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God, the ache was impossible. Some days he thought he couldn’t make it without her. Her and Sammy.
If he closed his eyes, he could see her walking toward him. Hear her sweet voice—
“Mr. Witt, there’s a problem with my water. I can’t find Jeff. Can you fix it?”
Jackson opened his eyes and turned. Instead of Sara’s dark beauty, he confronted the petite blonde Jeff had hired. The petite, pregnant blonde who barely came up to his shoulder.
Irritation rose. What did she want now? If she thought he planned to baby-sit her until Friday, she had another thought coming. He still didn’t know why he’d given her until Friday. She should have headed back to Julian already.
Chapter Two
“What do you want?”
“Someone to fix the water in my trailer. I knocked on Jeff’s door. He said he has the trailer next door to mine, but he’s not there. And I don’t know anyone else to ask. I certainly don’t want you to think I was flirting with someone if I asked for assistance,” Mandy said.
Jackson took another swallow of the soda, his cherished quiet shattered. He scanned her from head to toe, irritated anew at the sight of her. The asperity in her voice was noticeable. He straightened. She was right; if there was a problem, he or Jeff should fix it. No sense opening a crack in a door for any of the men to think it was an invitation.
“What’s wrong with the water?”
“I can’t get any hot. It comes out cold from both faucets. There’s a hot-water heater, but I don’t know a thing about it and don’t know if it’s working properly.”
“Probably needs a new propane tank hooked up.”
She stared at him. Her eyes were darker in the twilight—not deep brown as Sara’s had been, but navy blue.
Navy blue eyes? It had to be lack of light, or altitude sickness. What was wrong with him? She had plain old blue eyes, period.
He sighed over the inevitable and turned to begin to walk back along the shore, then up the slight incline, heading toward the trailers. Despite not wanting her around, he would fix the blasted hot-water heater. A pregnant woman needed warm water.
A shaft of pain pierced him. He remembered how much Sara had liked soaking in hot baths when she’d been pregnant with Sammy. Sometimes he’d joined her, the two of them sloshing water everywhere.
Quickening his pace, he tried to put distance between him and the memories. It took a couple of minutes to realize Mandy Parkerson was almost running to keep up with him.
Jackson stopped abruptly. She skidded to a halt and looked at him, her breasts rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. The higher elevation took some getting used to. Exertion wasn’t recommended until a person had become acclimated.
“You needn’t run,” he said.
“I want to see how you fix the hot-water heater. If there’s a problem in the future, I can take care of it myself if I know how.”
“There won’t be another problem before Friday.”
She tilted her chin, meeting his gaze. “I meant beyond Friday—when I’m still here and a valuable member of the team!”
Jackson felt a twitch of amusement. He’d give her credit for being tenacious, if nothing else. But the proof would be in the work and the way she handled herself. He didn’t have time for dilettantes. Tomorrow he’d make sure she realized fully what all was involved. He’d bet she’d be gone by sundown.
He turned back toward her trailer, moving more slowly, conscious of the woman beside him. He’d never had to shorten his stride with Sara.
As they walked along, Jackson’s senses were teased by the floral scent that seemed to float around Mandy Parkerson. It was light and delicate—like she was. It brought home how much he’d missed a woman’s presence in the last three years. And how long the years stretched out, empty and lonely, ahead of him.
Unable to bear the reality of Sara’s and Sammy’s deaths, he’d thrown himself into his work, taking on more and more. Joining Jeff in partnership, he had pushed to build their newly formed J&J Construction to the size it was today. He didn’t have time for friendships beyond the job site, and had no plans to ever get involved with another woman. One heartache in this lifetime was more than he could handle.
Yet for the first time in three years, he was actually looking at a woman. Smelling her scent. Speculating about the true color of her eyes. And wishing she were a hundred miles away.
Innocently walking beside him, Mandy obviously hadn’t a clue about the turmoil he felt. The sooner he got her hot-water heater fixed, the sooner she’d be closed up in her trailer and out of sight—and scent. He didn’t need her to remind him of all he’d lost.
