Rich in Faith (Richness in Faith, Book 3) (6 page)

I see Court stiffen as his mother speaks. He doesn’t reply or answer or in any way acknowledge that she said anything.

Jared’s eyes shift between Court and Vera as she speaks, like he’s waiting for something to happen. Something unfavorable.

Or maybe the conversation is making him uncomfortable.

Maybe I’m just trying to find reasons not to be attracted to the CFO. I might have a lot in common with him, but my heart doesn’t want to go on a romantic journey right now.

Maybe never again.

I think I need to leave Jared and his possible dispositions alone and concentrate on being a nanny.

You know, what I was hired to do.

At Vera’s suggestion, we all sit around the table where she and Crystal lay out their plans. Their plans which include Crystal taking Bristol and Darling for the rest of the week.

I want to shout no! Because then what would I, the nanny, do for those few days?

With an eye on Court, I watch as his facial expression doesn’t change much. Jared has sequestered himself very close to me, which happens to be the furthest away from the conversation. Truth be told, he’s not involved in this anyway.

Maybe I will go with Crystal and all the kids.

That thought scares me.

“Sounds like a good plan.” Court taps his fingers on the table as he speaks. “There are some things going on at the dealerships I need to look into. And there is a meeting Friday morning that I need to be in if at all possible.”

“So, it’s settled, then.” Vera smiles. “Crystal will take all the kids to her house, I’ll get Cal home and settled in. Court you do what you need to do then meet us at the house on Sunday. We’ll have a huge Father’s Day celebration.”

Court excuses himself to call the guy about getting the plane ready.

I look at Crystal. “I didn’t pack very many clothes for the girls.”

“That’s okay,” Crystal replies. “They wear the same size as my girls. There’ll be no lack of clothing.”

“Great.” Do I sound concerned like a nanny should? I’m not sure where I fit into this scenario. There wasn’t any mention of me going to Crystal’s.

“Gotta love this, don’t you.” I feel warmth on my shoulder and realize Court is standing behind me, his hand on my shoulder. “Work a couple of days and get a vacation.”

I guess that means I’m not going with Crystal, Bristol, Darling and the rest of the crew. “You’re the boss.”

He squeezes my shoulder and I try to unsqueeze my heart. “We’ll be leaving in about an hour, so I guess we need to pack up and get ready to go. You, too slug.”

Jared laughs and tips back in his chair. “On it. I’ll be ready.”

Jared winks at me as Court’s hand slips from my shoulder.

As the warmth leaves I realize I like the warmth better than the wink.

MOMENT

TWO HOURS LATER I step back onto Court’s plane. He had opted once again not to play pilot, so I settle myself in the same place as I had when we flew up to North Carolina with the girls.

But instead of Court taking the seat next to me, Jared sits down and pats my knee. He seems to have lightened the cologne level today. The distinct scent is still there, just not as strong.

“This is nice.” After speaking he takes his hand away from my jean-clad leg before I can protest it being there in the first place.

Before Court can witness his gesture.

I shake my head and turn my gaze away from Jared. Not being able to discern if my reactions are overreactions is driving me crazy. Am I sour to the touch of another man?

I spent many nights in Dale’s arms. We shared kisses that I thought were the most passionate ever in the world kisses.

Then I remember Court’s touch. The warmth I felt on my shoulder as his hand rested there. I didn’t overreact then.

As the plane takes off I redirect my thinking. I have a temporary nanny job in a city far away from my home. At the end of the summer I’ll be back in Atlanta, living in my condo. I need to start thinking about securing a real job.

One that will pay my expenses for the lifestyle I was and will continue to be accustomed to.

This little stint with Court and the twins, although unexpected, has only fueled my desire for the nicer things in life. The ability to be on the giving end, not the receiving end.

A life without financial worry is a life of comfort.

Of being accepted.

No aspirations of having my own plane, though. I know where to draw the line in my thinking.

It hasn’t escaped my notice that Jared has scooted closer to me. But as nice as he looks and as good as he smells, I find my thoughts, when they aren’t on Dale, drifting to Court.

