LITMIR.BIZ

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you found another foreman?”

      Pete frowned. “I thought maybe you and me together could handle it. You know how I am about hiring people I don’t know.”

      “But you know everyone around these parts.”

      “That’s why I ain’t hiring nobody.” Peter cocked his head. “Get my drift?”

      “That’ll work, especially since none of the other tracts are cuttable right now due to the poor conditions.”

      “Let’s hope the rain continues to hold off.”

      “It will. I’m convinced my luck has changed and all for the better. So where did you put the log sets?” Grant asked, back to business.

      “I put one crew on the northwest side next to the county road and the other on the south end next to the old home place.”

      “I’ll work the south end,” Grant said, knowing it would be the most difficult site to cut.

      “The saw heads are already buzzing and it looks like we’re going to be able to get twelve to fourteen loads per day.”

      “Man, if we do that for six weeks to two months, then I’d be on easy street for sure.”

      Grant grinned and raised his hand. Pete hit it in a high-five just as Grant’s cell phone rang. Frowning, he reached for it, noticing that the call was from Dan Holland, the landowner who had sold him the timber.

      “What’s up, buddy?” Grant asked without mincing words.

      “I’m afraid we got a problem.”

      Four

      Did he regret the kiss?

      Probably.

      Kelly figured that was the reason she hadn’t seen him today. Of course, she didn’t know for a fact. As always, her mind was her own worst enemy, taking off like a runaway train, imagining all sorts of crazy things.

      Since she’d been in charge of the shop, she’d seen Grant only once. He hadn’t been a regular customer so why would he stop in again?

      The truth was, she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. If only she hadn’t let that happen, she’d be just fine. But she’d made an unwise choice, and choices had consequences. She wanted to see him again, even though she kept reminding herself that would be foolish.

      Kelly’s life was back in Houston. She would soon be gone from Lane, Texas. More to the point, she couldn’t wait to get back to her real job, and to the challenge it offered.

      “Kelly, phone for you.”

      Jerking her mind back to reality, she smiled at Albert, went into the small office and picked up the receiver. It was her boss, John Billingsly.

      “How’s it going?” he asked in a pleasant tone.

      “Do you really want to know?” Though she had a deep respect for John and thought of him as a friend as well as a boss, he wasn’t exactly high on her fan list now. After all, if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t be stuck here.

      His sigh filtered through the line. “You know I do, or I wouldn’t have asked.”

      “Actually, things are going better than I thought they would down here, though I hate to admit that.”

      He chuckled. “I know you’re still unhappy with me.”

      “And will be for a long time.” Although Kelly had spoken bluntly and truthfully, there was no rancor in her words.

      “You know how much I care about you, Kelly. I only want what’s best for you.”

      “I know.” And she did. At times she sensed he would like to be more than her boss, yet he’d never once crossed that professional line. She thought there was more to his feelings than he had ever expressed, however.

      “So just stay put for a while longer,” John said, “to give your body and mind a chance to completely heal. That’s all I’m asking.”

      “Do I have a choice?”

      “No,” he said in a soft but firm tone.

      She knew he was right, though she was loath to admit that. Both John and Dr. Rivers, her psychiatrist, had told her that, but it was John who had made a believer out of her. He hadn’t exactly threatened the security of her job, but he had certainly threatened her pending promotion, a position she wanted badly.

      She remembered that day so well. He had called her into his corner office. When she’d taken a seat, John had gotten up, come around his desk, sat in the chair closest to her and taken her hand. “Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not struggling?”

      Kelly couldn’t. Tears clogged her vision as her shoulders began to shake. “Have I hurt the firm? If I have, I’m so sorry.”

      “I won’t lie and say you haven’t made some bad decisions and choices recently, because you have. But I think you know that yourself. You haven’t damaged the firm—not yet. That’s what we’re trying to avoid.”

      “Thank God.” Kelly had hung on to his hand and squeezed it.

      “You have a chance to become a partner in this firm,” John said, “but only if you get control of your emotions and become the attorney we know you can be.”

      But that’s the person I was before my daughter and husband were killed by a drunk driver, she’d wanted to scream.

      As if John had read her thoughts, he’d added, “You have to come to grips with your loss.”

      “I have,” Kelly cried, jerking her hand out of his. She resented being patronized, as if she was a child. She dug her fingers into her palms. She couldn’t believe this. She was Kelly Baker, firm overachiever. She had brought into the firm some of its biggest and best clients. Shouldn’t that count for something? Apparently not, because at the first sign of trouble they wanted to toss her away like a piece of garbage.

      Her conscience suddenly rebelled, reminding her that she was blowing John’s words way out of proportion. Deep down, she knew he and the company were firmly on her side.

      “No, you haven’t faced your loss,” he said softly, patiently. “Far from it, and that’s the problem. You’ve buried your pain and heartache in your work. Now, four years after the fact, the headache you never faced, or dealt with openly, is doing a number on you. It’s taking its toll on your emotions and your health. We both know you’re on the brink of having a complete breakdown.”

      She hated to admit that he was right, but he was.

      Push had come to shove and she could no longer fool herself into thinking she and everything around her was just fine.

      “I know your cousin needs help, Kelly,” John said into the growing silence. “Go and help her. New surroundings, new people, new job…” He paused with a lopsided smile. “Although I can’t imagine you serving coffee or food, you’ll give it you all, like you do everything else you tackle.”

      She forced a smile. “I can’t imagine that either, but it looks like you’ve given me no choice.”

      “That’s right,” John admitted in a stern voice.

      Because her throat was too full to speak, Kelly had leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then walked out. That had been three weeks ago. Three of the longest weeks of her life.

      “Kelly, are you still there?” John asked into the silence now.

      “Yes. Sorry. Actually, I was just rehashing our last conversation.”

      “That’s good, because nothing has changed on this end.”

      “I know.” She heard the break in her voice but hoped he hadn’t. She wanted to keep her dignity at all costs.

      “You

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