It took five minutes to locate a new propane tank, hook it to the hot-water heater and ignite the pilot light. Once he heard the whoosh that indicated the heater was working, he turned and almost crashed into her. Mandy had been at his elbow every step of the way, watching closely as he worked, asking intelligent questions.
She stepped back quickly, a hint of worry in her eyes.
“It’ll take a while for the water to heat,” he said, wanting to step back, to put distance between them. But the close confines of the trailer didn’t allow that luxury. Why didn’t she move?
“I know. I’ll eat dinner first. Then take a quick shower.” She sighed softly. “I had been hoping for a nice hot bath, but a shower is all this place has.” She smiled politely and stepped back into the living area of the trailer.
Jackson followed, intent on leaving before he did something else stupid. He had a tub in his trailer—the only one in camp, if he remembered correctly. For an instant he almost offered her the use of it. Then sanity took hold. He didn’t want her here, and didn’t plan to do anything to encourage her staying. By Friday, she’d have to admit defeat, and depart.
And if life wasn’t as comfortable as she’d hoped, maybe she’d leave even earlier.
“We start work at eight,” he said gruffly, feeling a hint of guilt for denying her such a minor bit of comfort. But he was determined to have her gone in three days.
“I’ll be there. Thank you for fixing the heater.”
She ushered him to the door and practically shut it in his face.
He stood on the step for a moment, surprised by her move. What did you expect? he asked himself as he walked away. He had done nothing since they’d met to encourage any friendly feelings. Still, he admitted he had expected her to try to change his mind—with a smile, or soft words, or an invitation for a drink. The fact that she hadn’t surprised him.
Mandy stood beneath the hot shower some time later and reveled in the warmth. She wished she could have had a nice soak, but the water felt almost as good cascading down as it would sitting in it. Tilting back her head, she wet her hair, relishing the feeling. She wished the lake was warm enough to swim in—not that late September was the time to go swimming in Colorado’s high country. The lake was probably icy cold even in summer. But it had looked inviting.
When the water began to turn cool, she shut it off and stepped out into the minuscule bathroom. It didn’t take long to dry off and don the flannel nightie she’d brought. Nights were cool in Denver, and she’d known they would be cold in the mountains. Combing her hair, she debated using a dryer. Her hair would curl in any case, so she might as well let it dry naturally.
Slipping beneath the covers a little while later, she turned off the light without reading. She wanted to get a good night’s sleep. She had a feeling she’d need all her wits about her tomorrow to prove to at least one critical partner that she was the perfect secretary.
Curiously, she had no doubt that if she proved her worth, Jackson would let her stay until they closed down for the winter. She suspected he was an honorable man, a man of his word.
She grinned in the darkness. He hadn’t wanted to help her tonight. But he had. Without a word of complaint. Another man might have said that was one hardship of working on a remote site—that they all dealt with cold showers—as a way to discourage her. But he hadn’t.
He’d been patient in answering her questions, too, though he was convinced she would never need a working knowledge of the heater or propane tank.
Would he graciously accept defeat when she showed him she could stay the course? Or would he always be looking for fault, searching for any excuse to fire her and get rid of the woman secretary? He’d agreed to the outrageous terms she’d flung out. If she passed, she’d stay. Something about the man told her that. But he was the one who’d decide if she passed, and she knew the deck was stacked against her.
Mandy was already on the phone to the county building department when Jackson entered the trailer the next morning. She’d seen him up on the framework of the main building when she’d crossed to the office, but he hadn’t seen her. He’d been deep in conversation with two other men, comfortably at home on the high skeleton of the new resort. How long had he worked in construction? Probably since he was a teenager, to be so comfortable on precarious structures.
He looked at her with surprise when he entered.
“It’s only a few minutes past eight o’clock. If he could be here by one, that would work,” she said to the woman on the other end of the line.
Mandy tried to focus on the conversation at hand, ignoring Jackson’s presence to the best of her abilities. But something about him sparked an awareness she wasn’t used to. It was as if the air shimmered with static electricity in his presence.
