Stuart nodded as if he could relate to losing his cool with Miranda. “Might I ask what this personal business was about?”
“I’d rather not say. It was fairly personal. I’m trying to build a good working relationship with my team and I wouldn’t want to betray her trust so early in our relationship.”
“Fair point.” Stuart sighed. “It seems someone with an ax to grind against Miranda chose to see a situation in an unflattering light. I’m sorry I dragged you into it. I should’ve known you would have more integrity than that.”
Jeremiah winced privately as he knew Stuart’s faith in him was misplaced. Stuart thought he’d cleared Jeremiah, but in truth, Stuart simply hadn’t asked the right questions. Jeremiah swallowed the words dancing in on his tongue. The urge to admit the truth of his actions pressed down on him but he fought the urge to confess his sins until the moment passed. He didn’t want to leave Miranda. And if he told Stuart the truth, Stuart would demand his resignation. Jeremiah simply wasn’t ready to do that. “Sir, if I may ask, what is your beef with Miranda? From what I can tell she’s a good employee and an asset to the department, yet you’re obviously not a fan.”
Stuart nodded, accepting the legitimacy of Jeremiah’s question without irritation. “I don’t care for her personality. I don’t like her attitude. And I think a part of me is angry that she doesn’t give a damn what I think of her,” he admitted.
“She’s a strong woman. She’s smart and a self-starter. Frankly, the department could use a few more employees like her. Have you taken a look at the research she’s compiled on the poaching cases? She may not have law-enforcement training but she’s got an eye for finding details that seem out of place. With her tracking skills and some formal training she could be a force to reckon with.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.” Stuart’s chin lifted as his jaw tensed. “I don’t much care for women who immediately question every direction you give them. What happened to the good old days when women did what they were told?”
Jeremiah startled at the irritability in Stuart’s voice. Somehow Jeremiah didn’t think Stuart was only talking about Miranda any longer. “Change is good,” Jeremiah ventured cautiously. “Having a woman’s perspective on the job is an invaluable asset. Their brains don’t work like ours. I’ve found that having a woman’s input on any given dilemma is an immediate bonus. The best part about Miranda is that she works like a man but still thinks like a woman.”
“I suppose.” Stuart sighed, seeming distracted. “Do you know when I married my wife she wanted to be a homemaker? And she was a damn good one. But then she wanted a career. And suddenly I was fixing my own dinner and ironing my own shirts, and then, if that wasn’t bad enough, she wanted me to be sensitive to her needs as if I hadn’t already been sensitive to her before. It’s damn confusing, if you ask me. Life was simpler when the women kept the house and the men did the work.” Stuart’s admission shocked Jeremiah. “Times have changed, Jeremiah. And not for the better.”
Jeremiah couldn’t disagree more. “When a woman has her own career, her own passion, she gains the same amount of pride as a man does when he’s done a job well. My father had a saying—‘happy wife, happy life.’ I believe it’s true. My ex-wife was a very unhappy woman and when our son died she had nothing left to sustain her. People need more than just one single thing to fill their day. People need purpose. If keeping house and tending children doesn’t fulfill their purpose, if they’re smart enough to find something outside of the home to do that, let them. The best bit of advice I can give is, if you want to hold on to your wife, embrace her desire to have a career. Support her. If you don’t like ironing your clothes, hire someone to do it, but don’t expect her to do it simply because it’s convenient for you. Show her that you can change and be the man that she needs you to be.”
“Why should I pay good money to do something that she used to do for me for free?”
“You need to change your thinking or you’re going to end up alone. I know that much. Do you love your wife, sir?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then show her with your actions. Remember, happy wife, happy life. It’s a good rule to live by.”
Stuart pursed his lips bullishly, and even though he didn’t like what Jeremiah had to say there must’ve been a glimmer of reason that made sense because he jerked a short nod before returning his gaze out the window. “I’m sorry I took you away from more important details. Have you had any leads on the poaching case?”