LITMIR.BIZ

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old enough to walk to the library. And it would show her you trust her to be responsible.”

      “I haven’t been around my daughter enough to know whether I can trust her or not,” he said with a pang of regret, then wondered why it had taken this woman to point that out to him. Damn it, if he’d been a better father he would have used the few weekends he’d spent with Megan to get to know her better instead of trying to entertain her.

      Savanna inwardly shook her head. The man was totally serious. He’d had a daughter for thirteen years. Yet he’d just insinuated he really didn’t know her. Savanna’s own father was hardly perfect, but at least he’d always been there for her. But then, maybe she wasn’t being entirely fair to Joe McCann, Savanna reconsidered. He might not have ever had much time with his daughter. Especially if his ex-wife hadn’t wanted him in the picture.

      “Well, you’ll never know whether you can trust her until you give her the chance to prove herself,” Savanna told him.

      Joe didn’t know anything about this woman except that she’d been late to work and didn’t have any qualms about speaking her mind. But she had managed to pacify Megan without sticking the phone into his hand. And after several days of his daughter’s endless calls, he could only see that as a major improvement.

      “When she calls back, tell her she may go. But she has to be back in an hour and a half. And that you’ll call the house to make sure she’s returned on time.”

      Smiling gladly, Savanna nodded.

      That settled, Joe turned and headed toward a coffee machine situated in the far corner of the room.

      Bemused, Savanna asked, “Does this mean you still want me for the job?”

      He glanced at her over his shoulder, and Savanna didn’t miss the wry twist on his lips.

      “Against my better judgment.”

      Chapter Two

      The smile faded from Savanna’s face as she folded her arms defensively over her breasts. “You really know how to make a girl feel needed, Mr. McCann.”

      His eyebrows peaked at her remark. It had been a long time since Joe had wanted to make anyone feel needed, he realized. Especially a woman.

      “Believe me, Ms. Starr, making you feel needed was not on my agenda this morning.”

      Savanna’s nostrils flared and Joe watched her rose-colored lips purse with disdain. He’d never particularly liked short hair on a woman. Certainly not as short as Savanna Starr’s, which left her ears and neck exposed and a shock of thick blond bangs falling over her forehead. But he had to admit that it looked damn sexy on her.

      “Having a flat wasn’t on my agenda, either,” she couldn’t help retorting.

      Joe glanced over at his desk. Not because he was searching for something. He merely needed to get his eyes off her and remind himself that just because she had a cute little face with warm brown eyes and a body that curved in all the right places didn’t mean he needed her for a secretary. He already had enough on his mind without adding a woman to his problems.

      But the way she’d dealt with Megan led him to believe she could actually help matters where his daughter was concerned. And right now that was the most important thing he needed to consider.

      As though they couldn’t bear it any longer, his eyes traveled back to her. “Tell me, Ms. Starr, do you normally have flat tires on your way to work? Or can I depend on you to be here on time?”

      Savanna decided not to let his gibes anger her. She didn’t like the wasteful emotion, and from what she could gather from the few minutes since she’d arrived, things hadn’t been running very smoothly for him. She could only wonder how long it had been since he and his daughter had actually lived in the same house. And what had happened to his marriage in the first place?

      Dear Lord, had she lost her mind? Joe McCann’s past family life was none of her business. She shouldn’t be thinking of him as a man. He was her boss! And even that was a shaky deal.

      Giving herself a hard mental slap, she said, “No, I don’t normally have flats and I’m rarely late.”

      “That’s good. Because I don’t need you out on Interstate 40 waiting for some macho man to come to your rescue. I need you here.”

      I need you. Why did those words blot out everything else he’d said up until now? Whenever she looked at him, why did she want to peel back the layers of his sarcasm and look for the real man she suspected was underneath? Changing that flat this morning must have addled her brain!

      “I’ll tell you what, Mr. McCann. In the future, if I need rescuing on I-40, I’ll be sure to call you.”

      He could tell from the impish light in her eyes and the curve of her lips that she was teasing. In spite of his sour mood, he found himself wanting to smile back at her. But he didn’t. He had serious things to consider. He couldn’t let himself be drawn into her teasing humor.

      Turning his back on her, he reached for the coffeepot. By now the liquid was burned to a bitter black, but Joe poured himself a mugful anyway. After these few minutes with Savanna he figured a shot of Scotch would have been more fitting. But since he wasn’t a drinker, he’d have to rely on the caffeine to fortify him.

      A few steps away, Savanna watched him swallow a mouthful of coffee, then allowed her eyes to slip down the hard-rock length of his body. He was dressed casually in blue jeans, laced-up work boots and a khaki shirt with the cuffs turned back against his forearms. He wore the clothes well, she decided. Too well for her peace of mind.

      Joe took another sip of coffee, then moved back to his desk. Once there he motioned with his head for her to join him.

      “Right now I think it’s time we both got to work.”

      Her hands laced loosely in front of her, Savanna walked over and stood in front of his desk.

      “I don’t know how much Edie told you about the job you’ll be doing here,” he said, “but it’s mainly answering the phone, typing correspondence and making out the payroll. Delta, our dispatcher, works in the back of the building. You’ll be talking to her from time to time. Otherwise, you’ll be working in this room with me.”

      For the first time since she’d arrived, Savanna took the time to glance around the long room. It wasn’t anything fancy. Calendars, charts, maps and photographs of gas and oil wells covered most of the paneled walls. In one corner there was a small table with a coffee machine, foam cups and a bag of stale-looking doughnuts on it. Next to the table were a couple of plastic chairs. On the opposite side of the room, a few feet away from where she stood, was another metal desk and typing-style chair.

      As she looked at the desk, the first thing that ran through Savanna’s mind was that she’d be facing Joe McCann all day long. She couldn’t imagine what that would be like. She’d worked as a temporary for several years, and during that time she’d had all sorts of bosses. But none of them had looked like Joe. Nor had they raised her hackles the way he had in the very first minute she’d met him.

      Still, she wasn’t about to tuck tail and run just because Joe McCann wasn’t the ideal boss. She was going to stick around and make him sorry for his sarcastic attitude!

      Looking at her new boss, she said, “Your secretary explained the duties of my job and how the books are set up. I’m sure I won’t have any problems.” Unless it’s with you, she mentally added.

      Joe looped his thumbs over the top of his jean pockets and continued to regard Savanna through narrowed eyes. “Edie said you’ve worked as a temporary for nearly five years and that you come highly recommended.”

      He sounded as though he found that hard to believe. Savanna decided then and there he was going to make her prove her capabilities. Well, that was all right with her. She knew how to do her job. But more than that, she knew how to adapt to new places, people and situations. She’d been doing it for

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