Chapter Fourteen #2
But how would he support his family? The only career he’d ever known was serving his country, and now with a disability attached to his name, how would he find a job, especially one that left the world better off, and not in an I-sold-you-insurance-so-you-can-rebuild-after-a-tornado way.
Carly’s words from last night replayed in his head. You know, if you weren’t returning to the Army, you’d be a good nonprofit executive director. In a lot of ways, you’re better at my job than I am.
What if he could take over the director position, allowing Carly to do what she loved—therapy?
His energy and hope renewed, he led Major to the barn. He had a resume to write, a job to apply for, and a woman to win over.
*
While Carly and Owen had worked together almost daily since she propositioned him, they avoided discussing the future. Instead, they enjoyed each other’s company, all the while she pretended she hadn’t barfed up her hopes, disappointments, and dreams at his feet.
Her meeting with her board president went pretty much according to the script she and Owen developed.
When guilt and pulling the mom legacy card failed, Helen tried to get Carly to commit to staying until her replacement was trained.
No matter how hard the woman pressed or pleaded, Carly refused to discuss the issue until further into the search process.
Then there was dealing with Holly’s absence.
While she’d known Holly had been an excellent assistant, Carly hadn’t realized how many details she took care of without being asked.
Staring at a pile of work on her desk and unable to concentrate because of the panic tightening her throat, Carly closed her eyes.
She visualized herself hiking in the mountains as the trees created a canopy over her.
Sticks and leaves crackled and crunched under her boots, and a gentle breeze floated around her.
When an arm slid around her shoulder, she rested her head against the broad strength, and gazed up at the solid, handsome man beside her.
Her heart fluttered as she smiled at Owen.
Her eyes sprang open. Owen had invaded her happy meditation place.
This was bad. Cataclysmically bad. She’d always envisioned the Rocky Mountains as her solitary island of serenity.
The place where she was in control. Where she found grounding and her center.
She’d never pictured it as a haven she’d share with anyone.
Her cell phone rang. When she glanced at the screen, she smiled. Speak of the devil.
“How was your day?” Owen asked when she answered.
Carly rubbed the back of her neck and rolled her shoulders to ease the tension from sitting too long. Between picking up many of Holly’s duties, searching for a replacement, and a major grant proposal due next week, stress had become her sidekick.
“My day is still going. I’m waiting for a rep from the temp agency to arrive to discuss finding someone to help me in the office.”
“How about I bring pizza over?”
“I don’t know. I’m super busy.” Plus, she suspected Owen would be more of a distraction than she could resist. Suspect? More like fact.
“You have to eat. You also need a break, and I could use help with something.”
Talk about the story of her life. Most people only contacted her when they needed something.
Except for her few close friends, no one called to chat, or to see how she was doing, or because they missed her.
Sure, he’d asked for her help, but he’d asked about her day first and offered to bring pizza. “Oh?”
“I hoped you’d critique and proof my resume. I’m applying for the Horses for Heroes executive director position.”
Carly swallowed once. Then twice. Owen applying for the executive director position? Her job? Her mind refused to grasp the concept. Oh, Lord, the inability to understand simple concepts wasn’t linked to the male Maddux gene, but it was hereditary in the male species.
Either that or she was hallucinating. Or she’d fallen asleep at her desk and was dreaming.
There had to be a reasonable explanation other than Owen meant to apply for her job.
After all, why would he? Since coming back to Service, he’d been adamant about returning to the Army.
He’d even planned on fighting them if they discharged him.
How did he go from there to applying for a job to run a nonprofit agency?
“Carly, you there? Did you hear me?”
“I did. I’m just surprised. Wow, that’s big news.” She paused. “What changed your mind about returning to the Army?” she asked proud that she hadn’t started with, What the hell made you think.
“I don’t want to discuss my plans on the phone, but something you said played a part. Remember when you said in a lot of ways, I was better at your job than you were?”
“I remember.” She also recalled she’d been joking. How could he have missed that little detail? Some would say she’d made a Freudian slip.
She thought for a minute. When she thought about it, Owen had a lot going for him—being a client and a veteran who possessed a natural ability for public speaking. He’d also solved the administrative offices problem and was crucial in developing the presentation.
Deciding it wasn’t her place, but rather the board’s to decide who to interview, Carly said, “I’d be happy to look over your resume, but I can’t talk with you about it tonight.
I have too much to do.” Which was true, but she also needed to process what he said and figure out what this meant for her and Owen.
“Email it to me, and we’ll talk tomorrow. ”
“That’ll work. Since I’ve got a study session with Ryder, I’ll bring a pizza. Has your taste improved or do you still like pineapple on your pizza?”
For so long she’d wanted someone to worry about her and do sweet things like drop off dinner when she worked late. When she moved in with Max, she expected that. She realized now she’d wanted so desperately to be in love, she’d talked herself into believing she could have that with him.
“We’re prepping for the calc unit test the day after tomorrow. He’s a little nervous,” Owen continued.
She should be grateful Ryder had confided in Owen, and he’d stepped in to help, but she kept thinking how once her brother had turned to her.
“I didn’t even know he had a test before finals.”
“You sound upset,” Owen said.
“I’m not. It’s just odd. For years I’ve wanted Ryder and my dad to quit relying on me so much, but now that they have, it’s—”
“Reality doesn’t always live up to the fantasy.” He paused. “You never said if you still like pineapple pizza.”
“Yup, I still do.”
“I’m meeting Ryder at six thirty so I’ll meet you at six.”
Carly ended the call, set her cell phone aside, resisting the urge to rest her head against her desk and pound her fists in frustration.
Instead, she wrapped her arms around her middle as a numbing cold whipped through her.
Owen remembered what kind of pizza she liked.
After fifteen years. Something about him saying he didn’t want to discuss all his plans on the phone sent an eerie sense of déjà vu spiraling through her.
They’d been down this road before when he wanted to convince her to attend Texas A&M with him.
For two people who agreed to keep things uncomplicated, Carly and Owen’s lives had become more entangled than a soap opera’s story lines. Now, with Owen, she had what she’d dreamed of finding with Max, and she was torn between what she’d envisioned for her life and her feelings for Owen.
Oh, Lord, no. This couldn’t be happening.