9
Later that afternoon, Emma leaned forward in her office chair and stared at the computer screen. Fran showed where to enter a part number. Who knew there were so many electrical gadgets. A plastic dancing flower underneath the screen mocked Emma’s inexperience with electrical lingo like strip fixtures and recess cans. When Fran left the office and Sam brought Herbie to Nashville, that dancing flower was going in a drawer.
Pain shot between her temples. Could she learn this new business? Her shadowing time had been cut short by Derek’s injury. Did she know enough to handle the office on her own with Wade’s oversight? He would have to cut her some slack since the scheduling was a mess. Unfortunately, Wade didn’t seem as patient as Fran. The woman’s voice soothed angst like hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows and a cinnamon sprinkle.
“I know this is a lot to take in.” Fran squeezed Emma’s wrist and swiveled in her computer chair. “You’ve only been here a few hours and had to take care of an emergency. Don’t be afraid to call me if you have questions.” She winked. “But only after the pain killers wear off.”
Emma smiled. Fran had been steadfast and encouraging on this crazy day. Too bad a work catastrophe marred Fran’s send-off to surgery. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
Fran cocked her head toward Wade who worked on his laptop filling in forms for the insurance adjuster. “Wade’s a wealth of knowledge too. Aren’t you, Wade?”
He glanced in Fran’s direction. His blue eyes widened like a buck in the headlights. “Whatever you say, boss.”
Was Wade distracted counting dollar signs and insurance premium hikes? The poor guy had blood on his cuff after visiting Derek in the emergency room. Today might not have been the best first day on the job, but it surpassed her last day in Ron’s office.
Rising from her chair, Fran grabbed her cane and purse. “I’m going to head out. It’s almost five and my husband and I have a class at the hospital tonight.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.” The least she could do was reassure Fran and Wade that another disaster didn’t crouch around the corner. She stood. “We’ll be praying for your surgery.”
“Thank you, hon.” Fran gave her a side-arm hug. “Several prayer chains are at the ready.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Wade rose and grasped his cane.
“Aren’t we a pair.” Fran laughed. “The hobble twins.” She elbowed him. “When I get back. These props are going to be long gone.”
“I hope you’re right.” Wade flashed a slight grin. “Though, I might have to bribe my doctor for a release.”
Wade escorted Fran to her car.
Emma’s boss might be a grump at times, but she had witnessed a tenderness and a teddy-bear heart under his grouchy exterior.
On the desk, next to the computer, Emma’s phone vibrated. She had forgotten to turn it off after texting from the hospital. A message from Sam flashed on the screen.
COLE AND I ARE STAYING UNTIL WEDNESDAY :)
Emma pumped a fist. Having Sam around to sort family drama and rehash the day’s events bested a double hot fudge sundae. Hesitation clouded her excitement. Didn’t Sam have an interview? She didn’t want to inconvenience her friend further.
She texted.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEW?
IT’S THURSDAY. I’M GOOD. PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT.
Their late Sunday school teacher and greatest neighbor ever—Mr. Ted—used the same phrase. Emma couldn’t remember Sam being unprepared for anything. Except for her cancer.
She surveyed the door to the garage. Wade hadn’t returned. He didn’t need more shocking news.
DOES WADE KNOW YOU’RE STAYING?
COLE IS TEXTING HIM.
Then Wade knew, or he was finding out. That might explain his delay in returning. Would Wade resent his little brother coming to the rescue? The tension between the brothers resembled a string of taffy that never broke. Even if Cole had been absent from the company for a while, he had jumped in to help after Wade’s accident. Cole wasn’t the first man to make poor decisions because of a woman. The Bible was full of deceived men going all the way back to the first man, Adam. Or was Wade frustrated watching Cole perform tasks easily, ones Wade could have done before his surgery. Either way, she would do her best to assist Wade while she stayed in Nashville. She wasn’t some inexperienced teenager. Office management and small business skills were woven into her DNA. Soon, she’d get the hang of the electrical jargon.
Wade’s steps echoed in the hallway.
SEE U SOON .
She stuffed her phone in her backpack and thanked God for the blessing of being able to spend more time with Sam.
Wade entered the office, filling the doorway with his height and broad shoulders. She shook her head and ordered herself not to admire his build.
“Ready to go?” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. She half expected his chin to elongate like silly putty “That is, if you can drive my dad’s Suburban. He and Cole are swinging by the hospital to pick up Derek’s van.” He reached and removed a set of keys hanging under the counter.
Was that a challenge? Or an insult? Or a simple question? She’d cut him some slack after a long day. She’d only activated the brake warning once in route to the emergency room.
“I made it to the hospital and back in a service van. With only a minor scare.”
“Minor for whom?” He flashed the briefest hint of a grin before turning out the hall light. “All I know is, I’m ready for some of my mom’s cooking.”
Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food. She’d eaten a granola bar for lunch and splurged on a sandwich, chips, and brownie for Wade. Her first payday was four days off and her credit card balance was screaming “not again.”
