Holiday Sparks

He looked down at his shoes. “This is helping me out just as much, remember?”

“Right.” She shook her head. The quick flash of something in his eyes didn’t sit right with her, but she had too much to deal with to worry about Ben today.

He walked ahead of her and turned back to her. “Shake a tail feather, darlin’. We got a kick-ass display to show off.”

“I’ll catch up.” She couldn’t stop her lips from twitching into a smile. And all of a sudden she noticed that he had black slacks on, as well as dress shoes and a deep burgundy dress shirt. He’d spent the time to dress up for her, to hide the tats on his arms and to make a good impression. And she was being a prudish brat.

She’d been off balance since he’d started in on the personal post-coital talk and now she was making everything awful. And showing just what an uptight idiot she was about this possible promotion.

“Son of a beach ball.”

“Ms. Tucker?”

Darcy’s spine snapped straight. Miriam’s disapproving voice was enough to push thoughts of Ben to the back of her mind. “I just sent Mr. Hartley up to check on the display before we met with your parents.”

“Excellent. I trust there aren’t any problems?” In other words, her butt was in a sling if there were.

“Absolutely not. We’ve tested it twice. I think they’re going to be very pleased.”

“I think you’re correct.”

She turned

to go and Miriam touched her arm.

“Darcy.” Miriam twisted the slim signet ring on her right hand until it was perfectly centered. “I know I’ve put a lot of pressure on you, but there’s a reason for that.”

“Oh?”

“My parents haven’t made the announcement yet, but they’re opening a store in Boston and they want me to go and oversee it.”

“Wow.” Her heart began to pound in her ears. What did that mean? They’d have to break in a new store manager? She’d just gotten so she knew what to expect with her job and a new boss would change everything.

“They want—no, I want—my replacement to be you.”

The roaring in her head faded as if she’d been shoved into a vacuum. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s going to be a few months before the store will be ready for me to go and open so we’ll have time to train you properly. I need to be sure this store will be in good hands. And I think those hands are yours.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You stepped up with this Christmas tree debacle and you’re obviously a problem solver. I wish it had been a bit cheaper on the budget, but I think the new design makes us look even classier and I have a feeling it will translate into sales. And your Mr. Hartley certainly has himself a job when the Boston store opens. And he’ll be paid handsomely this time.”

“I’ll tell him. This is a prototype. It will certainly put him on the map.”

“And you said he’s an artist?”

She nodded. Ben was going to be ecstatic. This design was his baby. He wouldn’t just be a tattoo artist anymore. He could sell the design and do anything he wanted.

“Well, I’m happy to see him in more business-minded clothing today. I appreciate that.”

A little niggling of unease fluttered under her breastbone. “I think Ben—Mr. Hartley—understands how important this is.”

“And the ghastly tattoos are covered. I was worried about my father seeing those.”

“They—” Darcy wanted to shout at her just how beautiful they were. The meaning behind them was so obvious if Miriam had taken the time to look at them closely. “He has a very good head on his shoulders,” she said lamely.

“Let’s go out and find my parents, shall we?”