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She detoured to leave her plant cuttings and basket in the potting shed, and then led the way to her office. ‘Come on in. How long do you think the review will take?’
‘Depending on how much I get interrupted, it shouldn’t take more than a few days.’
His gaze searched hers just a little bit too keenly for her comfort.
‘Great.’ She gestured to where a second computer and desk sat at a diagonal angle to her own, and pushed those other thoughts as far back in her mind as she could manage. ‘I don’t mean it’s great that you won’t be here more than that. You know what I mean...’
Did he? Was he hearing her words falling over themselves in a way that was quite out of character after her usual modulated approaches to him?
So get over it, Cecilia. You’ve been to see him at his city office, where the staff all complain that he’s hardly ever there but say it fondly, as though they’re glad that he gives them the autonomy to do their best for him while he’s out spreading his holdings even further. You’ve been to the warehouse home he shared in the past with his brothers. He’s seen you at each of the nurseries you’ve managed. Multiple times, in fact. This is no different.
‘The financials are all on there.’ She used her best I’ve-got-over-it tone, which would at least make sense to her. ‘Along with my strategic forecast for the business for the upcoming couple of years.’
The hand she’d been waving around now hid itself in a fold of her sundress’s knee-length skirt.
‘Thanks.’ Again his lips curved into that hint of a smile. ‘I’ll jump straight in.’
‘I’d best get on with my work, too.’ Cecilia dropped into her chair. ‘I have invoices to get into the system from the weekend’s trade.’
She did not mention that she’d spent so much time ensuring that the outdoor aspects of the nursery were impeccable in recent days that she’d allowed that invoicing to get somewhat behind.
She’d known Linc would be here and that he’d want her around—at least to start with. This way she could work while she answered any questions he might have.
That’s right. You weren’t hiding out doing your favourite tasks just because they help you not to think about other things.
Cecilia had a major event coming up for the nursery. She simply didn’t have time to think about anything else. Not family stresses, not her abandonment by Hugh and certainly not this morning’s odd noticing of Linc in a way she had stopped herself doing for years.
Cecilia jabbed the start button of her Slimline computer. ‘I’ll be here all day in the office to be sure I’m available for any questions you may have.’
‘I appreciate that you’re so well organised for the review, even with a big event looming on the horizon.’
Linc MacKay murmured the words as his plant-nursery manager shuffled her bottom into her office chair and peered down her nose at the computer screen in front of her.
She looked beautiful today...a summery woman with golden skin. Her shoulders were bare but for a couple of spaghetti straps on the deep red sundress splashed with a bold floral design, and her lips were highlighted in a subtle lipstick.
Linc had rejected her innocent overtures six years ago, even though he’d felt a spark of interest at the time. It had never truly gone away, and he had felt that fact keenly today. Seeing her in the beautiful sundress, showing such a feminine side of herself, Linc felt as though he were seeing her in a whole new light.
And because that awareness wasn’t acceptable to him, he forced his focus to her business acumen.
Cecilia was determined and motivated and very capable when it came to running a nursery. Her push to gain a share in this one had impressed him, and she’d earned that opportunity over the last six years.
She was an intriguing woman, Linc acknowledged silently, and his glance returned to her once again. Slender, with shoulder-length hair every shade from ash to dark blond and eyes the colour of bluebonnets...
Where had he been?
Right. Her inner strength and drive impressed him. Linc told himself not to think about how sweet she looked, how he felt as though layers had been pulled from his eyes and he could see her clearly for the very first time.
‘I’ll review the strategic projections first.’ He pushed the knowledge of her appeal to the back of his mind, where it had to remain. ‘Those will form a solid basis for the rest of my review. They’ll also help me to spot any areas where the business might not yet be living up to its full potential.’
‘I’ll be keen to discuss any weak areas with you.’ Cecilia sat very upright in her chair. ‘I pride myself on trying to keep everything strong. I’ve printed a copy of the projections document for you.’
She pointed to the pile of files beside his computer. The document sat right on top.
‘I appreciate it.’ He lifted the sheaf of pages and flipped through them before turning back to the first page and lowering his gaze so he could fully concentrate on it.
It took a while, but Linc did immerse himself in the work. Even if he could see acres of soft, delicately sun-kissed skin in the periphery of his view.
