Swept Away (7 page)

Cody wouldn’t be there. Wasn’t that the whole point? To see who he was as his own person, not as one of
the twins.
They had never been separated since the second week of kindergarten, when it had become painfully obvious Cody couldn’t handle school without his brother right by his side.

Maybe he was taking a big risk, leaving Cody to fend for himself. He’d always done more than was necessary to help him out. Probably even more than was healthy. But he had been the reason their mother died. He’d been the reason their father left. So he felt like he had to keep an eye on Cody. He had to make it up to him.

The problem was that Cody had become too dependent on him. He seemed reluctant to be alone, even for the eight hours or so he spent sleeping. Carson had started to wonder if going back to bunk beds was the only way to get Cody to stop using women to keep from getting lonely at night. At some point, his good looks and fun-loving manner weren’t going to be enough. Someday Cody might want to actually get a life.

“So that’s one way to make sure we get to see more of Lily.” Cody waited until she was on her way home to start talking about her. “Maybe this way she can take her time figuring out which one of us she wants.”

“If she’s working here, she’s off limits.” Carson hoped he could follow his own command. “We don’t mix business and pleasure.”

“Sure we don’t.” Cody laughed. It wasn’t that funny. “We never meet women on our trips. We never spend time with them once we get off the river. And two guides never hookup by the end of the summer.”

“That’s different,” Carson reminded him. “If Lily is our employee, she’s not someone either one of us can just hookup with. There’s a little something called sexual harassment.”

“Look, I know where the line is, and I won’t cross it,” Cody said. “Lighten up. You know me, I’d never do anything with a woman that’s not one hundred percent consensual.”

“Still, you’re technically her boss,” Carson warned. “So you need to be even more careful.”

“And what about you? Are you going to be careful? Are you going to keep from thinking about how hot she is? Are you going to be able to work next to her, day after day without thinking about kissing her? Touching her? Wanting her?”

“Yes,” Carson lied. He’d have to. Either that, or he’d have to leave a whole lot sooner than he’d planned.

“Sure.” Cody shook his head, chuckling mostly to himself. “This I gotta see. I might just have to stop by the office more often. Just to make sure you’re not crossing a line.”

Carson glared at him. He wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to be an only child.

“I saw the way you were watching her.” Cody wasn’t finished. “I saw the way she was watching you. You can talk the talk, but you’re going to have a hard time walking the walk, bro. You’re going to have a hard time just walking.”

“Shut up.”

“Look, if it’s too much temptation for you,” Cody kept at it. “I can take her off your hands.”

“No one’s going to take her anywhere.”

“Lighten up, bro. I’m just kidding.”

“There’s something new.”

“Yeah, you want to see how serious I can get?” Cody squared up, ready for a challenge. “I can get just as serious as the next guy. I can get just as serious as you.”

Sure. Why didn’t they just trade places? Cody could take over making sure the bills were paid, the employees got their checks, and the septic tank wasn’t backed up. And Carson would be the one to make Lily laugh. He’d be the one to show her the local sights. He’d be the one to capture her heart.

“If I’d known you’d be here so early, I would have brought you a cup of coffee.” Carson held the door for her, and she had to tell her heart to settle down. This was a job, not a date. She’d been awake since before dawn. First day jitters and the prospect of spending time with the twins—specifically one of them—had her insides churning like the biggest rapids they’d run yesterday.

“That’s okay, I had two cups already. More than that and I get a little jumpy.” Lily steadied her breathing and followed him into the small office. Maybe she was making a huge mistake by going to work for a man she was clearly attracted to. And then there was Cody. Even though he was over the top, she couldn’t help but like him. Cody was good for her ego. He made her feel pretty and flirtatious and fun.

“I know the feeling.” He was trying to make her feel at ease, but it would work better if he didn’t talk. His voice sent her heart racing like twelve double-shots of espresso.

“This will be your desk.” He indicated the one closest to the door. The other desk was pushed up against it, so they were facing each other. “Technically, Cody and I share the other one, but he rarely comes in here.”

