“Mrs. McAlister,” Dean began, trying to ignore the bossy ghost.
The woman lifted her chin in a proud gesture. “I’ve tried to get a job in town, but there weren’t any available,” she said. “A waitress at the diner said maybe you would have something.”
“She doesn’t have anywhere else to go, Dean,” Anna piped in. “I have a feeling about her. She needs help. Ian could tell you—if you could hear him—my feelings are always right.”
“I don’t even have a room ready,” Dean muttered, frustrated that he couldn’t talk to Anna without looking like a head case. “I just moved into the inn, myself, a couple of weeks ago. We’re a long way from being ready for guests or staff.”
“Casey and I don’t need special accommodations. We’ll share a room, sleep on cots, sleeping bags, whatever. I’d like to help you get the inn ready to open.”
“Don’t send her away, Dean,” Anna urged.
Dean was beginning to feel trapped. This was crazy. He didn’t need a cook or a maid or a live-in decorator. And an inn in the middle of renovations was no place for a little girl. Despite Anna’s prodding, he was all set to turn the woman away.
And then he looked into her eyes.
Cara McAlister wasn’t exactly begging—Dean had the impression she wasn’t the type—but she was as close as a proud woman could come to doing so. He could see the desperation, and the despair. “I’ll work very hard,” she repeated.
He sighed. “When do you want to start?”
Her eyes lit up. “Our things are all in the car. We can move in immediately.”
“Poor dears. They don’t even have a home,” Anna murmured.
Dean flicked her a glance, then turned back to the other woman. His new employee.
“We’ll have to see about getting some furniture in one of the extra bedrooms. There are some old beds and chests stored in one of the rooms upstairs. I’ll haul a couple down for you until we can come up with something better. Aunt Mae’s been doing all the cooking and has started cleaning the parts of the inn that are ready. You can work with her. We’ll discuss salary later.”
Cara gave him a shy, grateful smile. “Thank you. Yon won’t regret lit.”
He sincerely hoped she was right. He nodded toward the child. “Make sure she stays away from the construction crews. It would be dangerous for her to be around them when they’re working.”
“She’ll stay out of their way,” Cara promised.
The little girl nodded in agreement. Dean wondered if she was always so quiet and subdued. He couldn’t help questioning what this odd couple was running from. That they were running from something was obvious. The most logical explanation was an abusive husband and father. Dean stifled a sigh, asking himself how much more complicated his life was going to get since he’d “simplified” it by buying the inn.
He glanced at his watch. It was just after noon. He’d bet Cara and Casey hadn’t eaten lunch, maybe not even breakfast. He would also bet Aunt Mae was already in the kitchen, preparing food for them.
“Why don’t the two of you go inside to Aunt Mae for something to eat,” he suggested. “I’ll put away my tools and be right in.”
Cara nodded, took her daughter’s hand and turned away. She paused at the end of the path and looked back over her shoulder. “Thank you, Mr. Gates.”
He nodded, uncomfortable with the hint of tears in her voice. “Yeah,” he said gruffly. “Go have something to eat.”
“You really are a sweet man,” Anna said approvingly when they were alone. “I had a feeling about you from the first”
“Let’s just hope your ‘feelings’ don’t get me in a truckload of trouble,” he said bluntly. “Damn it, Anna, I don’t need her here. What am I supposed to do with her?”
“The inn needs maids,” she said with an innocent expression. “We always had at least three on staff.”
“The inn isn’t even open. It won’t be for several months.”
“Then she can cook and clean for you and your aunt while you prepare to open. I’ve worried about your aunt doing all that heavy cleaning she’s been taking on. Did you know she was up on a ladder yesterday, dusting fixtures?”
Dean scowled. “No. I didn’t know that.” He would definitely have to talk to Aunt Mae. She had no business being on a ladder with her bad knees. Of course, he’d have to figure out a way to tell her how he knew about her behavior without having actually seen her.
It occurred to him that he was taking Anna’s presence much more for granted now. It no longer even startled him when she made her appearances. And he spent entirely too much time anticipating her doing so.
“I like your aunt. She seems very kind.”