The nice part about Court sitting across from me is that I can look at him. As I do, I catch him looking at me. My gaze quickly shifts away, and I see Jared smiling at me.

I lean my head against the back of the seat and close my eyes. Maybe if I pretend to sleep, Jared will focus his attentions somewhere else. It’s not a long flight. Surely I can keep him at bay until we land.

“So,” Court says. “I was looking over the financials and a couple of the stores’ profits seem to have really dropped over the last couple of months. Nothing stuck out as being wrong, or substantially different. Are you on top of that?”

“Yeah, I am. I’ve been over at those stores trying to check on the numbers before we run the statements for June. Thought maybe I could stop something from derailing if you know what I mean.”

“Do you have your assistant helping? I can’t remember her name.”

“Janice. Her name is Janice, and uh, she’s out on maternity leave, remember?”

Court rubs his forehead. “How could I forget? Susan is swamped. I meant was Janice helping before she left? I think there are some strange things going on.”

Court’s tone sends shivers up my arms. To rub them would reveal that I’m awake. Whereas I don’t think their conversation would be different if they knew I was awake, letting them think I’m taking a nap is okay with me.

“Janice probably doesn’t have the skill set needed to help me with this type of issue. Just know I’m keeping an eye on those two stores.”

“Okay. Keep me posted on this. It’s your job to make sure we’re making money. But I do have a question. Why did you hire Janice? It doesn’t sound like she can do the job.”

“I didn’t mean to make it sound like that. She does a great job. But digging into certain accounts and stuff, I just think she wouldn’t know what she was looking for. When she comes back from leave, I’ll be training her more.”

“Okay. If you need Susan’s help with that, let me know. Susan is amazing.”

I swear I hear Jared sigh. Not loud like Court would know, but a soft one. Kind of like a whew. Like he just passed a test or something.

The rest of the flight passes in silence. All of us taking a break from life right now. Apparently Court has reason to be concerned about his work, this on top of his father’s heart attack.

I really have no idea what I’m going to do back at the mansion without Team Twin there. But I guess I’ll find out in a couple of hours.

WE ARRIVE AT THE mansion to find Mrs. Stratton already gone since there was no one to cook and clean for. There’s a different vibe in the house without Bristol and Darling.

A quiet vibe.

I unpack the few clothes I had taken with me, find the laundry room and start washing clothes. I make my way into the kitchen to look for something to drink. My stomach is rumbling as well, so I scour the refrigerator for dinner ideas.

“I thought we might go out.”

The cold air of the refrigerator balances the heat of my face as I realize Court is speaking to me. Why do his words and gazes elicit such a reaction from me?

I straighten and shut the door. “Sure.”

I turn around and pretty much bite my lip to keep my mouth from falling open.

This man is gorgeous. There are simply no other words to describe him. Hot is too tame for the likes of Court Treyhune. And yes, just a short time ago, I was engaged. I realize this. But that reality is moving further and further away from my memory.

As is the image of Dale’s handsome face.

“I want to discuss something regarding the girls before we go. Do you have time to talk now?”

Other than the load of laundry I’ve started there isn’t too much on my agenda. “Sure.” My face almost heats again at the realization that Court probably thinks I have a one-word vocabulary.

“Great. Pull up a bar stool.”

Moments later, as we are settled, I do everything in my power to ensure I stay focused on our conversation.

“I want to talk to you about homeschooling the girls.”

I straighten and sit back in my chair. “Uh, I have no experience in that area. None.” I say this like I have experience in being a nanny.

He shakes his head. “I don’t mean you homeschooling them. I would like you to interview people to start homeschooling them when school begins again.”

Relief flows through me at his words. “Okay. I’m not sure where to start, but I have the time to figure all that out.”

“I have information that MaryLeigh gathered. She never actually homeschooled in Florida. She became too sick too fast. But I’ll get it for you tomorrow and you can look through it. It will be a place to start.”

“Okay. That would be helpful.”

MaryLeigh was insistent that the girls be homeschooled. She did it as long as she could when we lived in North Carolina. I know she’s probably aggravated in heaven that I haven’t gotten around to handling it yet.”

