Pining For You (Jasper Falls 4)

As Gran dumped the remaining candy and washed the dishes, Skylar dried and put them away, as comfortable in this kitchen as she was in her mom’s, and now in the Buchanan’s.

“Colin told me you’re taking a class at Shippensburg, is that right?”

“It’s just an online course.”

“Still counts, dear.”

Skylar grinned. Despite having dozens of grandchildren to keep track of, her grandmother never missed a beat.

“This new job will help with tuition. By the time Addison starts school, I should have enough saved to finish my bachelor’s degree—debt free.”

“Do you need that to open a preschool?”

Technically, she only needed an associate’s to run a day care, which she had, but she also needed a substantial amount of seed money. And currently she was broke.

“It’s the money. Mr. Buchanan is paying me well, and I want to work for a while so that I have enough saved to design a school house exactly how I’ve dreamed.” She shrugged. “If I keep working for him until Addison goes to Kindergarten, I can save a lot of money and manage a few more virtual courses.” As a teacher, her education would continue until she retired, so going to school while working in a classroom wasn’t abnormal.

“It’ll all work out.” Gran passed her the last bowl to dry.

Once the kitchen was clean, they bundled the kids up and let them play in the snow for a while, which gave her grandmother a chance to get off her feet. While Gran enjoyed a mug of hot tea and honey on one of the rocking chairs, Skylar tried to build a snowman with the kids.

When their rosy cheeks were chapped and their mittens soaked with melted ice, Gran set them up by the fire with popcorn and a Christmas movie.

Addison was wiped out by the time they left, and asleep by the time they made it home. Skylar carried her into the living room and covered her with a blanket on the couch. That night she slept right through dinner.

The house was quiet when her boss arrived and Skylar wasn’t sure if her presence was needed any longer. Hovering by the door, she began to make her exit.

“Stay,” Rhett said, as he realized he’d be eating alone.

Skylar hesitated. Dining alone with her boss… It seemed too intimate.

“If you go, I’ll end up making a plate and taking it to the study where I’ll get lost in work and let it go cold.”

“Well, don’t do that.” She laughed, knowing he was trying to guilt her into staying.

“I can’t make any promises. I’m a creature of habit.”

Was he? He definitely followed a routine, but he was fairly easy to derail. Skylar had yet to meet the hardheaded, particular boss Erin implied he would be.

“Stay,” he repeated, voice dropping low. “We can call it a business meeting and you can update me on how you’re settling in to your new position.”

There was that charismatic mayor charm people couldn’t resist. “Fine.”

They settled at the kitchen table rather than using the dining room. At first the conversation was hollow, punctuated mostly by Rhett’s animated response to her cooking. The man could get excited about a can of corn.

“What were you eating before I started working for you?”

“Nothing good. Way too much greasy fast food and a lot of dry sandwiches. One week and you’ve spoiled me. You’re an excellent cook.”

“Hardly.”

He paused and raised a brow.

“I’m adequate,” she admitted modestly, thinking of her mother’s, aunts’ and Gran’s incredible skills.

“Does praise make you uncomfortable?”

His question did. She shrugged.

When she didn’t verbalize and answer, he waited her out and the silence became stifling.

Finally, she admitted, “I think it has to do with being one little part of a very big family. It humbles you or it ruins you. I’m not the bitter sort, so I go with the flow.”

“Interesting.” He cleared his plate and filled it with seconds of everything. “So, you don’t like being the center of attention.”

“I’m just not used to it.”

He studied her, staring into her eyes until her gaze dropped to her plate. She’d only eaten a little bit. He made her nervous—not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that made her lose interest in food.

She didn’t want to miss anything he said and his interest kept her on her toes.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

Startled by his question, her skin heated, a blush burning to her chest. “Um, no. I’m single.”

“How come?”

She frowned at his unexpected curiosity and turned the question back on him. “How come you’re single?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. “I mean… I just assumed…Never mind.”

He chuckled. “It’s fine. I am single.” He set his fork on the plate and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest in a contemplative pose. “Relationships are complicated. My focus is Addy. She’s my number one priority.”