She shut down the computer and activated the answering service as Fran had shown. “You’ll be fine with me as your driver. Lightning doesn’t strike twice.” She took the keys from his hand and gave him a saucy grin. “And for your information, I’ve never had an accident.”
He held the front door for her and blew out an exaggerated breath. “Now, you’ve jinxed us.”
Hah! Wade Donoven actually had a sense of humor.
~*~
Upon entering Linda’s home, the aroma of tomato sauce and garlic had Emma melting onto the tiled foyer. No other job offered the benefit of scrumptious home cooked meals.
Sam carried a salad bowl to the dining room table and flashed her classic I-know-something eye bulge.
Did Sam text prematurely? Were Sam and Cole leaving tonight as planned? Emma’s mind swirled with worst-case scenarios. Would she get fired after only one day?
“Hey Wade. I was sorry to hear about Derek.” Sam strolled toward the coat closet. Her voice sounded sincere, but Emma knew it was small talk before big talk.
“Thanks. What a day.” Wade hung up their coats looking as animated as a burlap sack.
Emma lifted her backpack. “I’m going to put this in our room.”
Sam followed her down the hall and then tugged her toward the bathroom. “Come wash up. Dinner’s almost ready. I want to hear all about your day.”
“With the way your acting,” Emma whispered, “I should be doing the listening.” Sam closed the bathroom door and turned on the faucet.
“I don’t think this is anything to worry about but—”
“We’re doing bathroom reconnaissance, and you’re telling me not to worry?” Emma squirted soap on her hands. The smell of lavender scented the air.
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Sam grabbed the soap. “When I called Ernie and asked if he could watch my house until Wednesday, he mentioned seeing a black car. Twice.”
Emma’s stomach sickened as if she had ingested the flowery soap. How many more setbacks could she take? Had she brought trouble to Sam’s doorstep? To Ernie and Gretta? Sam’s elderly neighbors didn’t need any problems. She blinked back tears.
“I should never have come to Tennessee. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Not you or anyone else.” She dried her hands. She could use a tissue about the size of the plush bath towel. Lord, can I get a do-over of the last week?
“Hey, don’t worry.” Sam used the towel after Emma. “In Ernie’s words, the kid looked like a college dropout admiring himself in the mirror. The guy drove off when Ernie yelled that he was calling the sheriff.”
Emma leaned against the cool marble counter. “I’d feel terrible if something happened to your neighbors. And you.” She blew out a rambling breath. “Did you tell Ernie not to open the shed?”
Sam laughed. “Your car is still incognito, and the sheriff said he’d patrol more often. As for you, don’t you see God’s hand in this?”
“God’s hand? Not really.” Emma slouched. “Maybe His pinkie finger.”
“God’s perfect timing has you in Nashville, not Whispering Creek. My house is vacant. The trail will get cold. You’ll see.” Sam wrapped her in a hug that was softer than all of Linda’s plush towels. “God has you employed hours away from Whispering Creek and out of the limelight. Ron Runyard and all the scandal he caused will blow over when the next salacious news story hits.” Sam eased away and glanced at her watch. “In about thirty minutes.”
“What about your safety when you return home?” Emma squeezed Sam’s hand. “I know God’s in control, but bad stuff still happens.” She didn’t want to think about all the horrible situations she’d seen on police shows. She stroked her tortoise charm. Lord, please keep Sam safe and everyone caught up in this trouble.
“I’m not bubbly you, and I don’t know anything about Ron’s business.” Sam’s smile buoyed Emma’s spirit. “Besides, Cole and Ernie are pretty scary. They’ll run any trespassers off of the property.”
“Do you think we should tell Mike and Linda?” Would they send her packing if they knew her former boss was tabloid fodder?
Emma opened the bathroom door. No one stood guard outside. She almost expected to see Wade waiting with a grim face. But then, he hadn’t been complaining to anyone about her. At least, not yet.
Sam stepped into the hall. “The guy was in Whispering Creek. Nashville is almost two hours away. We’re good.”
Wade rounded the corner and stood at the end of the hall. “Dinner will be ready in five.”
“Thanks.” Emma beamed at her boss. They’d worked well as a team. Neither of them panicked while they handled Derek’s emergency. It helped her sense of safety that Wade resembled a bodybuilder.
Her boss returned to the kitchen.
Sam linked her arm. “Jesus is our rock. He’ll give us wisdom and protection.”
“I know.” Emma forced a smile. “It’s just that with this scandal, it seems there are a few pebbles between my feet and the rock. I get an unsteady feeling. Like I’m reaching for God and He’s backing away.”
“Those pebbles are in your imagination. God knows every detail of what is happening in your life. Satan might be pitching fast balls, but God’s got an enormous glove and perfect reflexes.”
Emma laughed. “Spoken by a teacher who pulled recess duty.”