Cecilia focused studiously on her office work, but out of the corner of her eye she remained very aware of Linc as the hours passed.
She wanted to know how he felt about his findings so far, even though he would have only just scratched the surface at this stage.
Distractingly, she noticed the scent of his aftershave. It made her think about things that had no business being in her mind.
‘Cecilia?’
‘Yes. No. I mean—’ Had Linc asked her a question while she’d been daydreaming about woodsy scents and clear grey eyes? She had no idea—and no business noticing his eyes. Or his shoulders. Or the way his strong nose perfectly matched the firm, sensuous appeal of his lips.
Concentrate, Cee! On something other than how gorgeous he is.
‘I might get a bite to eat.’ He glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘It’s getting to be that time of day. Would you like to join me, or can I pick up something for you?’
For a moment blank incomprehension filled her. She fought her way out of it and realised she was hungry—but a lunch date with Linc MacKay...?
‘Thanks, but I have errands to run on my lunch break.’ Fortunately, his invitation had been offhand enough that she didn’t need to worry about causing offence by refusing it.
Exactly.
So why had her heart skipped a beat?
‘Plus, I brought something to eat from home.’ Something dull and ordinary that held no uncertain surprises and certainly wouldn’t make her think back to a past time when she had wanted to know Linc better on a personal rather than a business footing. ‘But I appreciate the offer.’
He gave a little nod and a half smile and went on his way—which quite put it into perspective, as she should have done from the start. Thank goodness she hadn’t sounded as though she were turning him down in a personal way or anything like that.
Cecilia ate her home-packed sandwich at her desk, and then headed for the nearby mall. Her thoughts turned to her sister more and more with each step. Hugh might have dropped Cecilia like the proverbial hot potato when her family life had suddenly gone from slightly troublesome to really concerning, and that still hurt, but it was the rift with Stacey that remained as a constant source of heartache any time Cecilia let the thoughts surface.
Rejection seemed to have formed a bit too much of a repeat cycle in Cecilia’s life lately. It was just as well that she had learned to bury her emotions in her work and that she was very good at that work.
‘Next, please.’ The voice of the man behind the counter at the postal outlet drew her from her thoughts.
‘Hello. I need to purchase a money order, please.’
‘Same name and amount?’
The clerk probably thought he was being helpful, asking that. Instead, it just reminded Cecilia of how many times she had done this. Every Monday for the past five months, and it wasn’t over yet.
Not this guy’s fault, and not your fault, either, so smile and be normal. Got it?
She was fulfilling a duty, and if that felt like a paltry thing to do, well, the situation wasn’t easy—and doing this was a lot more than just duty. She had to continue to hope that things would improve.
‘Yes. Thank you.’
Cecilia placed the money order into a pre-stamped envelope and mailed it.
As she returned to work she let her spirits find happiness again. She loved the nursery and loved what she’d achieved here. And if she felt a little lift, knowing she was about to see Linc again, too, that came from knowing that every moment in his presence brought the results of the review and his decision about her share proposition closer. It was that and only that.
If she didn’t entirely believe herself, Cecilia ignored the fact.
Her peace lasted until she approached the office and heard Linc speaking.
‘I can tell you really want to speak with her, but Cecilia is at lunch just now.’ There was a pause. ‘Are you in a position where you could call back a bit later?’
‘Is that for me? I’ll take it now.’ She could hardly speak for the buzzing in her ears, and she saw Linc was ending the call even as she spoke.
For a moment after he’d placed the phone back in its cradle, she simply stood there.
‘That was a supplier wanting to change an order.’
Linc seemed to be searching her face with a great deal of attention.
It was just a supplier, phoning on the office phone. Your sister only has your cell phone number. You haven’t missed a chance to speak with her, and Linc hasn’t found out anything about her.
Disappointment and relief fought for supremacy inside Cecilia.
They both won.
‘The guy sounded old...grumpy.’ Linc gave a what-do-you-do kind of a shrug. ‘He didn’t want to leave his name or number, only wanted to speak with you, and he ended the call quite abruptly.’
‘I think I know which supplier that would have been.’ She walked to her desk, sat down. Felt Linc’s gaze on her and an added layer of awareness of her that she would swear, despite her admonitions to herself earlier to the contrary, was real.