She almost grinned at her frivolous thoughts. If there were electricity present, he’d use it to zap her away.
Mandy smiled in triumph, but let none of her jubilation show in her voice when the woman on the other end acquiesced. “Thank you, I’ll let them know he’ll be here by one.”
She hung up the phone.
“That was?” Jackson asked, leaning against the edge of his desk, his concentration on her. His dark eyes were narrowed, offering no clue to his feelings, yet the intensity was disconcerting. Mandy felt almost as if he touched her. A tangible awareness seemed to grow. Shivering slightly, she tried to ignore her reactions, and smiled in delight.
“The county building department. You’ll have an inspector here by one.” She wanted to jump up and dance around in triumph, but contained her excitement. Jeff had told her how frustrated they’d been with inspection delays. Let Jackson think it was all in a day’s work for someone with her expertise. A few more triumphs like that and he’d have to admit she was more than suitable—she was indispensable!
“And just how did you manage that feat?” His eyes never left hers as he awaited her answer.
“Knowing who to contact and how to apply the right pressure.” And a lot of luck, but he didn’t have to know that part.
He stared at her for a long moment. Mandy caught her breath, held it as her heart rate sped up exponentially. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t break contact, could only gaze into those dark eyes that gave nothing away. What was he thinking? Did he feel any of the shimmering tension that seemed to fill the office trailer?
Abruptly, he nodded once and moved to sit behind his desk. The phone rang and he snatched it up.
She glanced away, slowly letting her breath out and taking another. What had just happened?
She drew a line through that item on her to-do list, trying to focus on all she had to accomplish and not on the other occupant of the office. Getting the inspector out on such short notice was a small victory in the greater scheme of things, but it definitely didn’t hurt that Mr. Doubting Thomas over there had witnessed it. Chalk one up for her side.
Now if she could only ignore him and the strange reactions she experienced, maybe she could get something else crossed off her lengthy list.
Despite the edge of tension that seemed to permeate the office during the morning, Mandy was able to accomplish a great deal. But even as she diligently worked through the backed-up paperwork, she was conscious of Jackson Witt more than she should have been.
The way he ran his fingers through that thick hair had nothing to do with anything, and she had no business noting the gesture each time he made it. His hair was almost black, and thick. When he ran his fingers through it, it looked mussed. Sexy.
She blinked and stared back at her notes. Don’t go there!
The sound of his deep voice when speaking on the phone did not send shivers down her back. That was the draft from the door, she tried to convince herself. But the words before her blurred as she imagined him holding her close and speaking softly in her ear.
When he frowned at something, she was glad that glare was not directed at her, but her heart rate picked up, anyway. And she wondered what he’d look like if he smiled, or laughed.
Jeff joined them at ten, after reviewing plans with one of the masons on the far side of the site. His presence eased the tension a notch or two. Maybe with a third person there, her wild imagination would ease up and she could get something accomplished.
But Mandy couldn’t completely relax. She was too aware on a sensual level of the man at the adjacent desk. Did Jackson normally stay in the office all day? Wasn’t he needed on the construction site to oversee something? Had he only stayed in the office today to keep an eye on her—hoping to find fault and get rid of her even earlier than Friday?
She’d go crazy if he spent eight hours a day, every day, in such close proximity.
“It’s after twelve. When do you plan to eat lunch?” Jackson said unexpectedly.
Mandy looked up from the stack of invoices she was trying to put in order. She glanced at her watch. The morning had flown by.
“Is this the normal lunch hour?”
He nodded.
Silence outside indicated the men had stopped work.
She rose, smoothing her dark blue dress and taking her purse. “I’ll be back at one, then.”
“If I’m not here, follow up on these calls, will you?” he asked, holding out a small stack of pink telephone messages.
“Certainly.”
Jeff smiled, keeping his face down as if studying the blueprints spread across his desk.
Jackson glanced at him. “Something funny?”