“Remember when Mr. Ted would put a dime in his hand and let our Sunday school class try to get it out of his fist?” Sam tilted her head and gave a you-know-this eyebrow raise.
“We never got the dime out of his hand, and no one can snatch us out of Jesus’ hand. Mr. Ted made sure we knew that truth.” She halted near the end of the hallway. “It’s just living that truth is harder than hearing it.”
“Tell me about it.” Sam displayed a lopsided grin.
Her friend would know after surviving breast cancer. “You always make me feel better.” Emma gently pushed Sam toward the kitchen. “Now, let’s go get some garlic bread. No one’s going to snatch that out of my hand.”
~*~
After Mike said grace, Emma lifted a piece of bread from the basket and passed it to Sam. Wade and Cole sat across from them at the dining table while Mike and Linda sat at the ends. Linda had pre-plated the lasagna. The waft of the meat sauce made Emma light as a feather. Or had her blood sugar nosedived? She wasn’t taking any chances. She set her fork on repeat.
“Hey.” Cole’s table talk came out muffled from his full mouth. “I checked the notes on my phone from some of my last service calls before leaving. I found one call with a vicious dog. The area was the same as Derek’s customer.”
She told herself to keep on chewing as silence befell the table. If Cole thought he was making light conversation, he had failed with an enormous F-minus.
Wade pushed back from the table. A feat that would take all her strength because the marinara was calling her name.
“And how in the—” Wade glanced at his dad. “How is that supposed to help us? Derek’s already been bitten.”
Mike raised his fork. The tines pointed toward Cole. “Wade said he checked the card file. Nothing came up in the system either.”
Wade chucked his napkin on the table with his right hand. His left one rested stiffly at the edge. “Did you think to tell us about the dog back then or were you high tailing it out the door?” The heat emanating from Wade’s body sent an El Ni?o blast across the tablecloth. At least she wasn’t the cause of this fight.
“Wait.” Sam stopped passing the vegetable bowl. “You don’t have software to track incidents?”
“The card file has worked fine.” Mike’s elbows-on-the-table lean would have sent Emma running, but Sam met her future father-in-law’s stare head on.
Where was a brake warning when you needed one? Sam glanced at Emma with her proud teacher face.
Uh oh. Sam was in problem-solver mode. And she knew about People Peeps. Emma pressed her lips together and willed herself to stay silent about her program. She tried to send a mental message to Sam to keep quiet.
“Emma created customer service software for her last employer, but it can be used anywhere. Maybe it would work here.” Sam glowed like a lantern. She obviously wasn’t listening to the subliminal messaging.
All her life, Emma had prayed to make five foot-seven, but missed it by two inches. Now, with every set of Donoven eyes piercing her with curiosity, and one set with disbelief, Emma wished she was five foot even and could slip underneath the tablecloth and disappear.
She shoved a fork full of lasagna in her mouth and nodded. No one spoke. Everyone watched her eat. Bad idea to force feed oneself during family tension because her mouth kept chewing. “Um.” That was professional. She swallowed. “I created People Peeps to keep track of resident’s birthdays and hobbies at the senior community. There are fields that can be customized. It’s never been used.” Obviously, since the retirement center was all a scam.
“Sounds stalkerish.” Wade lounged back in his chair. “We have a system that works. Maybe if those notes—” He air quoted awkwardly in Cole’s direction—“had made it into the card file, Derek would be okay. Besides, I’m not implementing a new software program while Fran’s out.”
Ouch. She wasn’t a stalker, but Wade had a good point about updating procedures when Fran wasn’t in the office.
Cole grabbed another slice of bread. “I’m sharing what works for me. There’s no pressure to change the system, bro.”
Then why bring it up? Was Cole oblivious to how his brother and father might view the mention of his method. Her job required her to work closely with Wade. They were working as a team, and she wasn’t going to add any more stress to the situation.
“Wade’s right.” Her bold statement commanded the table. “I wouldn’t want to hurt Fran or hit her with new software on the day she returns. Fran asks customers to put their pets away. I’ll make sure I ask the same question and follow up.”
Wade scooted his chair closer to his plate. His gaze met hers as he cut a square of lasagna with his fork. His eyes were as blue as a fiery topaz. And they looked…alive. If he kept staring at her, the Italian feast on her plate would go up in flames as would her resolve to keep her boss in the friend zone.
She cleared her throat. “Maybe we could brainstorm a better name for my software because People Peeps does sound weird.”
“How about Purely People?” Leave it to Sam to always want to help.
Linda held the lasagna pan. “Who wants seconds?”
Saved by the pasta. How did that woman survive living with three strong-willed men? Was it teamwork? Emma had survived a tumultuous day at her new job by teaming with Wade to solve a crisis. Working with her boss was better than working against him. She’d follow Wade’s lead. Emma didn’t want to be the subject of a family argument again.
She raised her water glass and silently toasted her first day at Donoven and Sons Electric. Her career could only soar upward from dog bites and family fights and strangers in black SUVs.