“Great.” She was here to do a job. One she was good at. It felt good to be useful again. While it was nice to feel wanted, it was quite another thing to be needed.

Lily looked around the office. Along one wall, the copier/printer/scanner sat on top of a small metal cabinet. A bookcase and two tall filing cabinets stood on the far side. High windows let in plenty of light, but she’d have to stand on a chair to look outside. She had enough distractions already, she didn’t need a view.

“I’ll be in and out, depending on my trip schedule.” Carson held the chair for her and she plopped down in the seat that was a little low for her comfort.

“Sorry.” Carson pressed the lever to raise the seat. “I have to lower it all the way, otherwise my legs don’t fit.”

Lily’s eyes were drawn to his long, lean, and powerful legs. He had to be at least six-three. Maybe six-four. And solid. His legs were tan and muscular and covered in silky golden hair. She already knew his strength. She owed her life to it.

“I usually like to check in first thing in the morning, even on days I’m not on the river. So the best time to catch me, if you have questions or something, would be before eight-thirty.” He sounded like he was making apologies for not being around all day long. “If I’m not on the river, I stop in throughout the day. But if I’m on a trip you’ll pretty much be on your own.”

“I can come in around seven-thirty.” That would give her at least an hour with him. In case she had questions. Or something.

They spent a few minutes firming up her schedule, agreeing on a salary and discussing expectations for the job. Her main duties would be payroll and bookkeeping. Most of the trips were booked through the website, but there were always a few people who didn’t trust technology and would want to talk to a real live person. He showed her how the online calendar worked and the basics of scheduling.

“This is the program we use for all our bookkeeping.” Carson indicated the familiar icon on the desktop screen.

“I’ve used this software for years.” What a relief to be able to just jump right in without having to work with an unfamiliar program. “So what do you want me to start on first?”

“Here’s the in-basket.” He pointed to an overflowing tray. “It looks like Heather was spending a little too much time with her online boyfriend, and not so much time on work.”

“I’ll dig right in.” Lily mentally rubbed her hands together in anticipation of the challenge. “I can get these invoices input and processed, streamline the filing system, and run reports to make sure everything is where it should be.”

“Don’t worry about the reports just yet.” Carson frowned, as if the thought of something being amiss just hit him. “The guides are expecting their checks tomorrow, that’s our number one priority. Then the outgoing bills.”

“You probably should check your accounts.” Lily didn’t like the idea that someone had been messing with them, but when a bookkeeper skipped town unexpectedly, it could be trouble. “I’d feel better if I had an up-to-date balance to reconcile. And you might want to change your passwords.”

“Good point.” Carson sat down at the computer opposite her. He logged on to his bank’s website and printed out a current balance. “What’s your birthday?”

“October 17th, why?” Lily didn’t think he was the horoscope kind of guy.

“The new password is your name and birthdate.” He tossed her a quick smile. “If Heather wanted to access the accounts, she’d never guess that.”

“No. I suppose she wouldn’t.” Lily felt a little embarrassed that he’d used something so personal to her. But then again, it would be hard to hack. “So does the balance look about right?”

“Yeah. The main account looks good.” His shoulders relaxed a bit. “And the payroll account has enough to cover this pay period.”

“Good. I’ll be on the lookout for anything even remotely suspicious,” Lily assured him. “But let’s get these paychecks out first.”

She clicked on the screen for Employees and Payroll. Scanning the list of employees, she could see she had her work cut out.

“Do you really have that many people working for you?” Lily indicated the seventy plus names. Many were obvious duplicates, but it looked as if every single person who’d ever worked for them was still on the active roster.

“No, some of those guys have been long gone.” Carson leaned over her shoulder; the heat from his body threatened to overload her entire system. “And look, Fisher is in there three times. She does work three times as hard as most people, but…”

“I can get this cleaned up, no problem.” Lily tried not to inhale too deeply, but the scent of soap, sunscreen, and pure male made it hard to breathe. “I’ll print out a list of employees who haven’t been paid yet this year, and you can tell me who will likely be back this summer.”

