The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1) (11 page)

“Hey, Charity!” He smiled and turned around once he reached the truck and unloaded his hands. He noticed the coffees in her hand and pointed, giving her a sly smile. “One of those doesn’t happen to have my name on it, does it?”

Charity laughed. “Nope, I’m just really thirsty.”

He grinned, grabbing the coffee from her hand. “I have sugars and cream. What’s your pleasure?”

“Two of each,” he said. She handed them to him and then they walked into the front door.

Ana looked up. “Oh thank heavens you’re here. I’m going insane.” She eyed the coffee. “You are a lifesaver, my friend.” Charity handed Ana a cup and then handed her a sugar and cream.

“Figured no one would have time to make coffee.” She nonchalantly glanced around the house as Ana prepared her coffee.

“He’s down the hall in the bathroom loading up a box.”

“What?” Charity asked. “Like I care.”

“Hm…mm…” Ana replied, then took a slow drink of her coffee. “Now that hit the spot.”

Derek walked down the hall carrying a box marked as toiletries, and his eyes went to Charity’s. He smiled slightly. “I brought coffee,” Charity said, holding up one.

He smiled. “Thank you!” He placed the box down in the foyer and grabbed it from Charity’s hand.

“How many sugars and creams do you want?” she asked.

“I take mine black,” he answered.

“Oh!” She put the tray down and removed her cup from the tray. She didn’t want to mention it was a huge coincidence, and that was how she took hers, too.

“Thank you!” he said, nodding.

“You’re welcome!” She looked around the house and spotted Ana. “Where would you like me?” Charity asked.

“You could first start taking some of these boxes to the vehicles. I want to pack each vehicle, so we don’t have to make so many trips.”

Charity reached for one, but Derek stopped her. “That one’s heavy. I’ll take it.” He grabbed it from her arms and her eyes followed him out of the house. When she moved onto the next one, she spotted Ana’s expression.

“What?” Charity asked.

Ana shrugged. “I didn’t say a word.” She disappeared into the kitchen, but Charity knew what her friend’s silence meant. She grabbed another box and headed toward the front door. She nearly ran into Derek as he was coming back in.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

She stepped back and allowed him to through the door. “No problem.” She left the house and carried the box to the backseat of his car, where the door was already open.

This was going to be a busy day and that’s how much of the day went. Periodically she would awkwardly bump into Derek, and he would apologize, or she would say how clumsy she was, and they would move past one another.

They stopped for lunch, but for the most part, Ana kept them on a tight schedule. They did finish in three carloads, with everyone filling their vehicle to the max, but once everything got over to Jesse’s place, they commented on how they would need to have a garage sale because there was very little room to walk around. It was hard work, but fulfilling once they got everything moved.

At the end of the day, Charity was ready to collapse, and she could read it on everyone’s faces; they were all exhausted. Charity stood up from the couch, yawning as she did. “That speaks for my tiredness. I better be going.”

“Me too!” Derek replied.

Charity turned to him and in a moment of clarity, she wanted to just make sure he hadn’t changed his mind. “I can still drop my resume off tomorrow, right?”

He nodded. “Yep. You could’ve just brought it here.”

Charity laughed. “You’re right, I should’ve.” She walked towards the door and turned to Ana, who had followed her. “Goodbye!” She hugged her, like she was saying goodbye to her closest friend and they would never see each other again.”

“Goodbye!” Ana replied. She pulled back from the hug. “Thank you so much for helping us out today.”

Charity shrugged. “What are friends for?” She looked over to Jesse and Derek, who were talking. “See everyone later!”

“Goodbye!” They both replied in unison. She turned from them and left the house. She looked back at the house, once she was in the driver’s seat. It was so hard to believe her friend had moved and taking one more step to her own future. She couldn’t help but wonder if she, herself, would ever get to that point. Somehow she doubted it.

Charity had to be to work on Monday morning at ten o’clock, so on the way to work she stopped off at the County Courthouse so she could turn in her resume. She was greeted by a young woman at the desk, the moment she got out of the elevator.

“Hello, and welcome to Mayor Worthington’s office. How may I help you?”

Charity had surveyed the office before she reached the desk. It seemed rather large for only housing the Mayor and his assistant, but there were several nooks and crannies that contained several file cabinets and storage areas. “Hello. I’m here to drop off my resume.” The moment the last word left her mouth, out walked Derek. He looked up, but only briefly.

It was the assistant that pointed out why Charity was even there. “Derek, this young woman has dropped off her resume,” she started.

“I’m in a hurry,” he snapped. “Put it on my desk,” he ordered her. He got on the elevator and disappeared.

Charity was surprised. He seemed different than he had the past few days. He barely even looked her way.

The woman, who’s nameplate read, Lily, smiled and took the resume from her. “I’ll be sure to get it to him, so he can look at it as soon as he gets back.” She stammered with her words, probably thinking the same thing Charity was.
What an ass!

