come.”

“If I hadn’t?” she asked.

“I know where you live.”

He would’ve turned up at her houseboat. Jill appreciated a persistent man. “You’d like to see me again?” She was hopeful.

“Tonight, actually,” he said. “How would you feel about miniature golf? I built the course. It has a seaside theme. The fourteenth hole is designed around a mermaid.”

“Sounds great,” Jill said. She hadn’t played mini-golf for a long time. Barefoot William brought out the kid in her.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said. “We’ll drop Sadie off at Shaye’s. Olive requested Sad pay her a visit. I agreed. My sister plans to let Olive out of her cage tonight so she can stretch her wings. Olive flies around the house and Sadie follows at her own pace.”