Chapter 5 #2
“It sounds challenging,” she said, unable to keep the smile from spreading across her face. “And it also sounds exactly like what I want to do.”
His lips quirked up in what might have been a smile. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He pulled the laptop closer, then opened and turned it so she could see the screen. “Let me show you the compound layout and where your office would be.”
The schematic on the screen showed a complex that was far more extensive than she’d realized. Logan pointed at various sections as he spoke.
“All the buildings on the compound will be accessible. We’re nearing the end of the construction phase on some of them, but accessibility is built into the design from the ground up.
” He indicated a section of the main headquarters building.
“Your office will be on the first floor, right off the main entrance. An elevator provides access to the lower level, where we have our command center, armory, and secure communications room.”
Mary studied the layout, her mind already organizing how the space could be used most efficiently. “The proximity to operations makes sense. If I’m going to coordinate logistics and handle administrative needs, being close to where decisions are made is crucial.”
“Exactly.” Logan seemed pleased by her response. “We’ve also built living quarters on-site. A bunkhouse that can accommodate up to six people, with private rooms and common areas. Not everyone will live on-site, but the option is there for those who want it or need it during active operations.”
“I’m currently staying with my parents,” Mary said.
“They moved into a retirement condo after they handed the ranch over to my brother. It’s about an hour from here.
I can commute until I find a wheelchair-accessible apartment closer to the compound.
” She paused, then added honestly, “Though accessible apartments in this area might be challenging to find.”
Logan nodded thoughtfully. “If you can’t find something suitable, we can look into modifying one of the on-site quarters. But we can figure that out as we go. The important thing is whether you want the position.”
Mary’s breath caught. This was it. The moment that would determine everything. “Yes,” she said, her voice firm and clear. “Absolutely yes. I want this position, Logan. I want to be part of what you’re building here.”
The smile that crossed Logan’s face was genuine and transformative. “Then welcome to LSI Montana, Mary. I’m glad to have you on the team.”
They spent the next twenty minutes discussing logistics.
Start date, salary, benefits, and the practical details of integrating into a company that was still being built.
Mary’s mind already raced ahead, thinking about the systems that would need to be put in place and the organizational structures that would make the operations run smoothly.
Finally, Logan stood, and Mary rolled back from the table. “Let me show you around,” he said. “I think it would be good for you and Bert to spend some time together this week. The two of you will need to coordinate closely, so the sooner you can establish a working relationship, the better.”
Mary’s pulse jumped at the mention of Bert’s name, and she firmly told herself it was professional interest. They would be working together. Of course she needed to establish a good working relationship with him.
They made their way outside, where the three men she’d met earlier were visible near the main headquarters building, and Logan led her in that direction. She wheeled with a little difficulty over the hard-packed dirt road, wavering between the potholes.
Logan looked down and grimaced. “I apologize for the rough road conditions. Getting this area paved was put off until the contractor trucks weren’t coming in daily.”
“I don’t mind asking for assistance when it’s needed.”
He moved behind her chair, took hold of the handles, and pushed her closer to the others. “Sisco, Devlin, Bert,” Logan called as they approached.
She felt that same flutter of awareness when Bert’s blue eyes found hers.
“I’d like you to meet the newest member of LSI Montana. Mary will be our administrative manager, starting next Monday.”
The congratulations were immediate and genuine. Sisco’s grin was infectious, and Devlin clapped her on the shoulder with easy camaraderie. But it was Bert who held her attention, even as she tried to focus on the others.
“Congratulations,” he said, his deep voice carrying clearly. “Looking forward to working with you.”
“Mary,” Logan continued, “I’d like you and Bert to spend some time next week going over what we have, what we need, and how to coordinate your efforts. Can you both manage that?”
“Absolutely,” Mary said at the same time Bert nodded. “I start on Monday.”
“How about Tuesday?” Bert asked, his gaze on Mary. “If that works for your schedule.”
“Tuesday is perfect,” she agreed, proud that her voice stayed steady.
The sun was lower by the time Mary finally headed back to her van, her mind spinning with everything she’d learned and everything that lay ahead.
Logan’s phone rang, and he apologized as he took the call.
Bert jogged over to her vehicle, and she appreciated that he didn’t hover as she got back inside and secured her wheelchair.
The drive back toward her parents’ home felt different from the drive out. The landscape was the same, the mountains still rose in magnificent silhouette against the darkening sky, but Mary felt lighter, somehow. Like a weight she’d been carrying for a long time had finally started to lift.
She’d done it. She’d gotten the job on her own merits, without accommodations or special consideration. Logan had seen what she could do, not what she couldn’t, and he’d offered her a position that would challenge her and use her skills fully.
By the time she reached her parents’ condo, the sky had deepened to indigo. Her mother met her at the door, questions already forming, but Mary just smiled.
“I got it, Mom. I got the job.”
The celebration that followed was warm and loving as her father opened a bottle of wine he’d been saving, her mother already planning to help her find an apartment or house that was wheelchair accessible.
That evening, Mary went through her nighttime routine with practiced efficiency. After she transferred to the bed and settled against the pillows, she finally allowed herself to process everything that had happened.
She would be part of something extraordinary. Something new and challenging and important. After two years of feeling like her life had stalled, she finally had direction again. A purpose. A place to begin and belong.
Her mind drifted over the day, cataloging details. Logan’s quiet intensity and the way he’d assessed her without judgment. Sisco’s easy warmth and Devlin’s quick acceptance. The scope of what they were building on that compound, the sophistication of the operation, even in its early stages.
And Bert.
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to think about him now that she was alone and didn’t have to guard her expression.
Those blue eyes that had looked at her with such careful attention.
The deep voice had made her pulse skip. The way he’d shaken her hand like she mattered, like he was taking the measure of her as a person, not as a person in a wheelchair.
She’d be working closely with him. She’d see him on Monday when she started, and on Tuesday, they’d work to coordinate their efforts. The thought sent a little thrill through her that was absolutely, definitely not professional.
Stop it, she told herself firmly. You’re not a teenager with a crush. You’re a professional woman who just got an amazing job opportunity. Focus on that.
But as she drifted toward sleep, her mind pleasantly fuzzy with exhaustion, wine, and possibility, it wasn’t the compound layout or the organizational systems she needed to implement that filled her thoughts.
It was the memory of calloused hands, careful and warm as they shook, and of blue eyes that had looked at her like she was someone worth seeing. Mary smiled in the darkness.
Monday couldn’t come soon enough. And Tuesday was going to be very interesting indeed.