Charity smiled. “I appreciate that. Have a nice day!” She left the desk and got back to the elevator. The ride down was excruciatingly long, and she couldn’t stop dwelling on the fact that she wanted the opportunity. She got off the elevator and was heading toward the door when she spotted Jesse. He approached her with a casual smile.

“Did you turn your resume in?” he cheerily asked.

She nodded. “I gave it to his assistant, Lily. He was too occupied with other business to talk to me.” She tilted her head and looked at Jesse. He knew Derek better than anyone. “Do you think he’ll look at it?” She wanted to believe he would, but after his rude encounter, she wasn’t so sure.

Jesse nodded with conviction. “He’s a man of his word and he wouldn’t be coerced to look at it, if he didn’t feel compelled to do so.”

Charity felt a little better after hearing that. “I have to run, Jesse, but it was good seeing you. Tell Ana I said hello.” She waved and hurried out of the building. She did need to make up time to get to work. She didn’t need another mark against her, even if she was looking for another job.

She got in her car and started it up, then pulled out of the parking garage and headed toward work. She reached work just in time to clock in and make it out to the front with her apron and order pad. When she reached the counter, Jamie was ringing out an order. She handed the woman her change and said her goodbyes, then turned to Charity. “Hello!”

“Hello!” Charity slipped the order pad into her apron, then turned to Jamie. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked.

Jamie raised an eyebrow and leaned against the counter. “Seeing that you are jumping at the seams to talk to someone, I’ll say yes. What’s up?”

Charity frowned. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked again.

Jamie laughed. “Yes, I promise I won’t tell another living soul. What’s up?”

Charity glanced around to make sure Bill or anyone else wasn’t within earshot to hear what she said. She then looked back at Jamie. “I’m looking for another job.”

Jamie didn’t seem at all surprised by this revelation from Charity. “Where have you applied?”

Charity smiled. “Honestly, I’ve only applied to one place so far. I was going to look for employment with the school or daycare, but those jobs were both only going to be for the summer, and I really needed something more permanent. So, when this job came along…I jumped in and applied.”

Jamie looked intrigued. “So…I’m dying here. Where’d you apply?”

Charity didn’t hold back in telling Jamie the whole truth. “I found out Mayor Worthington was hiring a new assistant, and so I just dropped off my resume.”

Jamie’s jaw dropped. “Mayor Worthington?” she screeched.

“Shhh…” Charity said, covering her own lips with her finger.

Jamie’s eyes beamed. “You can’t mention that man’s name and not expect me to get a little excited.” Jamie laughed. “How in the world did you hear about that job, and where do I sign up?”

Charity snickered. “First of all…I can’t divulge all my secrets, and secondly, I’m hoping to get the job so do you honestly think I’d tell you?” Jamie acted like she was pouting and Charity chuckled. “No offense.” Charity didn’t want to tell anyone how she found out about the job because she feared people would say she got it because Mayor Worthington felt forced into hiring her. She wanted people to believe she could honestly earn a job like that. She had confidence in herself, even if it was a nuts to even consider.

“When will you hear?” Jamie asked.

“I don’t know,” Charity admitted. “Like I said, I just dropped the resume off today, but I think he wants to fill the position quickly.” She sighed. “I just don’t want to get my hopes up, you know?”

Jamie nodded. “I know.” She put on her a happy smile for Charity’s benefit. “Actually, while we're honest with one another…I have also applied at various places the past couple months.”

“You have?” Charity asked, still a little flabbergasted by Jamie’s statement. “Where?”

“A few places North. I want to stay in Maine, but Belfast doesn’t have a lot to offer.”

“Tell me about it, but Derek has plans to renovate the area on Elm Street so there will be lots of job opportunities.”

“Derek?” she asked, smirking. Charity felt her face turning red. “You guys must be close,” she teased.

Charity stammered around to correct the mistake, but it was already out there. She needed to be more careful, or she’d ruin everything.

***

Lily walked in his door. He looked up, giving her a curious way. “Yeah?” he asked.

She tossed a resume down on his desk. “That seemed strange. I know you were on your way somewhere, but you barely paid attention to her. You’re not going to get anyone to take this job with that attitude.”

He shrugged, looking up at her. “I’m not here to make friends. I have her resume, and I’ll call her if she’s a qualified fit.” He glanced down at the resume on his desk. The way he pushed her away had nothing to do with the fact that he felt something being around her the past few days. At least that’s what he needed to tell himself. He actually found himself in a position where he had to push her away. He didn’t want to be attracted to her.

“You look swamped,” she replied, sarcasm heavy in her voice.

He looked up. “I am.”

“You should really get someone that can relieve you of all this work.”

He sat back in his chair and stared at her. “There’s a hidden meaning there, and I’m sure you’ll tell me what it is.”

“I don’t know…you tell me,” Lily said.

