14
Saturday morning, the brisk fifty-degree air invigorated Emma as she left the bank with cash in her account after a week of work. Her salary made sure she wouldn’t overdraft on the rent for her Milwaukee apartment. What a blessing to have a little spending money to start building a wardrobe in Tennessee that didn’t involve the color navy blue or a lightning insignia. Life was looking up, and she was growing accustomed to the warmer winter weather in her temporary home. Her heart was also warming to her new boss. If she stayed around, maybe something would grow between them. She didn’t have to go back to Wisconsin, did she? Her parents were close to retirement age. Would they move south?
She closed the door of the service van and collapsed in the driver’s seat. On the dash, glowed 9:40 AM, January 27. No need to rush back to the Donovens’ house and interrupt their morning routine. She could savor a few minutes of peace. Thank You, Lord.
With Ron’s death and the law looking for Annette, there was no need to stay undercover anymore. Even the news had gone silent on Ron’s demise, especially the local Nashville news. The Northwoods of Wisconsin were closer to Canada than Tennessee, and reporters had raced to the next tragedy. She pulled out her phone and dialed Sam.
“You’re up early. I thought you’d sleep in after a full week.” Sam’s voice swept Emma away to playgrounds and happy times.
Emma snuggled into the leather cushion of the seat. “Says the girl who was out on a date last night.”
“Cole and I were just stargazing on the UTV.”
“Yeah, I know about your stargazing.” When she had visited in December, Sam’s neighbor had joked about the stargazing and kissing that went on in the hills above Sam’s property. Emma conjured up a vision of Wade and his toolbox in Ms. Johnson’s house. When he got all personal while they waited in the van and blinked those dark lashes at her, she had all she could do not to lean over and plant a kiss on those tempting lips. She shook the image out of her head. Wade was her employer and boss. Not a stargazing companion.
“Earth to Em. Are you working today? I can always drive into the city and kill time with you.”
“Do the Donovens ever take a break?” Rhetorical question. She knew better with her parents being business owners. “Wade and I are going into the office in a little while. The doctor released Derek for light duty, so we’re going to re-work the schedule for Monday.” Everyone’s life was getting back to normal. Wade was walking without a cane. Derek’s hand was healing. When would her life be predictable and boring? Maybe after Fran returned and she scoured the Internet for a job in Milwaukee. Or perhaps here. Would Wade stay in her life if she worked nearby?
“Cole will be happy to hear about Derek’s recovery. But I can drive there if you need some company. I feel bad. You came to see me, and I put you to work.” Sam’s last words sounded muffled. Was she biting a fingernail?
“Don’t worry about me. I’m a natural in the office, and now there isn’t a gap on my resume.” Someone trusted she wasn’t a crook. “I’m an interstate office manager. And I have some healing mojo because Wade is doing great. I might have him out boot scootin’ or whatever they do down here.” With all her early morning energy, she shut down the image of Wade wearing a cowboy hat.
“That’s the girl I know. Though, I’m serious. I can come out to see you anytime. I’ve been praying this whole thing with Ron goes away. No one should blame you. You’re a victim like everyone else.”
A dupe like everyone else. Losing the ten grand from her grandmother hurt the most. She could find future employment somewhere. Working at Donoven and Sons had proven her skills. She hadn’t robbed them blind and taken off into the sunset like her former employer. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good. I just wish I knew what God was doing. I know He’s in control, I do. It’s just nothing has ever happened to me like this before. I’m not a white-collar criminal. Or any type of criminal for that matter.”
“It’s not your fault. Who would have thought that Ron was a fraud. He seemed nice when I met him. A natural.” A breath stormed through the phone. “Don’t beat yourself up over it, okay?”
“I won’t.” She infused her reply with an upbeat tone. She didn’t need to bother Sam for advice and encouragement while her friend tried to find her own employment. “I’d better get going and chariot my boss to the office. I’m hoping Linda has some leftovers for me. I smelled sausage cooking when I ran to the bank.”
“Linda’s cooking is the best.”
“And Wade and I received chocolate chip cookies from a customer on Thursday.” Were any left for a second breakfast?
“Keep talking and I will be on Linda’s doorstep. I’m praying this all works out. I love you, Em.”
“Love you, too.” Emma’s grin rivaled the size of the bulky service van as the call ended.
She tilted her head toward the gray carpeted ceiling. “I needed that, Lord. Thank You for providing the best friend ever and a job that pays the bills. You went over and above giving me a place to live with an excellent chef. I know You care. I’m sort of clueless on why everything is so crazy right now, but I’m trusting You to help me figure it all out.”
Emma’s stomach rumbled. “Now, that’s an honest amen.”