I chuckle. “I don’t think aggravation is allowed in heaven.”

He does that barely smiling thing again.

Which is a good thing for me. I think Court’s full smile is reserved for those he loves, like his mother and his daughters.

“Given MaryLeigh’s personality I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t change heaven.”

I may not know much about God, but I remember Mama always saying God never changed. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. “Not sure that’s possible.”

“I’m not talking blasphemy here. I mean she probably turned heaven on its ear. She was anything but docile. Even at the end.”

His words aren’t an invitation to inquire about MaryLeigh or her death. Which is a relief as I feel at odds discussing anything regarding Court’s first wife. His mom’s play by play on her looks was weird enough.

And he’s vague in his speech. Which is normal. He doesn’t know me very well and conversing about his wife, who has passed away, can’t be comfortable for him. At least it wouldn’t be for me. “Do you have a deadline for this project you’ve assigned me to?”

“As long as the girls have someone by the time school starts. We can find that date online.”

“If they’re registered in public school there’s probably some paperwork to fill out regarding that.”

“Probably. There’s so much red tape for everything nowadays.”

Before I can respond the doorbell chimes. Court’s expression turns puzzled. “Not expecting anybody. I’ll be right back.”

Moments later I hear voices.

Jared is here.

An expectant, yet troubled sensation races through me.

“Wasn’t sure what you had planned for dinner,” he says as he walks through the living room into the kitchen. “But I brought a large pizza. Thought we could all dine in together tonight.” He slides the box onto the counter.

“All your date prospects busy tonight?” Court asks.

“Funny.” Jared opens the refrigerator and holds out a bottle of beer. “Care for one?”

He’s looking back and forth between Court and me.

“Okay.” Court’s response is curt.

“No.” I decline this offer to be one of the guys.

“Shelby’s a wine kind of girl.” Court slides onto the bar stool next to me which leaves Jared no choice but to sit next to Court.

Jared has changed into a dark blue polo shirt that tucks nicely into his jeans. Again, his cologne is overpowering, almost masking the smell of the pizza.

“You’ve just met and you know what type of girl she is?” Jared’s tone is disbelieving.

Neither of us responds. He’s obviously familiar with the place as he opens a cabinet and places a plate in front of each of us. He also opens a drawer and grabs some cloth napkins.

He holds the pizza box in front of me, the lid open and inviting.

“The works,” he says, nodding at the pizza.

I grab a piece but the cheese is being difficult. As I try to rein it in with my index finger of my other hand, Court has the same idea. Our fingers touch and again that warm feeling comes over me.

“Sorry,” we both say at the same time. We also kind of laugh together while Jared stands there with a scowl on his face.

I pull the lone strand of cheese on my pizza while Court grabs a piece from the box.

Jared slides two pieces on his plate before setting the box down and settling himself on the barstool next to Court.

“So, seriously,” Court starts. “Who was that brunette you were dating? Are things off with her?”

Jared wipes his mouth with the fancy cloth napkin. “Ansley? I wasn’t serious about her. We only went out a couple of times.”

“Didn’t you take off a Friday a couple of weeks ago to take her to Key West for a long weekend?”

Jared smiles a cocky smile. “Yeah. We had a good time. She’s expensive though. A drinker. Seven or eight glasses of wine at ten plus dollars a pop adds up.”

Court takes a swig of beer before setting his bottle on the counter. “That’s what I pay you the big bucks for, isn’t it? To impress the ladies?”

Jared shares a shocked look which we all know is fake. “The salary isn’t that big. Besides, if you keep talking like this Shelby will think I’m a player.”

“And?” Court shrugs.

“And I’m not. I don’t want her getting the wrong idea. She’s too pretty to be thinking bad thoughts about me.”

I continue eating in silence. It’s obvious these guys have a history. One that makes them comfortable bantering back and forth regarding all matters.

I’m not that comfortable yet.

I’m still trying to figure out how to move forward with my life. And at the moment forward looks like having pizza with two handsome men.

This is a good moment.