“I don’t have the foggiest idea what you mean. Just because I can’t be bothered with another interview right now, doesn’t mean I have a hidden agenda.” She crossed her arms and didn’t hesitate to stare him down. “You’re so smart, Lily. Why do you think I discarded her so quickly, so I didn’t have to face discussing the job?”

“I think it’s obvious. You don’t want to admit that this is real, and you need to find someone to replace me. You’re holding onto what’s comfortable to you and you hate change.”

He laughed, realizing that she didn’t really know the real reason he was a jerk an hour earlier. “That isn’t it, Lily. I know that you’re leaving, and I will find someone to take your spot soon. I promise.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Brayton wants me there soon after he arrives and I don’t want to prolong it. Understand?” She held up her finger like she was scolding him on the school playground.

“I got it.”

She left his office, and he grabbed the resume that was staring him in the face. It was just like he thought it would be. She didn’t have any necessary qualifications, outside of she would be great at getting him coffee, but he didn’t exactly consider that one of the must haves in his assistant. His phone rang, breaking him from the resume. He tossed it on his desk and picked up the phone.

“Mayor Worthington.”

“It’s Calvin. I just wanted to let you know that I ran a search for death records and Marcus Bradshaw, with the wife of Victoria Bradshaw has passed away.”

“When?” Derek asked.

“Five months ago. I found an obituary and it did have Victoria’s name as a surviving wife and Jenna’s name as a surviving daughter. My next step is to locate Victoria. I just wanted to give you an update.”

“Thanks, Cal. Keep me posted.” Derek hung up the phone without mentioning that he located Jenna’s phone number. He still wanted to keep that as a last resort. He now needed to find Victoria to get her permission to destroy the building. He went back to reviewing Charity’s resume, and the only thing that kept him from throwing it away was the fact that he felt bad for her. He wanted to help her out, but he didn’t know if he could help her out for the sake of the city. A lot rode on finding the perfect assistant, and he couldn’t take that chance.

***

After work, Charity went home and tried to do anything to take her mind off the fact that Derek hadn’t called her for an interview. “A whole day hasn’t even passed yet,” she scolded herself, but it didn’t ease her mind. She thought it was rude how he handled her earlier. It was like she didn’t even have permission to breathe in his air.

She grabbed out a dust rag from the closet and started dusting everything in sight, starting with the living room and heading through the house. When she was finished dusting, she grabbed the sweeper out of the closet and plugged it in. When she turned it on, she got a text message. She quickly shut it off and grabbed her phone from her pocket. She was disappointed to see it wasn’t from Derek, not that she expected him to text her a request for an interview, but she was shocked to find Damian’s name on her phone.

Damian: Hey!

That was all it said. The last time the talked at the grocery store, he didn’t seem all too pleased with her and hearing from him was the last thing she expected. She slipped her phone back into her pocket. She restarted the sweeper and slowly started to vacuum the living room. When that was done, she started on the hallway. She was nearly done with the hallway when another text sounded. She turned the sweeper off and withdrew her phone again, only to discover another message from him.

Damian: I’m not a stalker, I swear, but I feel bad for the way things ended at the grocery store. If you

don’t want to have sex or fool around or whatever, then that’s perfectly fine. I enjoy your company

and a friendship would be nice. What do you say?

She stared at the phone until the words ran together. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and started the vacuum back up, but she couldn’t stop thinking about his message. “Dammit,” she mumbled. She turned the vacuum off and fished her phone back out of her pocket. She didn’t want to want him, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She enjoyed his company.

Charity: I don’t know what I can offer.

She stared at her phone until another message came from him.

Damian: You don’t have to offer a thing. Talking is the only thing expected.

Charity: Well…I suppose that wouldn’t hurt.

She added a smiley face and hit send. She smiled at her reply. The truth was, she did like talking to him, and if that’s the only thing to happen between them, then she would graciously accept it. Especially during the times, she needed a distraction. His reply soon appeared.

Damian: How have you been?

Charity: Good. Just applied for a position…wait for it, with Mayor Worthington. Can you believe it?

Still waiting to hear from him to see if I’ll get an interview.

Damian: You’ll so get an interview. I’d hire you if I owned my business.

Charity: Right…hire me to do what? Have you tasted my cooking?

Damian: lol. No, but is that an offer?

Charity laughed. He was really asking for it.

Charity: Only if you have a death wish.

A winking emoji stared back at her as she finished off her flirtatious response.

Damian: No one’s that bad.

Charity: Again, you haven’t tasted my cooking.

Things went back and forth in text messages as if they were really friends. Charity forgot about her vacuuming and went to the living room and sat down, just enjoying the conversation that was building. He was sweet and never crossed the line, and it felt like they’d known each other for years. The time drifted away from her, and she even missed supper time. By the time her stomach growled, showing her she was hungry, they’d been talking for two hours straight. She got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen. She threw a tv dinner into the microwave, as another text signaled.