Did she want to set herself up for further rejection? No.
Exactly, Cecilia. So get your mind back on your work. Now!
But trying to do that just reminded her that her heart had almost stopped for a second or two, and now she was fighting a renewed sense of sadness and loss that she tried to keep distant during work hours.
‘I’ll call the supplier back a bit later and let him know that a message would be welcome the next time, whether I’m here or not.’
Next time she wouldn’t practically fall apart over a silly, perfectly routine, office-related phone call.
Cecilia ignored the reasons why she would panic, and why she now felt deflated and sad all over again. Because no cause for panic had actually ensued. She’d ignored the way Linc had made her feel today so far, too. If she ignored that for long enough, she would get it under control.
She turned her attention back to her work. In the end, that was where her focus needed to stay!
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_7ed11e74-fbf5-5b04-969b-b7a2aa8bde5b)
‘IS THERE A chance we could move my tour of the facility forward and do it now? I have to disappear for a while later this morning on other business.’
Linc made the request as he and Cecilia met at the front area of the plant nursery the next morning. They’d driven into the staff parking area within seconds of each other.
‘I’m sorry for the disruption to our review, but would that be manageable for you?’
‘There’s no need to apologise. I’m surprised you got through even one day without a disruption, to be honest. And the flower show management team aren’t due here until eleven—so, yes, I can do the tour now.’
Cecilia’s words and tone were calm. Yet in catching her unawares Linc had glimpsed what had looked like sorrow in her eyes, before she’d shielded her expression and the mantle of ‘business manager’ came down over her face.
There’d been an awareness of him, too. It had sparked briefly before that mantle had come down. It disturbed him that he had looked and hoped for that very thing. And it disturbed him that she had seemed sad.
He frowned, but a moment later Cecilia spoke with such enthusiasm and apparent focus on her work that he wondered if he had imagined that earlier moment of interest and its preceding sadness.
‘It’ll be a real pleasure to show you everything here in detail. Just let me stow my things, Linc, and we’ll get into the tour.’
Cecilia quickly divested herself of her purse and her lunch, tucked her cell phone into the back pocket of her jeans, and led the way to the first part of the nursery.
She’d been an intriguing young woman at twenty, when she’d fought so hard to get him to let her manage one of his nurseries. With nothing but a community college course and some time spent in customer service in a small plant nursery behind her, she’d gone after her dream of managing one, tenaciously.
Linc would have been a fool not to employ her, so he had done exactly that. But not before she had let him see that she would have welcomed the opportunity to know him better as a man, not only as a potential employer.
Her interest then hadn’t been one-sided.
And now...?
Now, for his sins, Linc had seen a whole new aspect of her yesterday, and that had not only refreshed the underlying awareness of Cecilia that had never truly left him, but had added to it. Why? Was it because there’d been no woman in his life at all lately?
Well, he’d been busy.
Too busy to pick up the phone and invite someone out or to say yes to any of the invitations that came his way?
Was he getting jaded? Or perhaps lonely? Wanting what his brothers had in their marriages?
That last thought came out of nowhere, and Linc shoved it right back there just as quickly. Ridiculous. He was perfectly happy as he was. He ignored any possibility that he might not be.
Linc’s gaze was focused on the back of Cecilia’s head as she walked along a curved pathway ahead of him, but all that did was draw his attention to her again.
A yellow sleeveless shirt contrasted with denim cut-offs, and both highlighted her soft curves. Today she wore her hair up in that ponytail again, and it bounced with every step of her work-booted feet.
The ponytail made Linc want to kiss her, and while the sensible work attire spoke of her determination, she looked equally as appealing to Linc today as she had yesterday—all feminine curviness and beauty.
Layers had definitely been peeled from his eyes, and Linc wanted to paste them right back on. He needed to do that, because Cecilia wasn’t the kind of woman he’d date and forget—the type of woman he had always dated because it was easy to walk away.
He had to set aside this awareness of Cecilia—whether he’d suddenly noticed her on a whole different level or not.
Cecilia glanced over her shoulder. ‘Shall we visit the cold storage first?’
‘Yes. That would be...ah...great.’
They headed over there, and Linc forced his attention back to the tour. He noticed the amount of empty space surrounding the limited offerings of cut flowers.
‘How’s the cut-flower trade going?’