“Sure, that’s a great idea.” He backed away. Relief, mixed with disappointment, washed over her. She concentrated on processing a quick report using the parameters she’d described. She hit the print key and watched Carson retrieve the paper and sit down at the other desk. Lily wondered if it would have been better to have Cody get her started. But she got the impression that Carson knew a lot more about the ins and outs of running this place than his brother did. Cody seemed to be more of a hands-on guy when it came to the physical part of their job. The paperwork required a different approach. Lily was glad she could help them both out.

“These three guys should be back in the next couple of weeks.” Carson handed her the list with three names circled. “Everyone else is long gone.”

“Good.” Lily made quick work of making the former employees inactive. “Now tell me how the hours are reported each pay period?”

“Time cards are due today by noon, but we could move the deadline up since you’re coming in early.” Carson brought over a stack of papers already turned in. Fisher’s was on top. “Cody and I are on salary. Guides are paid by the trip, since the river doesn’t keep a time clock. Anyone working at the store or campground is paid at their standard hourly rate.”

“Sounds simple enough.” Lily thumbed through the timecards. It looked like only someone named Tyler’s was still missing. “What should I do with Heather’s final paycheck?”

“I suppose I could drop it by her house.” Carson’s voice took on an edge. “If her husband decides to deposit it in their joint account and use the money to feed their kids, that’s their business.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” Lily’s heart lurched at the way he thought of Heather’s kids instead of wanting to withhold her final check. This way he’d be covered, and hopefully her kids would benefit.

Carson returned to the other desk. He looked up at her and smiled. “And Lily…thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you.” Lily tried not to let him know how excited she was. “It feels really good to be useful again.”

“I’m glad we could help each other out.” Carson turned his attention to his own work and Lily dug into the overflowing inbox. She started by sorting bills from bank statements, deposit slips from junk mail.

Every once in a while, Lily got the feeling that Carson was watching her. The tension between them hummed as loud as the twin computers. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was entrusting her with his company’s finances. He was attracted to her, but he fought it. Was it because she was working there? Or was there something else going on?

She was just about to bring it up when Cody sauntered in.

* * * *

“Well good morning, Lily.” Cody leaned against her desk as if he owned the place. He did own the place, but still, Carson didn’t like the way he treated Lily so familiarly. “You sure do brighten up the place.”

“Thank you.” Lily looked over at Carson and flashed an embarrassed smile. He thought they’d already discussed the fact that Lily was an employee. She was off limits. For both of them. “I’ve certainly got my work cut out.”

“Well, if there’s anything you need,” Cody drew out his words, letting her know that he was offering more than just a certain type of pen or an ergonomic keyboard. “You just let me know. I’ll take care of you.”

“I’m good,” she said in a clipped tone. “I just need to concentrate right now.”

Carson bit back a grin. She’d put him in his place. A rare occurrence. Cody was the kind of guy who could make a university president blush like a schoolgirl with just a smile.

Cody picked up the stapler, turning it over in his hands. Clearly the man didn’t know what to do with himself. He was so used to having women melt with nothing more than a glance and a grin. Lily’s dismissal must really rub him raw. Carson found it entertaining as hell, though, and that bothered him almost as much as the fact that he hadn’t been able to get a lick of work done with Lily so close.

It was going to be a long month if today was any indication. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. And he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. She was at least able to concentrate, biting her lower lip as she input information into the computer. When she chewed on the end of a pen, Carson thought he was going to explode.

Cody had walked in just in time.

“Hey, Cody, could you check and see if the printer has plenty of paper?” Carson suggested. He couldn’t stand having Cody just sitting there, doing nothing but making all of them aware that this was far from business as usual. “Lily mentioned some reports she needs to run, and I’d hate for her to run out in the middle of the job.”