Chapter 12 #2
The tone said ticked and not impressed. She met his gaze, nodded.
“He did. He’s been the top real estate producer in the Renova area for the past six years.
I can help you grow this place. Let me help you.
We make a great team. Think what we could do together?
We could have it all. No, they really couldn’t because while he was intelligent, generous, and driven, the passion hadn’t been there.
Not the breathtaking, can’t-think passion that makes you lose your words when the person walks in the room.
Jackson had never understood that and didn’t seem to notice.
When she’d tried to explain, his response had been that he loved her enough for both of them and insisted her feelings for him would grow stronger once she opened her heart.
I’ll never hurt you. You’ve been hurt Katie; you’re afraid, but you don’t have to be afraid with me.
They’d dated three years before he proposed.
Once he slipped the engagement ring on her finger, talk shifted from what they could achieve in the business world to how many babies would fill the four-bedroom home they’d build in Renova.
We should think about hiring someone to run Katie’s Soups, don’t you think?
No, and no. You need to find someone who has the same vision as you, she’d told him the day she returned the ring. I’m not that person.
Ian crashed through her thoughts with more questions about Jackson. “Did he have a lot of say in what you did?”
Why not just ask if she had a personal relationship with him?––because that’s what he really wanted to know. She could tell by the set of his jaw and the brackets around his mouth. “We dated.”
“I see.” He opened his mouth to say more, waited a full ten seconds before he continued. “You do know it’s never a good idea to get involved with people you work with…”
“Of course I know that. It’s also not a good idea to get involved with people who aren’t trustworthy. You’ve heard that, haven’t you?” There, what do you have to say about that, Mr. Morals?
“True, though people do change…and sometimes they’re better than they were before.”
Ah, a challenge. Katie forced a smile. “And sometimes they’re worse.”
He turned back to the drawings, jotted a few more notes, before he asked, “Is the guy out of the picture now, or are you still working with him?”
Is that what he really wanted to know, or was he asking if she was still involved with Jackson? “He doesn’t advise me any longer.”
He kept his head bent, continued studying and making notes, and Katie had just begun to relax when he asked, “He’s not advising you on a business level, or…”
“I haven’t seen him for months. I’ll agree to whatever you want, Katie.
Live wherever you want, and you should keep the soup business going.
That was selfish of me to suggest otherwise.
We can hire a nanny for the kids. Anything.
Can’t you give us another chance? Jackson had been willing to do anything, but it hadn’t been enough…
it would never be enough because he was the wrong man…
“Okay, then.”
Darn, she’d just divulged that she was unattached. “What about you?”
He looked up, his lips pulling into a slow smile. “I’m not consulting with anyone or having an office romance. It’s kind of hard to do when I work on my own most of the time.”
“I’m sure.”
“Do I look like a watercooler pickup kind of guy?”
She shook her head, annoyed with herself for sharing too much. “I’m sure you don’t have to do anything. From the looks at O’Reilly’s, you can just stand there, and the women will flit around you.”
“Flit?” He laughed. “That’s a very interesting visual.
Somewhat accurate.” Another laugh, a sigh.
“Truthfully, I’m not much into ‘flitters’.
” He settled his gaze on her, spoke in the softest voice.
“I prefer someone who can have an intelligent conversation and isn’t afraid to put me in my place when I need it. ”
It was Katie’s turn to laugh. “You were never one to accept criticism, constructive or not. And–” She stopped, tried to pull back the words and the memories, but it was too late.
“You were the only one who ever called me on my BS. Straight up, no sugar, full of it. No one had ever done that before or since, and maybe that’s why…”
Tell me more, she wanted to say. Tell me what you were going to say. Did she really want to know? What difference would it make? All of it was so long ago. Too much damage had been done, too much heartache, betrayal, and she never wanted to feel that way again.
Ian cleared his throat, eased the plans toward her, and began pointing to areas on the drawing.
“You don’t need to build a warehouse. You should just put a large cooler next to the area where you prepare the meats and vegetables.
You’ll save time by not going to the warehouse whenever you need a bag of carrots or whatever.
Put your supply close to where it’s going to be used. ”
“Okay. Makes sense.”
A nod, and then “I really am good at this stuff. So, what do you think? Will you let me help you?”