She drove to the Donovens’ house to eat a quick breakfast before picking up Wade. Hard as it may be, she would keep her thoughts professional at work. Boss man Wade was off limits. She didn’t need to complicate her employment. The one part of her life that was on track.
The aroma of sausage surrounded her as she entered the Donovens’ foyer.
Linda popped her head from the kitchen all perk and smiles. “How about some egg casserole. It’s not every day our company makes the life section.”
Egg casserole registered, but why was Linda talking about the newspaper? Did Wade place an advertisement? Maybe Mike and Linda didn’t know about the ad since Wade handled most of the marketing.
She walked into the warm kitchen with her stomach more grumbly than rumbly.
Mike turned in his seat at the small kitchenette table and held the newspaper open. “Check it out.”
A black and white picture of her, Wade, and the Donoven and Sons van graced the middle of the page with the headline “Good Samaritans Save the Day.” Moving closer, she stared at the photograph. Her fingertips tingled. So much for floating under the radar. The reporter simply named her as Emma. Only Emma. Thank the Lord. A last name like Uranova would be easy to track online. Hopefully, most readers would focus on the electrical company and not the employees.
“What a great picture of both of us.” Now she had another mental picture of her good-looking, vulnerable boss. She swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth. “We had no idea the lady would send it to the paper.” Emma scanned the sentences under the photo. The reporter had mentioned that old, cheap power strips were a hazard. Great marketing minds thought alike. Wade had taken her advice and put the warning on the company’s social media yesterday morning.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. No one contacted the office for a statement that I know of.” Mike grinned as if he had won a special trophy.
“That’s so cool.” She smiled at Mike knowing that free press was a business owner’s dream, but she’d have preferred a normal ad with a slogan and a phone number. She prayed being nice and neighborly hadn’t brought her a media circus or further questions from law enforcement. She halted her mind from going to a dark place. She had followed her conscience and the Spirit’s leading and helped an elderly lady in need. Even if she possessed a time travel device to go backward to Thursday afternoon, she wouldn’t have changed her decision, and she definitely wouldn’t have missed her special time with Wade.
“Have a seat across from Mike.” Linda brought a plate loaded with egg and sausage casserole and the biggest blueberry muffin Emma had ever seen. Not a bad reward for doing the right thing. First cookies and now breakfast casserole.
Her low-key Saturday instantly kicked up a notch. She could imagine the office phone ringing non-stop. Busyness would be a welcomed distraction from thinking about Wade. After a week at Donoven and Sons, which included dog bites and confused callers, she was confident that she could handle just about any disaster. But infatuation with, or dare she say falling in love with, her boss was never in one of her procedure manuals.
~*~
After a text from his dad, Wade scanned the newspaper online and found the picture of their Thursday service call. Emma’s smile leapt off the screen like a beacon. No reader could swipe past Emma’s exuberance, so the entire Nashville readership would be warned against faulty power strips. He wiped his hands down the front of his hoodie and decided on one more walk around his couch before Emma arrived to take him to the office.
Leaving his laptop on the brown leather cushion, he grasped the edge of his sofa and began to stride like his former self. He never would have guessed that an out-of-state, bold speaking, northerner would be just what the doctor and physical therapist ordered. His gait was improving, and he hardly needed the cane anymore. If a doctor’s release came next Wednesday, he could drive and leave the office to Emma. Being with her constantly caused him to view her as more than an employee. His stomach hadn’t become a handball court over other new hires, and he didn’t stare at other women in the newspaper deciphering their expressions or how well they fit under his arm. He was too busy to think of dating, especially someone in his employ.
He brushed a hand through his hair and chastised himself for letting life get messy when it was beginning to resemble a comfortable broken-in work boot.
Lord, I want to go back to work with no strings attached to a woman. My emotions have cross-trained enough. I need smooth concrete to travel and not a pitted dirt road. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
The aroma of brewed coffee drew him into the kitchen. He filled his travel mug and decided to rinse off in the shower and be ready for his office manager’s arrival. He shouldn’t worry about the future. God would handle it. He had only known Emma a week, so these jitters had to be due to the excitement of leaving his trials in the dust. He was thankful Emma had prayed for him since his accident, but so had many others. His church family and friends would still be here when Emma returned to Wisconsin. He had to keep his distance. Isn’t that what his company lawyer and insurance agent would advise?
He swigged the warm caffeine and headed to the shower. Get a grip, Donoven. He owned a business at thirty-two years of age. A successful business. He had no time to waste on a temporary hire. As a matter of fact, he should text Fran and see how she was coming along after surgery. Maybe she could return to work early?
The next few days, he had to stay busy in the back office away from Emma. Then, on Wednesday, if the doctor agreed to let him drive, he’d schedule himself on service calls to avoid her. For now, he prayed he could focus on business and not his attractive, intuitive, ever-present office manager.