her
already pathetic kitchen skil s were now further hampered
by the cast on her arm.
Even though his own dexterity would be curbed somewhat
by his bandage, he could outcook Carlotta using only his
thumbs and elbows. It was a good thing she was so damn
pretty—no man was going to marry her for her culinary
skil s.
He walked into the now-familiar office and nodded to the
now-familiar surly woman behind the check-in desk.
“Wesley Wren to see E. Jones.” He scanned the waiting
room as nonchalantly as possible. The Carver had once
sent a man here to remind Wesley that he was behind on
his payments, and the thug had punctuated the message
by snubbing out his cigar on Wesley’s hand. That wound
was stil pink and puckering. If he didn’t find a way to get
out of debt soon, his entire body would look like a strip of
badly cut meat. Thankful y, though, no one in the room
seemed to care he was there.
The old bat at the window sniffed. “You can go on back.”
He walked to E.’s office door, adjusted the sleeve of his
shirt so that it didn’t emphasize the bandage underneath,
and rapped.
“Come in.”
He swung open the door and miserably pondered the
tightening of his chest when Eldora Jones lifted her green-
eyed gaze to his.
“Hel o, Wesley.”
“Hi.”
“Have a seat.”
He did, across from her desk. She wore a white buttoned-
up blouse that might have been prim if not for the curves
it clung to.
“How are you?” she asked. Her voice sounded friendly, but
he’d been meeting with her long enough to know that
even an innocuous question was usually leading
somewhere.
“Good.”
“Why did you miss our appointment yesterday?”
He shifted in his chair. “I…was with some guys, lost track of
time. Sorry.”
“You couldn’t cal ?”
“Battery on my phone died.”
“Your sister was really worried. She was afraid you were
hurt.”
“I’m fine.” He smiled and lifted his hands, but the motion
pul ed the tightened skin under the bandage. The sudden
pain took his breath away and made his arm jerk
involuntarily.
“Did something happen to your arm?” she asked.
“Bicycle accident,” he said, continuing with his lie. “I
scraped it.”
She studied his face with a half smile, her green eyes
saying she didn’t believe him. “Sounds as if you were
lucky. You could’ve been hurt much worse.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You do realize that missing your scheduled meetings is a
violation of your probation?”
Wesley wet his lips. “Thanks for letting me reschedule.”
“Next time you won’t get off so easily.”
He nodded.
“But I’m glad you’re okay,” she added softly.
He glanced up sharply at her tone. She sounded as if
she…cared. But E. averted her gaze, cleared her throat and
opened his file folder, back to business.
“I heard from Richard McCormick. He said he was very
impressed with your computer knowledge when the two
of you spoke. He said if your community service work goes
wel , he might even consider hiring you.”
Wesley knew it was meant to be a compliment, but he had
no intention of toiling away in a cubicle for city wages until
he keeled over. “He seemed like a nice enough guy.”
“When do you start?”
“Monday.”
“Is that going to be a problem with your body-moving
job?”
“Nah, Coop’s cool with my community service. He said
he’d work around it.”
She made a couple of notes, then closed his folder. “Is
there anything else you’d like to talk about?”
“Thanks for the concert tickets. I heard Elton was great.”
“Yeah, the show went on after they took your sister to the
hospital. I’m glad she’s okay.”
“Thanks.” He fidgeted. “Did your boyfriend enjoy it?”
A little wrinkle appeared in her forehead. “Leonard? Yes,
he enjoyed the concert.”
Wes’s mouth watered. He wanted so badly to tel her that
the concert wasn’t the first place he’d met Leonard. E. sat
back in her
already pathetic kitchen skil s were now further hampered
by the cast on her arm.
Even though his own dexterity would be curbed somewhat
by his bandage, he could outcook Carlotta using only his
thumbs and elbows. It was a good thing she was so damn
pretty—no man was going to marry her for her culinary
skil s.
He walked into the now-familiar office and nodded to the
now-familiar surly woman behind the check-in desk.
“Wesley Wren to see E. Jones.” He scanned the waiting
room as nonchalantly as possible. The Carver had once
sent a man here to remind Wesley that he was behind on
his payments, and the thug had punctuated the message
by snubbing out his cigar on Wesley’s hand. That wound
was stil pink and puckering. If he didn’t find a way to get
out of debt soon, his entire body would look like a strip of
badly cut meat. Thankful y, though, no one in the room
seemed to care he was there.
The old bat at the window sniffed. “You can go on back.”
He walked to E.’s office door, adjusted the sleeve of his
shirt so that it didn’t emphasize the bandage underneath,
and rapped.
“Come in.”
He swung open the door and miserably pondered the
tightening of his chest when Eldora Jones lifted her green-
eyed gaze to his.
“Hel o, Wesley.”
“Hi.”
“Have a seat.”
He did, across from her desk. She wore a white buttoned-
up blouse that might have been prim if not for the curves
it clung to.
“How are you?” she asked. Her voice sounded friendly, but
he’d been meeting with her long enough to know that
even an innocuous question was usually leading
somewhere.
“Good.”
“Why did you miss our appointment yesterday?”
He shifted in his chair. “I…was with some guys, lost track of
time. Sorry.”
“You couldn’t cal ?”
“Battery on my phone died.”
“Your sister was really worried. She was afraid you were
hurt.”
“I’m fine.” He smiled and lifted his hands, but the motion
pul ed the tightened skin under the bandage. The sudden
pain took his breath away and made his arm jerk
involuntarily.
“Did something happen to your arm?” she asked.
“Bicycle accident,” he said, continuing with his lie. “I
scraped it.”
She studied his face with a half smile, her green eyes
saying she didn’t believe him. “Sounds as if you were
lucky. You could’ve been hurt much worse.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You do realize that missing your scheduled meetings is a
violation of your probation?”
Wesley wet his lips. “Thanks for letting me reschedule.”
“Next time you won’t get off so easily.”
He nodded.
“But I’m glad you’re okay,” she added softly.
He glanced up sharply at her tone. She sounded as if
she…cared. But E. averted her gaze, cleared her throat and
opened his file folder, back to business.
“I heard from Richard McCormick. He said he was very
impressed with your computer knowledge when the two
of you spoke. He said if your community service work goes
wel , he might even consider hiring you.”
Wesley knew it was meant to be a compliment, but he had
no intention of toiling away in a cubicle for city wages until
he keeled over. “He seemed like a nice enough guy.”
“When do you start?”
“Monday.”
“Is that going to be a problem with your body-moving
job?”
“Nah, Coop’s cool with my community service. He said
he’d work around it.”
She made a couple of notes, then closed his folder. “Is
there anything else you’d like to talk about?”
“Thanks for the concert tickets. I heard Elton was great.”
“Yeah, the show went on after they took your sister to the
hospital. I’m glad she’s okay.”
“Thanks.” He fidgeted. “Did your boyfriend enjoy it?”
A little wrinkle appeared in her forehead. “Leonard? Yes,
he enjoyed the concert.”
Wes’s mouth watered. He wanted so badly to tel her that
the concert wasn’t the first place he’d met Leonard. E. sat
back in her
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