His partner looked up and shook his head. “Thought you didn’t want Mandy here. You delegating work to her now?”
“If she were staying, she’d need to be able to handle the office when you and I aren’t here. Might as well see how she shapes up while we are still around.”
A hint of exhilaration swept through Mandy as she walked back to her trailer. Was Jackson thawing, as Jeff had predicted? One gesture wasn’t enough to judge. A cordial word or two would help. Was he as gruff with all his employees? Maybe he wasn’t used to being around a woman.
Not that she wanted special consideration.
After she prepared her lunch, she sat down on the sofa and put her feet up on a chair. Leaning back, she enjoyed being able to totally relax. She was tired—not that she’d admit that to her boss. She’d give anything if she could take a short nap.
Instead, she nibbled on her tuna sandwich, idly speculating about the taciturn Jackson Witt.
He seemed a hard man, with definite opinions and not much give in him. How had he and easygoing Jeff ever hooked up? He was years younger than Jeff, in his early thirties, she’d guess, while Jeff had to be in his mid-to late fifties. Did Jackson ever smile? She hadn’t seen him do so yet. Not that they’d spent that much time together. And, truth to tell, she didn’t mind if they didn’t spend any more time together. Until she could convince him she was the best person for the job, he was the enemy.
Ordinarily, she’d be pleased with what she’d accomplished with little direction on her first day. Still, she knew it might not be enough to suit him. He had the final say. But she’d go down fighting every inch of the way!
Jackson glanced up when, promptly at one o’clock, Mandy reentered the office. He nodded briefly and returned to scheduling the rotation for next week’s workload, trying to ignore her. Not an easy task.
Jackson was growing intrigued with the new secretary. He’d expected her to flounce around, ask a ton of questions, flirt with anything in jeans and play at office work.
So far the delicate-looking blonde had succeeded in getting an inspector out on a couple of hours’ notice, had organized the mess of her desk and not flirted once. She ignored the men who stopped by with one excuse or another. Was she playing some game, or was she for real?
He stared at her as she glanced through the phone messages he’d handed her earlier. After brushing back her blond mane, she picked up the phone and dialed the first number. She deliberately put a smile on her face, staring at the note in hand. He frowned. What was she doing? Following up on problems was nothing to smile about.
And were those curls and waves natural? Must be. With the impatient way she brushed them out of her way, it was unlikely they were a perm gone wrong.
Blond covered a variety of hues. Her hair was a mixture of gold, wheat-white and honey tumbling across her shoulders. Maybe she should have cut it like Sara’s, short and sleek. Or would those curls persist? Did they feel as soft and silky as they looked? Would they wrap around a man’s fingers if he threaded his hands through them?
He glanced away. What the hell was he doing, speculating about a woman’s hair? He rose and slammed out of the office, disgust warring with frustration. He’d told Jeff that having a woman secretary was a bad idea.
Before he could decide whether to head for home to grab a bite to eat, check out what Jeff was up to, or make sure Moose wasn’t hotdogging with the crane, Jackson spotted the county car descending the sweep of road leading to the site.
Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind on the upcoming inspection. He refused to think about Mandy Parkerson and her wild mop of curls. Or her blue eyes. Or her damned sunny smile. She’d be gone by Friday.
Jackson didn’t return to the office during the afternoon. Mandy took advantage of the opportunity to question Jeff. Getting a better picture of the operation would go a long way in bringing her up to speed. The atmosphere was much more relaxed, for which she was grateful.
There were phone calls to field, files to search for, and other routine tasks, in addition to trying to catch up with the work that had piled up since the former secretary had left. But Mandy still asked questions, tried to make sense of where they stood and how much they were trying to complete before winter.
By five she was glad to call it a day. It had been hectic, but exhilarating work. And she was making progress. Now she would change into something comfortable and take a short walk before dinner. Another early night was on the schedule. She suspected it’d take a couple of days to get used to the hectic pace, in addition to the catch-up she needed to do.
Her doctor had told her to expect to grow tired more easily. How right she’d been.
